90 days of food and water

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Posted: 8/8/2011 10:37:44 AM EDT

I know that because of the economy, lots of people are wishing they had some preps. Here is a "get started quick" suggestion for you.
So… What about food?
If you eat three meals a day, you'll need 90(days)x3(meals)x3(servings per meal)=810 servings PER PERSON to live for 90 days.
60 servings costs $129
240 Servings for $429
6 months - or 3 months for two people for $619

**As others have mentioned, pay close attention to the caloric content of each serving and each product. The "6 month supply" listed above is actually only 40 days if you consume 2000 calories per day**

You can shop around, but the ready store has the best prices.
In most cases, these emergency storage meals are low in caloric value (not many calories) and aren't ideal, but they'll do. The alternative is buy one or two extra of everything you already eat when you go shopping.
If you eat two cans of tomatoes, a bag of rice, and three cans of beans in a 3 day period, buy double that, and store the rest. This also helps spread the cost over a period of time.
What about water?
Consider that an inactive adult consumes a half gallon of water for drinking per day. Not including any dehydrated food you have, food that needs boiling, water added, etc.
An active adult consumes between 1 and 1.5 gallons of water a day. So if you are drinking water, and using water to cook with, you are talking about anywhere from 2 to 3 gallons of water per person per day.
That is potentially 84 gallons of water for two people over a 14 day period JUST FOR EATING AND DRINKING. Keep in mind that water has other uses too. Bathing, and cleaning clothes will use more.
It's pretty scary to realize that two 55 gallon drums of water would only last 2 weeks if you didn't have water coming in and you didn’t bathe or wash clothing.
No one is expecting you to have 2000 gallons of water put away in your basement, but having the ability to filter surface water and rain runoff might be useful.
For $219.95, you can buy a drip filter system that will clean 36,000 gallons.

For $59.23, you can filter 1 million gallons (540 gallons per day max) through bucket.

(huge thanks to parabellum_9x19)

Please let me know if you have experience with products and I will put them on the food or water list.
There are lots of other options, but no water and no power doesn’t have to be scary. =)

Posted: 8/8/2011 2:11:43 PM EDT

[#1]

I'm bumpin this to the top.

Posted: 8/8/2011 3:33:53 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

I'm bumpin this to the top.

Thanks!

I know most guys on this forum are miles past this, but I just wanted to give the new guys a place to start.

Posted: 8/8/2011 4:20:44 PM EDT

[#3]

Guys, if you want to know about water contaminants and filters, look in the archives for posts in SF made by SCW. He's worked in the municipal water field professionally and is a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

Posted: 8/8/2011 4:41:23 PM EDT

[#4]

Costco online is starting to carry a lot of emergency food kits, including buckets of grains and beans.

Posted: 8/8/2011 8:58:36 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Costco online is starting to carry a lot of emergency food kits, including buckets of grains and beans.

Just FYI Sams online has a larger selection of items. However, Sams is all #10 cans. Both are selling Aquason farms. Not sure on costco's prices but Sams is cheaper than buying from the manufacturer.

Posted: 8/9/2011 1:09:09 AM EDT

[#6]

Don't forget things like Scotch Broth for your food storage. Real food can be significantly cheaper to store.

ETA: The super cheap Monolithic Water Filter

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:01:45 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

...

There are lots of other options, but no water and no power doesn’t have to be scary. =)

Thanks.

I'm not a doom and gloomer by any means; but, it means a lot to have you guys out there providing information to those who want peace of mind.

My sister was trapped in DC next to the Pentagon with nothing but what was in pantry (nothing) after 9-11.

It's up to individuals to decide how far they wish to take the advice... but, thank you for doing so much for free.

It really does mean a lot.

Posted: 8/9/2011 6:11:28 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Costco online is starting to carry a lot of emergency food kits, including buckets of grains and beans.

Just FYI Sams online has a larger selection of items. However, Sams is all #10 cans. Both are selling Aquason farms. Not sure on costco's prices but Sams is cheaper than buying from the manufacturer.

