Long-Term Food Storage

[Clan DireWolf]

Re: Long-Term Food Storage

How Much Water For Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated Food
October 17, 2012, Submitted by: Ken (ModernSurvivalBlog)

water-directions-for-freeze-dried-versus-dehydrated-food

Freeze-dried foods have 98% of their water removed. This reduces the food’s weight by about 90%. Dehydrated foods have 95% of their water removed for vegetables and 80% for fruits.

Freeze dried foods retain their original color, form, size, taste and texture. Dehydrated foods will shrivel in size as the moisture is removed.

How is freeze-dried food different from dehydrating?

Answer: The temperature used to removed water. Freeze-drying uses cold temperatures and dehydrating uses hot temperatures. In the freeze-drying process, fresh or cooked foods are first flash frozen. Moisture is then removed in a vacuum chamber, as a low-level heat is applied to evaporate the ice without returning it to a liquid form. Since the food remains frozen during the process, the food’s cell structures do not change.

The food dehydration process begins with quality vegetables, fruits, or meats. They are typically sliced thin, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, and then are slow ‘cooked’ at temperatures ranging from 130 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Times vary, but typically are in the range of 12 to 24 hours until sufficient moisture has been removed from the food.

Feeze-dried foods rehydrate quicker and dehydrated foods condense further, allowing more to be stored in less space.

———————-

I recently received a good question from someone who asked… “How much water does it take to cook one serving of dehydrated food versus one serving of freeze dried food. The more it takes to cook the less you have to drink.”

Here are my thoughts…

It does take more water to reconstitute freeze dried food than dehydrated food. I randomly pulled out a few freeze dried food packets that I have on hand here, so that I could read the directions. The average amount of water required is a bit more than 1 cup of water per serving (which you would heat up first). On the other hand, some dehydrated food can be consumed without re-constituting with water (particularly fruits or meats). My experience with re-hydrating foods that I have previously dehydrated, are that I tend to use less than 1 cup of water per equivalent serving of vegetables than a freeze dried food.

Overall, I do not believe that there is a significant difference in water consumption between the two methods, except for those dehydrated foods that are consumed without adding water. On the other hand, for those same foods, your body must use some of its water content to digest and process that same food… so in the end is their actually a difference?

I’ve always believed in diversification of food storage types. Store bought canned foods, store bought jar foods, home canned foods, foods that don’t require special treatment (e.g. pastas), long term foods sealed in 5-gallon buckets (e.g. rice, beans, wheat, etc.), freeze dried packaged foods, and dehydrated foods (great for home garden processing)… just to name a few.

I personally like the taste of freeze dried food better than dehydrated food, and its reconstituted ‘shape’ is basically identical to the original. It costs more. But it’s easy and simple to deal with.

I suggest that if someone is looking at the differences between freeze dried and dehydrated with regards to the water that is necessary versus the availability for drinking water… then you ought to be very concerned about your drinking water situation. The earth is abundant with water, although a small percentage is suitable for drinking. The thing is, if you don’t live near a source of fresh water (other than municipal sources), you MUST factor in the amount of water you will need in a survival situation. It’s not hard to store enough for a month. It gets more difficult though when you consider long term. Water is heavy. It’s hard to transport, requires sturdy containment, and it takes up space. But now I’m getting side tracked and off topic…

[Clan DireWolf]

Re: Long-Term Food Storage



http://offgridsurvival.com/emergency...ness-mistakes/

[Clan DireWolf]

Re: Long-Term Food Storage

How much can #10 Cans & 5 Gallon Buckets Hold

As you begin to get your food storage together, you will probably do some calculations as to how much of certain dry goods you may need. For example you may come up with a total of 300 pounds of wheat. You will most likely be storing that wheat in #10 cans or 5 gallon buckets. Inevitably you will ask the question, “How many cans or buckets will that be?”

Here are some estimates of how much will fit in # 10 cans and 5 gallon buckets for the most common dry food items. Remember these are just estimates. Actual values may be slightly different depending on how full you pack them and if you use Mylar bags or not.




- See more at: http://www.preppingblogs.com/#sthash.GdFiMlD1.dpuf

[Clan DireWolf]

Re: Long-Term Food Storage

25 Must-Have Foods For An Emergency Stockpile
http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/1...ncy-stockpile/
Written by: Rich M Extreme Survival November 11, 2013

Most preppers start out by building a stockpile of food and other supplies to use in case of emergency. That makes sense, as without the right supplies it’s hard to make it through any crisis situation. Of course, that raises the question of what to stockpile. While that may seem like an easy question to answer, it’s really not. Several books have been written about the subject, none of which offer exactly the same advice.

