How Much Food Do You Have?

In a major metro area especially you should also be sure to include non-food items such as flashlights, radio (remember these?) batteries, first aid kit, toiletries, games for the kids, important documents, medications, etc.

Over the last few years I've been through fires, earthquakes, and floods. Even though I personally wasn't affected so much, there were many who were desperately unprepared and needed help. Quite often it would be as long as three or four days before getting outside assistance.

Hey Thomas,

My main point was for short term problems, but am interested in all thoughts...

I think people should have more stockpiles of food on hand and be prepared for many different situations. It really doesn't cost more, you just need to spend more upfront...But buying in bulk can be a way to save a lot of money long term, so it's also a logical point with me.

The "end of civilization" scenario brings up a few considerations...You have the immediate survival of living off the land, plus long-term rebuilding. It seems that as we may need many of the skills we've learned over the ages in the future, we are losing the skills and knowledge of our most primitive people, who are actually the most skilled in ways to live off the land.

I'm also interested in the simpliest modern techonologies that we may be able to use in an "end of civilization" circustances. It's actually farily simple to convert solar to electiricity on a small scale, and the average drill motor can lift something like 600 lbs. The ability to generate electricity and have access to the electric motor would go a long way to help rebuild, and they aren't very complicated with some basic knowledge.

Canned food has to be clean and sealed WELL! One wrong mistake, and it may grow, causing the can to swell, and it becomes obvious, or it won't keep long AT ALL. So I'm sure MOST canned food, regardless of contents, can be kept a LONG time.

When my mother came over, she started throwing out POWDERS and the like because the expiration date was old. GIVE ME A BREAK! Insects can't get in, because it is sealed too well, and I doubt water could either. Unless insects had a feast, or water was there to allow growth, It could last LONG after the expiration date. I actually went through some protein I got a LONG time ago. It tasted fine, and I didn't get sick or anything. Yep, I'm STILL here. I USED to have a GOOD bag. I don't anymore. 8-( I DO have enough food at home to last a few months though. I ALSO have enough water in my car to last several weeks.

Steve

dandelion greens are quite good to eat, for example.


I don't have nearly enough stockpiled as I should. But I do know a little about edible weeds, mushrooms, berries, etc., and I can fish, so I think I would survive if I had to as long as I had enough water.

I have 2 emergency kits - one for hurricane evacuation and one for the same thing happening and staying home with no power, etc.

But I also stock food supplies by buying sale items - most canned goods have 3 yr or expiration dates and I could live for a couple months at least on the food I have right now. Toward the end the meals might be a little odd - but I'd be eating

Yeah, most stores most times seem EMPTY, but OTHER times they are CROWDED!!!!!!!

I believe it was florida that recently outlawed price gouging in disasters. A talk show host said that is STUPID, and I have to say he is RIGHT! The example HE gave was how a couple may go to a hotel, after a disaster, find that the hotel has TWO rooms, and buy BOTH so he could have one for him and his wife, one for the kids, and his mother in law. If they gouged, THE couple may have gotten only ONE room. THEN, another couple, maybe with a pregnant woman comes by, and the hotel guy says SORRY, we just rented out the last room! Or what about water? A person may buy out a pallet and sell some for a higher price.

Well, I have BEEN THERE! I have seen stores CLEANED OUT in MINUTES! One time, I HAD to get batteries, and everyone cleaned them out like INSTANTLY! I even went to home depot where I heard they got a new shipment. They were GONE! BUT, I turned around and found they JUST delivered a new pallet of flashlight kits, WITH BATTERIES!!!!!!!! I bought a couple. It was probably gone in less than an hour.

Steve

One thing I didn't see you mention John, was a good pry bar.
You can do almost everything with one. Build a shelter, start a fire (think flint and steel), dig roots, use as a weapon, etc.
For years the only camping I did was survival type. I would go up in the Adirondacks and only bring a tent, sleeping bag, some cooking utensils, my fishing gear, and instant coffee. I'm not a big fish eater so I relied more on plants and fungi. Occasionally I'd put out some snares for rabbits or squirrels, using the fishing gear as a last resort. Normally I'd stay for 1 or 2 weeks or however long I had for a vacation that year. For weekend trips I'd bring a little food.
Growing up I got a good education on wild edibles from my father and assistant scout master. The assistant scout master would bring us out to Poestenkill Mts. survival camping for the week between Christmas and New Year so we would learn how to survive in the wild in the winter.