Not necessarily.
The Augason Farms 1month 1person food kit is #2.5 can size.

One thing I do find interesting is that the AF 30day kit for one person has 77,565 total calories (2585cal/day).
and the 6 month supply of lunch and dinner entree's listed above has 81,161 total calories (451cal/day).
Maybe I am misreading something

Posted: 8/9/2011 6:19:46 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:

...

There are lots of other options, but no water and no power doesn’t have to be scary. =)

Thanks.

I'm not a doom and gloomer by any means; but, it means a lot to have you guys out there providing information to those who want peace of mind.

My sister was trapped in DC next to the Pentagon with nothing but what was in pantry (nothing) after 9-11.

It's up to individuals to decide how far they wish to take the advice... but, thank you for doing so much for free.

It really does mean a lot.

Glad to help.

The other guys on here have far greater knowledge about this stuff, but I know when I got started, I was at a loss on where to start.

One of the things I try to focus on when encouraging people to prep is that prepping doesn't have to be 'end of the world' paranoia. I try to explain local events, such as the Tornadoes here this year, or Katrina, or like you said, 9/11. Any of those can leave your local area with no food, fuel, water for a week or even a month in extreme circumstances.

Also, another reason to prep that a lot of families don't consider is the loss of income. What would you do if you and your wife both got laid off? You might be able to keep the utilities on for a few months, but if you had 90 days of food put up, you could live off of that.

We try to make it fun with the kids too, and let them pick what comes out of rotation next. The kids really had their light go on when we lost power for a week during the big tornado outbreak here.

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:15:11 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
...

There are lots of other options, but no water and no power doesn’t have to be scary. =)

Thanks.

I'm not a doom and gloomer by any means; but, it means a lot to have you guys out there providing information to those who want peace of mind.

My sister was trapped in DC next to the Pentagon with nothing but what was in pantry (nothing) after 9-11.

It's up to individuals to decide how far they wish to take the advice... but, thank you for doing so much for free.

It really does mean a lot.

I agree. I really have not prepped at all, this is going to help me get a starting point.

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:37:10 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

I know that because of the economy, lots of people are wishing they had some preps. Here is a "get started quick" suggestion for you.
So… What about food?

If you eat three meals a day, you'll need 90x3=270 servings PER PERSON to live for 90 days.

60 servings costs $129

240 Servings for $429

6 months - or 3 months for two people for $619

You can shop around, but the ready store has the best prices.

In most cases, these emergency storage meals are low in caloric value (not many calories) and aren't ideal, but they'll do. The alternative is buy one or two extra of everything you already eat when you go shopping.

If you eat two cans of tomatoes, a bag of rice, and three cans of beans in a 3 day period, buy double that, and store the rest. This also helps spread the cost over a period of time.

What about water?

Consider that an inactive adult consumes a half gallon of water for drinking per day. Not including any dehydrated food you have, food that needs boiling, water added, etc.

An active adult consumes between 1 and 1.5 gallons of water a day. So if you are drinking water, and using water to cook with, you are talking about anywhere from 2 to 3 gallons of water per person per day.

That is potentially 84 gallons of water for two people over a 14 day period JUST FOR EATING AND DRINKING. Keep in mind that water has other uses too. Bathing, and cleaning clothes will use more.

It's pretty scary to realize that two 55 gallon drums of water would only last 2 weeks if you didn't have water coming in and you didn’t bathe or wash clothing.

No one is expecting you to have 2000 gallons of water put away in your basement, but having the ability to filter surface water and rain runoff might be useful.

For $219.95, you can buy a drip filter system that will clean 36,000 gallons.

There are lots of other options, but no water and no power doesn’t have to be scary. =)

I've got 8 months of food and a submicronic filter that will do one million gallons guaranteed (and a backup for that one that is also submicronic) and I still don't feel well prepped enough.

But I'm getting there by God!

Remember the rule of twos people! Redundancy is key to prepping.

Two is one and one is none.

Also, for the love of god, get a CB radio!!! Comms go down first and anyone without a radio is in the dark. If you can afford it, get yourself the gold standard, a Cobra 148GTL. It has 40 main bands, 80 SSB, and doesn't drift much.