The biggest problem in deciding what to stockpile is that there is no way of knowing for sure what type of disaster is likely to strike; so there is no clear way of determining what to buy. Because of that, most preppers base their purchases on the assumption that nothing will be available, so they’d better have it on hand. If you think about it for a minute, that’s the only way to do it, which really makes sense.

This stockpile is based on you bugging-in, rather than bugging-out. Most people will end up bugging in during a crisis, so it makes sense to have the appropriate food stockpile in your home. If you have a secure, private bug-out location, you’ll want to duplicate your home stockpile at that location as well.

When selecting food for a survival situation, there are several things that need to be taken into consideration. This isn’t buying your regular week’s groceries multiplied by 10, but rather buying food that you will use instead of your regular groceries. That may require eating things that your family isn’t used to eating. Nevertheless, eating strange food is better than not eating anything at all.

As you are selecting foods for your emergency stockpile, you need to consider the following:

You may not have electrical power, so your refrigerator and freezer may not work.

Most foods aren’t packed for long-term storage, with the exception of canned foods.

You want foods that will give you the maximum nutrition for the minimum bulk.

Avoid all types of “snack foods” as there is no way to store them for long periods of time.

Most food you buy in the grocery is packaged with the idea of you buying it and using it within a relatively short period of time, let’s say a couple of months. Therefore, you’ll have to repackage most of what you buy, in order to prevent spoilage. However, even with repackaging, not all foods will keep well for long periods of time. Generally speaking, the more a food is processed, the worse it is for long-term storage.

Could Famine And Hunger Come To America?

What you really need to store are staple foods. You can make a fairly nutritious diet out of grains, beans and canned goods. Properly packaged for storage, these foods will keep for years, and still be as tasty and nutritious when you take them out; as they were the day you bought them.

Here is my list of foods that you should stockpile to get your family through a crisis:

Pasta – High carbohydrates and stores extremely well. You can make a lot of different dishes with pasta, from Italian food to casseroles.

Whole grains – Flour doesn’t store well, but whole grains do. If you have a grain mill and whole grains, you can make your own bread, pancakes, cakes, cookies and other baked goods.

Rice – Rice is a great source of carbohydrates, which will store well. Buy the whole grain rice, not the quick rice. Quick rice has a very limited shelf life. Like pasta, there are a lot of things you can do with rice.

Breakfast cereal – This falls into the category of comfort food, especially for kids. Don’t buy the sugary children’s cereals, but the more basic ones, like Cheerios. Properly packaged, this will keep well for a long time.

Beans – Dried beans of all types store incredibly well for long periods of time, are easy to cook, nutritious and one of the few non-meat sources of protein around.

Canned meat – You can buy chicken, tuna, salmon and other meat products which are canned. Spam, while being something that many people make fun of, is a nutritious meat product. Meat will be the hardest type of food to find during a crisis, so stock up well.

Beef (or turkey) jerky – Dried meat, whether jerky or dehydrated meat, is great for long-term storage. If you make your own jerky, be sure to trim off all fat and salt it heavily for preservation. When it’s time to use it, you can reconstitute the jerky in soups. It will absorb the water, flavoring it at the same time.

Summer sausage – Summer sausage, like many “cured meat products” (what we call lunchmeat) is created to keep for a long time. Typically it is vacuum packed as well, making it ideal for long-term storage. During survival time, it can be eaten plain, or cut up to be put in soups and casseroles.

Cheese – Another great source of protein. To store cheese, it needs to be triple dipped in wax, making an airtight seal around the cheese. In this form, it can be kept, without refrigeration, for years. Even if cheese forms mold, it will only be on the surface. Simply cut that part off and the rest of the cheese is still good.

Canned vegetables and fruit – Provides essential vitamins and keeps for a long time. Don’t throw the packing water away, as it will contain vitamins as well. Instead, use it for making soup stock.

Powdered milk – While most people don’t particularly like the flavor of powdered milk, when you don’t have any access to other milk, it’s wonderful. It’s also necessary for baking and provides needed calcium for proper bone growth.

Spaghetti sauce – With pasta and spaghetti sauce, you’ve got the start of a meal. Add what you want to finish it out.

Soups – The nice thing about making soup in a survival situation is that you can make soup out of almost anything. I’m not talking about stocking up on Chicken Noodle soup here, but rather soups like cream of mushroom, which can be used for making casseroles.

