Posted on 05/09/2009 12:20:57 PM PDT by appleseed
Dear Lou, As a resident of South Mississippi, I think it is officially time to stock my swine flu/tornado/hurricane/foreign invasion pantry. How do I do this without filling it with a bunch of processed crap, but still manage to stock away flavorful and nutritious staples? Kelly S.
Dear Kelly, This particular swine flu pandemic—which may or may not be linked to factory farms—doesn’t appear to pose much of a public-health menace. But it reminds us of an old lesson: chaos happens. Regarding pandemics, our very own government advises people to keep two weeks’ worth of supplies on hand, which is truly the least the government can do given its recent disaster track record. You don’t have to be a Chuck Norris-obsessed, gun-packing paranoiac to stash a bit of canned food and water in case of hard times.
You’re worried about foreign invasion, huh? While keeping a sharp lookout for an armada in the Gulf, consider these tips before heading to the store for batteries and canned tuna:
• Don’t spend too much time obsessing about flavor. “Keep it simple. Realize what the intention is, which is survival,” explains Cody Lundin, founder of the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Prescott, Arizona. “Survival is different from living, technically. You might be eating weird shit, including the dog.” Of course, you won’t need to eat the dog if you’re prepared, which is the point of his hilarious book When All Hell Breaks Loose.
• The amount of food to stock is up to you and your available storage space. If you’re short on space, you may only be able to keep few day’s worth of food on hand (tip: store stuff under your bed, if you can secure the containers against your always-curious toddler). If you are unsure about how much food you and your family will need, check out this calculator, courtesy of the Latter Day Saints. (Note: the calculator is based on stocking food for one year, so you’ll have to do a little extra math if you want a smaller pantry.) Yes, as it turns out, the Mormon church does indeed advise its members to keep a year’s worth of supplies in their pantries. As a spiritual traveler you might be curious, so here’s why.
• Label and date everything in your pantry and adhere to the FIFO (first-in, first-out) rule. The last thing you want to discover during an emergency is that your rice has bugs in it and all the tomato soup expired two years ago. If you are not going to rotate foods in and out regularly (isn’t that what they do with Congressmen and lobbyists in Washington?), consider (gasp!) buying more processed foods, at least for some things. More heavily processed foods tend to keep longer. For instance, Lundin prefers white rice for long-term storage—it keeps longer than brown rice, which contains oil that oxidizes. “The really healthy, groovy dark olive oil oxidizes like crazy,” says Lundin. Which fat stores the longest? “Unfortunately, it’s [expletive] Crisco, ” he says. Bottom line: If you leave things in the refrigerator until they grow fuzzy coats, you might want to consider foods that store a really long time.
• Don’t rush out and buy foods that your family normally wouldn’t eat. My husband and I purchased a bunch of powdered non-fat milk for Y2K. Here it is almost Y2K + 10, and we’ve still got it. I wouldn’t eat the dog before using it, but it’s going to be one of the last things to go into my mouth when the power goes out/ice storm hits/government ceases to function/all of the above.
• Because the growing season is well underway in Mississippi, start planning along with your planting. Preserve some of this year’s fresh, nutritious bounty from your garden or farmer’s markets. For home-preservation advice, click here.
• Use food-grade plastic containers and bags for storage. If you are going to use non-food grade buckets, such as those big paint buckets you get at Home Depot, Lundin suggests that you store your food-grade Ziploc bags first. Herewith, my oft-repeated ditty about which kinds of plastic to use, courtesy of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: “With your food use 5, 4, 1, and 2. Three and 6 aren’t good for you. And 7 sucks big-time.” (That last bit was my addition—don’t give me a guitar.) Glass is environmentally friendly but it has emergency storage drawbacks—containers tend to be small, light-permeable, and breakable. That last one is a bummer if you’re hit by an earthquake (or, say, rampaging toddlers).
Next, here’s a Gristed-up list of things to stock:
• Preserved meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups. On one hand, canned foods are often full of additives, salts, etc., and even the healthy ones may come in cans with plastic liners that contain bisphenol-A. On the other hand, Lundin points out that canned food is easy to acquire and stores for at least two years. “Try to get stuff you can eat right out of the can,” he suggests, “When you’re talking about emergency cooking, there’s going to be fuel shortages.” My tip: Instead of tuna consider skinless, boneless sardines that are chock full of Omega fatty acids, and sustainable - lower on the food chain and also lower in mercury.
