Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today - an On going Thread #2]

May 05th,2008

[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? It’s 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

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s 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

[WestCoastGal]

Thanks for the post granny! That hay bale garden sounds interesting. Two bales on top of each other and a step ladder and I’m good. LOL The deer are not that tall.

Solar oven is a great idea except I’m terrible at building things, probably will have to buy one. - or just get a fire pit and some more cast iron cookware.

[CottonBall]

No, sorry I didn’t understand how to do any of that! ;)

But it does sound really easy (once it’s done, of course)!

[Wneighbor]

I love it when you give me cannin’ and gardening answers too! :-)

I put up 13 pint of ‘maters today. Made bread for the next 3 days, dryin’ some peppers and got some cauliflower cut up for cannin’ tomorrow. Supper’s ‘bout ready when the Mr. gets home. Not a bad day’s puttin’ up.

[Wneighbor]

I have a jar of cantelope jelly in the cabinet now that I bought at the Mennonites.

You do!!! How exciting! I haven't ever preserved cantaloupe before so this is a first shot for me. I am *so* hoping it comes out okay. I'm not Mennonite so I don't have a recipe. LOL Didn't like the recipes I found on the 'net.

Yep, you need to try that jelly and make sure it's okay. ~grin~

[Wneighbor]

Milk, butter, bread etc. are still as hight as they were when fuel prices went up.

I went to the store this morning. Price of everything I bought except one thing was up. ~sigh~ And I'm only buying staples, not processed or packaged meals.

[Wneighbor]

There are quite a few of those kind in the small towns. It's hard to figure out why they don't move away to the big cities.

A shorter line at the food hand-out office? and other things like that?

I hide my preserving and all that I can from the neighbors. They see my greenhouse and garden and think I'm a dopey hippy-type who can't be growing much cause it's not in a plot in rows. And I've got plants that give me food that they aren't familiar with so they think I'm just growing lots of "pretties." LOL - I grow pretties that I like also, helps fool 'em and I like 'em. But, 99% of what I grow I get something out of.

Biggest thing I worry about is that they know we've got guns. They don't have a clue as to how many but to them, more than 1 is lots. ~sigh~ Wish that could have been avoided. OTOH - it was discovered when somebody popped up to an open window one night while I was up reading. I almost shot the neighbor woman. Now everyone in the neighborhood knows. gees.......

[Wneighbor]

The purpose for the lipped edge on the old dutch ovens was to pile embers on - with the rounded top the embers would all fall off. If you want to use it as a real old fashioned oven as it was intended, you need the lip.

I'm hungry. And ya'll keep talking about those dutch ovens. Peach cobbler is my favorite dessert and you can't make one any better than in one of those dutch ovens over a campfire. ~drooling~ Still an hour till my honey gets home dunno if I can make it!!!

[Wneighbor]

Evenin’ ma’am.

Yes, this thread has really taken off today. With my usual chores today I haven’t caught up to the end even once! LOL

Glad ya’ll at least got a little rain. I don’t think we’ll get anymore as the sun has been shining since before noon. BUT - 2 of my rain barrels are full now. Got a 3rd one that could hold a bit more but it’ll do for now.

We will keep praying for ya’ll some rain. As it has been pointed out this drought we’re in will be a cause for *more* food cost rising so we need the rain bad.

[DelaWhere]

Excuse everyone - testing something.

Food Storage Calculator

Use the following calculator to figure the minimum food storage amounts for your family for one year. The amounts are based on the recommendations listed in the LDS Church's Essentials of Home Production and Storage booklet, see (LDS Distribution Center). These are only recommendations. You will need to determine what you should store for your family.

Family Members, Ages 7+
Family Members, Ages 0-6

Food Storage your family will need:

Grains
Wheat	lbs
Flour	lbs
Corn Meal	lbs
Oats	lbs
Rice	lbs
Pasta	lbs
Total Grains	lbs

Fats and Oils
Shortening	lbs
Vegetable Oil	gal
Mayonnaise	qts
Salad Dressing	qts
Peanut Butter	lbs
Total Fats	lbs

Legumes
Beans, dry	lbs
Lima Beans	lbs
Soy Beans	lbs
Split Peas	lbs
Lentils	lbs
Dry Soup Mix	lbs
Total Legumes	lbs

Sugars
Honey	lbs
Sugar	lbs
Brown Sugar	lbs
Molasses	lbs
Corn Syrup	lbs
Jams	lbs
Fruit drink powdered	lbs
Flavored Gelatin	lbs
Total Sugars	lbs

Milk
Dry Milk	lbs
Evaporated Milk	can
Other	lbs
Total Dairy	lbs

Cooking Essentials
Baking Powder	lbs
Baking Soda	lbs
Yeast	lbs
Salt	lbs
Vinegar	gal

Water
Water	gal
Bleach	gal

 

[WestCoastGal]

I wish I could remember how I did that, it’s so easy to see the links right on FR home page. I just tried to go back and recreate what I did, but no luck. :(

[CottonBall]

Well, thanks for trying.