Bullion – This is another necessity for making soups. Dry bullion powder stores well, takes minimal space and can add a lot to your homemade soups.

Sugar – While most mothers try and keep their kids from eating too much sugar, it is an essential ingredient in making jams and jellies, and preserving fruit. You will also need it for baking. Sugar will keep pretty much indefinitely if stored properly.

Honey – Whereas sugar will keep pretty much indefinitely, honey will really keep forever. You can’t beat nature’s methods for making things that are both good and good for you.

Salt – Salt is an essential for survival. It’s also the main needed ingredient for many types of food preservation, especially for preserving meats. With a good stockpile of salt, you can make cured meats, salt fish and smoke meats as well.

Spices – Your family may have to get used to eating different things than what they are used to. Spices allow you to mask flavors or add flavor to things that are too bland. Be sure to stock up on the types of spices that your family likes, so that you can make food that they’ll like.
CDW-ONLY WHOLE SPICES ARE GOOD FOR LTS

Baking essentials – Since you won’t be able to run down to the corner for a loaf of bread, you’ll probably be baking your own. Make sure you have a stock of baking powder, baking soda and yeast on hand.

Peanut butter – Okay, this is pure comfort food. However, it is also quite nutritious. CDW-ONLY IN GLASS JARS FOR LTS

Dried fruit – A great way to keep fruit on hand. Properly dried and packaged, it can store for several years.

Nuts – Another good source of protein, as well as fats. Nuts store amazingly well and add a lot to baked goods, vegetables and even meat dishes.

Cooking oil and vegetable shortening – Necessary ingredients for cooking and baking. CDW-ONLY COCONUT OIL FOR LTS

Coffee and Tea – Once again, comfort food, but this time for the adults. Many of us don’t function well before our second cup of coffee in the morning.

Hard candies – Great as a reward for kids and also for energy when you need it. Hard candies keep for years as long as they are protected from moisture.

I realize that this list seems rather extensive, but I’m assuming that you’re going to be stockpiling enough food to last you several months, if not a year. While you can get by for short periods of time with much less, for a prolonged period of time you’ll need to have a well-balanced diet. You’ll also need variety in your family’s diet, as that is important to keep everyone’s morale up.

Before buying anything, take the time to figure out about how much of each food type you’ll need. In other words, if your family uses a loaf of bread every two days, and your survival plan includes that much bread, then how much of each of the ingredients do you need to make that much bread?

One system that works out very well for determining how much to buy is to develop a two-week menu for your family. With that in hand, you can easily total up how much of each type of food you’ll need to prepare everything for two weeks. Multiplying that out will give you an idea of how much food you need to last your family for any period of time.

Whatever you do, don’t try to run out and buy a year’s worth of food in one week. Take your time. Start by building a two-week stockpile; then increase it to a month. Keep adding, a month at a time, until you reach the point that you feel you need. Keep your eye open for sales as well, as that will provide you with needed opportunities to save money.

[Clan DireWolf]

Re: Long-Term Food Storage

Beans:
An Important Survival Food for Hard Times
Copyright © July 1, 2013 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

FAIR USE


Introduction

Assortment of Beans North American Indians were eating beans and corn long before the first European settlers arrived on the North American continent. It is interesting to note that if beans and corn are both eaten during the same meal then they digest together inside the stomach and they combine to form a complete protein that helps the human body remain healthy.

Beans contain an average of 230 calories per cup of cooked beans. Beans are low in fat (less than 2%) and they contain no cholesterol. One cup of cooked beans provides an average of 60% of your daily fiber requirements, 30% protein, 14% carbohydrates, 3 vitamins, and 7 minerals. They also contain small amounts of 6 other vitamins and 2 other minerals. Complete nutritional data is near the end of this article.

Beans digest more slowly than most other foods and therefore they can help you from feeling hungry again for a longer period time. This has two significant advantages:

Not feeling hungry could help you control your appetite and your weight.
Not feeling hungry during a serious hard times event could help you conserve your food and not feel as if you were being forced to endure extreme hardship conditions.

Complete High Quality Proteins and Amino Acids
Milk, cheese, and eggs are complete high quality proteins.

However, beans should be eaten with a complementary protein food, such as rice, wheat, or corn. These combinations provide a balanced high quality protein that is extremely beneficial to the human body.

