Emergency Food, et al

[Greschner 4]

I keep a fair amount of water on hand (25 Gallons for 2 people), but have been negligent in building an emergency food supply. My thought, as thoughtless as it may be, is to have, aside from what's in the house, at least a 30 day supply of emergency food.

Which emergency food providers do you like?
Do you purchase assortment buckets (which ones?) or build via a la carte.
What cooking/heating device and heating elements do you suggest assuming no power?
What main stream grocery items, that are plentiful, low cost, have a decent shelf life? (i.e. Tuna/Peanut Butter)
Staying on topic with emergency food, what other considerations should be addressed?

 

[Rockrivr1]

A couple people on this forum pointed me towards Augason Farms freeze dried food. They have a 30 day bucket with a water filter that goes on sale from time to time. The food is decent, not as much salt and a lot of options.

 

[In God We Trust]

Order from Emergency Essentials. They are a great company with decent pricing.

You can also buy Mylar bags and O2 absorbers from Amazon and store rice, beans, pasta, etc in food grade buckets. It's easy to do.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Just stock everything you already eat anyhow. Anything with a long shelf life, buy 12-36 more than you need and rotate it.

 

[Duxprep]

Order from Emergency Essentials. They are a great company with decent pricing.

You can also buy Mylar bags and O2 absorbers from Amazon and store rice, beans, pasta, etc in food grade buckets. It's easy to do.

This. Love them. Best prices on mountain house when on sale. Shipping is not bad either. I'd also try honeyville grain. Always 5 bucks to ship and have frequent sales. I use their almond and coconut flour and have bought lots of freeze dried fruit and veggies there. Learn to cook from your storage so you can FIFO to minimize waste

 

[Greschner 4]

What about heating elements for indoors when the grid is down?

 

[Cabin Fever]

Just stock everything you already eat anyhow. Anything with a long shelf life, buy 12-36 more than you need and rotate it.

This. At least for your 30-90 day extra food. Buckets/mountain house comes in after that.

 

[Cabin Fever]

What about heating elements for indoors when the grid is down?

Matches if you have a non-electric stove. Camping stove running off propane (1 or 20 lb canisters) otherwise.

I have a coleman 1 burner that screws on top of a 1lb tank ( under 20 bucks, great way to start) and uses that as the stand. I also have a tabletop 2 burner stove that runs off a 20lb tank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009PUR5E/

And

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004LWIAPA

Are what I have

 

[flippinfleck]

Matches if you have a non-electric stove. Camping stove running off propane (1 or 20 lb canisters) otherwise.

I have a coleman 1 burner that screws on top of a 1lb tank ( under 20 bucks, great way to start) and uses that as the stand. I also have a tabletop 2 burner stove that runs off a 20lb tank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009PUR5E/

And

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004LWIAPA

Are what I have

And you run those indoors?

 

[Cabin Fever]

And you run those indoors?

Yes. Not for hours but the CO isn't going to be an issue to whip up dinner (especially if it isn't winter - just crack a window). I use a detector to be safe though.

 

[HiCap]

are the Home Depot buckets considered "food-grade"?

 

[In God We Trust]

are the Home Depot buckets considered "food-grade"?

No. You have to get either used buckets from food distributors ( restaurants are a good source for these) or you can buy them directly from emergency essentials

 

[Palladin]

No. You have to get either used buckets from food distributors ( restaurants are a good source for these) or you can buy them directly from emergency essentials

I use the HD buckets, but I store my sealed mylar bags in them. I stock up on baked beans, high calories per serving......Chef Boyardee, tuna, chunky soups, Dinty Moore. Along with the rice, pasta elbows, kidney & pinto beans, I have in the HD buckets. I'm good for close to a year.

pond across the street for water, Sawyer water filters, Coleman dual burner stove w/ fuel

 

[cockpitbob]

I go simple with SHTF food. I have several 20year buckets of rice and pinto beans. Fortunately for me, I'm not driven by my taste buds and don't care that much what I eat. To me a meal is more of a fuel stop.

