Stock Piling for Emergency -- Question

[susankenny]

Hi,

 

This may seem like a weird question. If you stockpile food for emergency preparedness, where do you buy t? What is your favorite brand (as in flavor and price).

 

Thank you!

 

Susan

 

Oh, and do you have a list of certain items you recommend having? Food, flashlights, water, first aid , etc. Is there a list somewhere? You can PM me if you prefer.

Edited November 13, 2012 by susankenny

[Slartibartfast]

I don't stockpile but I have seen rations for sale at Costco.

[Arcadia]

There is a list for California being earthquake area. The list and information is on this page.

 

For water we have a few gallons. For food we have dry rations like granola bars, pull string can food like sardines and whatever my kids like to eat that keep well and don't need a can opener. (i have a can opener, I just don't want the hassle of using that in an emergency)

 

We have hand crank radio and hand crank flashlights. We also have the battery operated radio and flashlights with spare batteries.

 

We don't have a complete disaster first aid kid. We do have antiseptic, alcohol swabs and gauze.

 

ETA: Page 14 of this pdf (http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2007/41/gip41.pdf) has the checklist for what to prepare. The main page is here

Edited November 13, 2012 by Arcadia

[susankenny]

http://Www.beprepared.com

 

Usually their #10 cans. However, we haven't used any of it yet. Honestly, I would stock non-perishable goods from the grocery store.

 

Will be interested to see what other replies you get.

 

Thank you. I do have som non-perishable foods and will continue to keep those on hand, but I'm specifically looking at dehydrated foods that have a shelf life much longer than canned goods and such.

 

I will check out the link now. I appreciate it!:)

 

Susan

[Elizabeth in MN]

I buy more of what we normally buy. Ideally I'd have a three month supply of food but that is financially hard. Here's the deal - if you buy a bunch of food and you never eat it and or hate it you'll be in more of a pickle when the emergency happens.

 

Here are two good sites on emergency preparedness

http://www.ready.gov/

https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng

[charcat13]

I've always thought it better to stock up on regular shelf stable stuff you already use. Just rotate it out so nothing goes bad and is wasted.

[susankenny]

Here's the deal - if you buy a bunch of food and you never eat it and or hate it you'll be in more of a pickle when the emergency happens.]

 

Yes. This is my issue. I want to buy a few cans of freeze dried food & there are so many websites and choices. I was hoping someone here could recommend a brand that they've actually purchased and tasted.

 

I will look at your links. Thank you.:)

 

Susan

[helena]

I'm slowly working on it. Once a month I make some kind of purchase to get us more prepared.

I have a decent pantry.

5-7 water jugs (2 1/2 gallons)

I keep a lot of wet and dry cat food

extra cleaning supplies, rags, and old towels

lots of candles and matches

 

last month we bought enough cat carriers for each cat

this month I'm stocking up on batteries

next month I'd like to get a hand crank radio (any suggestions on which one? :bigear:)

 

I'm going to check out the California list a PP linked. :001_smile:

 

We've dealt with fire and floods, I prefer to be prepared.

[helena]

I've always thought it better to stock up on regular shelf stable stuff you already use. Just rotate it out so nothing goes bad and is wasted.

 

:iagree:

 

I keep everything stocked by buying the foods we eat in bulk when they go on sale. Same with toiletries, toothpaste, pads, tp, ibuprofin, etc.

[umsami]

Mostly I buy the stuff I normally buy and just try and have a little extra during Hurricane season.

 

I did buy a bunch of freeze dried fruit from Shelf Reliance which we like. I've seen their stuff on Costco.com and they usually have a Black Friday/Black Monday sale from what I remember.

 

Best purchase was my solar flashlights. WE use them all the time.

http://www.amazon.com/HYBRID-POWERED-FLASHLIGHT-EMERGENCY-BATTERY/dp/B001NTT45Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1352780137&sr=1-1&keywords=solar+flashlight

 

 

Also have this for water. http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Water-Storage/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352780116&sr=8-1&keywords=water+bob

 

 

And of course an emergency radio .

 

 

Check the LDS/Mormon sites for info on storing food, quantities, etc. We're more low-keyed trying to have about 2 weeks extra in case of a hurricane. :)

[missmoe]

For long term storage I like Thrive

 

I have tried and enjoyed (all freeze dried versions when you have a choice between dried and freeze dried)

 

Applesauce

Blackberries

Mango

Pineapple

Peach Slices

Strawberries

 

Egg Noodles

Cornmeal

Quick Qats

 

Carrots

Onions

Cauliflower

Potatoes--Chunks and Diced (though the chunks were not much bigger than the diced)

Mushroom pieces

 

Instant Milk

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

 

Black Beans

 

Butter (works for baking--not good for slathering on bread)

 

Fudge Brownies

Macaroons

Both of these are too die for! but very expensive.

