Initial thoughts?

[terryh]

Ok, just to kick off this sub forum.

 

Started thinking about some basics to tide my family over in case of a short term interruption in normal services, by 'short term' I'm thinking 1-2 months.

 

Obviously each persons needs vary dependant on where they live and what they have to hand. My situation is small village in none populist area. We have a well, 6 chickens and run and oil fuelled AGA so some fundamentals are there.

 

When it came to food to store my initial thoughts, after reading some labels on foods leant to rice and pasta as core ingredients then top up with tinned goods and 'flavourings'.

 

One thing that has occurred to me during this process is our dogs - 2 x Springers, can top up their food with local rabbit but need to think about laying in a few bags of their dry foods.

 

Still in the formative stages but here are some links to possibly good info (please excuse some of the sites, bit 'serious prepper' but using other folks research makes sense?)

 

http://readynutrition.com/resources/11-emergency-food-items-that-can-last-a-lifetime_20082013/

https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage/longer-term-food-supply?lang=eng

http://www.theselfsufficiencyshop.co.uk/

 

T

[Gundoc]

The major thing to remember is to store what you eat/ eat what you store.

So many people stockpile stuff they've not even tried!

 

Personally, it's very easy to just buy an extra 3kg bag of pasta every shop, or a 5kg bag of rice. Then start adding tins of veggies (Lidl is good for that)

Soup mixes or condensed soups make good flavouring,

For proteins, maybe some dried mince replacement stuff (soy protein) tins of tuna, tinned meats.

 

The 'survivalist' type foods are great, short term- I've always got some rat packs on hand, but for cost per meal, it soon gets pricey.

[bradders]

Just remember, as long as you have neighbours you have food!

And if they have a pool you have water

[ds1]

I don't think my neighbors would taste too good

[spartan7510]

rangerjack.com in Germany usually gives 15% off for US MRE, mountainhouse made locally but very expensive. Wise Food company have good deals on Amazon, usually can get the import fees deposit back after 2 months. when delivered just confirm with DHL by email if there was any duties or VAT, if not let amazon know.

[spartan7510]

rangerjack.com in Germany usually gives 15% off for US MRE, mountainhouse made locally but very expensive. Wise Food company have good deals on Amazon, usually can get the import fees deposit back after 2 months. when delivered just confirm with DHL by email if there was any duties or VAT, if not let amazon know.

[brown dog]

rangerjack.com in Germany usually gives 15% off for US MRE, mountainhouse made locally but very expensive. Wise Food company have good deals on Amazon, usually can get the import fees deposit back after 2 months. when delivered just confirm with DHL by email if there was any duties or VAT, if not let amazon know.

 

Been considering mountainhouse, but, as you say, rather pricey in UK. Will have a look at Wise Food. Thanks.

[MrCetrizine]

There's a UK company called evaq8 who put together some pretty good military style ration packs at not bad prices.

 

http://evaq8.co.uk/Ration-Packs.html

 

I've bought some for camping before and it's all good quality stuff.

[Mauser3006]

There's a UK company called evaq8 who put together some pretty good military style ration packs at not bad prices.

 

http://evaq8.co.uk/Ration-Packs.html

 

I've bought some for camping before and it's all good quality stuff.

Yes, they have a "shop" in central London. It's really just a front of house storeroom, but they have lots of great kit. They clearly have a 'prepping' slant if you read their website, but they are also keen to target the ordinary consumer with car kits and first aid stuff.

[LukeSoutherner]

rangerjack.com in Germany usually gives 15% off for US MRE, mountainhouse made locally but very expensive. Wise Food company have good deals on Amazon, usually can get the import fees deposit back after 2 months. when delivered just confirm with DHL by email if there was any duties or VAT, if not let amazon know.

 

That web address took me to a children's entertainer!

 

I think this is the website you mean: http://www.armyonlinestore.com

 

Has anyone ever tried the self-heating cans from Evaqu8? Always liked the idea of them but haven't done anything about it

[The_Dogge]

I laid in some food recently when the Ebola situation looked like it might get out of hand, the idea was to be able to avoid contact with other people for some time.

As well as the pasta/rice etc I put in a load of tins of stuff like spaghetti Bolognese, 22p/tin at Tesco! The wife wasn't impressed, she said "that's cheaper than dog food!" like that was a bad thing! women! My retort was "exactly, why aren't we living off it all the time?!" (it's better than her cooking, I managed not to say that bit!)

 

Since the threat of ebola has receded I have got through most of it having it for lunch at work, my intention was to do this at 0 cost, not buy anything I wouldn't buy anyway in the long run, and it has mostly worked out.

