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View Full Version : Poll - how many months of food do you have stored for your family?



O.S.O.K.
02-21-2011, 12:38 PM
I just did a quick inventory and calculations... and came up with 8 months conservatively - this is eating pretty darn good. We could probably stretch to a year and I didn't count the product samples that I keep for work which would probably stretch us another 3 months....

I was just wondering what kind of stored food level others here are at.

While you're at it, what kind of food stores do you have? I have mostly dry and canned with the balance in frozen meats. I do have 12 cans of freeze dried "back packing" type foods as part of the dry goods.

No large bulk storage units - everything is in its retail containers/bags and stored in a cool dry room in bins.

shortydog
02-21-2011, 03:47 PM
We are good for a year plus.
A mix between super pails{6 gallon) of bulk food,#10 freeze dry cans, and a very large pantry of regular canned and store bought dry goods.

O.S.O.K.
02-21-2011, 03:59 PM
I just went and spent another $180 and added about a month's supply of food to the list. That's about par for my surviaval shopping expeditions.

recon
02-21-2011, 04:54 PM
Working on getting up to six months.

old Grump
02-21-2011, 05:11 PM
good for meat but need work on other staples like flour and canned goods. Storage space is a problem.

Penguin
02-21-2011, 05:45 PM
I am very well stocked on what I have but, If I was to do nothing but live off what I have now I am sure I would find that I have forgoten somethings, or don't have the right balance. If I had more room I owuld store more crap but, there is only so much space.

recon
02-21-2011, 07:23 PM
Yep! Space and money.

O.S.O.K.
02-21-2011, 07:42 PM
Yeah - space is an issue especially when you consider that you want a climate controlled area... otherwise things spoil quickly.

O.S.O.K.
02-22-2011, 10:06 AM
If space is truely at a premium then the freezedried #10 cans is probably the way to go as they give you the most food for the least amount of space as the water is eliminated.

I was discussing this with my wife last night.... she's a picky eater. I was telling her what I bought - some of which isn't to her liking... so she gives me shit about it. This, from a woman who has gone from "think you're wasting money" to "what's the shelf life on that" to "how much do you have?" to "should we be storing some more?".... and now is starting to look specifically at what I've stored... :dammit:

She made the comment that we need things that will store well/have a long shelf life to complaining that I'd purchased way more honey than plain sugar.... she's still at the early stages of thinking this through.... (the honey will last forever, sugar begins to degrade pretty soon).

I told her that we need to go shopping together to get some stuff that she likes that fits into the scheme... maybe this weekend.

But really, we're getting to the point where we have "enough" I think. :coffee:
She's doing pretty good though - she's good with my other prepps = the well kit/pump, generator, extra gas, and now the wood stove.

FunkyPertwee
02-22-2011, 10:12 AM
I got two pounds of rice and two fishing poles with no tackle, and I can't find my cast net. :dammit:

O.S.O.K.
02-22-2011, 10:18 AM
Oh.... you gotta little work to do there :)

Solidus-snake
02-22-2011, 08:25 PM
Eating light, we have enough for about 3 months tops. Me and the wife only eat about 2 meals a day anyways so it doesnt take us much. 3rd shift fucks up your eating habits.

Flinter
02-22-2011, 08:59 PM
I don't have near enough. We could probably go 2 or 3 months with just the food inside of my home.

My goal is a year.

I keep a 5 gallon bucket of rice, beans and sugar as my ultra reserve.

Mostly I'm stocking up on canned goods. I'm trying to keep a good balance between vegetable, main courses and fruit.

Main courses are what I have the most trouble with.

O.S.O.K.
02-23-2011, 12:20 PM
The problem with canned goods is that we don't eat canned meat, raviolios, etc. - my wife is very picky. We eat mostly fresh veggies and meat with some kind of starch - more potatoes than rice.

We eat good and healthy.

Canned goods have a limited shelf life -though, I understand that it's longer thant the expiration date, it's still limited and I would like to be able to rotate through the stock, but that's just not going to happen. They are not the healthiest stuff to eat either - high in sodium and processed but if you're hungry... they'd be a Godsend.

So, the canned goods are an investment that will expire and need to be replaced I guess...

FunkyPertwee
02-23-2011, 12:57 PM
Canned green beans and canned potatoes are both good. The potatoes seem bland, but if you have some kind of gravy their good. Neither taste very salty either, I add salt to both when I eat them. Canned bakes beans are good and hearty too.

What I'd like to do Is get like 20 to 50 gallons of rice stored in sealed bags in sealed trashcan or some other kind of bins, with enough dried beans to match, and some canned spam to cube up and mix in. I think combined with a supply of canned green beans, it wouldn't be a bad food source. Then I could worry about supplementing it with seafood and local corn. When hurricane Hugo hit in 89, we all ate fresh shrimp for weeks.

HDR
02-27-2011, 10:32 AM
So, the canned goods are an investment that will expire and need to be replaced I guess...

A few hundred pounds of inexpensive rice and some flavoring powder will be both boring and adequate for quite some time. The bottom line is you will runout then what?

"* It is impractical for most families to store a year's supply of water. However, at least 14 gallons per person are suggested as a two-week emergency reserve."
http://www.thefoodguys.com/foodcalc.html

The LDS understands the fragile balance of survival.

O.S.O.K.
02-27-2011, 10:36 AM
See garden and canning posts. :)

As for water, if the water table is close enough to the surface in your area, then invest in a driven point well kit and pump. Developed and proven by our military for field use ;)

HDR
03-04-2011, 06:11 PM
See garden and canning posts. :)

Garden works; if the harvest is good. Canning is finite which means it is no different than anything else.

My point was sooner or later the preparations are gone and the surviving really begins. Judging by how our ancestors lived and died; it takes a lot of skill and luck to survive.


As for water, if the water table is close enough to the surface in your area, then invest in a driven point well kit and pump. Developed and proven by our military for field use ;)

I live on a mountain; most wells are 600 or deeper. :lool:

The Army as just about everything in the inventory.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-484/Ch9.htm

As they also have a lot of thirsty people which is probably why they have a lot of trucks with a "potable water" sign. ;)

Actually there is a brook about 400-500' below me.