Emergency Food

[cue003]

great info.

 

[nightshade]

Great thread. I have been using this site for supplies such as canned butter and canned Kraft cheese, etc. http://www.internet-grocer.net/butter.htm The butter can be stored without refrigeration.

 

[Bright Scouter]

I think this was mentioned earlier. But I still thing this Sierra Zip stove is a great survival stove. Especially if you have the AA batts and a way to charge them like your solar roll. I would still use your "normal" camp stove as a primary. But if you need something long term after fuel runs out, this one is great. And it makes a good secondary stove if you need two at a time.

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=13930&memberId=12500226

 

[LowBat]

I was wondering what the battery was for until I found their website. http://www.zzstove.com/sierra.html

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Great thread. I have been using this site for supplies such as canned butter and canned Kraft cheese, etc. http://www.internet-grocer.net/butter.htm The butter can be stored without refrigeration.

Mrs Umbra really likes butter (or a buttery spread) so a year ago I did quite a bit of research looking for a substitute that would keep in the tropics with no power. I used canned butter many years ago out in the bush in Alaska but where I live now I'd almost need it canned in individual servings when the power is out.

After looking around I finally settled on GHEE as probably the best solution for us. It's unsalted butter with all of the water carefully boiled away. It's more 'buttery' than butter, may be made at home and put up into small containers. It will keep for a few months at room temp in the tropics. I like the idea of something that we may put up cheaply ourselves for hurricane season and then rotate through on a continual basis. It may also be purchased 'factory made' for use on popcorn.

I haven't acted on this yet -- maybe this season. So much to do, so little time. :sigh:

 

[gromit]

Make sure that your water heater is secured and protected. You'll have lots of water, 50 gallons here. I have added a earthquake resistant security strap. When I had a new furnace installed they added a extra natural gas shut off. I'm lucky that I have a floor drain so I can easily drain the crap out. 20+ days of water for two of us.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Make sure that your water heater is secured and protected. You'll have lots of water, 50 gallons here...

Be sure to shut off city water going into the water heater in an emergrncy. If the city lines are damaged and you draw any water out of your heater you may inadvertantly syphon contaminated water from the damaged city line into the clean water in the heater, rendering it undrinkable.

You may also get more drinkable water from your water heater in an emergency by draining off a gallon or so from the spigot at the base of the heater every other month or so. The water at the bottom is the most highly mineralized and there will be more room for drinkable water if some of it is removed periodically. It'll make your water heater last longer, too.

 

[turbodog]

I really mean that all this preparedness is great (although it seems to be biased toward flashlights for some reason) ONLY if you are able to remain in your home. If your home is still standing, you're ahead of the curve.

Otherwise, you may be faced with the prospect of trying to pack supplies in your car, given say.... 2 minutes of warning. In this case, I propose you will focus on yourself and your family. So unless you have a bag/case/etc packed exactly for this scenario, you'll likely leave with nothing but what you are wearing.

If you are able to make it out in your car, and you have a credit card, you're golden. Head for high ground and hang out at the holiday inn.

Other than frantically covering a leaking roof during the initial onslaught, you don't spend too much time outside after dark AFTER the "thing" hits.

I don't think it's at all that simple. I was at ground zero for Katrina and if that's all I'd done to prepare for it we'd have been stumbling around in the mud with the folks you mention.

I think that there are better examples of preparedness than the ones you site.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

turbodog,

I agree with much of that but since Katrina it seems that all anyone on the Gulf Coast thinks about is hurricanes. Fortunately, anyone who is well prepared for hurricanes will also be in a much better position to deal with the many events that could shut down any urban area in the U.S. at any time without destroying even one house -- not just in the Gulf coast region. Those scenarios frighten me much more than hurricanes -- even though the storms get all of the press.

At least with a hurricane in the 21st century we'll likely get three days warning, whereas a bio-terror event or bird flu will be a come as you are party. Participants will have...what they have...and mobility will probably be restricted under force of arms. If everyone in a region is forced to hunker down in their homes with only what they've put up for their loved ones until the government can establish Ad Hoc distribution systems from scratch for food and fuel -- it will make Katrina look like a papercut. "Shelter In Place" is the official name of the response strategy for these types of events and when one studies how poorly prepared the population is for things like hurricanes, which they traditionally have advanced warning of, it is frightening indeed. These people won't be evaced as most of them would be during a big storm -- they'll be at home -- they'll be our neighbors -- running out of food and water and meds and they won't be allowed to leave.

That is the major part of what I think about when I prepare for emergencies and while I agree with you about hurricanes I'm far more frightened of a chaotic event that leaves every house still standing... That's what I prepare for. My being ready for hurricanes is lagniappe.

 

[TedTheLed]

*The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.**2000.
*
lagniappe
*
SYLLABICATION: la·gniappe
PRONUNCIATION: **ln-yp, lnyp
NOUN: Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi 1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase. 2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. Also called Regional boot2. See Regional Note at beignet.
ETYMOLOGY: Louisiana French, from American Spanish la ñapa, the gift : la, the (from Latin illa, feminine of ille, that, the; see al-1 in Appendix I) + ñapa (variant of yapa, gift, from Quechua, from yapay, to give more).
REGIONAL NOTE: Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, "the gift," and ultimately from Quechua yapay, "to give more." The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean "an extra or unexpected gift or benefit."