 

[todd c]

I do mountian house and augason farms. look at augason farms sales they pop up every couple of days and have some real bargains. also check out woot.com in the sporting section. i personally look for sales because some of the items can be expensive. we have about 1 years of freeze dryed food for our family not including our regular stocked items we eat.

 

[Golddiggie]

are the Home Depot buckets considered "food-grade"?

Get ones marked "HDPE".

 

[radarbob]

Probably doesn't belong n this thread, but if the grid goes down, the "Mr Heater" "Buddy" (3 different sizes) are safe to use indoors. Has an O2 sensor that will shut the thing off if it gets too low. 2 of them will keep a good sized mobile comfortable in Jan. in ME. Designed to run on 1 ib. cylinders, but a hose from a camping store enables t to run on a gas grill tank. has a piezo start, no match required. Bought mine at Lowe's,

 

[Cowgirlup]

Replied in quote.

I keep a fair amount of water on hand (25 Gallons for 2 people), but have been negligent in building an emergency food supply. My thought, as thoughtless as it may be, is to have, aside from what's in the house, at least a 30 day supply of emergency food.

Which emergency food providers do you like? Emergency Essentials and Honeyville. Also LDS used to have some reasonably priced starter kits with rice, grains and beans etc that anyone could buy.
Do you purchase assortment buckets (which ones?) or build via a la carte. I build my own when things are on sale. Most of the kits have cheaper items like drink mixes that I don't use now. I'd rather spend a little more to customize and get things I know I will use.
What cooking/heating device and heating elements do you suggest assuming no power? I bought smaller sized cast iron cookware for the wood stove. Most of our camping stuff can be used, even the pie irons. We have small camp stoves, a fire pit in the yard as well as our grill. Might get a solar oven. If you go the rice and beans route remember soaking will cut down on cook time and save fuel.
What main stream grocery items, that are plentiful, low cost, have a decent shelf life? (i.e. Tuna/Peanut Butter) Dried pasta, beans, rice, sugar, salt and honey can last for years when stored properly. No need to spend big money with an emergency food vendor for those. Stock up on seasonings too! Then the usual canned goods. I try to find cans that still need a regular can opener to open instead of a pull tab. It just seems better to me for long term storage.
Staying on topic with emergency food, what other considerations should be addressed?

The biggest mistake I made was buying things I thought I might want in a long term situation for the sake of variety. But if you don't like canned beets now you probably won't want them in an emergency so I'd stick to just the things you really like.

You can easily build up a decent supply buy buying a few extra items every time you go to the store. Buy things you will use and remember to rotate. Don't forget some comfort items like hot chocolate or popcorn if you have kids. Remember to get other supplies. Basic OTC meds, Immodium, Pedialite, asprin/pain meds, Nyquil, cough syrup as well as first aid supplies.

 

[cb1]

are the Home Depot buckets considered "food-grade"?

I know lowes has good-grade buckets fairly cheap

 

[Palladin]

The biggest mistake I made was buying things I thought I might want in a long term situation for the sake of variety. But if you don't like canned beets now you probably won't want them in an emergency so I'd stick to just the things you really like.

You can easily build up a decent supply buy buying a few extra items every time you go to the store. But things you will use and remember to rotate. Don't forget some comfort items like hot chocolate or popcorn if you have kids. Remember to get other supplies. Basic OTC meds, Immodium, Pedialite, asprin/pain meds, Nyquil, cough syrup as well as first aid supplies.

this.

 

[HiCap]

Thanks for the info on the buckets. I asked because I was wondered if it would be ok to store grains in them. How do you all seal the buckets?

 

[xtry51]

Look at this thread for long term normal food

https://www.northeastshooters.com/v...Life-Personal-Experience-In-Long-Term-Storage

I store limited freeze dried foods, I wouldn't invest solely in them as the cost per calorie is very high. If you want to store meats long term, look at the freeze dried mountain house.

Some staple foods that store 10+ years in mylar bags with 02 absorbers inside plastic buckets below. Buckets do NOT need to be food grade, they are simply preventing rodents from eating through the mylar bags. Never long term store any foods in plastic of any type. Plastic buckets are not oxygen barriers.

