Any Survivalists Out There?

I'm not thinking about moving into the mountains by myself, or anything like that. But, I having been thinking about this flu pandemic stuff.

What I would like to do is compile a "survival shopping list" of basic foodstuffs and similar required items in the case this pandemic scenario ever seems like it's actually coming down on us. The experts say it should take about 6 months to pass. I would like to be able to stock up for about that long, so that I could avoid travel to the supermarket, etc., where the likelihood of catching the virus is much higher.

So, what kind of basic foodstuffs would be needed and could be easily stored for 6 months, for 1 person? Things like dried beans, grains, pastas, sugar, flour, canned fruits and vegies, etc.? What kind of quantities would be needed? I would have only limited freezer space, so that's not a big help. Being able to maintain a fairly balanced diet that is supplying the required nutrients is all that I am looking for. I guess one of my main concerns is perishables. How do you stock up on dairy, meats, and produce that spoil quickly? Any thoughts? Maybe we could compile this list here online, for everybody to save for that hopefully unneeded day when it is needed.

LMU

Have you checked out the "Equipped to Survive" website? EXCELLENT info, prowl around the site - go into their Forum for all sorts of info!

Thanks, Sig. That's a very interesting site. Those people are very serious about surviving. I found some threads about food stocking but most of them, at least that I could find, were very basic. Like a nuclear war survival outlook, or something like that if you know what I mean.

Sort of like get "cases of Bisquick, beef stew, ramen, powdered milk & eggs, etc." I don't want to hole up for an eternity, just hopefully avoid unnecessary social contact for a few months to avoid the disease transmission phase. So a little more variety and flavor would be welcome.

In some ways just to live in today's world one needs to be a survivalist....:candle:

I'll second that Ritter's site is a great resource.

I have frequented this forum in years past.


http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/

Just buy a little extra of what you eat and is on sale every time you go to the store.

It adds up quick.

Add some medical gloves and n95 masks for when you have to go out and you should be OK.

Unless you get it before you relize it is going around that is.

wwglen

Hey! Here's a guy that has gen-u-wine US military survival rations:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=83994

I understand that the DOD does not sell any of these outside of government agencies.

These things are pretty good and a great deal. If you've ever priced "Mountain House" backpacking food or something similar you know what I mean.

He's also a really nice guy and a flashaholic too!

AR15 Survial Forums
Check out AR15 they also have group buys on Mountainhouse #10 cans a few times a year

My parents have over 6 months of extra food and stuff at our house. If you need more info, try to PM me. I can ask my parents where they got the stuff, or if there is a website for it.

equipped.org is about emergency preparedness and survival and tries to distance itself from "survivalism". The distinction it makes is an emergency is a temporary situation (hurricane, plane crash) and surviving means getting through it until things are back to normal/rescue arrives/etc. "Survivalism" means things will not get back to normal, leading to preparation for armed conflict etc. ETS preparation generally focuses on emergencies lasting less than 3 days (lost in the woods) or lately up to a few weeks (post-hurricane). 6 month scenarios edge toward what they shy away from.

Paul.......
Yeah, I see now that there is a difference between the 'survival' and 'emergency' type philosophies. Even thoug I mentioned 6 months, I think I'm more in the emergency category. I don't foresee not setting foot outside my home for 6 months, merely trying to minimize the number of times I really need to. I think a monthly trip to get produce or milk, etc., might be OK.

It's a real when, not if problem this one, the trouble is you either sort out your plan now, stock up / rotate stock etc or plan on the basis of contingency arrangments you want to put into place. Its a risk assesment process really, At this time I'm working on the following basis

• I've identified suppliers for approriate medical masks, but remember its not just one you need! do i really want to spend £200 plus on these at this time?
• I'm clear about the food stock issue, and how we might supliment current stocks.
• being aware of the current situation and reading between the lines,
• thinking through what this mean in terms of family issues, impact on transport, public order, Govt policy changes etc
• I'm aware of current policy on this and other ie smallpox, SARS so I know what the public health responce is

Having worked in this area in the past, I'm fairly confident about dealing with this, but and its a big but, the key issue is limiting your exposure to others, and protecting yourself if you do, which is essentialy the basis of my planning. the trouble is you also need to get access to drugs and vacines so you still need to go along with the health protection plans.