• Protein/fruit/granola bars. Look for the ones without any HFCS or unpronounceable ingredients. My coop grocery store, which provided three emergency pantry lists last month (vegan, gluten-free and one for regular folks), suggests Cascadian Organic granola bars and Stretch Island fruit leathers.
• Dry cereal or granola. Granola is ridiculously easy to make and nutrient-dense: Here’s one recipe.
• Dried fruits, grains and nuts. If you can, choose organic and buy in bulk to save money. For more money saving tips here. Also consider nut butters. When I don’t buy them in bulk, I often buy Woodstock nut butters.
• Crackers: Buy high-quality, high-fiber ones. There are some brands in my pantry that will not only keep you regular during times of stress, but also may be used to re-shingle the roof after a hurricane strikes.
• Baby food and/or formula if you need it.
• Vitamins. The idea here is that if your nutrition suffers, you can boost it with vitamins.
• Juice, plus fluids with electrolytes. Don’t just reach for your average “sports drink,” which may be loaded with lots of sugar and carbs rather than the salts and minerals your body needs to rehydrate in the event of an illness. This is the one I keep on hand.
• Water: This is key. “Water is a not-optional item. If you don’t have it, you die,” says Lundin, who suggests doubling the standard recommendation of one gallon per person per day. Also, consider storage carefully because, as Lundin points out, water is heavy (8.3 pounds per gallon). “If you live on the 24th floor of an apartment and you want to put 1,000 pounds of water weight over four square feet in your closet—that’s a bad move.” At the moment, our family uses plastic jerrycans, the ones used for camping.
• Pet food. Reach for the good stuff.
Lastly, here’s a list of non-food stuff to have on hand:
• Soap, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash.
• Any prescription meds your family needs, plus a basic first-aid kit that includes a thermometer, fever meds such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and anti-diarrheal meds.
• Flashlights: If your flashlights use rechargeable batteries, good for you, but if the power goes out you wont be able to plug in the recharger. Consider a hand-crank flashlight (my tiny hardware store carries them) or solar-powered ones and/or emergency candles.
• Portable radio. Here’s one that operates on solar, hand-crank or battery power and has a built-in cell phone charger and flashlight.
• Manual can opener. Lundin recommends Swing-A-Way can openers because they “last and last and last” or P-38 can openers, which you can get online or at military or outdoor stores. He keeps a P-38 on his keychain. Watch Lundin open a can using a concrete curb in this clip.
• Garbage bags: Use them for trash, make-shift sleeping bags (Lundin-style, filled with newspaper) or the removal of a corpse (but let’s not dwell on that). Get strong ones!
• Tissues, toilet paper, diapers (if water is in short supply, you won’t be washing cloth diapers, so go for disposable eco diapers) and feminine hygiene supplies.
• Extra strings for your viola.
Now here’s the weird thing about all of this. You’d think it would be morbid or depressing to store up for the apocalypse. But it’s not—found it empowering and liberating. Do it, and you’ll be more in control of your fate and perhaps much less hysterical. That’s always a great feeling, no matter what the storm clouds (or flu bugs) are doing.
Your Fellow Yankee,
Lou Bendrick
ping
Prior military IMO is the best source on how to handle youself when shtf. Been my experience that most prepare first for the worst and if that don't happen, it's a bonus.
“I have to say I don’t understand why more churches do not promote the tenant of self sufficiency that the Mormons do; The Lord helps those whom help themselves”
Growing up in the mid-west we always canned food and had lots in the basement. This is truly the first time in history where people thought you were weird for stocking up on food.
Thru most of history people had to store food in order to survive.
LOL!!!
Are those your arms holding the fish on your home page?
Lady Jag, do we have a beefcake FReeper ping list?
;-)
I would like to be added as well. Thanks!
We use to call it a fruit celler. Point is we had fruit, canned goods and other dry goods stowed away in some place. When this turned into a bad thing, I don't know. Must be part of the hope and change BS that a majority of folks fell for.
Isn’t the estimate that most cities have only 3 days of food on the shelves. Most people have even less.
