How much food do you have stored?

[Summerthyme]

The benefit of canned foods is you can eat them without soaking, cooking, or adding water -- if a clean water source is a problem.
I have a hand-operated grain grinder, and the sack of wheat I bought from the co-op last week was $13 for 50 pounds. I have also thought (but have not implemented) buying a salt block from the co-op would be an excellent way to buy salt cheaply and put it up for long-term storage.

Skip the salt block... it's going to be a very big PITA to get into any sort of usable form for household use. (However, if you have any livestock, stashing salt blocks is vital... we always keep 10-20 in our dry hay mow, which is approximately 1-2 years worth, since our animals are solely grass fed.

Buy bulk white salt at any feed mill or farm store. I've used salt (sold in 80# bags... they might be 50# now) from our mill for years... canning, cooking and medical uses.

If you want to store it long term, you really need to use a Mylar bag inside a 5 gallon pail... pails alone seem to allow enough moisture access over a few years to turn salt (And white sugar) into a solid block. A Mylar bag, especially if you add a couple moisture control packets (silica gel, not oxygen absorbers) before sealing. But even without the added moisture control, as long as the salt or sugar were dry when you put it in the Mylar, it will stay loose.

Summerthyme

[808gurl]

I went and looked around. We have a couple weeks worth of store bought food around but most of the food we eat comes from our gardens or animals. We mainly buy pasta, flour, seasonings, sugar and milk and a few other things. We just go out and pick things as needed mostly except for meat (not my dept.).

[BugoutBear]

Thing is the more people you add beyond what you've Prepped for the amount/length of food security reduces exponentially.

Example: We get cases of Poland Spring 23.7 oz Sport bottled water. Mrs. Bear and I go through about a case a week (I drink a lot) . That’s about 4 cases a month. Add two more people that’s about 8 cases a month, etc.

It’s the same with food. The more mouths the faster it goes and the more you need to acquire/re-acquire to keep pace with demand.

And then there's the theft factor. You have to be able to keep all that chow while hungry people go foraging and make no mistake they'll step on your face to get your last bag of rice. But we all know that already. Which is why we diversify our food assets in the event one or two are compromised.

[CaryC]

Thing is the more people you add beyond what you've Prepped for the amount/length of food security reduces exponentially.

Example: We get cases of Poland Spring 23.7 oz Sport bottled water. Mrs. Bear and I go through about a case a week (I drink a lot) . That’s about 4 cases a month. Add two more people that’s about 8 cases a month, etc.

It’s the same with food. The more mouths the faster it goes and the more you need to acquire/re-acquire to keep pace with demand.

And then there's the theft factor. You have to be able to keep all that chow while hungry people go foraging and make no mistake they'll step on your face to get your last bag of rice. But we all know that already. Which is why we diversify our food assets in the event one or two are compromised.

Of course what you say is true. Absolutely no problem.

You might consider this thought: Why did people have large families in the old days? Aside from the lack of birth control pills. The thought was NOT yuck, more mouths to feed. Rather, the need for more hands to do the job. And we should do the same.

I'm not saying anyone should take in the whole community, but rather to look at an increase in family size during tough times as a good thing. More hands to get the job done. and in a grid down, whatever situation.

I know you have an alternative water source, Bear, other than bottled water. If you don't, you're in serious trouble. More hands means fetching water with guards, and purifying it. While others hoe the garden, forage in the woods, 24 hour surveillance. etc. If there is none, more hands to dig a well.

My grand father and his family were poor share croppers. A husband, wife and 6 kids. Each spring, family members would come for a visit, and stay till fall. If they didn't have enough beds, they would make pallets on the floor. The men, boys would get up and go the field together, chop wood, tend the blacksmith shop, bring well water to the house, etc.... All the women/girls would cook the meals, wash clothes, wash dishes, hoe in the truck patch, can and gather fruits and veggies, all done either over open fires outside, or on the wood cook stove.

Never, ever heard a bad word cross my grandfathers mouth about the visit from relatives.

And when they left there was enough food, and cut wood to do a family of 8, the winter.

So, if your family grows during a grid down, may actually be a good thing.

[BugoutBear]

Of course what you say is true. Absolutely no problem.

You might consider this thought: Why did people have large families in the old days? Aside from the lack of birth control pills. The thought was NOT yuck, more mouths to feed. Rather, the need for more hands to do the job. And we should do the same.

I'm not saying anyone should take in the whole community, but rather to look at an increase in family size during tough times as a good thing. More hands to get the job done. and in a grid down, whatever situation.

I know you have an alternative water source, Bear, other than bottled water. If you don't, you're in serious trouble. More hands means fetching water with guards, and purifying it. While others hoe the garden, forage in the woods, 24 hour surveillance. etc. If there is none, more hands to dig a well.

My grand father and his family were poor share croppers. A husband, wife and 6 kids. Each spring, family members would come for a visit, and stay till fall. If they didn't have enough beds, they would make pallets on the floor. The men, boys would get up and go the field together, chop wood, tend the blacksmith shop, bring well water to the house, etc.... All the women/girls would cook the meals, wash clothes, wash dishes, hoe in the truck patch, can and gather fruits and veggies, all done either over open fires outside, or on the wood cook stove.

