Posted on 10/24/2009 6:59:56 PM PDT by Bean Counter
We have had a number of open discussions here at FR for quite some time about the importance of personal emergency preparedness. Many of us have taken an interest in this subject for a long time, and have been working steadfastly toward being prepared for a real emergency, and this evening I thought I would share my progress on one phase of our plan, food.
Anyone who knows anything about preparedness will tell you that the first thing you should do is make a plan that fits your personal needs. A bachelor has much different survival needs than a family of seven. Our personal plan is to prepare to support 4 adults in place for a year. We don't have kids in the family right now, so we have not set aside any children's needs, but your plan may well have a considerable bit.
To date we have spent about $3000 over the course of the past year in stocking our emergency pantry. Much of that money went toward purchase of proper storage containers. Essentially, we ended up with three sizes of food grade white plastic food containers:
6 1/2 Gallons (fits 50 pounds of flour if you pack it)
4 Gallon (fits a 25 pound bag of beans perfectly)
5 Gallon Buckets(a late addition, but good for many things).
We also can a lot of our own vegetables and fruit. I have a whole cupboard of homemade jam, jelly and flavored mustards that don't appear on this list but would last us for years...
All bulk dry goods are stored in these plastic containers, along with a couple of commercial grade oxygen absorber packets. These are widely available and are very inexpensive. I bought 100 for $20. When you put them in a bucket that has beans in it (for example) then seal the top (all of our buckets have "O" ring seals) the absorber draws in all of the oxygen in that contained atmosphere, which leaves mainly nitrogen inside. Nothing we know of can live in a Nitrogen atmosphere, so even if you have a live insect in there someplace, it will not last for long.
Again, this list just covers our food preparations. We have also made arrangements for our medical needs, sanitation, water supply, personal protection, etc.
We have made many improvements to our home over the last 12 years including upgrading and replacing all of the windows and doors, upgrading the insulation in the attic, replacing and upgrading the insulation under the house, new duct work and a modern zoned forced air heating and air conditioning system. As you can see, this is an ongoing effort that has been years in the making.
We also installed a modern 78% efficient woodstove that allows us to heat the house with the heat pump turned off at the breaker. We use the forced air system to circulate the woodstove's heat and keep the house warm all winter for a fraction of the cost of using the heat pump. If we lost power, we would stay nice and warm, and we can cook on the stove to boot.
What follows is my inventory for our "extended pantry". We have our normal household inventory as well that does not appear on this list. The process continues, and there are other additions to come that are not listed here, and I have a perpetual list of things to add that I put up as cash becomes available.
Have a look and let's talk...
There going to charge you a big carbon tax on that wood stove!
bump for later —
Thinking about this.
Might want to add some leavening agents. Nice stash!
bttt!
None of this is going to help you if the zombies com a-knockin’, unless you also have on plate mail, and your house is on stilts with a retractable ganway.
How much water do you have stored?
You do us a great service, thanks, and bookmarked.
I’m impressed. I would add more coffee.
Only 1/2 G each vodka and gin? Is this a survival plan or a weekend getaway list????
Awesome. I’ve been prepping for 2 summers now....
Depends on the breed of your dog, but I’d say you’re a little light on rations for Fido.
You can never have too much coffee,
or TP.
What have you done as far as communication? It would be difficult to know what is going on without internet, power, etc.
Bartering goods.
Depends on the breed of your dog, but I’d say you’re a little light on rations for Fido.
50 lbs Pastry Flour
100 lbs Bread Flour
50 lbs Whole Wheat Flour
50 lbs Med Dark Rye Flour
....
Good luck - unless you keep it in a refrigirator
This age is the first time in recorded history that people didn’t store large amounts of food for the lean times.
Don’t forget the moat filled with hungry pirahna, and pits full of punji sticks, and razor wire. Lots and lots of razor wire.
Thats what the zombies are for...
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