:santa:

 

[filibuster]

If you join the site www.warrifles.com they have had group buys on Mountain House freeze dried items:
http://www.warrifles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=255

The current one ends today July 20 2007

 

[zk188]

stock up on things like gatorade powder instant mashed potatoes powdered broth rice beans salt and denatured alcohol as fuel.

 

[fisk-king]

Great thread. I have been using this site for supplies such as canned butter and canned Kraft cheese, etc. http://www.internet-grocer.net/butter.htm The butter can be stored without refrigeration.

I've been using that website for the past 2 years as well as beprepared.com. I've tried the canned bacon, which is good surprisingly, but has WAY to much salt. My only problem right now is water. I have a pocket filter/ straw and I plan to purchase a Katadyn Pocket filter this year.


I have a few cases of bottled water at different locations good for 5 days, maybe. The #10 cans from Mountain House I have around about six and about 10 bags of brown rice and a ton of can food. Alot of my family live in a 5 block radius who store food like squirrels which we would use in an Emergency event. My b.o.b has the basics covered (shelter, fire, water) but concerning food, sadly only can of oysters and tuna.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

If you like Bruce and the gang at Inet-Grocer you should check out http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/. Disclaimer: I'm not connected to either of them beyond having ordered hundreds of pounds of food from each of them over the years.

I still order my cases of NonFat Dried Milk in #10 cans from the Texans but for legumes, grains and Whole Dried Eggs I've switched to Honeyville. Their prices are a little higher than Inet-Grocer but they blow them away on shipping.

A few years ago I was buying Oat Bran from IG and a 50 lb bag was just ~$34 but the shipping on that one bag was $37!!! (And that was just from Texas to Louisiana) Honeyville has a UPS deal where the whole order ships for just $4.49! The difference in total cost is stunning. Honeyville also seems to have a sale with 5-10% off about every other month. Combine that with being able to order a couple hundred pounds and have it all delivered for just $4.49 and you've really got something.

Check them out.

 

[fisk-king]

I don't think it's at all that simple. I was at ground zero for Katrina and if that's all I'd done to prepare for it we'd have been stumbling around in the mud with the folks you mention.

I think that there are better examples of preparedness than the ones you site.

I was talking to a co worker in our gym about emergency preparedness when he commented about ONLY filling a tub with water for emergencies. He also stated that if he didn't have enough for his family of 4 he would find "other means". Needless to say I didn't go into talking about my setup:shakehead

I find it alarming & disheartening that most scoff at the idea of being prepared & ridicule those that do. I'm not a doom & gloom guy by no means, but, better safe...

 

[fisk-king]

If you like Bruce and the gang at Inet-Grocer you should check out http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/. Disclaimer: I'm not connected to either of them beyond having ordered hundreds of pounds of food from each of them over the years.

I still order my cases of NonFat Dried Milk in #10 cans from the Texans but for legumes, grains and Whole Dried Eggs I've switched to Honeyville. Their prices are a little higher than Inet-Grocer but they blow them away on shipping.

A few years ago I was buying Oat Bran from IG and a 50 lb bag was just ~$34 but the shipping on that one bag was $37!!! (And that was just from Texas to Louisiana) Honeyville has a UPS deal where the whole order ships for just $4.49! The difference in total cost is stunning. Honeyville also seems to have a sale with 5-10% off about every other month. Combine that with being able to order a couple hundred pounds and have it all delivered for just $4.49 and you've really got something.

Check them out.

Thanks I'll check it out when I get my next paycheck

 

[cottonpickers]

I think there's a fine line between what people consider 'being prepared' and 'being a loon'

I tend to deliberately overstock on daily items. So for camping, I have 3 large gas canisters rather than one. I keep 2 spare bags of Charcoal for the bbq, and buy rice by the 10kg bag 'as its cheap' - this all helps give me the feeling that when the power goes out, or if we get snowed in that we'll have enough heat/light/power for a while. Its a way of keeping costs down and being 'prepared' without people thinking I'm a nut ;-) Of course.. flashlights fall in to the same category, so I have one or two 'just in case'

 

[Lit Up]

Its a way of keeping costs down and being 'prepared' without people thinking I'm a nut ;-) Of course.. flashlights fall in to the same category, so I have one or two 'just in case'

Better make it a few more lights than that or people here might consider you looney.

 

[fisk-king]

Hey guys,

What are the uses for buying bulk whole grain. I've never cooked/used it so shat are the benefits of buying bulk grain? I plan to get some rice and beans (we eat Alot of it) in bulk and didn't know if I should get grain.

Thanks
FisK

edit: also, I'm looking for semi long term pack food for my B.O.B. any suggestions? I already have jerky that hold up pretty good.

 

[Philip2]

Uncooked beans, peas and rice cannot be eaten without cooking. So they are not the best choice for survival food. For example, if you are stuck in a collapsed house and wounded and ill, you may not be able to cook. Or if you are in a dug out shelter with little ventilation, or in a boat, or if you have lost your fire making tool, etc. In a disaster nothing can be taken for granted.

Flour and oatmeal however, can be eaten uncooked, if mixed with water or sunflower oil, and have very long shelf life, if protected from moist and bugs. And they are also cheap.