Some examples of high quality protein combinations are:
1. Beans with cornbread.
2. Beans inside a corn tortilla (or burrito) shell.
3. Beans inside a flour tortilla (or burrito) shell.
4. Beans and biscuits.
5. Beans and rice.

When beans are eaten with rice, wheat, or corn then they also supply essential amino acids that are needed by the human body.

Eating beans, peas, or lentils on a regular basis has been shown to reduce cholesterol, and to reduce the chance of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.


Canned Beans or Dry Beans

Canned beans are already fully cooked. However, as with most other canned food products, after opening a can of beans you should boil the beans for ten minutes to kill any potential life threatening toxins that may be in the beans. Since the beans are already fully cooked they will not require any additional water to cook them and they can be ready to eat in as little as fifteen minutes.

Dry beans must be rinsed and soaked overnight in clean water. Then the soak water must be discarded. The beans can then be cooked in fresh water for at least one hour but they will be tastier and easier to digest if they are cooked between 3 to 8 hours over very low heat. Therefore dry beans require a significant amount of water to make them edible. If you anticipate having a limited amount of clean water during a hard times event then dry beans may not be an option for your family.

One important advantage of dry beans is that they can be planted as garden seed and some of them will sprout (germinate) and they will produce a new crop of fresh beans at the end of the summer growing season. This would be a very significant advantage during a hard times event because a family could replenish one of their important food items on a continual basis year after year after year. (Note: Instructions on how to dry freshly harvested beans are included later in this article.) (Note: The percentage of dry beans that will germinate will decline each year they are in storage and after several years none of the dry beans will germinate. A dry bean germination experiment is included later in this article.)


Shelf Life of Dry Beans

A reasonable long-term food storage environment is one where the temperature remains somewhere between 60° to 75° Fahrenheit (or 15.5° to 24° C), and the area is dry and dark, and the area is free of rodents.

During their first five years of storage, dry beans will gradually lose most of their original vitamins. However, they will retain their calories, carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. This is based on research studies that have been conducted on similar foods. At the current time there are no dry beans nutritional degradation studies available to the general public.

With the passage of time dry beans will gradually and slowly become drier and drier and they will lose what little moisture they originally had and they will lose some of their natural oils. They will eventually begin to shrink and shrivel. At some point they will completely lose their ability to absorb water and when that happens then they can't be reconstituted into a normal edible bean. (Note: Some people recommend grinding the shriveled dry beans into bean flour when this happens. If you follow this advice then you must heat the bean flour to a temperature above 212° Fahrenheit (or 100° C) for a minimum of 10 minutes in whatever recipe you use the bean flour or you may get very sick from some of the toxins in the beans.)

Dry beans should be sealed in a container where the air has been replaced with nitrogen or with carbon dioxide. Or dry beans should be vacuum sealed inside a plastic container or inside a vacuum storage bag. In any one of these storage methods is used then the following benefits will be achieved:

Any tiny insect eggs that may be mixed in with the dry beans will die due to the lack of oxygen and this will eliminate a potential future insect infestation problem.

Oxygen and light are the primary causes of beans losing their color. Oxygen also causes the oils in beans to become rancid. Therefore eliminating the oxygen will minimize these two problems.

The edible shelf life of the bean will be extended well beyond ten years. Some of the companies that sell dry beans for long-term storage advertise that their storage method will extend the edible shelf life of dry beans to twenty years or more.

Two Long-Term Food Storage Experiments on Dry Pinto Beans
Experiment One (http://www.yourfamilyark.org/cooking...beanslegumes):
Some dry pinto beans were purchased in 5 gallon buckets and in #10 cans from the same supplier at the same time. The buckets and the cans of beans were divided between a brother and a sister and they were stored for 11 years in two totally different storages environments. One storage environment was appropriate for long term-food storage but the other storage environment was not acceptable for long-term food storage. After 11 years the beans that had been stored in the good storage environment looked good and they tasted delicious when they were cooked. After 11 years the beans in the poor storage environment were dark, broken, and they had a shiny appearance, and they tasted bitter when they were cooked. The conclusion drawn from this experiment was that the storage environment has a significant impact on the edible life expectancy of dry pinto beans.


Experiment Two (http://ift.confex.com/ift/2005/techp...er_28584.htm):
A study by Brigham Young University reported that dry pinto beans that were canned in an oxygen free environment lost a small amount of their quality after 30 years in a controlled storage environment. Over 80% of the people on a 58-member consumer taste test panel rated the taste of the 30 year old pinto beans as being acceptable.


THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.grandpappy.info/hbeans.htm

[Clan DireWolf]

Long-Term Food Storage

7 Preppers Food Storage Mistakes
Posted by Bushcraft and Survival Skills
http://isurvivalskills.blogspot.com/...-mistakes.html


VARIETY - Most people don't have enough variety in their storage. 95% of the people I've worked with only stored the 4 basic items we mentioned earlier: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won't survive on such a diet for several reasons.

Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal.

Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple.

We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer not to eat than to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggest and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particularly ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans. This will add variety of color, texture and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion.

Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook. Go through it and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store.

EXTENDED STAPLES - Few people get beyond storing the four basic items, but it is extremely important that you do so. Never put all your eggs in one basket. Store dehydrated and/or freeze-dried foods as well as home canned and store bought canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast and powdered eggs. You can't cook even the most basic recipes without these items. Because of limited space I won't list all the items that should be included in a well-balanced storage program. They are all included in the The New Cookin With Home Storage cookbook, as well as information on how much to store, and where to purchase it.

VITAMINS - Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. A good quality multi-vitamin and vitamin C are the most vital. Others may be added as your budget permits.

QUICK AND EASY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FOODS - Quick and easy foods help you through times when you are psychologically or physically unable to prepare your basic storage items. No cook foods such as freeze-dried are wonderful since they require little preparation. MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), such as many preparedness outlets carry, canned goods, etc. are also very good. Psychological Foods are the goodies - Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - you should add to your storage.

These may sound frivolous, but through the years I've talked with many people who have lived entirely on their storage for extended periods of time. Nearly all of them say these were the most helpful items in their storage to normalize their situations and make it more bearable. These are especially important if you have children.

BALANCE - Time and time again I've seen families buy all of their wheat, then buy all of another item, and so on. Don't do that. It's important to keep well-balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item. If something happens and you have to live on your present storage, you''ll fare much better having a one-month supply of a variety of items than a year's supply of two to three items.

CONTAINERS - Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers. I have seen literally tons and tons of food thrown away because they were left in sacks, where they became highly susceptible to moisture, insects and rodents. If you are using plastic buckets make sure they are lined with a food grade plastic liner available from companies that carry packaging supplies. Never use trash can liners as these are treated with pesticides. Don't stack them too high. In an earthquake they may topple, the lids pop open, or they may crack. A better container is the #10 tin can which most preparedness companies use when they package their foods.

USE YOUR STORAGE - In all the years I've worked with preparedness one of the biggest problems I've seen is people storing food and not knowing what to do with it. It's vital that you and your family become familiar with the things you are storing. You need to know how to prepare these foods. This is not something you want to learn under stress. Your family needs to be used to eating these foods. A stressful period is not a good time to totally change your diet. Get a food storage cookbook and learn to use these foods!

It's easy to solve these food storage problems once you know what they are. The lady I talked about at the first of the article left realizing what she had stored was a good beginning, but not enough. As she said, "It's better to find out the mistakes I've made now while there's still time to make corrections." This makes a lot more sense.

If you're one who needs to make some adjustments, that's okay. Look at these suggestions and add the things you're missing. It's easy to take a basic storage and add the essentials to make it liveable, but it needs to be done. As I did the research for my cookbook I wanted to include recipes that gave help to families no matter what they had stored. As I put the material together it was fascinating to discover what the pioneers ate is the type of things we store. But if you have stored only the 4 basics, there's very, very little you can do with it. By adding even just a few things it greatly increases your options, and the prospect of your family surviving on it. As I studied how the pioneers lived and ate, my whole feeling for food changed. I realized our storage is what most of the world has always lived on. If it's put together the right way we'll be returning to good basic living with a few goodies thrown in.

[Clan DireWolf]

How Much Water For Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated Food

How Much Water For Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated Food
October 17, 2012, Submitted by: Ken (ModernSurvivalBlog)

water-directions-for-freeze-dried-versus-dehydrated-food

Freeze-dried foods have 98% of their water removed. This reduces the food’s weight by about 90%. Dehydrated foods have 95% of their water removed for vegetables and 80% for fruits.

Freeze dried foods retain their original color, form, size, taste and texture. Dehydrated foods will shrivel in size as the moisture is removed.

How is freeze-dried food different from dehydrating?

Answer: The temperature used to removed water. Freeze-drying uses cold temperatures and dehydrating uses hot temperatures. In the freeze-drying process, fresh or cooked foods are first flash frozen. Moisture is then removed in a vacuum chamber, as a low-level heat is applied to evaporate the ice without returning it to a liquid form. Since the food remains frozen during the process, the food’s cell structures do not change.