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:40:45 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

I've got 8 months of food and a submicronic filter that will do one million gallons guaranteed (and a backup for that one that is also submicronic) and I still don't feel well prepped enough.

But I'm getting there by God!

Remember the rule of twos people! Redundancy is key to prepping.

Two is one and one is none.

8 Months is awesome.

I have a friend that actually lives 100% off of his land, and cans and stores everything in a 12 month cycle.

I would love to be there!

Do you have a link or specs on your water filter?

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:51:39 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I've got 8 months of food and a submicronic filter that will do one million gallons guaranteed (and a backup for that one that is also submicronic) and I still don't feel well prepped enough.

But I'm getting there by God!

Remember the rule of twos people! Redundancy is key to prepping.

Two is one and one is none.

8 Months is awesome.

I have a friend that actually lives 100% off of his land, and cans and stores everything in a 12 month cycle.

I would love to be there!

Do you have a link or specs on your water filter?

Yes I do Sir, its right here, its an awesome kit! Installs into a 5gal food grade bucket and its GTG, good drip rate, gravity fed, good to 1mil gallons.

http://www.sawyer.com/SP180.htm

You can upgrade the filter from the 0.1 Micron to the 0.02 Micron for about double the money and get even more protection...of course viruses can potentially still slip through, so a compromised water source should be filtered and then boiled to guarantee 100% safety (barring chemical contaminants).

Also, I recommend that anyone who preps should also pre-mix bags of Oral Rehydration Solution and keep them in ziploc baggies in their med kit. Dehydration can kill you in a few days if you catch the wrong stomach bug.

ORS Recipe:

6 teaspoons of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mixes with: 1 liter of water

Store pre mixed in baggies and just dump in a water bottle to rehydrate anyone who is suffering from dehydration, works almost as well as an IV without the safety issues of an IV.

Posted: 8/9/2011 8:02:08 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Yes I do Sir, its right here, its an awesome kit! Installs into a 5gal food grade bucket and its GTG, good drip rate, gravity fed, good to 1mil gallons.

http://www.sawyer.com/SP180.htm

You can upgrade the filter from the 0.1 Micron to the 0.02 Micron for about double the money and get even more protection...of course viruses can potentially still slip through, so a compromised water source should be filtered and then boiled to guarantee 100% safety (barring chemical contaminants).

I've added it into the OP.

Also, I recommend that anyone who preps should also pre-mix bags of Oral
Rehydration Solution and keep them in ziploc baggies in their med kit.
Dehydration can kill you in a few days if you catch the wrong stomach
bug.

ORS Recipe:

6 teaspoons of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mixes with: 1 liter of water

Store
pre mixed in baggies and just dump in a water bottle to rehydrate
anyone who is suffering from dehydration, works almost as well as an IV
without the safety issues of an IV.

that is really cool man, I would like to make some mylar bags like that to put in my wife's GHB. I might even make a how-to vid for it.

Do you have any idea what tolerances the solution would have for heat/storage?

Posted: 8/9/2011 8:13:20 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yes I do Sir, its right here, its an awesome kit! Installs into a 5gal food grade bucket and its GTG, good drip rate, gravity fed, good to 1mil gallons.
http://www.sawyer.com/SP180.htm
You can upgrade the filter from the 0.1 Micron to the 0.02 Micron for about double the money and get even more protection...of course viruses can potentially still slip through, so a compromised water source should be filtered and then boiled to guarantee 100% safety (barring chemical contaminants).

I've added it into the OP.

Also, I recommend that anyone who preps should also pre-mix bags of Oral Rehydration Solution and keep them in ziploc baggies in their med kit. Dehydration can kill you in a few days if you catch the wrong stomach bug.
ORS Recipe:
6 teaspoons of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt
Mixes with: 1 liter of water
Store pre mixed in baggies and just dump in a water bottle to rehydrate anyone who is suffering from dehydration, works almost as well as an IV without the safety issues of an IV.

that is really cool man, I would like to make some mylar bags like that to put in my wife's GHB. I might even make a how-to vid for it.
Do you have any idea what tolerances the solution would have for heat/storage?