Never, ever heard a bad word cross my grandfathers mouth about the visit from relatives.

And when they left there was enough food, and cut wood to do a family of 8, the winter.

So, if your family grows during a grid down, may actually be a good thing.

Hey no worries.

We have multiple friends who have on average around 8-10 kids. Real Eastern European Shtetl salt-of-the-earth types. They all chip in and do chores, babysit as needed, etc. I've taught the middle aged kids how to garden, fish and what local berries and plants are safe to eat. However there are families out there who would rather take what they want by force. A father with a meuling family can be one of the most dangerous threats to anyone with food to eat and supplies to take. Then there's the people who'll be off their meds. <--- there's your screaming zombie horde.

If a large family had all their food/supplies taken they'd be in as much trouble as someone who didn't (or didn't know how) to prepare for an emergency. I have maintained a stash specifically for them in my basement and I also keep a stash for us in their attic.

I have several water sources so that won't be a problem. The reason we drink so much bottled water is because 3 years ago e coli was detected in our cities drinking water and the Water Authority didn't say anything until 3 days later. A lot of people were feeling wonky and they wouldn't even pay the $60 for a new water filter for the refrigerator.

And I also remember the stories my grandmother use to tell me about grown up in Shanghai back in the '20's. I'd ask her all kinds of questions abut how they made it through the day-to-day living. I listened, and I remember. (i.e. weevils are good protein. )

[HouseWolf]

The poll demonstrates that the Tree's membership is probably amongst the most seasoned and prepared of persons in the prepper community.
This comes as no surprise.

[CaryC]

Hey no worries.

We have multiple friends who have on average around 8-10 kids. Real Eastern European Shtetl salt-of-the-earth types. They all chip in and do chores, babysit as needed, etc. I've taught the middle aged kids how to garden, fish and what local berries and plants are safe to eat. However there are families out there who would rather take what they want by force. A father with a meuling family can be one of the most dangerous threats to anyone with food to eat and supplies to take. Then there's the people who'll be off their meds. <--- there's your screaming zombie horde.

If a large family had all their food/supplies taken they'd be in as much trouble as someone who didn't (or didn't know how) to prepare for an emergency. I have maintained a stash specifically for them in my basement and I also keep a stash for us in their attic.

I have several water sources so that won't be a problem. The reason we drink so much bottled water is because 3 years ago e coli was detected in our cities drinking water and the Water Authority didn't say anything until 3 days later. A lot of people were feeling wonky and they wouldn't even pay the $60 for a new water filter for the refrigerator.

And I also remember the stories my grandmother use to tell me about grown up in Shanghai back in the '20's. I'd ask her all kinds of questions abut how they made it through the day-to-day living. I listened, and I remember. (i.e. weevils are good protein. )

I kind of felt like you did, have other sources of water. Nothing wrong with drinking bottled water. Also nothing wrong with storing bottled water. If for no other reason than the one you mentioned.

We do. Living on the end of the community water line, every break in the water line comes out our faucet. One morning it will be black, the next red, depending on where it broke. You might say we are the first ones to get a boil water notice. So we have a pretty good bit stored, and water filter type stuff, because it will take 3 days to get results back from the state.

A couple of weeks ago, Tupelo got hit with a boil water notice. Population about 40,000 which swells to 100,000 during work hours. Talk about an absolute mess. Water sold out in a couple of hours. And this was going to go on for 3 days. AND if you can believe this, the TV station told everyone the first day to not even take showers, or baths without boiling the water first. Factories had to cut their drinking fountains off, restaurants, couldn't even serve coffee, so they closed. I asked Sherree if she could imagine those folks in Tupelo boiling enough water to take a bath in? They couldn't heat a No. 3 wash tub over an open fire. It would have to be a pot at a time. No brushing teeth unless the water was boiled first. Needless to say Tupelo was gunkey there for a few days.

You had me rolling in the floor, and Sherree gaging on your weevils statement. Even though it's probably true. We have some of them big Texas Grasshoppers come through every now and then.......there she goes again.... gaging. LOL

And also yea, you have to take a hardline even with family. You don't work, you don't eat. Bye. The "we take, we don't bother" line is for the birds. And incoming family needs to have a fast course on situational awareness, and do their part there too.

I think for the most part incoming family members will understand that. However, there be the one or two, who don't, and then they will see a different side. And for different folks there are different situations depending on where they live, among other things.

However, it never hurts to have some stuff on hand. (maybe even weevils LOL)

[Cassie]

My first thought was, “it depends on how many people show up”. But since we are only supposed to consider whoever is currently living under your roof, that makes it easier. For just me, I have enough food for well over a year. But, in a true SHTF situation, I expect at least one or more family members to show up.

Space is not a problem for me, but I do clean it all out and rotate what I can, every year or two. I also have a vegetable garden and fruit trees.

[obleo]

Have't read thru all of this but did I mention I lost all mine in a boating accident? Sank right to the bottom, my loss but the fish are loving the Spam w/bacon! LOL

[KingsX]

.

I have maybe 12 weeks of food items on hand... mostly canned meat and vegetables.

If I had to eat solely from my pantry, I would not be a happy camper.

But I would be happier than a camper with nothing to eat