Help please.

[misconfig]

Please never forgot to read the "Zombie Survival Guide" - not only does it prep you for the inevitable zombie storm, it also teaches you how to prep for any situation.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. One question I have is where does one store all this extra food and water? I have a cellar and basement but if we are talking about a flood then that wouldnt work.

Why not? Canned goods and stored water won't be hurt by a flood, though labels can come off making mystery dinners. Other supplies can be double packed, first in plastic (ziplocks/mylar, etc) and then in 5 gallon buckets with tight fitting lids. Put things in milk crates or similar totes and bring them usptairs if flooding is likely.

 

[misconfig]

Why not? Canned goods and stored water won't be hurt by a flood, though labels can come off making mystery dinners. Other supplies can be double packed, first in plastic (ziplocks/mylar, etc) and then in 5 gallon buckets with tight fitting lids. Put things in milk crates or similar totes and bring them usptairs if flooding is likely.

Also you could buy // build shelves that would prevent this.

Most people use Mylar bags and O2 absorbers and store their food in sealed 5 gallon buckets.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Also you could buy // build shelves that would prevent this.

Most people use Mylar bags and O2 absorbers and store their food in sealed 5 gallon buckets.

I'm very utilitarian and I've always felt that the effort some folks went through to package food for storage would better be spent elsewhere. People who pack away bulk supplies may want to take the time to do this, but those of us who are of the "store what you eat and eat what you store" philosophy tend to rely more on the fact that we are constantly rotating our food through. With the exception of some rice, beans, honey, and maple syrup (we make) I don't have much food that is more than a couple years old. Extra flour is kept in the freezer except in the fall nand winter when the freezers are full of venison, then it's kept outside (protected from rodents). We have 6 months to a year supply of normal eating food, which could be extended to 2 years if supplemented and rationed.

I know folks who have 5 years of food stored away neatly packaged in mylar, o2 absorbers, and 5 gallon buckets, who never eat any of it. They spent literally weeks prepping all that stuff for storage, and unless there ever is a TEOTWAWKI, they'll probably end up throwing much of it away or donating to food pantries. I'm not criticizing the amount of food they have stored, I'm criticizing the amount of effort expended on something that would have been better served by putting those resources elsewhere and simply upping their normal rotational food storage.

 

[misconfig]

I'm very utilitarian and I've always felt that the effort some folks went through to package food for storage would better be spent elsewhere. People who pack away bulk supplies may want to take the time to do this, but those of us who are of the "store what you eat and eat what you store" philosophy tend to rely more on the fact that we are constantly rotating our food through. With the exception of some rice, beans, honey, and maple syrup (we make) I don't have much food that is more than a couple years old. Extra flour is kept in the freezer except in the fall nand winter when the freezers are full of venison, then it's kept outside (protected from rodents). We have 6 months to a year supply of normal eating food, which could be extended to 2 years if supplemented and rationed.

I know folks who have 5 years of food stored away neatly packaged in mylar, o2 absorbers, and 5 gallon buckets, who never eat any of it. They spent literally weeks prepping all that stuff for storage, and unless there ever is a TEOTWAWKI, they'll probably end up throwing much of it away or donating to food pantries. I'm not criticizing the amount of food they have stored, I'm criticizing the amount of effort expended on something that would have been better served by putting those resources elsewhere and simply upping their normal rotational food storage.

Extremely valid points you make here; albeit some people lack the skills or motivation it takes in order to keep a rotation like that in order.

While I agree with you, others find it much easier to spend some time to package in bulk and be done with it.

We do both at our house, I have 50lbs of rice, wheat, beans and 10lbs of sugar and salt stored in 5-gallon buckets, we also keep a rotation and supply of food we eat on a normal basis stored at the house.

I also have 2 55-gallon drums of treated water stored in the garage; if you ask me I think having a little of both greatly benefits our situation.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Extremely valid points you make here; albeit some people lack the skills or motivation it takes in order to keep a rotation like that in order.