I hate it when I accidentally do something, but can’t remember the keystrokes. But it’s worse when it’s something I don’t want. Seems to happen all the time in Word to me!

[DelaWhere]

Sorry everyone - hoped the above would work, but it appears it won't.

If you want to use the calculator, you can go to:

LDS Food Storage Calculator

This calculator works great for the hard core storage items, but I personally like to have my home canned veggies and things which make survival eating much more enjoyable.

[hiredhand]

Thanks!

[CottonBall]

Buy 50 lbs of seed potatoes.

Where do I get seed potatoes? I was thinking of planting some this summer, practicing you know.

[metmom]

Here it is ping.

[DelaWhere]

Another food need calculator that is based on a spreadsheet - it is FREE to use.

Holly and Stan Deyo have some excellent preparedness information that is free as well as having an excellent encyclopedic reference manual. ___________________________________________________________

NOTE: THESE PAGES HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY UPDATED
IN DARE TO PREPARE — 3rd EDITION

---

While the Revelar program offers very good software for developing your personal food storage program, it no longer supports MacIntosh systems. The Deyo Food Planner has 375 food and household items listed plus room for you to add many items. We liked the Revelar program, but not everyone can afford $40 so we have designed a program to use. We like it so well that we want to share it with you! And it's FREE!

DEYO FOOD STORAGE PLANNER

The Deyo Food Storage Planner program works in Excel for either Macintosh or Windows and is a straightforward, easy-to-use spreadsheet. You will also need the latest version of Unzip to decompress the program. Alternately, you can use OpenOffice's spreadsheet software. I have not tried this, but a user of the Deyo Food Storage Planner said it' completely compatible plus its FREEware. All you need to do is fill in the number of family members and how many weeks you want to store; the worksheet will calculate the quantities needed.

We have also provided the Minimum Shelf Life listed for each item. Click US Measures for use in America. For people preferring metric click, Metric Measures version.

These are copyrighted but freeware programs.

Here's how to use the Deyo Food Storage Planner:

METHOD 1

You can use the Select Amount for foods at the beginning of each category and plug in the amount of each food you want to fulfill the amounts suggested. To use this method, multiply the number of Adult Portions (B528) by the suggested amount of pounds or kilograms needed as in lines 5, 16, 29, 38, 59 and so on.

For example, for Metric, if you need 5 Adult Portions of Salt, multiply 5 x 1/2kg = 2.5kg Salt to store for 6 months. If you want to figure amounts for 1 year, multiply the suggested 2.5kg amount by 2 to = 5kgs. For only 3 months storage, divide the suggested amount to select for each category in half. For Salt, for 3 months, the stored amount would be 5 x 1/4 kg or 1-1/4kg.

For Imperial, if you need 5 Adult Portions of Salt, multiply 5 x 1 pound = 5 pounds Salt to store for 6 months. If you want to figure this amount for 1 year, multiply the total by 2 which would be 10 pounds. For only 3 months, divide the suggested amount to select for each category in half. For Salt it would equal 2.5 pounds.

Whatever length of time you wish to store, scroll down to Column "B", Line 528 and plug in the number of weeks. This will automatically convert the formulas to your desired planning time.

METHOD 2

You can use the suggested amounts of Adults Shares found in Column L used to calculate the Target Amount in column C.

To use either method, scroll down to B515 and fill in the number of family members for each lines 515 - 520. The number of Adult Shares needed will automatically be figured for the suggested Target Amount in Column C. As you add to your stored supplies, fill in the amounts in Column D, Quantity On Hand. The worksheet will automatically fill in the amounts still needed in Column E, Amount Needed. If you want to keep track of how much you're spending, drop in the cost per item in Column F, Unit Cost. The worksheet will automatically extend the cost in Column G. This provides good incentive to rotate foods before they expire!