I imagine that dry sugar and salt would keep for years in a sealed bag, even in heat. I think worst case, the sugar might breakdown just a bit but its all going to get dissolved in liquid anyway.
ORS saves literally millions of lives a year in the third world, where IVs are not easy to obtain, or the conditions are too poor to make piercing a vein with a needle a worthwhile choice.
As long as someone can drink water, ORS can help save their life from dehydration.

More on ORS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy

When I was in Africa, I saw people mixing this stuff up and saw people being treated in clinics with it, I know it works.

For example, if you caught something like Cholera, your ability to stay hydrated and keep proper electrolyte levels up, massively raises your ability to beat that disease and survive.

Posted: 8/9/2011 8:34:30 AM EDT

[#16]

Before you buy a bucket marked "Six Month Supply" or "250 Meals To Go", do some research.

CostCo, in particular, got their dick in the wringer a few years ago selling one of those buckets that called itself a three-month supply. Some quick reading of the contents and its nutritional information showed that it was indeed a three month supply if you were willing to subsist on an Auschwitz-level calorie intake. CostCo then got sued by some folks for misrepresenting the product. The product was relabelled to specify the number of 'meals' in the bucket, rather than an actual time duration.

What does all this mean to you? It means RTFM..if the label says each meal is 250 calories and there are 90 meals in there, thats 30 days of 750 calories/day...fine if you weigh 75# soaking wet. One of the accepted baselines for caloric intake is 10 calories/# of body weight....meaning if you're like most folks you probably need around 2000 calories a day. (This number varies, of course, on variables like stress, pregnancy, work output, climate, etc, etc. but 2000k/day is what most folks go by.) This means that bucket of 250 calorie meals is really 11 days worth of calories, not 30.....unless you like living on near-starvation rations.

Many pre-packaged "number]-day supply" packages are either short in terms of daily calories or they make it up with one or two high-calorie items. Read the labels and do the math. Avoid thinking that just because the label says "30-day supply" it really will take care of your needs for 30 days.

Posted: 8/9/2011 8:37:16 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Before you buy a bucket marked "Six Month Supply" or "250 Meals To Go", do some research.

CostCo, in particular, got their dick in the wringer a few years ago selling one of those buckets that called itself a three-month supply. Some quick reading of the contents and its nutritional information showed that it was indeed a three month supply if you were willing to subsist on an Auschwitz-level calorie intake. CostCo then got sued by some folks for misrepresenting the product. The product was relabelled to specify the number of 'meals' in the bucket, rather than an actual time duration.

What does all this mean to you? It means RTFM..if the label says each meal is 250 calories and there are 90 meals in there, thats 30 days of 750 calories/day...fine if you weigh 75# soaking wet. One of the accepted baselines for caloric intake is 10 calories/# of body weight....meaning if you're like most folks you probably need around 2000 calories a day. (This number varies, of course, on variables like stress, pregnancy, work output, climate, etc, etc. but 2000k/day is what most folks go by.) This means that bucket of 250 calorie meals is really 11 days worth of calories, not 30.....unless you like living on near-starvation rations.

Many pre-packaged "number]-day supply" packages are either short in terms of daily calories or they make it up with one or two high-calorie items. Read the labels and do the math. Avoid thinking that just because the label says "30-day supply" it really will take care of your needs for 30 days.

In most cases, I've found that the kits do about 1/3 of the advertised time. (30 days would be 10 days)

I agree 100%, if you are going to use store-bought kits, go by the calories, not the advertised days.

Posted: 8/9/2011 8:40:34 AM EDT

[#18]

Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

Posted: 8/9/2011 9:33:54 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I had never seen this, but the wife and I already agreed to add their 30 serving club into our preps.

Very cool!

http://www.freezedryguy.net/Clubs/tabid/1035/Default.aspx

Posted: 8/9/2011 9:41:18 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I had never seen this, but the wife and I already agreed to add their 30 serving club into our preps.