While I agree with you, others find it much easier to spend some time to package in bulk and be done with it.

We do both at our house, I have 50lbs of rice, wheat, beans and 10lbs of sugar and salt stored in 5-gallon buckets, we also keep a rotation and supply of food we eat on a normal basis stored at the house.

I also have 2 55-gallon drums of treated water stored in the garage; if you ask me I think having a little of both greatly benefits our situation.

The irony of the situation I posted above is that if you opened their cabinets, they'd have maybe a couple week's of food they normally eat.

I see a lot of value in stocking some staple items since they are the basis for making a lot of others foods and help more perishable items go further, and they are really cheap. Heck, I have half a ton or so of rice and and beans, mostly because they are really cheap. I just boggle at the people who feel that once they've got a pallet of MREs that they are done.

 

[Eddie]

This / / / / / /

Every time you go to the grocery, but $20 in extra canned food, or rice or flour, whatever. The secret is to start and stay consistent.

Do this. Don't get carried away with trying to do everything at once. Take your time, read and do research. Make your own lists but be willing to change them as you learn more. Don't stop. Figure out what you can afford to do each week and take baby steps. Post your ideas on this site and see what sort of holes the others can poke in your plans. As for where to keep your preps: Not all in one place.

 

[whipfinish]

listen to Jack. Survival Podcast He has good ideas that anyone can benefit from.

 

[Bisley Man]

Check out this manYouTube - AnalyticalSurvival's Channel He has short to the point vids on food water, bug out etc.

 

[insidethebunker]

Here's a plan I put together for a friend on Prepping 101. Use it as a VERY elementary checklist to get started. Oh, I know any point on here can be modified, re-prioritized, deleted, added to and critiqued... but this is just a basic outline for you to fill in the blanks.

Getting Started Prepping: A basic plan:

What is your concern for prepping?
Disaster, ie: Katrina, Ike, Ice Storm
Job Loss
Recession, Depression
Pandemic
Civil Unrest
Economic Collapse
War
Nuclear Attack
EMP Attack

What is your motivation for prepping?
My Family
My kids
Biblical
Value the American Way of Life

Start Prepping
1) Get some basics No matter what do get this done your first week.
Rice, 50 lbs at Sam's or Costco is about $15.50
Beans, $6.00 for x lb
Tuna, 65 cents at discount food stores
Ramen
Bottled water. Buy and fill 5 gallon jugs from the camping section at Walmart
watch the standard gallon water jug biodegrades over time

2) Light
Flashlights (1 cell)
Batteries
Lanterns
Candles, Plumber

3) Basic Water Purification
Bleach
Coffee Filters

4) Get print outs from Ready.gov and fema and start to build your 72 hour kit
Set a goal for 2 weeks of food
Then 1 month
Then 3 months
Then 6 months
Then 1 year and on

5) Now determine your budget
I allow $100 a week but you could start at $10 a week.
Discuss $10 a week plan

6) Develop your buying list/needs
Food
Canned Vegetables
Regular cans vs. #10 cans at Sam's (not a good deal)
Canned Meats
Oils/Fats
Flour
Sugars
Pasta
Dehydrated Milk
Wheat
#10 Cans of dehydrated foods

7) Storage?
Buckets
with dry ice or oxygen absorbers
Totes
Seal a meal
Freezer
Shelving

8) Consider Defense
12ga
22
Pistol

Fuel
Propane
Wood
Charcoal
Gas
Kerosene

Communications
Crank Radio
CB
Walkie Talkies

Heat
Wood Stove

Power
Generator
Solar

Advanced Water
Filters
Kataydin
Berkley

Water Storage
5 gallon jugs
55 gallon drums

Food Prep
Wheat Grinder
Meat Grinder

First Aid/Medical
Basic First Aid kit
Gas Mask?
Prescriptions
Glasses

Hygiene
Soap, Hand, Dish, Laundry
Toothpaste et all
Toilet Paper / Wet Wipes

Clothing
Daily
Hard times
Winter

Pet Food
Buy the cheap stuff for storage

Hunting?
Traps

Tools and Repair
Hand tools
Glues
Nails
Duct Tape

Bug out Vehicle
Work with what you’ve got
Plan for what you’d like

Bags
Get Home
Bug Out Bag

Long Term Prepping
Seeds
Transportation
Meat, Chickens, Rabbits, Goats
Bug Out Location
Soap Making
Gardening
Baking
Solar Planning
Green House
Junk Silver Coin
Family Records, Pictures etc

