Serious food storage

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jacob
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Post by jacob »

Is anyone here storing mass quantities of food---I mean 6+ months worth of it?
What do you use? 5 gal buckets? #10 cans? Something else? What about mylar bags and oxygen tablets? Do you have a system?
Do you store a matching amount of water?
I've decided that this is a material problem we haven't solved yet. We currently have NO water stored and about 1 months worth of food in the cupboards (big sacks of a rice and beans + a dozen cans or so).


KevinW
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Post by KevinW »

I have a disaster kit of a week's water and canned food. Plus a tank water heater that could be tapped for 40 gallons of unpalatable but potable water.
Separately I have a bulk food storage system oriented toward buying 25 lb sacks, which is probably good for roughly 6 months, but I haven't counted. My system is
- 5 gallon buckets

- Gamma Seal lids *

- knockoff Metro Shelves from eBay

- all food is frozen 7+ days to kill insect eggs *

- 5 gal. = 30-35 lb of most dry staples, so wait until a bucket is nearly empty then buy a 25 lb bag
Ballpark capacities:

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2011/03/ ... they-hold/
Also a food supply that must be cooked lasts only as long as cooking fuel is available. I built a Super Cat for brief emergencies and am slowly working on a solar oven.
* Insect and rodent control is a major consideration. Ask me how I know this.


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jennypenny
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Post by jennypenny »

@Jacob, you really should start storing water--at least two week's worth of fresh water that wouldn't require special storage or purification. Easy method--buy cheap store-brand gallon-sized plastic water jugs at grocery store. Number them with a Sharpie (1, 2, 3...) and store under kitchen sink. Keep the one you're using on the counter. When it's gone, refill, put under the sink, and grab the next number.
We store several months worth of food but it varies depending on the season. It's mostly in freezers. I don't like purchasing food that other people have prepared (including canned) and the freezer protects the food as Kevin pointed out. It leaves us vulnerable so we're looking into solar power for the freezers and I'm looking for inexpensive canning supplies to do more canning.
I also don't store a ton of grains right now. I've always felt that grains were so cheap that even if they doubled in price I could absorb the increase. I've focused on storing meat, fruit, veggies, and dairy. This year I'll probably add to my grains though since availability might be an issue.


Scott 2
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Post by Scott 2 »

What do you guys storing so much food think is the risk of needing it? In my head it's negligible, but that's based on living 31 years (so far) with food and running water always available.


EMJ
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Post by EMJ »

I have before, my neighbors do now. A combination of root cellars, dehydration, freezers, 5 gallon buckets w gamma lids, canned (water bath or pressure) depending on food. Water from river & well, pumps on grid, generators in place.

Extreme? No, just life in the country where power goes out, production in gardens and fields is cyclical.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

@KevinW - I have been wondering about insects such as ants biting their way through the buckets. Hence mylar bags? We live on a first floor apartment and the food would go in the closet.
@jennypenny - I know (the water, really the first problem to solve). We drink tap and would rather not convert to 1 gal containers (do you really keep 28 of them under your kitchen sink?!). However, I think a solution is to keep 28, but seeing as they last, what, 1 year, all I need to do is to rotate one of them through the winemaking process every two weeks.
@Scott 2 - It's one of those risk factors that are hard to quantify, i.e., it can't be given as a percentage. If it's needed, it's REALLY needed. Because of climate change (droughts) and overpopulation (and economic demand), we're probably reaching peak food about now (a sign of peaking is fluctuating resource prices). So currently, this would be more like hoarding gas to smooth out supply shocks. Also I think opportune buying can reduce costs. And if nothing else, some money is converted into useful hard assets, that is, not gold.


EMJ
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Post by EMJ »

No matter how much food etc you store, unless you come up with a way of growing, processing & storing your own you will run out sooner or later. Think of it like money. If all you have is a big bank account if you you don't add to it sooner or later you will run out.
Jacob - what are people in the city saying/thinking about food & future?


KevinW
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Post by KevinW »

@Jacob
So far that (pests gnawing through buckets) hasn't been a problem. Maybe they can't smell the food through the seal? My shelf is in the garage, maybe the activity and exposed position fends them off?
Ants can't swim, so it is possible to block them by putting each leg of the shelving unit in a can full of water. That creates a moat at each leg. That's one reason to use shelves instead of leaving the buckets on the ground.


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jennypenny
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Post by jennypenny »

We drink tap water also, but I did break down and buy the gallon jugs the first time. I have 30, which is only a week's worth, but we'd cut our usage in half during an emergency. (we keep them in a kitchen closet) I constantly use/refill them so I don't have to keep track, and also to help teach the kids to learn to prep.
My food and water preps are mostly for short to medium term emergencies. We've had 3 major floods that have affected our water supply since we've lived here. We've also had times with over 3 feet of snow when going out would have been a problem. Someone like Kevin would be foolish not to have some preps. (you live in SoCal right?) Also, I'm in Florida this week. People who aren't prepared are running around right now trying to get what they need. People who've prepared are safe at home enjoying their Sunday afternoon.
I don't think short term interruptions in supplies (like for banking freeze, lack of oil because of violence in middle east, extreme weather) are that hard to imagine.


dot_com_vet
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Post by dot_com_vet »

British Berkefeld filters (ceramic) will apparently make muddy water potable. The UN uses this type of filter. It could be a simple solution.