Very cool!

http://www.freezedryguy.net/Clubs/tabid/1035/Default.aspx

Becauz, is there any real meat in their products?

Posted: 8/9/2011 9:49:39 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I had never seen this, but the wife and I already agreed to add their 30 serving club into our preps.

Very cool!

http://www.freezedryguy.net/Clubs/tabid/1035/Default.aspx

Becauz, is there any real meat in their products?

Some of it does. Their products like Chicken Pasta and Chicken A LaKing appear to contain soy and vegetable proteins. Others, like Rice and Chicken actually have chicken as a main ingredient (impressive IMO). That is rather unusual.

You would definitely want to supplement it with either his meats or others depending on how much you already had.

ETA: Just got off the phone with them:

Actual meat is in the 30, 60, and 120 serving clubs. (real beef in beef stew, real chicken in the chicken meals, etc)

The gluten free, and bug out clubs are vegetable protein only.

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:04:34 AM EDT

[#22]

Do you think it would be more practical, cheaper and tastier to buy canned meats from the box stores and rotate them every 2 yrs or so than buy the expensive freeze dried meats?

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:06:57 AM EDT

[#23]

Becauz, is there any real meat in their products?

parabellum_9x19 how is the variety? Is the food decent, good, great? I have a traditional pantry, but a freeze dried/dehydrated movable store would be great to add.

Thanks
TC

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:08:29 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Becauz, is there any real meat in their products?

parabellum_9x19 how is the variety? Is the food decent, good, great? I have a traditional pantry, but a freeze dried/dehydrated movable store would be great to add.

Thanks

TC

I just started with them, but the variety is supposed to be very good according to the reviews I was able to find.

I was hoping to post a review once I had a few months of deliveries so I could comment on that.

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:14:50 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Do you think it would be more practical, cheaper and tastier to buy canned meats from the box stores and rotate them every 2 yrs or so than buy the expensive freeze dried meats?

A 16oz can of ham, for example, is about $5 give or take for tax and local price changes. That would equate to about 30 cents per ounce vs. $2.00 an ounce for freeze dried stuff.

I think it depends on how you want handle prepping. Buying canned stuff locally will introduce rotation and cycling stock requiring you to keep track of it and eat from your stores.

Buying the freeze dried stuff is easily 5x more costly, but you can just stick it on the shelf and forget it for 25 years.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that prepping with goods like what you get at walmart is a lifestyle, as opposed to prepping with shelf-preps being an emergency item that doesn't require any afterthought.

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:16:29 AM EDT

[#26]

As an example, I just pulled a 5 gallon bucket of rice off the shelf because it was time to rotate it (3 years) and now we have to eat 5 gallons of rice!

I'll be tired of rice before the bucket is gone....

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:19:20 AM EDT

[#27]

Here is my other thought on food preps:

I can carry a one month supply of dehydrated food on my back, its not even heavy. Hell, based on my one month kit from foodinsurance, I can easily carry up to 3-4 months supply on my back if I wasn't carrying anything else.

The downside is you need water to rehydrate it, or eating it will suck.

However, since you can only go 2-3 days without water anyway, without a source of drinkable water, you are going to die of dehydration long before starvation is an issue.

Based on that logic, I have *some* canned goods that are "ready to eat" along with a stash of MREs...but the vast majority of my prepped food is dehydrated and has a 25 year shelf life.

I can't pack a one year supply of food into my vehicle if its not dehydrated, but I can if its dehydrated, and I'll have room for the guns, fuel, and commo gear as well.

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:21:42 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Do you think it would be more practical, cheaper and tastier to buy canned meats from the box stores and rotate them every 2 yrs or so than buy the expensive freeze dried meats?

Canned is more widely available, and I think canned tastes better, and has better texture. But Freeze dried will last longer in storage. We have both.

