Late starter humble prepping stash

[Depick]

As in frozen meat? I do not store a shit ton of frozen meats for the obvious reasons. We always have an ample supply, but I never go overboard.

I don’t want to store a lot. I’m more interested in extending how long it can be kept frozen.

 

[Podmonkey]

Speaking of water... and finding it and transporting it...

Gasoline and water are similar in weight, about 8 lbs to the gallon. Just something to keep in mind. I know I mentioned it previously but it's something I think about often in prepping- what's (x) weigh, how much space does it take up, and how easy (or hard) is it to transport (and how would I transport it)?

Pod- do you have a balcony? How about a rain barrel?

I have a small patio.

 

[Podmonkey]

Lifestraws are great, but look at the Sawyer products. If you treat it right, a Sawyer filter can last you a lifetime of backpacking. Put one on the top of a 40oz Smart Water bottle, and you can take water with you rather than having to suck it out of a puddle or stream. With the right fittings, you can even place one inline on a hydration bladder. They’re so much more versatile than a lifestraw for just a couple bucks more.

I absolutely will. The lifestraw strikes me as something handy to have on the go but something that allows me to filter water for later use is also required, those other ones mentioned are very expensive.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Big fan of the #10 cans. Many places sell them, good food. You ever buy from LDS?

https://store.churchofjesuschrist.org/usa/en/food-storage-3074457345616678849-1?ddkey=https%3AClickInfo

I get a few can every month from amazon.

 

[Acer-m14]

i remember these things from boy scouts .. lot lighter and smaller to store then gallons of bleach ..
and also just thinking .. bleach = chlorine .. what about the powder stuff for swimming pools as a substitute ??

Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets | Cabela's

 

[Acer-m14]

seen the fero rod mentioned .. i think that should be a EDC .. get one to clip on your key ring .. you might be away from the 10 pack of bic's
and need to make a fire ..

 

[Acer-m14]

Draining the hot water tank to drink .. YUK!!! .. when i had to drain mine to replace the water came out like milk ..
the tank had like 6 inches of white shit in the bottom .. ( i think calcium ) build up

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

If this is what it claims to be it seems like quite a deal. A years supply for one person or 6 months for 2 people. And 2k calories per day. We spend more than the the price of this package in a year for sure. I would personally buy this package and be done with the food portion of prepping.

1 Year Emergency Food Supply, Averages 2,000+ Calories a Day - My Patriot Supply

This survival food supply provides thousands of servings of meals, drinks and snacks for 360 days. Packed in 24 buckets for long-term storage.

mypatriotsupply.com

 

[BDinPutnam]

Draining the hot water tank to drink .. YUK!!! .. when i had to drain mine to replace the water came out like milk ..
the tank had like 6 inches of white shit in the bottom .. ( i think calcium ) build up

You're supposed to drain that periodically....

 

[Blimey]

You're supposed to drain that periodically....

Ain't nobody got time for that!

As for water purification, chlorine tablets are small. Chlorine does decay over time but it may only be when exposed to sun. I know those tablets have a shelf life, but in reality is a chlorine tablet in a foil packet going to degrade? I have no idea. A single bottle of bleach would be enough to purify months' worth of water, though.

All the pre-packaged food y'all are posting is wicked expensive. Like $10/day per person for emergency food seems extravagant to me. $200 at walmart on rice and beans and some spices would carry you very far.

In regard to cooking food I have some camping stove that runs on propane, but I also have a couple of cannisters of stove alcohol. You can buy them from home depot for something like $8/can. You can then buy a cheap fuel stove or make one out of a popcan and metal duct tape (actual tape for ducts). You can then boil up a small amount of water on an ounce or so of fuel.

 

[GOPerfect]

Ain't nobody got time for that!

As for water purification, chlorine tablets are small. Chlorine does decay over time but it may only be when exposed to sun. I know those tablets have a shelf life, but in reality is a chlorine tablet in a foil packet going to degrade? I have no idea. A single bottle of bleach would be enough to purify months' worth of water, though.