Whole wheats and oats
Sugar
wheat flours
WHITE rice (not brown)
wheat spaghetti
corn meal
salt
beans (kidney, etc)

For a couple hundred bucks at Sam's Club, Amazon and Uline you can put away a few months of food for one person. On buckets I prefer the screw top Uline:

http://www.uline.com/Product/ProductDetailRootItem?modelnumber=S-13652

They stack 5 high stable. Buckets sit inset into the lids quite a bit making tipping hazard very low. Worth every penny.

 

[7.62x39]

... How do you all seal the buckets?

Gamma seal lids

 

[Duxprep]

Thanks for the info on the buckets. I asked because I was wondered if it would be ok to store grains in them. How do you all seal the buckets?

You seal the food in Mylar w/ O2 Absorbers inside (see youtube) Then seal the bucket with a standard lid. When I open a bucket I put a gamma seal on so I can have easy access while using.

 

[cb1]

One thing to consider: the cost to calorie ratio of the food you're buying.

Everyone seems to want to go for canned soup as the go to long-term storage food. IMO this is foolish. Yes, I have canned soup on hand which is great on a cold day or when you're sick. But it's not a significant part of my food storage. The problem is that a can of progresso chicken noodle only contains like 200 calories worth of food. You can find other foods for the same price or less with two to four times the amount of calories.

Another thing to remember is that many freeze dried foods, like mountain house, can be prepared without a heat source. It just takes longer for the water to be absorbed.

 

[xtry51]

One thing to consider: the cost to calorie ratio of the food you're buying.

Everyone seems to want to go for canned soup as the go to long-term storage food. IMO this is foolish. Yes, I have canned soup on hand which is great on a cold day or when you're sick. But it's not a significant part of my food storage. The problem is that a can of progresso chicken noodle only contains like 200 calories worth of food. You can find other foods for the same price or less with two to four times the amount of calories.

Another thing to remember is that many freeze dried foods, like mountain house, can be prepared without a heat source. It just takes longer for the water to be absorbed.

I like to think of soup as a flavor additive to food like pasta and rice. Cook a big meal for a family and add one can of soup to alter the base calorie bland food. I agree soup is not a good calorie source. It's more of a comfort food.

 

[JayMcB]

if you buy beans/rice, etc, buy some bouillon cubes, hot sauce, salt, pepper and other flavorings to avoid appetite fatigue.

Watch the sodium level

Watch protein quantities for balance on any of those. Fat and protein calories are more expensive than carbs.

 

[BenDover]

If you are just starting then visit here:

https://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/st...839595_10557_3074457345616706237_-1_N_image_0

They have the cheapest #10 cans you will find anywhere. Use Amazon to buy spices, powdered cheese sauce, and canned butter.

Then hit up Walmart and buy some Dak canned ham which has an excellent shelf life. Before it expires use it for ham sandwiches and buy more.

You should easily be able to get 3mos of food stored for not a ton of cash. Then look into some freeze fried stuff if that's the way you want to go.

Beware Mylar bags mice eat right thru them. Put the Mylar into homer buckets or tote bins. If you use tote bins you gotta tape the covers on or you will just be making a mouse supermarket.

 

[MaxStravinsky]

Probably doesn't belong n this thread, but if the grid goes down, the "Mr Heater" "Buddy" (3 different sizes) are safe to use indoors. Has an O2 sensor that will shut the thing off if it gets too low. 2 of them will keep a good sized mobile comfortable in Jan. in ME. Designed to run on 1 ib. cylinders, but a hose from a camping store enables t to run on a gas grill tank. has a piezo start, no match required. Bought mine at Lowe's,

Got mine on Amazon.

For cooking I have sterno to heat food indoors, and a solo stove for the back yard (uses twigs as fuel).
canned chicken, chef boyardee, canned hams, Augason Farms freeze dried eggs, soup, peanut butter, oatmeal... and don't forget about your pets - stock their food too!

 

[Tracer1951]

are the Home Depot buckets considered "food-grade"?

If you want food grad buckets for free check out your local supermarket bakery dept.
When they are all done cooking they have tons of left over food grade plastic buckets ...ask around and they will be glad to have you take them off their hands.