 

Breakfast cereal looks a good one to store, pretty long shelf life etc, but the milk is a problem, nobody wants to drink UHT milk to keep stocks rotating. Any good ideas for milk replacement?

[gbal]

Milk freezes and keeps- a few weeks,not sure how long-I rotate/replace.Maybe too bulky for a family and regular breakfast cereal,but some compromise is inevitable,even over a few weeks.Good coffee would be a feelgood factor for me,with some chocolate as a treat.Psychologically important :-)

[spartan7510]

 

That web address took me to a children's entertainer!

 

I think this is the website you mean: http://www.armyonlinestore.com

 

Has anyone ever tried the self-heating cans from Evaqu8? Always liked the idea of them but haven't done anything about it

 

apologies, I see that, should have been a dash http://ranger-jack.com/ or the URL you have given is correct.

[spartan7510]

a Yankee mate of mine I used to go clay shooting with suggested a food vacuum sealer - so I bought the http://www.foodsaver.co.uk/category.aspx?cid=4123 model 3840. Very good piece of kit, especially if you want to vacuum seal milk powder and pro-long the shelf life.

[LukeSoutherner]

a Yankee mate of mine I used to go clay shooting with suggested a food vacuum sealer - so I bought the http://www.foodsaver.co.uk/category.aspx?cid=4123 model 3840. Very good piece of kit, especially if you want to vacuum seal milk powder and pro-long the shelf life.

 

Spartan, would this method make meat last longer in the freezer? We slaughter livestock that we're going to eat ourselves, and it means that 2 pigs lasts us a year. A vacuum sealer might make the meat last longer in the freezer.

[spartan7510]

I believe so, I don't do meat though, mainly other dry goods. I will look at my manual and see what that states, I recall a chart in there. http://www.foodsaver.co.uk/savefood.aspx

[LukeSoutherner]

Wow. According to that chart, meat will last 2-3 YEARS instead of 6 months in a normal freezer bag. That is quite something. I may well have to invest in one of these. I've heard of Americans being big into canning food as well. But vacuum packing sounds like less hassle and equipment.

[Guest Stacka]

Why don't you just get hold of some good old rat packs? I have a few boxes knocking around.

[brown dog]

Why don't you just get hold of some good old rat packs? I have a few boxes knocking around.

 

Imagine, for whatever reason, no petrol or diesel for 7 or more days. As a result, supermarkets empty - and you can't travel. To feed a family of 5 until normality resumes needs something a little more enduring than a few rat packs (do the maths: how many 24hr packs do you need to feed 5 people for 2 weeks? (70) 2 months? (300)) !

[Brummy Mark]

ugh, 2 months of ration packs! not for me!, some young green lads at batus were on them for a few weeks and had to take laxatives to get going, hahah they thought it was a funny, I was laughing with them but for other reasons, the folly of youth eh.

[sauer]

hi folks,

 

so whats the idea behind storing up ?, I did read previous post regarding Ebola & I can imagine the scenario. Any others why folk are considering "storing" ?

 

isn't there a movement in America that believes in dropping out of the sytem completely? cant remember what they are called.

 

 

logistically though, storage of a lot of this stuff must be a problem , as in amount needed?

 

going back to the vacuum packing, I know I only have a cheap Lidl one & I just use supermarket freezer bags but I vacuum seal all my venison etc and its makes a huge difference in terms of storage, no freezer burn and things last longer , I do label but it seems that the vacuum packed stuff doesn't turn into that ice ball in bottom of the freezer that's is a surprise till it defrosts.

 

im enjoying this sub forum tho....

 

keep it coming

 

Paul

[bowji john]

I agree with ''buy what you would normally eat''. Just store 3 months + worth of it and eat the oldest stuff replacing with new

 

I would store:

 

Pasta

Rice

Dried beans

Lentils

Tinned goods

Milk (will keep for months frozen) - Powdered milk as alternative

Powdered egg

Salt / pepper / spices (very important)

Dried fruit / trail mix

Oats / cereals for muesli

Tea / coffee

Meat will freeze safely for years - try making your own biltong

Potatoes in 25 kg sacks will last a year

 

I Ignore best by; sell by and use by dates - for me they are largely administrative b***cks - I use the eye, nose and taste test for food I'm unsure of.

Tinned meat is perhaps an exception to this because of the risk of botulism - risk v reward is too high

Eggs will last longer if you varnish the shell - reduces air getting at the inside

 

Dogs will pretty much eat what you eat

Cats not - they need a much higher level of protein

 

Dry cool storage area in rat / bird secure bins

 

Don't forget the beer !

 

J