All the pre-packaged food y'all are posting is wicked expensive. Like $10/day per person for emergency food seems extravagant to me. $200 at walmart on rice and beans and some spices would carry you very far.

In regard to cooking food I have some camping stove that runs on propane, but I also have a couple of cannisters of stove alcohol. You can buy them from home depot for something like $8/can. You can then buy a cheap fuel stove or make one out of a popcan and metal duct tape (actual tape for ducts). You can then boil up a small amount of water on an ounce or so of fuel.

The long term storage that I have, it makes up about 10-15% of my stores. Easy grab, easy to prepare, easy to eat. Plus, works out great for quick overnight camping trips.

 

[BDinPutnam]

The long term storage that I have, it makes up about 10-15% of my stores. Easy grab, easy to prepare, easy to eat. Plus, works out great for quick overnight camping trips.

Agree with the thought process here. I do have freeze dried stuff but its the third or fourth line of defense for bugging in (behind fresh stuff, frozen stuff, and canned stuff, e.g.). ETA: I have a very good store of vacuum packed beans, rice, and the like as well).

Very good stuff for on the go as long as you have the water to make it with and something to make it in.

 

[spat]

I never quite understood the use of fero rods to start fire, when Bic lighters or a good butane lighter are so much more efficient and economical, transportable, and useful. A 6 pack or two of Bic’s will last you forever. Or if your feeling old school a nice Zippo with a few spare wicks, flints and a couple bottles of fuel.

I picked up a 2 50 packs of Bics from Amazon for I think $15.

Those are also quite barterable.

 

[spat]

Are there camp stoves that run off methane because I have an unlimited supply of that.

Yea, but you have to eat the beans cold before you'll be able to heat the rice that way.....

 

[Elwood]

In regard to cooking food I have some camping stove that runs on propane, but I also have a couple of cannisters of stove alcohol. You can buy them from home depot for something like $8/can. You can then buy a cheap fuel stove or make one out of a popcan and metal duct tape (actual tape for ducts).

When exposed to high heat the glue on foil tape used for AC ductwork melts and gives off toxic fumes, I wouldn’t use it for that. There is a different foil tape used for applications where heat and heating applications are a concern.

 

[spat]

Too often, people thinking down the road do this storing of food thing incorrectly. I know I did when I decided to begin down this path.

There are some really good YouTubers to watch, more bad ones. Gotta find the right people and the right type of videos.

Pre-packaged, 25 year food is great to have. But, one cannot be fully prepped if this is all they have.

Food in and food out. If you eat a decent amount of soup for example, buy soup. A couple extra cans each time you shop. If you never eat soup, why buy it for the preps.

Spices, people forget about spices all of the time. Salt, pepper, sugar and the like. Inexpensive to buy a couple extra bottles of the stuff.

Mix up the stored pantry. Someday, when you have nothing to do, write down, on a piece of paper, all of the foods that you eat on a somewhat regular basis. Figure out how much you eat and that is where preps should begin. Add extras as you go. I have my preps added into my monthly shopping budget. Not a lot, just enough to continue adding.

I came into a small amount of money late June and I am adding quite a bit over the next few months to what I have. Tomorrow, I am building some much needed shelves in the basement and I am going to reorganize the foodstuffs that I have.,

People also forget that standards will shift drastically in a SHTF situation.

There are plenty of things that people won't do now that would probably be fine in SHTF.

You want shelf stable chlorine for decontamination ? One pouch of granulated swimming pool shock is the same active chemical and can be diluted down to be equivalent to many gallons of unscented bleach. It's also shelf stable for a very long time of stored properly. You do have to be able to do the math to dilute it properly.

