Wizard

We all talk about how many rounds of ammo we need for SHTF situations...but, we also need to give consideration to food and water. We have started purchasing freeze-dried food that is sealed and will last for up to 25 years. Plus, we're storing canned goods and grains for shorter term use. If I sound like an alarmist, then so be it, but this whole government requirement for ethanol is going to be the downfall of this country. For every suv that fills up with ethanol, one person could be fed for one year. Ethanol production is causing a rise in price of anything that is made from corn...that includes meats, cereals, and almost everything else, including cleaning supplies. Almost everything comes from corn...and this year, farmers are planting less corn than they did last year...and all the time, the gov. is paying farmers $1.4 billion to let land set unplanted in the name of less carbon emissions.....

Take it for what you like, but it would benefit each and every one of us to stock up and food and water.....

Bountyhunter

I agree Wizard. I've been giving serious thought to doing the same thing. never hurts to be prepared.

303Lithgow

I think toilet paper with be the item most overlooked.

tx gun runner

I'm 69 and I will be lucky to make the expiration of a carton of milk .

303Lithgow

How did we get so old?

Terry_P

If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

Pathfinder06

A-Men!

303Lithgow

"Live wild, die young and leave a good looking corpse" James Dean

go army

Supplies.....Obvously potable water will be the first to go away, a large community without water supplies will see en-mass death in 3 to 5 days. I think the key is in your ability to purify for drinking purposes whatever water is available be it lake, pond or even ditch water. A little water purification capability might mean the difference between life and death, filters are great but it's never a bad idea to keep a few gallon jugs, some coffee filters and some household bleach around, with these nearly any water can be made drinkable.
Remember, boiling works too and we all have 40 or so gallons of drinkable water stored in our water heaters, just in case of course.

303Lithgow

All good info.

tx gun runner

Don't forget the toilet if you don't put that blue thing in it and don't forget to tape your ears back so they don't drag them on the sides of the bowl when you head in there to get a drink .

303Lithgow

I learn so much coming here.

go army

Amen to that.

Bustah_c

I am trying to attach a PDF file.
It's 10 pages of Survival suggestions
written by a guy who is surviving the collapse of Argentina.

A lot of what you guys have talked about is in here,
I can't attach it because it is 150kb

If someone can tell me an alternative way of posting it
I know you will find it helpful.

BC

go army

You could just summarize some of his thoughts and solutions and maybe add some of your own, might be more interesting in this context.

303Lithgow

Can't it be put in Photobucket and linked just like pics?

countrygun

At the risk of being hoorahed as a smart alec, I will say that I planned ahead for many years to get where I am, and it wasn't that difficult but was a matter of choices. I have a few acres, year round water and a well. All of the wiring for the water system can be taken "off grid" with a couple of switches to be run by an alternative source. I have a couple of acres of cleared bottom land, and in lieu of working them myself, have "rented" it out to a neighbor who runs a produce stand from his property down the road. I am a ferocious food canner and preserver (my wife bought our 4th dehydrator this weekend) so you can see where I am headed with my "renting" the land. I can concentrate more efficiently on the canning if I am not doing the growing.

My point is not to brag but to say "Anyone can do it" It does not take that much to put a little food away for a rainy day. It is even easier if you make that food a part of your dietary "rotation". Plain ol canned food isn't that short lived until you forget about it for too long. rotate stock, use the oldest first and buy new and you can grow a pretty good pantry. It takes discipline, lots of it, but it doesn't take that much "up front" cash.

At this moment food is still abundant in this Country. Take advantage of this fact while you can.

It helps if you know or learn how to be a decent cook. I am sad to say that most folks these days are woefully short in this department. Learn to cook a variety of "cultural" dishes. Many of them are derived from "low economic level" cuisine. Learn what to do with rice, beans an other legumes. FROM SCRATCH. pasteboard boxes of "mixes" don't have a good shelf life.

On the subject of cooking, what is the most expensive ingredient in cooking? ...The spices, but they can go a long way to making bland food more palitable. Start a small spice garden. It takes little space and can save a lot of money if you know how to use them.

go army

Yea buddy!!
Good stuff countrygun, we can quite a bit, I too have a little "ranch" out in the sticks for many reasons, not the least of which is for gardening and raising beef. In such situations I strongly recommend a water well, one that can be converted to hand pump. Another thing to consider adding to your kit is good bulk salt for curing meats for storage, this is just another option that can be done without power. Also, for us BBQ types, a good smoker is nearly a "can't do without" item.

countrygun

exactly. Salt is easy to store. If stored in an airtight container it doesn't go stale. I have only one apple tree on my place, at the moment, but I have a press so I can make cider, and hence, vinnegar. It is also a cheese press with a little creativity.

There are dozens of ways to store foostuffs. There are many that are aesy to grow. You can grow potatoes in a 5 gallon bucket. with discipline and rotating your own into the menu you can save more money to buy more neccessities. Learn to use a Dutch oven and a pressure cooker.

I listened to my parents and grandparents. glad I did!

Terry_P

We always had a big garden but when we retired and began travelling it was backburnered. The space is still there although we did sell off the canning equipment on Craigs list. My wife has always cooked from scratch as it is a healthier way to eat. If it came down to it we could eat well on what we can produce or hunt/fish.

We will be home this summer so will put in a small garden 40x20. Nothing better than fresh string beans, squash, tomatoes and cukes. You can fit a lot of variety into that space and it is easily taken care of with just a good hoe (the country definition not the urban one). The 60x60 space we used to cultivate is further down the property and some of it I put into blueberries but the potential still exists for a big old country garden if needed.