The food dehydration process begins with quality vegetables, fruits, or meats. They are typically sliced thin, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, and then are slow ‘cooked’ at temperatures ranging from 130 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Times vary, but typically are in the range of 12 to 24 hours until sufficient moisture has been removed from the food.

Feeze-dried foods rehydrate quicker and dehydrated foods condense further, allowing more to be stored in less space.

———————-

I recently received a good question from someone who asked… “How much water does it take to cook one serving of dehydrated food versus one serving of freeze dried food. The more it takes to cook the less you have to drink.”

Here are my thoughts…

It does take more water to reconstitute freeze dried food than dehydrated food. I randomly pulled out a few freeze dried food packets that I have on hand here, so that I could read the directions. The average amount of water required is a bit more than 1 cup of water per serving (which you would heat up first). On the other hand, some dehydrated food can be consumed without re-constituting with water (particularly fruits or meats). My experience with re-hydrating foods that I have previously dehydrated, are that I tend to use less than 1 cup of water per equivalent serving of vegetables than a freeze dried food.

Overall, I do not believe that there is a significant difference in water consumption between the two methods, except for those dehydrated foods that are consumed without adding water. On the other hand, for those same foods, your body must use some of its water content to digest and process that same food… so in the end is their actually a difference?

I’ve always believed in diversification of food storage types. Store bought canned foods, store bought jar foods, home canned foods, foods that don’t require special treatment (e.g. pastas), long term foods sealed in 5-gallon buckets (e.g. rice, beans, wheat, etc.), freeze dried packaged foods, and dehydrated foods (great for home garden processing)… just to name a few.

I personally like the taste of freeze dried food better than dehydrated food, and its reconstituted ‘shape’ is basically identical to the original. It costs more. But it’s easy and simple to deal with.

I suggest that if someone is looking at the differences between freeze dried and dehydrated with regards to the water that is necessary versus the availability for drinking water… then you ought to be very concerned about your drinking water situation. The earth is abundant with water, although a small percentage is suitable for drinking. The thing is, if you don’t live near a source of fresh water (other than municipal sources), you MUST factor in the amount of water you will need in a survival situation. It’s not hard to store enough for a month. It gets more difficult though when you consider long term. Water is heavy. It’s hard to transport, requires sturdy containment, and it takes up space. But now I’m getting side tracked and off topic…

[Clan DireWolf]

Long-Term Food Storage

The Six Supplements You’ll Need To Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
by Sean Covell

Thursday, June 7, 2012

This country is not truly free so I have to make this disclaimer: The following statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Do not mistake this article for medical advice. We recommend you do your own research and speak with a doctor you trust before beginning any supplement regimen. So the zombie apocalypse is here and you need to survive. You’re a health-minded person who has been prepping for anything by eating healthy and working out. However, now that zombies have ravaged the landscape and you’re holed up in your fortress, you’ll need supplementation to ensure that you can look as good as Charlton Heston in Omega Man or Will Smith in I am Legend. But with limited supplies, what supplements should you be concerned with taking? The following is a list of six supplements that will help you stay alert and healthy while you fight off blood-sucking zombies.

Vitamin C: Sure, fruits and vegetables contain a good amount of ascorbic acid, but zombies have burned most of the crop and fruits are hard to keep fresh. Do you really want to try and fight off zombies if you have scurvy? I didn’t think so. Besides, Vitamin C is one supplement that is cheap, you can stockpile, and there are so many benefits. From being one of the most potent antioxidants, to regulating your body’s immune system to help prevent cancers and other terrible diseases, Vitamin C is something that should be in your zombie supplement arsenal for sure. How much?: The North American Dietary Reference Intake’s recommendations of 90mg a day are quite low according to so many doctors and health experts. Anywhere from 500mg to 3000mg is recommended depending on your needs. Do your own research on a dosage that you can tolerate. Over 2,000mg daily could result in some side effects, so scale back if this happens.