I think the difficulty is ensuring family etc are up to speed on this, knowing what they need to know now, and being clear how you deal with communication issues as things change. I've got two kids at Uni who are both aware of the sort of work I've been involved with in the past, therfore its easier for them to accept there is a need to think ahead and be reasonably prepared, for example my daughter was very close to the oil dept that exploded a few weeks back north of london, it rocked the house, at least she had the pal light i had given her by her bed!

Just a note about the N95 masks - there's currently a lot of controversy and debate over whether or not they actually make a difference...

I would advise anyone planning any strategy that involves hunkering down to think very carefully about their food. Just having a whole bunch of what you normally eat or a big stack of cheap grains, beans, etc can be a mistake. Staples are great but your choices should not be guided by caloric content or nutritional value alone.

In times of strife in the past some people (in particular the very old and the very young) have starved to death because they were too bored by the food that they had on hand to eat it. It is a terrible thing to find out too late. Any situation where you will have to use your emergency food supply will likely be very stressful, which may also make mealtime a little different experience than what you're used to.

Lay up your staples. Lay up whatever you normally eat that will keep. Then do yourself a favor. Lay up some things that you really like. Lay up some things that are really different. Treats for you and yours that aren't necessarily candy. Things that will keep people eating in the midst of all of the stress. It costs little to put up a wider variety of spices than you usually use. They could come in very handy.

If you are going to rely much on staples you should probably have two completely different stoves for emergency use as much of your stored food will be useless without a way to cook it. I would recommend two stoves that each use a different fuel. Actually, two stoves is really a good idea no matter what kind of food you put up.

Many people fail to consider entertainment during an ongoing emergency situation. I would be hard pressed to rank food as entertainment but during an extended crisis there are similarities. Like entertainment, mealtime may help take your mind off some of the stressful events that may seem to fill up your days and nights. In many scenarios it may seem that almost everything in your life will feel different than what you are used to. Your water will come from a different place. Your diet will surely not be what you're used to. You may have trouble sleeping.

Any break, however brief, from the daily stress may be important to your well being. Making your emergency meals as enjoyable as possible will go a long way towards making the days pass more easily.

Sub_Umbra said:

Many people fail to consider entertainment during an ongoing emergency situation. I would be hard pressed to rank food as entertainment but during an extended crisis there are similarities. Like entertainment, mealtime may help take your mind off some of the stressful events that may seem to fill up your days and nights.......

Any break, however brief, from the daily stress may be important to your well being. Making your emergency meals as enjoyable as possible will go a long way towards making the days pass more easily.

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About this part... if you're going to be staying in one place for a long time there are some forms of entertainment that are very easy to store like books, crossword puzzles, a deck of cards, portable/small folding chess/checkers set and such. This could ease the stress of people a great deal compared to just sitting there.

Spices.

Sub_Umbra said:

I would advise anyone planning any strategy that involves hunkering down to think very carefully about their food. Just having a whole bunch of what you normally eat or a big stack of cheap grains, beans, etc can be a mistake. Staples are great but your choices should not be guided by caloric content or nutritional value alone.

In times of strife in the past some people (in particular the very old and the very young) have starved to death because they were too bored by the food that they had on hand to eat it. It is a terrible thing to find out too late.

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Huh? What do you mean? If I was literally starving, I"m sure I would enjoy the most monotonous diet ever?

C4LED said:

About this part... if you're going to be staying in one place for a long time there are some forms of entertainment that are very easy to store like books, crossword puzzles, a deck of cards, portable/small folding chess/checkers set and such. This could ease the stress of people a great deal compared to just sitting there.

Click to expand...

When our power was out for six weeks last year during the K event in New Orleans we listened to audiobooks in mp3 after everyone else was kicked out of town. It was great. Every day It took our minds off of whatever important puzzle we were trying to figure out at the time. Those and other diversions were wonderful.

Actually, the scary thing is that you probably wouldn't. This has been demonstrated over and over that eventually people will begin starving (or loose hope and kill themselves) rather than eat a bland/boreing diet for an extended period with no relief. (keeping in mind that relief could be as simple as a packet of sugar to lick once in a while).

zespectre said:

This has been demonstrated over and over that eventually people will begin starving (or loose hope and kill themselves) rather than eat a bland/boreing diet for an extended period with no relief.

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Do you have any actual knowledge of this phenomena, or is this more of an urban legend thing?