Which is why along with your food you need to stock up on garden seed. I prefer heirloom seeds because they haven’t been tinkered with- but most seeds are fine anyway. If seeds are kept in a dark, cool, dry place many will be good for years in case you don’t grow a garden every year- but I do recommend replacing your seed stash every couple of years. I usually have a garden and seeds I don’t use I pass on to friends and buy fresh ones to keep seeds on hand that will be good if things go to crap. Remember some civilizations were built on corn, beans, and squash so you can use that for the core of your seed saving and add other things that you like.
To really be prepared you need a short term plan- in case you are evacuated or lose power for a few days. You need a medium term plan in case things fall apart for weeks, and you should have a plan in case things fall apart permanently and you have to start over from scratch.
Yep, that’s part of me. Focus is the fish though. What is truly incredible about that pic is I don’t have my fobus with Glock attached. I usually wear it always. Must have been a weak moment.
Added to the list.
Nice fish!
“fobus with Glock”.....you made me look it up.
Don’t leave home without it. :-)
In most of history, a bad winter could keep you stuck and unable to get to town for weeks or even months. Even now we occasionally get bad snowstorms that make the roads impossible for days.
Being raised in the southwest, priorities for survival were always crystal clear. You have to have water, and you have to have electricity. But beyond that, everything is negotiable. And that is a good philosophy to have in a survival situation, because the idea of living “as an island” has some serious flaws.
I am dubious about home gardening in most circumstances, because except under very strict limits, it cannot support you. Fortunately, in most of the US people can raise potatoes, but that is one of the few plants that can provide substantial nutrition in a small crop area, and with limited fertilizer, pesticide, and protection from birds and animals.
Were there to be such a catastrophe that most people would have to leave the southwest, it would be wise to leave with them.
There is a functional limit to how much society can collapse if there are people still around. Collectively people have enormous resources in the US, and are practiced in organizing for mutual benefit.
“I have to say I don’t understand why more churches do not promote the tenant of self sufficiency that the Mormons do...”
I gather you missed the thread where we were *lectured* that preparing for survival situations is “hoarding” and is “unbiblical”? ;)
I must admit that, as a lifelong Christian with friends from any number of denominations, I’d never heard of this before, but hey, as they say “down home”: “You read the Bible your way and I’ll read it mine.” :)
So I’ll just keep on doin’ what I’m doin’, which is making provision for me and mine and friends and neighbors and angels unaware, to the best of my ability.
Two things that the author touched on that ought to be reiterated: that *now* is the time for people to be giving some thought to “what if”; and that *knowing* that you’ve made at least some preparation for emergencies does indeed give people a sense of calm that allows for wiser decision-making in emergency situations. :)
as they say “down home”: “You read the Bible your way and I’ll read it mine.
So I’ll just keep on doin’ what I’m doin’, which is making provision for me and mine and friends and neighbors and angels unaware, to the best of my ability.
Been through a lot of stuff. I know what I'm doing as far as my own house goes. Read the scriptures and am aware. I think you are right on the money. Thanks for your thoughts.
We don't but we should have one. Have you started one?
Not me.
Who else should we nominate?
You surely don’t have to have electricity, my family didn’t have it until I was 12 years old and we survived just fine, as did whole civilizations before us. A short term plan should include a generator to save food in fridge and freezer, but for long term you better plan on not having electricity unless you have everything it takes to create it- fuel for a generator will be limited in worse case scenerio. You of course need water. If things fall apart so badly that basic survival is the issue, then survival will be the number one concern and will consume nearly all of everyone’s time. The main thing we are talking about is survival here, not having everything we have now. Survival consists of hunting, gathering, and a large garden and domestic livestock such as chickens, milk cow, etc. can supplement that. It is not the same as my little garden that I piddle with some years when I could get by just fine without it.
Why do you think what I suggested is “island” planning? Of course like minded folks will work together as they have throughout history. Having a little of everything makes sense because what you can’t use you can share or trade for what you need. Everyone is in a different situation of course, but many do have the means to have garden and livestock. Many of those that don’t have relatives and friends that do. Some will need different plans if they live in the city and so do all their friends and family, they will have to have things and of course their labor to trade.
Many people survived in the Southwest before all the modern conveniences, it surely can be done. It will be tough anywhere if things are that messed up.
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