Posted on 09/29/2012 9:57:00 AM PDT by JoeProBono
No matter how much I beg, some of you, no doubt haven’t done anything to prepare (you know who you are). I don’t know what else to do. All I can do is give you the information, it’s up to you to act. No one can do it for you.
No doubt some of you are intimidated by my repeated suggestions of storing and using whole grains. If it doesn’t come from the supermarket shelf it’s strange and unfamiliar and you want no part of it. Fair enough.
But you still need to prepare. Here are ten things that you can do right now that will make you better prepared than probably 90% of the population.
And everything is available at your local shopping center – so it’s easy. You can do all ten steps at once or divide each into a separate week and shopping trip. But you need to get it done as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that this is only a starting point and isn’t presented here as a completed list.
1. Head to the nearest Wal-mart, Kmart, Costco or whatever and pick-up 20 lbs of white or brown rice and 20 lbs of pinto beans. White rice has a better storage life while brown rice has more nutritional benefits – your choice.
2. While you’re there grab 5 lbs mixed beans, 5 lbs of white sugar, 5 lbs of iodized salt, one gallon of olive oil (can be frozen to extend shelf-life), 5 lbs oats, 10 lbs each of white or wheat flour and cornmeal.
3. Now head over to the canned foods and pick-up 20 cans of canned fruits and 20 cans of canned vegetables. Be sure to buy only those brands and contents you normally eat and nothing exotic. No need to shock the senses.
4. Now over to the canned meats. Pick-up 20 cans of various meats, salmon, stews, spam and tuna. Again buy only those brands with contents you normally eat and nothing exotic.
5. Okay. Now to the to the peanut butter shelf and toss two 40-ounce jars in the cart. The listed shelf life is just over two years and each jar has over 6,000 calories. Peanut butter is an excellent instant survival food.
6. Over to the powdered drink mix – go on I’ll wait…Okay, pick up two 72 Ounce Tang Orange drink canisters (provides 100% of the US RDA vitamin C requirement per 8 oz. glass). Also grab six 19-Ounce Containers of Kool-Aid Drink Mix.
7. Off to the vitamin and supplement aisle, pick up 400 tablets “one a day” multivitamin and mineral supplements. I buy this brand at the local Wal-Mart - comes in 200 count bottle for $8 each.
8. Now to the department we all love – sporting goods. Go to the camping aisle and pick up 4 five gallon water containers. Fill with tap water as soon as you get back home.
9. While you’re there buy 250 rounds of ammunition for your primary defensive weapon. More if you can, but this should be a good start. Also a good universal cleaning kit.
10. And lastly pick up the best LED flashlight you can afford, extra batteries and bulb. Also grab two boxes of wooden matches and several multi-purpose lighters.
Don’t forget to date, use and rotate – remember first in first out. Let’s get started.
What would you add to the list?
I would recommend an LED headlamp... they are indispensable when you have to cook or wash dishes in the dark. I also use it when I walk the dog at night so I can keep my hands free for bagging poop. I bought a fancy Petzl headlamp, but it’s really hard to change out the batteries - you need a tool to pop the batteries out. I’ve got another that is just a Coleman cheapo that came as a set with a little handheld flashlight and the batteries are much easier to change. It works just as well as the Petzl, but was half the price and doesn’t have the fancy strobe feature or tilt on it. I keep the Petzl in my car; it would come in handy if I ever had to change a tire at night.
Bleach - disinfecting and cleaning water
I would also say buy a few gallons of hand sanitizer. Save your water for other uses.
Take a look at these two threads:
My Ammo Can Rocket Stove
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2914240/posts
Ammo Can Rocket Stove
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2850938/posts
May I ask what brand thermal cooker you purchased and from where?
Better than Bleach: Use Calcium Hypochlorite to Disinfect Water
Bump!
PASTA
Comes in 100 different shapes/sizes
Stores well
Can be used in variety of ways - main dish, in soup/stews
Easy to prepare - simplest is pasta/garlic oil- cooked pasta with sauce of vegetable oil/minced garlic (garlic powder works in pinch)
Also pasta with sauteed vegetables - green beans, zucchini,
tomato from garden
Or floretine - sauteed spinach, arugula, chard
Also keep some in a spray bottle and use to spray veggies from farmers marts and roadside stands.
Use on veggies or fruits - Anything that might have been contaminated by animals or humans using the fields for a toilet.
ping!
Zojirushi from amazon.
Now that amazon is taxing PA residents, I’ll need to find a new place to shop.
Walmart is actively working with MSP (and how many other state's police agencies) by reporting ammunition sales to them.
LOL! In Alaska, some smarty-pantses reuse their pilot bread. Ya put on the butter and jam, or the sloppy joe, or the balogna and cheese, then you eat the toppings, lick off the biscuit, and refill. :o) In the bush, if you have pilot bread, jerky, pemmican, or “squaw candy”, and drinking water, you are set. Lightweight, and has only one natural enemy: moisture.
Wish Overstock.com sold such...the CEO spoke out against Obombo recently
Preppers love to talk about stocking food and water, but not too many talk about what to do when the public sanitation system is broken.
“...but not too many talk about what to do when the public sanitation system is broken.”
Yeah, I guess “ding dong ditch” is only good for so long. :)
Toilet Paper!
“reporting ammunition sales”
Cash works.
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