SHELF LIFE

For most products, Column H will list the recommended Minimum Shelf Life. Many food products mark the expiration date right on the package. For those that don't, you can keep track on this sheet when you purchase items by using Columns I, J or K. For products not marked with an expiration date, be sure to write on the product with a permanent marker the date of purchase.

The last column, L, is where you can change the suggested weekly amount for an Adult Share. For example, if your family wants to store more green beans, change the Adult Share in L87 to the quantity desired.

This worksheet's food group information is based on the USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) recommended amounts. However any quantity can be adjusted up or down to fit personal needs, budget or taste. These are suggestions only.

ADDING ITEMS

Adding extra items to the Deyo Food Planner is very easy in Excel, but for your convenience, each category already has two lines provided where you can insert products.

Suggested quantities are padded a bit to plan for unexpected circumstances. If the budget allows, it is always better to have too much than not enough! Additionally, extra stored items can be used for barter. Rotating these foods into your normal diet means nothing ever goes to waste.

SPECIALTY ITEMS

A few items like mouse and rat traps are not based on the Adult Share formula but on a per week use. Change these amounts to suit. For gender-dependent items like sanitary napkins, etc., you will need to fill in the amounts since this worksheet does not differentiate between male and female except in food requirements.

Deyo Food Planner doesn't cover all items needed except food and water. For additional items to stock, please check both the General Supplies List and First Aid List. These goods, too, may be added to this worksheet to keep track of stocks.

EXTENDING SHELF LIFE

Shelf life can be greatly increased by hermetically sealing foods. It's simple to do, with these simple-to-follow instructions. Storing goods away from light, at constant low temperatures, in low humidity and leaving packaging unopened from time of purchase to usage, also extends shelf life. Many foods can be safely consumed months after their expiration date as long as the container is intact and cans are not rusting or bulging. However, using foods by their expiration date will insure best nutritional quality and taste.

When I come back from the grocery store, these items stay in the grocery sacks, until their expiration dates are logged. That way it gets done. Putting them in the cupboard or frig only to haul them out again is no incentive to do it. However, seeing a mess in "that corner" is! Besides it only takes a couple minutes and the $$ saved by not letting foods expire makes it worthwhile.

PRINTING THESE SHEETS

When you print out a hard copy, make sure to do so in the Landscape setting. If you want to save your color ink, before printing select the black ink option or save this page as a text file. However, color does make the sheet easier to read.

Next

---

This information may be used by you freely for private, noncommercial use only
with my name and email address attached.
holly@standeyo.com
http://standeyo.com
Contents © 1996-20098 Holly Deyo. All rights reserved.
;
Preparedness website: http://millennium-ark.net/News_Files/Hollys.html

[Quix]

THANKS.

[djf]

Garden shop or farm supply.

I’m not sure if Lowes or Home depot carries them, if they do, it will be a real quick item, they might have them for a week or ten days then they will be gone.

Any potato will eventually start to make eyes, but it’s too late to do that for this year.

[djf]

Oh, and they are really not a summer crop. They can and do thrive in cooler weather than many other veggies, so it’s best to get them in the ground as soon as possible.

Right now (well, a few minutes ago), I was outside turning over part of my garden.

Tomorrow I will put out lettuce seed, cabbage seed, spinach seed, and carrots. All crops that start very early in the spring and have good yields.

[Little Bill]

Make your own bread, Sourdough.

Quick Starter:

2 1/2 cups Bread Flour, Sams Club $10.78, 25 lbs

1 Packet Yeast, last one you will ever buy to make bread.

4 TBS Sugar.

2 cups warm water, 90 degree.

1/3 cup white vinegar, a must, natural yeasts and bacteria need a 3.5 pH to develop.

Let it ferment until foamy and working.

Bread:

Add 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of warm water to your Barm, the foamy stuff, let it develop, bubbles and foam, a couple of hours.

Take 2 cups of the Barm plus: 2 tbs of oil, bacon grease, olive oil, butter, or margarine. 1 tsp of salt, 2 TBS of sugar.

Mix, I Use a Bread Machine to mix the dough, put liquids in first, add 3 cups of bread flour. As it is mixing look at it
It should not stick to the bowl, add water if needed.

After you get a ball, stick your finger into it, it should be plastic and not bounce back.

Raise the dough, remember Christ resurrected in three days, natural yeasts need three hours or more to double. Divide, degas, and rise again, bake at 350 for an hour or until the bottom sounds hollow when thumped.

Put starter in fridge, make bread or add 1/2 cup flour and water to feed the barm every seven days.