George the original one
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Post by George the original one »

> What do you guys storing so much food think is

> the risk of needing it? In my head it's

> negligible, but that's based on living 31 years

> (so far) with food and running water always

> available.
Ask George (the one that's not original or other, just plain George from New Zealand) how difficult it is to find food and potable water after last year's earthquake down there.
Here in the Portland area, home of a fairly reliable gravity-fed water supply, there are occasional days of contaminated water and/or water main breaks.
Living just beyond the Portland suburbs, we've had several consecutive days where no electricity was available; so far 5 days without power in a bad snowstorm where it took me 3 days to dig out of the driveway was the longest stretch.
So without even going to really extreme scenarios, anywhere from a couple weeks of food & water (& heat & shelter) to a couple months worth are reasonable precautions. You do NOT want to be paying extortionist prices during a disaster if the food & water are even available at any price and you'll likewise not want to stand in line to get your share at an aid shelter.


EMJ
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Post by EMJ »

If you have access to water a filter can be a good option instead of storing water.

Here's the one that works for my situation: http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/filt ... er/product


bluepearl
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Post by bluepearl »

hi jennypenny
can you please tell me how much those gallon water containers cost?
and why 30, how long will this last and how do you come up with 30?
am trying to set up for my own needs.

thanks.


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jennypenny
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Post by jennypenny »

@bluepearl--I bought one at my grocery store for around $.60. I left it on the counter and used it for everything (drinking, coffee, brushing my teeth, etc). Every time it was empty I would refill it and keep track of how many I'd refilled. At the end of the week I knew how many I needed. We use 30 for 5 people for one week (technically 4 for the week and 1 for 2 days). To make it more accurate make sure you include the water you use to make rice and pasta, and don't forget to include any pets and their needs.


bluepearl
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Post by bluepearl »

ahhh Jennypenny

Your method make complete sense. Thanks.
Will start buying 1 container and start my estimation :)


Roark
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Post by Roark »

"What do you guys storing so much food think is the risk of needing it?"
Depends what you mean by "needing it". If you store foods that you generally rotate through anyway, the only change is that you need additional storage space. If you have some space being unused and can't downsize already then I don't think there is an opportunity cost.
The benefit would be that you might be able to get things at a cheaper price (waiting to buy on a sale, or buying from a large supplier, inflation) and that you may reduce your shopping trips. The downside is that things may spoil, or you may move and not want to bring it with you. That happened to me before. Another downside is the cost of containers.


KevinW
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Post by KevinW »

@jennypenny

Yes I'm in Southern California. The 7-day canned supplies are in case of earthquakes or other natural disasters.
The bulk storage of other ingredients are mainly for economy and convenience, as @Roark said I get a better unit price and make fewer trips that way. I suppose these supplies would also be helpful in a longer disaster or supply disruption, but I don't really know what that'd be.


FPMLLC
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Post by FPMLLC »

I think there are two motivations, both of which being discussed, and that's what's causing slight confusion.
@jennypenny said it, in her area you have quakes and disasters vs. lets say hoarding a stock pile for the end of the world.
Me, I don't store anything, and I should. I have a very large basement, that i could easily stock pile for both. for the cost factor, if i can find a staple canned good for 1/3 off regular price and stock up for a year awesome. I once did this with pepsi, i know it's bad for me, I know its expensive sugar water, but its a vice of me and the wife. At a convience store it costs $2.50/bottle 2L. At a super market on average will cost $1.69 for a 2l. I found it at CVS once for $.66 for a 2/l bottle. Thats $1.00 savings on something, even thoigh i dont need i AM going to buy. I bought a few dozen bottles. That is a great money saver, despite the fact i could just drink free water which would be better all around, thats not the point.
As for the preperation factor, I do get black outs, floods ect. And when the hint of that comes, people here flock to anywhere there is food and clean out the shelves. It's nice to be able to say, yea if we lose power for a week, i have plenty here. The generator will run the heat, and ill be fine.
Now longer term, like economic crash coupled with a zombie apocolpyse. well you can have a year saved up, but you will neeed to produce your own at some point, or you will run out.


sshawnn
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Post by sshawnn »

wrt water storage.... I am no filter expert, but it seems that filter like dot_com_vet mentions above alleviates the need for a massive water storage as long as they are within walking distance to a Great Lake (or a pond.)
Hot water heaters as mentioned above along with a strategically filled tub, clean water from the back of a toilet, and melted snow will help get you through an emergency.


KevinW
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Post by KevinW »

Another filter system:

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/

I haven't tried it but it looks pretty good.


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