I have been eyeing up this kit for a while now. I am planing on buying it in the next few weeks if I can't find any reasons not to. What do you all think?

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1620354&navAction=push


thanks.

•1 person for 1 year, (approx. 1200 calories per day)

Realistically, that is a starvation diet. Figure it is really more like a 6-8 month supply.

Most of the calories are in the form of starch and sugar, i.e.- empty calories.

Some of it is freeze dried, meaning it will rehydrate fairly easily, but the rice and wheat and dehydrated stuff requires actual cooking. Not that cooking is bad, but it takes fuel, and cooking wheat is not something most people know how to do.

The picture shows some kind of grain mill, but if there is a list of what is in this kit, I did not find it, so it is not clear to me what all is actually included.

Like almost all such kits, it may well have a place in a food storage system, or it may just a gimmick. Before I would spend $900 on something, I would make sure it was suitable to my needs.

My personal opinion is that most of what is in this kit that is of true benefit is the wheat, rice, beans, and lentils. That is all stuff that you can get dirt cheap on your own, and package it yourself, and it will last every bit as long. No need to have it in expensive #10 cans. Plastic buckets, mylar bags, and O2 absorbers work just as well, and will probably take up less room.

The veggies and fruit are expensive and are not really necessary as part of a survival diet. You will not die from lack of sugar so you really don't need fruit in your diet at all.

In any case, I would be inclined to add some vitamins to one's long term storage plan. A standard multivitamin, and whatever other supplements you think appropriate.

The important thing to me is what is it that you are preparing for. Most people want to go out and buy something so they can say they are prepared. But they do not seem to have even a faint clue what it is they are preparing for, or why. Just that in some vague way it is a good idea. I am inclined to agree it is better than nothing, but I think a little focus on the issue is better than just throwing money at it that is probably better spent elsewhere.

One year supply of multivitamins, bucket fulls of brown rice, black beans, and about a hundred cans of spam.  Cheaper, you'll get more than 1200 calories a day (which unless you are already fat will not be enough to live on and be active, not even by a long shot).

I have been getting ready to start mylar sealing some beans, rice, and other food items and have done a lot of research to do so.

My opinion, I love Sams club, but that one year supply of food sucks. Better than having nothing though!

Do some searching on youtube and mylar food sealing.

We've been stocking the pantry with a variety of legumes and grains. Red beans, pintos, garbanzos, split peas, lentils, barley, quinoa, etc. We use a funnel to fill plastic water bottles that have a "PETE" or "PET" recycling code.

I use one- and two-liter water bottles. All that's necessary in the way of preparation is to let them dry. Each liter bottle will hold two pounds of small beans, split peas or lentils. That's 6 or more servings, depending on what's in the bottle and how hungry you are. Larger diameter beans don't shake down as well and a one-liter bottle will hold something less than two pounds.

An oxygen absorber goes into each bottle. Then the bottles then go into some big aluminum storage boxes from a surplus store. That protects them from mice. In each aluminum box is also a bottle of sea salt and an envelope containing recipes and instructions for soaking and cooking tough, old beans. The boxes are stacked in our basement. They don't take up much room.

We'll probably never open them, but I'm glad they're down there every time I see someone in the aftermath of a hurricane or earthquake shouting "Even if we have money there's no food to buy" at a TV camera.

The Mormons, who have made quite a science of food storage, recommend putting away 5 pounds of beans and 25 pounds of grains per person per month.

What stored foods tend to lack is vitamin C. The good news is that we're literally surrounded by vitamin C, mostly in the form of things tea can be made from. Wintergreen, pine needles, rose hips, etc.

You can find some things (rice, pintos, some refried beans, etc) fairly cheaply in bulk at the LDS canneries.  But where are you getting things like split peas from?  I'm assuming you're not just buying the small bags at the grocery stores.  Is it cost effective to pick these up over the internet or is there a trick to finding it locally?

Hope this isn't too bad of a hijack... I'm looking at canning my own based on food I'll actually eat, instead of going with one of these foot storage kit ideas.

oops

Some are from the grocery store when they're on sale, most are from a local coop that will order 25 or 50 pound bags if you ask.