Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? Its an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
Ive been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe thats why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Welcome to the thread, glad you came to read.
Boy, you have proved there is no excuse for portraying anything inauthentic in historic novels. The information on how cooking was done is overwhelming!<<<<
Civil war cooking, is a good example of what you can do with very little, that is why I keep looking at the old books.
Think of a trip in a covered wagon and then consider what you will be doing, 6 months after you start living on your emergency supplies....about equal.
Except the covered wagon might stir up a big rattlesnake or a rabbit....They say snake tastes like chicken or fine tuna, couldn’t say, as I resisted tasting it.
Interesting low cost, low maintenace vehicle for farm work. Kinda like a small tractor/ATV Looks good, never heard of it before.
http://www.drivebuv.org/index.html
Thanks for posting the link, it is a new one to me also.
Welcome to the thread.
Pinocchio, Snow White, and Superman are out for a stroll in town one day.
As they walked, they come across a sign:
Beauty contest for the most beautiful woman in the world.
I am entering! said Snow White.
After half an hour she comes out and they ask her, Well, how’d ya do?
First Place ! said Snow White.
They continue walking and they see a sign:
Contest for the strongest man in the world.
I'm entering, says Superman.
After half an hour, he returns and they ask him, How did you make out??
First Place ! answers Superman. Did you ever doubt
They continue walking when they see a sign:
Contest for the greatest liar in the world?
I'm entering! says Pinocchio
After half an hour he returns with tears in his eyes.
What happened?? they asked.
Who the h*** is Obama?? asked Pinocchio
Shooter Identified in fatal drive by shooting
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2262451/posts
<<<<
Thanks for the link, it is as it is taught in the jihad training manuals.
It is also the same as you will hear several times a night on any police scanner.
Sometimes they have a target and others, it is “any one will do”.
Blueberry Cobbler<<<
I will start with a double serving and ice cream on top please.
I was reading the other night, about making pie crust, the usual cold water crust.
When you roll it out, you dot it with real butter, fold it over and roll it out again, then repeat the butter doting.
This is how they get the layers of flaky pie crust.
LOL, just a little something that I did not know.
Laughing out loud.
Thanks for the ping! I subscribed!
ROFL! I’m sending that out to my email buddies!
Thanks.. its one of my favorite threads to read and re-read here :)
Prepare: Costco Emergency Food Kit
I shop at Costco monthly and it has to be one of my favorite stores. If you are into preparing for the worse, Costco gives you a warm fuzzy feeling when you see all those stacks of canned goods, big bags of rice and multipacks of batteries.
I have not seen this particular product at my Costco and I think I know the reason. We don’t have hurricanes or earthquakes where I live and this product probably would not appeal to many who shop at my Costco - or so the management thinks. I believe they would be a big seller because so many unprepared people want to do “something”.
So what is the Emergency Food Kit? Actually, it is a “Food for Health Emergency Food Kit” as Costco markets it. Inside the weatherproof bucket are 270 servings of food. Like what you ask?
# 25 Servings - Potato Soup
# 30 Servings - Corn Chowder
# 25 Servings - Cacciatore
# 25 Servings - Western Stew
# 30 Servings - Country Noodle
# 25 Servings - Rice Lentil
# 45 Servings - Whey Milk
# 40 Servings - Blueberry Pancake
# 30 Servings - Barley Vegetable
This sounds good, right? The only complaints I have seen online have come from people who have not purchased the actual product. Rather, they either read about it online or examined the product at the store. Reviews from buyers however, say plenty of good things about the food.
The Emergency Food Kit says it has a shelf life of 20 years when stored at optimal temperatures. This puts it along the same lines as Mountain House or Military meals.
The meal sizes are small (1 cup dry) and the calories are low. Most of the dishes have about 140 calories per serving with the pancakes having the highest caloric value of 220 calories. Please note that the product claim is 275 “servings” not days worth of food or even meals, but simply a serving. If you have a family, you know that growing child can eat two or more servings of a dish at a meal. Keep that in mind for reference with the Emergency Food Kit.
Buyers say the food quality is actually very good. Like most survival foods, they say the sodium content is higher than normal foods they eat, but that they enjoyed most of the food selections.
Also, with most long term storage foods, be aware of appetite fatigue. Buyers say the Emergency Food Kit combined with other long term storage foods would make a good meal plan.
Others suggest that buyers purchase multiple food kits rather than a single bucket for a family. Also, be warned that the food must be stored at a constant temperature. I would not store this in the back of the car during the summer for instance. Exposure to extreme temperatures lowers the shelf life of the food and may cause it to become inedible.
What is funny, is the manufacturers of the Food Kit or Costco have not suggested that the bucket can be reused as a toilet. They must not have had a survivalist designing the product.
How about cost? Costco has this bucket of food, with a shelf life of 20 years for the low price of $84.99. That’s a good price for some LTS food which may be a good start for a food supply. If anything, the food can be used for camping or hunting trips.
Positives - affordable long term storage foods available at a mainstream retail store. That’s pretty good in my book. I just wish they carried it at one of my Costco locations.
http://survivalism.blogspot.com/2009/06/prepare-costco-emergency-food-kit.html
“I just wish they carried it at one of my Costco locations.”
Have you tried looking to see if they have it at Costco online? I remember in the fall seeing an emergency kit at Costco that was mentioned in a thread on FR. By the time I went to show it to hubby, they were out. Since then our card expired - we have a Sam’s Club card now.
ROFLOL!
LOL, I guess I will have to email the author and ask if he has checked online...
Actually, those were the authors remarks not mine...
Just thought those who were looking for an easy way out might be interested.
I saw these and thought of you.
Oops, I guess I hurried through those comments. I’m sure you’re well situated and wouldn’t be looking for “a kit”.
Not a problem... I thought that it might look like my comments, but didn’t really see an easy way to isolate it, (actually I didn’t try too hard... LOL)
While I am pretty well stocked up, I still add to it every chance I get. Only yesterday, I expanded my working storage capacity - finally was able to get 6 barrels - 2 for fuel, 2 for a greenhouse wood burning barrel stove and two for additional chicken feed grain storage. It has taken a month and a half for those barrels to be available. $9 each (55 gal.)
I went back and looked at your post and saw the link to a blog. Duh! I just wasn’t paying attention. Now that I’ve finally caught up on this thread, I’m trying to stay that way, maybe reading too hastily. :)
$9 sounds like a good price for your barrels. Are all of them metal drums or some plastic? Hubby was able to get a few of the plastic drums from work in the past years and he has feed for the chickens stored in them. He was trying to get a couple more, but they keep disappearing as soon as they are emptied. I’m guessing there are some others back in the factory area that are trying to get them, too.
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