 

 

 

 

Things I've tried and didn't enjoy

 

Sour Cream Powder--this worked to use in baking, but didn't taste good in dip

Chicken Bouillon

Chicken Chunks---I don't really like chicken that much, so that could be why I didn't enjoy this. It just seemed really bland to me.

Mandrin Oranges--which I see they no longer sell. They turned into a sticky mess soon after opening the can.

 

Over-all this is the best company I've tried out. I also like that you can sign up to receive an automatic shipment each month. Check to see if there is someone selling it local to you. Parties are a great way to try out different foods.

[missmoe]

For our short term 72 hour kits, I've recently discovered GoPicnic I've bought them from both Amazon and Costco. I like that they aren't as junky as most things one finds in 72 hour kits, and they have gluten free and vegan options.

 

In addition to the GoPicnic kits, I supplement with instant oatmeal, baked beans, beef jerky, dried fruits, luna bars and cliff bars.

[missmoe]

Thrive is really good. I ordered through Costco and the price was better than the Thrive/Shelf Reliance website and had free shipping.

 

I didn't know Costco sold Thrive. Thanks for the info.

[kubiac]

We don't stockpile food--the untapped potential of it drives me nuts--we do have almost everything else you might need for an emergency.

 

We store our emergency supplies in wheeled coolers we keep in the garage.

 

Notes to self: Figure out fire extinguishers! Install carbon monoxide alarm!

[justasque]

Eat what you store, and store what you eat.

 

I'm not a fan of the dried rations type food. A well-stocked pantry, with food rotated on a regular basis, will meet emergency needs whether they are of the natural disaster type, the everyone has the flu and no one wants to go out type, or the impromptu meals for unexpected visitors type. An experienced cook, familiar with the pantry foods they use on a daily basis, can conjure up a variety of nourishing meals working within whatever parameters the current emergency presents.

 

Say you stock up on a month's worth of food. If you eat a meal from this stash every 12 days, and replace it as part of your regular shopping, you'll rotate through the whole stash in a year. Using it this way, you'll never be eating food older than a year. You'll also be using it as part of your regular meals, so you'll have ongoing experience with meal planning, recipes, etc. using this food.

[carina]

http://honeyvillegrain.com/products/Products.html has a lot of freeze dried meals and plain ingredients so you can mix together your own meals in jars good for 5-7 years if you do it right. I'll have to dig around for the blog of a lady does does this, she has a lot of recipes.

 

Here's a video

 

If you have some friends who are also interested then you can get together and try some things out at minimal cost.

Edited November 13, 2012 by carina

[Carrie12345]

I buy more of what we use and rotate it.

 

We lucked out with just 24 hours of no power this time. If we had been 2 weeks like some, the LAST thing I'd want to worry about would be convincing my kids to try something new!

[Chris in VA]

 

Here is a new favorite website of mine--it's an LDS preparedness site. Maybe it will be useful to you.

[Annie G]

Have you seen the series called Doomsday Preppers? Those people are seriously preparing and have a ton of good ideas- for food and everything else. I don't subscribe to their theories of doom but it's a fascinating show to watch. It's rare that all four of us enjoy the same show- and we all love this one.

 

Some store dried food, some can everything, some use other unique methods. Interesting! One lady claims that rubbing cooking oil on eggs and rotating them regularly will preserve them for 9 months. She served some deviled eggs she claimed were 8 months old and her party guests ate them up.

[trafal]

I'd like to recommend a site that has a systematic plan for food storage.

http://www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net

I bought their ebook on food storage and it is well worth the price. I believe it was $17.00. They also have tons of resources and suggestions for free.

 

Also search for videos by Wendy Dewitt on youtube. She has a great food storage series. Here is a link to her blog

http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/

If you email her then she will send you a ebook for free on food storage.

 

In general , I think it is better to store what you eat and then rotate through the food. However, having a case or tow of MRE's or other just add water type fods is also a good idea and the new season of Doomsday Preppers stats tonight.

[Murphy101]

It depends what kind of preparedness you are going for too.

 

For example, I'm not too worried about needing to scavenge. I can do that. And it would take a LOT of space, time and money to stockpile like the LDS might suggest I do.

 

However, I think having at least a 72 hour emergency pack is a good thing and more likely to be needed and far easier to do.

 

Camping backpack

Water

MREs and energy snacks (granola bars, nuts..)

Comprehensive first aid

Spare hiking boots

Flares/flashlight/glow sticks (I keep glow sticks in my diaper bags. It's a quick and easy and low stress way to be able to see my kids in the dark.)