Vitamin D3: Okay, we’re assuming that you’ll be able to go out during the day and get some sunlight. But what if you live in England, Washington state or some other cloud covered, colder than a freezer climate? Worse, what if we’ve been wrong all along and zombies are not nocturnal, meaning the only time you’re able to get out is at night while the man-eaters are sleeping. Well, you’re going to need to supplement with Vitamin D. This little wonder is so vital for your body in so many ways. It helps your body use calcium from the diet, prevents rickets, decreases the risk of varying diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. It can also lead to an improvement in cognitive function. Remember, the key to fighting off zombies is to be strong and levelheaded. This is why Vitamin D is so important. It’s worth noting that many people today are not getting optimal levels of Vitamin D. This is truly tragic and preventable. How much?: 600 IU minimum per day. The safe upper limit is nearly 4,000 IU daily. If you’re feeling tired, sick and worn out, bumping up the Vitamin D may be the answer.

Digestive Enzymes: Food is scarce and often rancid. Although you’d like to stay on a high vegetable, low grain diet, the only food around is an old box of Twinkies. There’s also a shady looking dead rabbit you could consume. How is your digestive tract going to handle this bomb? Enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts to chemical reactions, helping your body benefit by turning food into something that can be absorbed and sustain life. Look for a product that has components to break down fats, proteins and starches. A product that has included Bromelain and Turmeric is an added bonus as it could reduce inflammation in the body. The key to survival during the zombie apocalypse is to be adaptable. You must adapt or die. Digestive enzymes will help your body adapt to your new diet. How much?: Take enzymes with every meal. Some experts recommend taking enzymes between meals to increase food utilization. The dose will really depend on the product. Look for a high quality product and do your own research on what enzymes you may need to supplement.

N-Acetylcytseine (NAC): Zombies have killed everything you love and care about. You’re probably coping by breaking into the stockpile of liquor that you have. That’s fine, but remember that the key to survival is to stay healthy. There are many problems with alcohol: one being that it can turn your liver into Swiss cheese. The answer? Moderation is clearly the answer, but NAC will help your liver recover from the abuse given to it by Uncle Jack and his brother Jim. NAC is used for many reasons in the health industry to protect the liver, kidneys and other organs from toxicity from alcohol, acetaminophen and sickness. NAC has many other uses as well. New studies are even showing a benefit of NAC supplementation for children with autism. If you have an afternoon free, I strongly suggest researching all the benefits of N- Acetylcysteine. How much?: 200mg daily should suffice. NAC is very potent and low doses have shown to be effective.

High Quality Protein: Some people may be shocked by this choice, but I have to assume you never believed the apocalypse was coming. Therefore, you probably don’t have a rifle, shotgun, or crossbow capable of killing large or small game. You probably also don’t know jack about gardening, so you are going to struggle finding enough quality vegetable or animal protein to sustain your body. Protein shakes are a very practical and cost-effective solution to this problem. A tub of protein will ensure you get enough protein to sustain life for nearly a month while you figure out how to hunt. I’m not going to get too picky with the selection of the protein you get. Just make sure it doesn’t have synthetic Vitamin E or any other possible problematic ingredient. If you’re lactose intolerant, make sure the protein is mostly lactose free. Whey protein hydrosylate and isolate supplements are nearly all lactose free. If you can’t tolerate any milk related products, there are great vegetable protein powders out there. Additionally, there are many naturally flavored products out there for those who don’t want Splenda or artificial sweeteners in their powders. How much?: You don’t need a crazy amount of protein to survive, but you’ll need enough to sustain your energy needs. 50 grams of protein a day is enough to get by. If this is your only protein source, you may need more. This may mean 1 or 2 shakes a day. Take your digestive enzymes with the shake to get additional absorption.

L Carnitine- Preferably Acetyl L-Carnitine. Last night a zombie tried to eat off your face so you need something to help your body produce energy. Acetyl L-Carnitine is your friend during this zombie takeover. It works by helping your body to promote energy production. Acetyl L- Carnitine also acts like an antioxidant, protecting your body from the rigors of living during the end times. Studies have linked low Carnitine levels to erectile dysfunction and infertility. This is important because you may be called on to re-populate Earth after the scourge of the zombie is defeated. Again, you need to be mentally aware to stay alive and Acetyl L-Carnitine has been used to raise cognitive function. How much?: 500 mg twice daily.

So now you are prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You know what supplements may help you survive and maintain a level head. Alright, there may not be an inevitable zombie takeover, but there are certainly rough times ahead for all of us, especially those liberty-minded people who care about nutritional supplements. For supplements, the apocalypse may be closer than many think. Government agencies and Big Pharma are working closely to prevent you from taking control over your own health. These are perhaps the true zombies. As you can tell by the disclaimer at the beginning of this article, the government has scared liberty-minded people to the point where truthful health statements are often followed by a disclaimer because a government "zombie" has not given their blessing. Free speech and liberty is truly under attack by zombies. They may not be the undead, but they are truly the unwise and they’re trying to make you the un-free.