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:31:40 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I like the look of this guy, but is he the same as wise foods? I only ask because the packaging is almost identical and if so..., I've read bad things about the wise packages opening on their own over time..., ruining the food.

https://www.wisefoodstorage.com/store/index.php

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:33:33 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I like the look of this guy, but is he the same as wise foods? I only ask because the packaging is almost identical and if so..., I've read bad things about the wise packages opening on their own over time..., ruining the food.

https://www.wisefoodstorage.com/store/index.php

He answers the phone, I'd say just give him a quick call and ask.

866.404.3663

or

[email protected]

Posted: 8/9/2011 10:39:04 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Agreed that you need to read labels and prep for a 2K calorie per day intake. 1500 at a minimum.

I also am a club member with Freeze Dry Guy, I get 56 servings per month shipped to my door.

Its an easy way to continually build up my food stores, they rotate to ensure variety and the storage life is 25 years.

Freeze Dry Guy supplies to .mil also, fyi.

I like the look of this guy, but is he the same as wise foods? I only ask because the packaging is almost identical and if so..., I've read bad things about the wise packages opening on their own over time..., ruining the food.

https://www.wisefoodstorage.com/store/index.php

He answers the phone, I'd say just give him a quick call and ask.

866.404.3663

or

[email protected]

Will do thank you.

Justin

Posted: 8/9/2011 11:29:28 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
I know that because of the economy, lots of people are wishing they had some preps. Here is a "get started quick" suggestion for you.

So… What about food?

6 months - or 3 months for two people for $619

You can shop around, but the ready store has the best prices.

3 months, two meals for two people. At a total calorie count of 675x2. That's fewer calories than concentration camp internees got in Germany in WWII. How long did they last?

I'll tell ya: Most of them didn't last 90 days before expiring of malnutrition and starvation.

ETA: I'm not criticizing Becauz3y specifically, but be aware, these "meals" need to be supplemented heavily with calories (usually carb-rich foods like rice, potatoes, or pasta).

Posted: 8/9/2011 12:31:56 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I know that because of the economy, lots of people are wishing they had some preps. Here is a "get started quick" suggestion for you.

So… What about food?

6 months - or 3 months for two people for $619

You can shop around, but the ready store has the best prices.

3 months, two meals for two people. At a total calorie count of 675x2. That's fewer calories than concentration camp internees got in Germany in WWII. How long did they last?

I'll tell ya: Most of them didn't last 90 days before expiring of malnutrition and starvation.

ETA: I'm not criticizing Becauz3y specifically, but be aware, these "meals" need to be supplemented heavily with calories (usually carb-rich foods like rice, potatoes, or pasta).

Exactly - you are going to have to add a LOT to get the calorie count where it needs to be.

The problem is - these are not "meals", they are servings.
A serving is not a meal.

I think you are being generous with the calories, because the nutrition info as I read it is:
Total Calories = 81,161cal / 2 people = 40,580cal / 90days = 450.89cal/day

Freeze dried foods have their place, but you really have to look at what you are getting.

Posted: 8/9/2011 12:35:59 PM EDT

[#34]

Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

Posted: 8/9/2011 12:47:11 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I know that because of the economy, lots of people are wishing they had some preps. Here is a "get started quick" suggestion for you.

So… What about food?

6 months - or 3 months for two people for $619

You can shop around, but the ready store has the best prices.

3 months, two meals for two people. At a total calorie count of 675x2. That's fewer calories than concentration camp internees got in Germany in WWII. How long did they last?

I'll tell ya: Most of them didn't last 90 days before expiring of malnutrition and starvation.

ETA: I'm not criticizing Becauz3y specifically, but be aware, these "meals" need to be supplemented heavily with calories (usually carb-rich foods like rice, potatoes, or pasta).

Exactly - you are going to have to add a LOT to get the calorie count where it needs to be.

The problem is - these are not "meals", they are servings.

A serving is not a meal.

I think you are being generous with the calories, because the nutrition info as I read it is:

Total Calories = 81,161cal / 2 people = 40,580cal / 90days = 450.89cal/day

Freeze dried foods have their place, but you really have to look at what you are getting.

100% agree. I've given this same lecture to others, but left it out of the OP.