Salt is a very important seasoning, and can be bartered and can be acquired very cheap now. During antiquity it was so valuable that it was used as currency (the origin of the word salary and the phrase "not worth his salt")

 

[spat]

Draining the hot water tank to drink .. YUK!!! .. when i had to drain mine to replace the water came out like milk ..
the tank had like 6 inches of white shit in the bottom .. ( i think calcium ) build up

Coffee filters are your friend here.

 

[Podmonkey]

Yea, but you have to eat the beans cold before you'll be able to heat the rice that way.....

Give me a can of Chef Boyardee and you'd have enough methane to power and heat a small community. Add some radishes to that and I suspect I could replace the reactor on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

 

[BDinPutnam]

People also forget that standards will shift drastically in a SHTF situation.

There are plenty of things that people won't do now that would probably be fine in SHTF.

You want shelf stable chlorine for decontamination ? One pouch of granulated swimming pool shock is the same active chemical and can be diluted down to be equivalent to many gallons of unscented bleach. It's also shelf stable for a very long time of stored properly. You do have to be able to do the math to dilute it properly.

Salt is a very important seasoning, and can be bartered and can be acquired very cheap now. During antiquity it was so valuable that it was used as currency (the origin of the word salary and the phrase "not worth his salt")

View attachment 82345

Agree entirely!

"SALT: A World History" is a very good read, btw.

 

[GOPerfect]

People also forget that standards will shift drastically in a SHTF situation.

There are plenty of things that people won't do now that would probably be fine in SHTF.

You want shelf stable chlorine for decontamination ? One pouch of granulated swimming pool shock is the same active chemical and can be diluted down to be equivalent to many gallons of unscented bleach. It's also shelf stable for a very long time of stored properly. You do have to be able to do the math to dilute it properly.

Salt is a very important seasoning, and can be bartered and can be acquired very cheap now. During antiquity it was so valuable that it was used as currency (the origin of the word salary and the phrase "not worth his salt")

View attachment 82345

Some more salt is in my list for today.

Wicked cheap right now, down the road? No idea. People used to travel hundreds and thousands of miles for the stuff.

 

[GOPerfect]

I just finished transferring fifty pounds of sugar into plastic containers.

 

[Podmonkey]

Honey is probably the best thing to stock for preps. Can be used in place of sugar as a sweetener, has better nutritional value and mild medicinal properties. And from what I understand lasts pretty much indefinitely if stored properly.

 

[GOPerfect]

Honey is probably the best thing to stock for preps. Can be used in place of sugar as a sweetener, has better nutritional value and mild medicinal properties. And from what I understand lasts pretty much indefinitely if stored properly.

I bought two three punds jars of honey on vacation and just picked up another one on the way home from the cabin yesterday. I love honey.

 

[Chevusa]

i remember these things from boy scouts .. lot lighter and smaller to store then gallons of bleach ..
and also just thinking .. bleach = chlorine .. what about the powder stuff for swimming pools as a substitute ??

Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets | Cabela's

I wouldn't mess with pool chlorine. You don't know what's in it and the concentration would have to be super high to be effective in thousands of gallons of pool water. Even if you used a tiny amount it could be a fatal amount.

Also liquid bleach goes bad after about a year or at least has a 1 year use by date.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

Is boiling water out? I thought you could filter and boil water?

 

[Chevusa]

Is boiling water out? I thought you could filter and boil water?

Better than nothing, but I don't think it removes everything.

 

[GOPerfect]

Is boiling water out? I thought you could filter and boil water?

I am a big fan of the water boil.


When I am down at the cabin, I use water out of the stream/Creek. I boil it, cool it and consume it.

I use to boil in the Army, nary a once did I get sick.

 

[GOPerfect]

Boiling. If you don't have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

 

[Chevusa]

I am a big fan of the water boil.


When I am down at the cabin, I use water out of the stream/Creek. I boil it, cool it and consume it.

I use to boil in the Army, nary a once did I get sick.

But what about your 3rd eye?

 

[Chevusa]

Boiling. If you don't have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Any info on how long it needs to be at a boil?