June 7, 2012


Sean Covell is a certified personal trainer and owner of Liberty Labs Nutrition and Fitness System health club chain. He is an ardent supporter of liberty, Austrian economics and freedom for personal choice in health and supplementation. Visit his website.

Copyright © 2012 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.

[Herr Walther]

Re: How much food fits in a container.

I see they listed barley but they forgot the hopps.

[Clan DireWolf]

How much food fits in a container.

https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/i..._container.htm

[Clan DireWolf]

Monday, May 28, 2012
The Ten Stages of Food Storage
http://www.canadianpreppersnetwork.c...d-storage.html

For those of you who have been prepping for awhile these may sound somewhat familiar!


Stage One: Something or someone has scared-your-eyes-open to the fact that the world is not what it used to be and trouble of various kinds are brewing. You freak out, go to the grocery store to buy a case of mac and cheese and 25 cans of beenie weenies. You stay up late and read every post on the International Preppers Network about zombies, EMPs, nuclear attacks and financial disaster and go to bed thinking the end of the world is tomorrow and wondering if the mac and cheese and beenie weenies will last until then.


Stage two: Tomorrow comes and it's not the end of the world so you start to think about how much you hate mac and cheese and beenie weenies. You freak out and go to the store to buy 25kg bags of beans and rice because you read last night that beans and rice are what you need to eat if the world is coming to an end. You then read every post on how to cook beans and rice and buy a propane stove just-in-case


Stage three: You are sick of tripping over the bags of beans and rice and you've eaten all the mac and cheese and beenie weenies while watching The Road on Friday night and still no disaster has occurred. You begin to wonder if there's more to food storage than this and start looking up recipes that only require canned and boxed food. You find a chart that tells you how long canned food will stay edible and take an inventory of the neighbourhood strays just-in-case.


Stage four: You begin to see the benefits of having some extra food on hand because some family members dropped in unexpectedly and you saw this as a great opportunity to try out your new favorite bean and rice dish on them. You are now reading some thought provoking blog posts on the Canadian Preppers Network on taking care of yourself regardless of the emergency and have considered planting some tomatoes in pots in the back yard just-in-case.


Stage five: Wanting to increase your storage you go crazy with grocery flyers and coupons looking for deals so you can add canned and boxed food to your food storage area. You are feeling more confident as you see the stacks of tuna and cans of soup pile up. You are now debating the merits of Spam and Klic and the multitude of ways it can be eaten with others on the board.


Stage six: You are beginning to calm down and see the need to organise all the "stuff" you've been buying so you go to the big box store and buy some heavy duty shelves. After bringing the shelves home, debating with your spouse about where you can put them, putting the shelves together and organizing your food you realise how little food you really have because the shelves are mostly bare. You take a look around the basement while you're there and see how much useless junk you have accumulated over the years. You start purging and sell it all on Kijiji or Craigs List. While you're selling you browse the ads for camping equipment and spend all the money you made purging buying more practical and useful stuff just-in-case.


Stage seven: You are cruising along when it suddenly occurs to you that your family needs to know about prepping because there's no way YOU can prep for them. You call a family meeting and your parents and siblings shake their heads and sigh because you have finally proven them right - they think you are crazy. Grandma is the only one who looks interested and pulls you aside to suggest that Grandpa (who fell sleep during your spiel) could teach you how to garden and she could teach you how to can your own food next summer. On the way home you think about how much you love your Grandparents and you stop off at the grocery store for the BOGO sale to stock up on some extra food for them - just in case.


Stage eight: You begin to wonder how you will survive the end of the world without snack foods. You head for the nearest bulk food store and stock up on chocolate, candy and chips with plans to put it in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. You look up mylar bags and oxygen absorbers online and order them but by the time your order arrives your family has eaten all the chocolate and candy and left you with half a bag of pretzels.


Stage nine: You are put off by the amount of time it takes to pack your own food and you want to speed up the process so you look up Briden Solutions and put in an order for 6 months of freeze dried and dehydrated food. It arrives in the mail and you add it to your shelves smiling at the bounty and feeling like you are finally getting somewhere.


Stage ten: You sit back and relax in your yard having planted a garden full of heirloom seeds with Grandpa. Sipping ice tea made with dandelion leaves and other weeds you read a book on how to build a root cellar while day dreaming about your move to a country property where you can raise chickens and have a cow.


Hope that made you smile!