Fixed now.

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:22:27 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:32:32 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Sealed containers of cooking oil can keep between 1-3 years if stored in a cool environment.

Unfortunately, that isn't very long at all, in the scheme of prepping.

So, you have to do what I do with gasoline: Rotate it every year.

I suggest you get a few large containers of cooking oil (label their purchase date with a permanent marker), and rotate them every year or two at most. If you don't have a use for them to rotate into your daily cooking, its a good excuse to go buy a turkey fryer and fry yourself a bird!

Here is more on the problems of fat/oil storage:

http://www.survival-center.com/foodfaq/ff10-fat.htm

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:33:39 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Sealed containers of cooking oil can keep between 1-3 years if stored in a cool environment.

Unfortunately, that isn't very long at all, in the scheme of prepping.

So, you have to do what I do with gasoline: Rotate it every year.

I suggest you get a few large containers of cooking oil (label their purchase date with a permanent marker), and rotate them every year or two at most. If you don't have a use for them to rotate into your daily cooking, its a good excuse to go buy a turkey fryer and fry yourself a bird!

Here is more on the problems of fat/oil storage:

http://www.survival-center.com/foodfaq/ff10-fat.htm

Thanks for the info and link!

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:36:13 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Different kinds of fats:
Canned Butter
Clarified Butter (Ghee)

Canned Bacon
Spam
DAK Ham
Canned Cheese

Morning Moos

ETA:
Powdered Eggs

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:38:35 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Different kinds of fats:

Canned Butter

Clarified Butter (Ghee)

Canned Bacon

Spam

DAK Ham

Morning Moos

Except maybe for the spam, that stuff all has about a 2 year shelf life average, which is on par for cooking oil.

Still good to invest in, to have a diverse prep store built up, but its got to be rotated just like any oils.

Developing a good food rotation schedule is really important if you are trying to be a "lifetime" prepper.

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:50:22 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Absolutely agree, lets never forget about the staples: Rice, Beans, fats

I am stocking up on those things in addition to the prepackaged stuff for that exact reason.

New to this sort of thing and the wife and I are making some emergency preps. What is a good source of fats that is suitable for long-term storage?

Thanks

Different kinds of fats:
Canned Butter
Clarified Butter (Ghee)

Canned Bacon
Spam
DAK Ham
Canned Cheese

Morning Moos

ETA:
Powdered Eggs

Thanks also!

I know everyone's taste buds are different, but how would you rate the Morning Moo vs powdered milk as far as taste?

Posted: 8/9/2011 2:54:51 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
Except maybe for the spam, that stuff all has about a 2 year shelf life average, which is on par for cooking oil.

Still good to invest in, to have a diverse prep store built up, but its got to be rotated just like any oils.

Developing a good food rotation schedule is really important if you are trying to be a "lifetime" prepper.

Food rotation is important.
We eat what we store, so a 2yr shelf life is good for us. (about a year longer than we need)

The Spam and DAK hams will probably last more than a couple of years.
I believe someone here tried some of the canned bacon that was older than 2 yrs. (again - it's not going to be me

)

Asking what fats are available is fairly open ended because some people will think of
cooking fats (oils, butter, ghee, bacon grease)
or
eating fats (Spam, DAK hams, bacon, eggs, milk)

I found that we had years worth of beans, rice, pasta, wheat berries, but lacked meats.
We mostly eat fresh from the store, but have added the Spam and DAK hams along with the bacon to the pantry.

There is powdered shortening, powdered butter and powdered cheese also available.

Another good source of fat for your diet is Oats - Oat Groats, Rolled Oats and Quick Oats).

Posted: 8/9/2011 3:01:27 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
I know everyone's taste buds are different, but how would you rate the Morning Moo vs powdered milk as far as taste?

First, Morning Moos is NOT milk. It is a milk alternative made from whey.
Lots of people here have tried it and like it. I think it is better than any store powdered milk I have ever had.
Utah Preppers did a taste test and it did very well.
The Mormons there were unhappy to see that they liked it better than the LDS powdered milk.

