Sequential food storage – Part 2 Assessing your family’s needs.

N/A | Dec 17, 2010 | Doctor Prepper

[stuartcr]

That’s one of the advantages to getting old and living near the biggest navy base. It will all be over in a big poof...no worries about seeing people suffer or dying of radiation poisoning, etc.

[riri]

I am not thinking in terms of some big, defining cataclysmic event. (though I don't rule it out)

I am thinking more of a steady decline and huge hyper inflation.

The Surviving in Argentina blog is very educational in this respect. And those of you who aren't on the back 40, don't be discouraged. Ferfal (the blogger who lived thru the Argentina crisis and still does) says rural areas can be very dangerous too. He says the safest set up is an area of like minded folks who can take turns with security and guarding the fortress. The biggest problem will be looters and roving bands of people looking to take advantage. Argentina saw and still sees this very much in the rural areas.

[OB1kNOb]

How does one plan for the long run, like >6 months or so?

I'm sure others may have better suggestions than I, but if the infrastructure/utilities are down for that long, my only suggested option would be to have a bug out location owned by yourself, friends or family in a rural area or small town/community that can band together to better provide those services.

Your larger cities and dense metropolitan areas by that time will likely be under tight control by military in order to prevent anarchy, or it will be like living in downtown Manhatten in the 1981 movie, Escape From New York. I say that slightly tongue in cheek, but really all one has to do is to reflect back on what happened in New Orleans in a scant 24-48 hours after Hurricane Katrina hit back in 2005, then imagine what it would have been like if those initial conditions continued for 6 months. Civilization really does possess only a very thin veneer.

[OB1kNOb]

I’ll add one other thing to my previous post. The answer I gave you was based on living in a high population density area/city/suburb. Those in rural areas like me, may have different options to choose from that those in the city may not have, as far as cooking fuel source. I own 100 acres of woodland. I have enough fuel to cook and heat for the rest of my life, whereas, if I or my family need a doctor which is 15-20 miles away and no fuel is available, you may be in a better position to have that access by living in a town/city.

[stuartcr]

I believe for the majority of people, that just isn’t feasible for reasons of money, location, limited transportation choices, stuff like that. It seems it would be really difficult to transport all the material required to live off the land, if there is limited or no fuel available to move. Things like tools, storage containers, etc, are heavy and take up a lot of space.

[OB1kNOb]

Yeah, I try to keep up with Ferfal’s website. He does have a lot of good first hand knowledge to share. And I agree that there are risks to living in the country as well as in high density population areas. The most important aspect I think to being prepared whether living in the city or the country is to be able to quickly band together with family, neighbors, & friends rather than try to go it alone. I may not can protect my place from a maurauding bands of looters on my own 24/7, but I’ll be alot more likely to be able to repel such an attack, and hopefully inflict enough damage to ward off any future attacks, if I’m together with my brothers, nephews, uncles, neighbors, church members, etc. and we all have firepower and know how to use it.

[BreitbartSentMe]

SHTF ping for later.

[OB1kNOb]

I agree with you that for the majority of people it would likely not be feasible in fact or perhaps by their reasoning (because they've never had to think in those terms). Sadly, I fear many folks would not be able to exist very well if survive at all should they suddenly have all modern conveniences (transportation, food stores, electricity, nat gas, heating oil, potable water, medicines, etc.) cut off for an extended period of time. Taken as a whole our current population is really very very weak and unprepared to have to provide for themselves should conditions warrant it. Our just-in-time inventory process has put us in an extremely vulnerable position when faced with an extended crisis scenario.

I would also agree that one cannot feasibly carry all those things that would be needed in escaping from a high density area to a rural/country area, but that's where the prepping thought process begins.

Some citybound folks have gone so far as to buy a separate bugout piece of property in the country and have living facilities (camper, trailer, vacation cabin) there already stocked with the essentials. But like you said, most folks may not can afford that option. Hopefully, in the alternative they have family or friends that live in a rural area that have all the essentials at their household so that whatever you can bring, whether it's additional food, medicines, silver, ammo, etc. will at least help add to the stockpile of goods. Again, that's why it's so important to have that group that can rely on each other, to lessen the burden of each individual from having to provide everything one needs.

Sorry to get so verbose. It's an important issue with me.

[Born to Conserve]

Silver and guns.

I can live on my fat for months.

BTW, if you want to stockpile gasoline, wash it with a little water — the water will remove the alcohol and leave the gas drier than it was to begin with. You’ll lose a couple octane points.

[SgtHooper]

> lost my gun...<

Where do you live? :-) (In case I need supplies)

[PA Engineer]

But I lost my gun in a terrible boating accident.

Ha! You were the one that was using my boat. Darn thing has a history of tossing rifles into the middle of the lake.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

There is a book called “The Amazing Wheat Book” by LeArta Moulton. Really vital for those who want to store and use wheat berries. Remember that another thing you need is a good grain mill for grinding the berries, with both cracking augers and grinding augers.

Thanks for introducing this set of topics to FR. And yes, I lost all my firearms and ammo in a boating accident in the desert. Tragic story.

[jimpick]

Dang, I lost mine in a boating accident in my basement. And the other I lost somewhere around my T.V. in another boating accident.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

Two boating accidents? In your house even? We on FR need to stay away from boats. There is just to much heartache involved.

[jimpick]

Yeh, and I lost the boat too.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

When is the memorial service?

[jimpick]

Sorry this happened back in November of 2008. I continue to morn, and will till 2012, or God forbid 2016.

[stuartcr]

I don’t believe it’s the peole, I think it’s the fact that this is the 21st century and what makes that way of life viable, just is not possible for the number and location of people we have today.

I doubt that many people that are 3rd or 4th generation, living in the big cities, still have family or friends living in the country that can be relied on to provide a new way of life that may be necessary.

I understand your fervor, but unfortunately, I think you are preaching to a very small choir.

[Doctor Prepper]

You’re welcome.

At this point in time all need to be thinking about what to do in a ‘what if’ scenario.

[Walmartian]

Actually I need to look into those – how are they used?

As I understand it you should start out with a mixture of whole wheat mixed with rice flour. Evidently there is a greater amount of fiber in the whole wheat berries that can cause... well, you know. Wheat berries can also be soaked in a crock pot over night for a whole 'nuther realm of uses as well.