Change of clothes/wet weather jacket

 

I forget what all else. My boys are required to have one for civil air patrol, so I jump started from it for a family one.

[Lisbeth]

Check out a nearby LDS cannery, too. Some restrict to only LDS members, some don't (last I checked.) Have an LDS pal take you if need be. :)

 

We stockpile and rotate. Not at a year's worth level like the Church recommends, yet. We are prob. at the 6-month level.

 

It's important to ROTATE as others have mentioned. Though, even if you don't, it's like an insurance policy. If you need it you will be glad you didn't worry about losing it, and still stocked it. If you need it and worried that you might have to throw it out from dis-use, and so didn't stockpile...well, tears all around. ;) "It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark." As they say.

[d.g.]

We have layers of "food preparedness".

 

First: regular pantry, refrigerator, freezer. This is the stuff that we eat regularly. We have somewhere between 2-3 weeks of meals here, I'd guess, but it varies.

 

Next: longer-term pantry stored in cool, dry part of basement, plus deep freezers (chest and upright). This is where all my bulk shopping buys go, then I "shop from my pantry" before grocery shopping. This keeps our supplies rotated and saves us tons of money. Although we're working on reducing it currently (planned move next spring), at peak stocking, we could probably make more than three months of meals, assuming electricity.

 

Last: long-term storage goods. Although the general idea is to keep these on hand for emergencies, I open a can every once in a while for sampling and experimenting. There's no point in having it if, when we need it most, our boys (or ourselves!) won't eat it. So far, we haven't had any bombs.

 

I highly recommend Augason Farms brand. It's available through Sam's Club (online) at decent prices, better than the company web site unless they're having a great sale.

 

If you're going to go the bulk buckets route, definitely spring for gamma seal lids. They're amazing!

[Susan in TN]

It depends what kind of preparedness you are going for too.

 

For example, I'm not too worried about needing to scavenge. I can do that. And it would take a LOT of space, time and money to stockpile like the LDS might suggest I do.

 

However, I think having at least a 72 hour emergency pack is a good thing and more likely to be needed and far easier to do.

.

 

This is what we do - a couple backpacks with canned food/snacks/candy, water, basic emergency/first aid supplies, sanitizing items, copies of personal information (birth certificates, etc), flashlights/batteries, heavy plastic, and duct tape, of course :D.

 

We keep them in our basement walk-in pantry which is also our emergency shelter. We have a lot of camping and backpacking gear (boy scouts) in our garage.

 

One thing we don't have is a battery/crank radio.

[*********]

I've always thought it better to stock up on regular shelf stable stuff you already use. Just rotate it out so nothing goes bad and is wasted.

 

This is what we do.

 

For example, our pantry has:

 

dry boxed cereal (yeah yeah, but dh insists we have it around)

pasta

rice

our favorite brand of pasta sauce

canned veggies (we do eat these regularly; I can't get the boys to transition to frozen green beans for the life of me!)

ketchup/bbq sauce/mustard

oatmeal

bags of flour

yeast

bottled water (dh won't drink tap water, so he drinks this regularly)

tuna

peanut butter

 

Um, that's all I can think of right now.

 

It's all stuff we use regularly, so I just rotate it when I shop.

 

We used to do the 'stock emergency food' thing, but we realized that when the food got close to expiration and needed to be replaced, we didn't want to eat it. Who wants a giant can of baked beans or whatever? Not us, LOL. So we went to just stocking up on things that we eat regularly, and that works well for us. We have extra food in the house, but nothing gets wasted.

 

PLUS, I stock up on the pantry things when they go on sale, so that helps the budget, too.

[Parrothead]

We used to do the 'stock emergency food' thing, but we realized that when the food got close to expiration and needed to be replaced, we didn't want to eat it. Who wants a giant can of baked beans or whatever? Not us, LOL.

This is why I could never understand the #10 size can recommendations. It is an emergency and probably a lack of power. So are we supposed to open the giant can of green beans for eat off and on all day? Or do we open the giant can of green beans and refrigerate the left-overs? Hello! No electricity.

 

So when things are being stocked up on for emergency I prefer normal meal sized servings so there are no leftovers and no waste.

[d.g.]

This is why I could never understand the #10 size can recommendations. It is an emergency and probably a lack of power. So are we supposed to open the giant can of green beans for eat off and on all day? Or do we open the giant can of green beans and refrigerate the left-overs? Hello! No electricity.

 

So when things are being stocked up on for emergency I prefer normal meal sized servings so there are no leftovers and no waste.

 

A majority of the #10 cans sold by survival/storage companies are dehydrated or freeze dried foods. As long as you don't get them wet or contaminated in some way while opening the can to remove some for use, they'll be fine for days, possibly weeks depending.