I have a friend that is lactose intolerant, he can drink this. (and likes it)

Personally, I prefer the Augason Farms Country Fresh Non-Fat Milk for drinking. They are the same company that makes Morning Moos

ETA: If you want to try it, they sell an Everyday sized (16oz.) can

Posted: 8/9/2011 3:17:14 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I know everyone's taste buds are different, but how would you rate the Morning Moo vs powdered milk as far as taste?

First, Morning Moos is NOT milk. It is a milk alternative made from whey.
Lots of people here have tried it and like it. I think it is better than any store powdered milk I have ever had.
Utah Preppers did a taste test and it did very well.
The Mormons there were unhappy to see that they liked it better than the LDS powdered milk.

I have a friend that is lactose intolerant, he can drink this. (and likes it)

Personally, I prefer the Augason Farms Country Fresh Non-Fat Milk for drinking. They are the same company that makes Morning Moos

ETA: If you want to try it, they sell an Everyday sized (16oz.) can

We'll give it a try before stocking in bulk.

Posted: 8/9/2011 5:29:55 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I know everyone's taste buds are different, but how would you rate the Morning Moo vs powdered milk as far as taste?

First, Morning Moos is NOT milk. It is a milk alternative made from whey.
Lots of people here have tried it and like it. I think it is better than any store powdered milk I have ever had.
Utah Preppers did a taste test and it did very well.
The Mormons there were unhappy to see that they liked it better than the LDS powdered milk.

I have a friend that is lactose intolerant, he can drink this. (and likes it)

Personally, I prefer the Augason Farms Country Fresh Non-Fat Milk for drinking. They are the same company that makes Morning Moos

ETA: If you want to try it, they sell an Everyday sized (16oz.) can

We'll give it a try before stocking in bulk.

Careful - You could end up like this:

Posted: 8/9/2011 5:34:24 PM EDT

[#46]

actually Morning Moo has both types of powdered milk...

Posted: 8/9/2011 5:35:44 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
actually Morning Moo has both types of powdered milk...

Not sure what that means.
You mean white and chocolate?

Posted: 8/9/2011 6:56:25 PM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Except maybe for the spam, that stuff all has about a 2 year shelf life average, which is on par for cooking oil.

Still good to invest in, to have a diverse prep store built up, but its got to be rotated just like any oils.

Developing a good food rotation schedule is really important if you are trying to be a "lifetime" prepper.

Food rotation is important.

We eat what we store, so a 2yr shelf life is good for us. (about a year longer than we need)

The Spam and DAK hams will probably last more than a couple of years.

I believe someone here tried some of the canned bacon that was older than 2 yrs. (again - it's not going to be me

)

Asking what fats are available is fairly open ended because some people will think of

cooking fats (oils, butter, ghee, bacon grease)

or

eating fats (Spam, DAK hams, bacon, eggs, milk)

I found that we had years worth of beans, rice, pasta, wheat berries, but lacked meats.

We mostly eat fresh from the store, but have added the Spam and DAK hams along with the bacon to the pantry.

There is powdered shortening, powdered butter and powdered cheese also available.

Another good source of fat for your diet is Oats - Oat Groats, Rolled Oats and Quick Oats).

Good call, my preps are lacking in oats and powdered butter/cheese.

I'll fix that asap.

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:09:56 PM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:

Quoted:
actually Morning Moo has both types of powdered milk...

Not sure what that means.
You mean white and chocolate?

They have the non fat milk and the soy or whey or what ever it is.

Posted: 8/9/2011 7:21:55 PM EDT

[#50]

Ok I spoke to the freeze dried guy and the white buckets of food are in fact the Wise food products. I was concerned about the packaging because of post 16 and on in this thread (there are pictures of the damaged goods later in the thread);

http://www.whenshtf.com/showthread.php?38420-To-open-or-not-to-open/page2&highlight=wise

Now, this is the only instances of "open food" packaging that I can find, but it might be worth while inspecting your freeze dried food packages just to be safe.

Justin

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 90 days of food and water (Page 1 of 2)

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