What you need to study
Shelf Life
Fuel Storage
Water Filtering
Food Dehydrators
Canning
Handgun & Rifle Marksmanship
Reloading
Welding? Skill Trade
Survival, Outdoor, Camping Skills

Sources
List or bookmark favorite Websites
Equipment and Prep List on Kentucky Preppers Network
Boy Scout Handbook
FoxFire Books

 

[Dr Falken]

listen to Jack. Survival Podcast He has good ideas that anyone can benefit from.

This is good to do, as you can be doing other things as you listen. Alot of advice on geting the lifestyle that helps you survive, wether a job lose or a tornado. Don't think of it as just "prepping" as some people say, think of it as adjusting how you live so that your natural stat is more resiliant to disruptive situations, be it food storage and production, tool, and the skills to use them. Good Luck to the OP.

 

[Woodsman]

Check out this manYouTube - AnalyticalSurvival's Channel He has short to the point vids on food water, bug out etc.

Hey, thanks for this link. That guy has some great info and very helpful content.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Hey, thanks for this link. That guy has some great info and very helpful content.

thats because hes former Army SF baby!!! who else would you want teaching you? them guys live it man

that brings me to my post:

if your truely gonna be prepped, you realy need to make it a complete lifestyle. eveything you do in your life revolves around it truely. it will eventualy become second nature, and thats they way you want it to be.

 

[Woodsman]

thats because hes former Army SF baby!!! who else would you want teaching you? them guys live it man

that brings me to my post:

if your truely gonna be prepped, you realy need to make it a complete lifestyle. eveything you do in your life revolves around it truely. it will eventualy become second nature, and thats they way you want it to be.

Yeah I know. I still kick my self in the :moon: for not going reserve SF back in the early 80's. All I had to do was sign the forms and get an airplane ride. Stupid , stupid, stupid...

I would rather learn from SF personally though instead of reading a darn website. Maybe I'll find a good teacher someday.

 

[E5RANGER375]

Yeah I know. I still kick my self in the :moon: for not going reserve SF back in the early 80's. All I had to do was sign the forms and get an airplane ride. Stupid , stupid, stupid...

I would rather learn from SF personally though instead of reading a darn website. Maybe I'll find a good teacher someday.

i wish i was the caliber that the SF guys i know are at. if you want some good training though face to face (im a hands on guy too) then you should come to the next "southside training day" or "wilderness survival class" technically. Tactical Dave and I, will be the instructors. between the 2 of us i can promise you will get some very good instruction. also if theres something youd like to learn specificly about then please send one of us a PM or post it in the thread, and we will work it into our class outline. we will teach you to survive in a wooded environment, but many skills can be used in any environment. we will deffinately be going over your kit, and what to have in it and what not too. Dave and I both follow the K.I.S.S. Method (Keep It Simple Stupid).
it will be a family friendly event, and we will be camping at least one night and some of us may do a 2 night camp. I'd like to have the class and camp at Spring Mill State Park (southern Indiana) because its an awesome park with plenty of stuff for the kids and adults that dont wanna go through the class to go do and have fun, so they can still come camping. I figured this may be a way to get some spouses to go that otherwise couldnt cause theyre other half wouldnt want them to be gone for a whole weekend and be left alone. WE ACCOMIDATE ALL

 

[insidethebunker]

special forces = ??

 

[GI JOE]

The mind is the Greatest Weapon...