There ya go. In a worse case scenario if you are prepared, that better include weapons because as soon as anyone finds out you have something, you're done. I watch people talk about this all the time, and all I can say is kewl - now everyone knows where to get their stuff.

I'm hindered by 2 allergies - one is fish and the other is nuts. I can still eat crayfish, clams and seeds, but it takes a hell of a lot to feed you. I still put my odds way ahead of most people. I've had to do walk outs before, and I do primitive camping. If I find a good spot with great rocks, I don't see the point in leaving and going to a hotel. If there's a lot of really big fuzzies with sharp teeth around, I just make sure to eat at least a mile from where I'm camping for the night and anything left over is packed air-tight. I ate two pounds of cheese one day because I didn't want it on me that night and knew I needed to eat it instead of throw it out because it might be the most of what I'd eat for a few days. 2 pounds of protein and fat that day - and it was graze the next day other than 2 crayfish, and they were small.

A lot of people will be headed for the mountains so there will be a lot of stuff you'll be able to get from the corpse's supply bags. People from the flat lands won't last two shakes out in the mountains in survival mode. After doing tours in altitudes I know exactly what kind of understanding people have just about day and night up there. You tell them to bring a winter coat when it's 93 degrees out and they get pissed off that you would expect them to carry it. If you aren't off that mountain by sunset, they're gonna freeze without it. Then it's even more fun when it comes to the animals. Love people smart enough to run from a freaking cat. That's why I stopped giving tours. People couldn't use their heads.

I already know where I'll be headed for if the excrement hits the air conditioning. I'll be able to feed myself, shelter myself, drink non-toxic water. (both hot and cold running water, natures way). I'll be away from the city and from the damned idiots running to the mountains to die.

John - watch all the people dying eating "wild carrots" and then take their stuff, LMAO.

I don't think that food will be what gets most. I think it will be water first and exposure second. I see people actually go out to the mountains in the winter and not take lighters with them because "they don't smoke". Yeah, whatever. And what about cell phones? People also think that they can go anywhere without preparation because they can just call someone on a cell phone to pick them up. There's people that die every year because they don't freaking think far enough to figure out that if they can't get out -- someone else might not be able to get in to them.

I have an army survival manual that isn't bad. It doesn't teach you how to cook cat tails to make them edible, but it gets the main points taken care of.

YEAH, You're RIGHT! When I was younger I had a little stove that coould fit in your shirt pocket, You could take like 10 hours of fuel in a package not much bigger than a pack of mints. It could cook anything from like 3" to about 10". It was kind of nice, but I don't think I have it anymore. But YEAH, it is best to haave sterno or some such. Some solid or gelled fuel as it is easier to store/work with, and safer. And food should be eaten dried, or with simply water, unless it is caught fresh.

Cell phones aren't made for remote communication. You need a tower, and the battery may drain QUICKLY, especially if reception is poor.

They pack it in lousy plastic containers that can degrade! That makes it taste bad and many say it could be TOXIC!

That's OK, many stores may CLOSE because they can't cattch theives, or add 2+2!

Steve

OH, ICSSSMM!

Steve

USGS Release: 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation--25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate-- (4/10/2008 2:25:36 PM)

Up for Father of the Year? j/k


Seriously, check the calories:

Chef Boyardee ravioli 15 oz can = 460 calories

Peanut butter 18 oz jar = 2880 calories

The peanut butter jar is just a little bigger than the ravioli can, but has more than 6x the calories. And one jar of PB equals about 30 cans of green beans, calorie-wise.

I haven't found anything more calorie dense that's "eatable" and readily available than peanut butter...

Remember to stock up on Exlax or Pepto eating all that Beefaroni.
Also, by about the 50th can you'll think your the star on Man Vs Food with his toughest challenge ever

Are you SURE about that? Different snakes have different types of venom too. I believe the rattlesnake is a nerve toxin. The bees tend to create an inflamatory response. I think MOST bee stings are pretty HARMLESS unless you are allergic, or get enough to REALLY overwhelm your system. Shoot, I saw a show yesterday. I think they said something like 1000 stings are required to kill a grown man.

The reason why killer bees are called killer bees is because European honey bees, the type usually used, just want to be left alone. If you stop being a threat, they leave you alone. They fly a relatively short distance from the hive. Killer bees are kind of vengeful, and want to ATTACK any threat, They tend to be persistent, and fly farther. So the normal bees likely won't kill you unless you are alergic. The killer bees likely will if you can't get them to stop.

From wikipedia:

So this indicates that SOME rattlesnakes have a venom that is SOMEWHAT SIMILAR to bees. BTW I got the impression that MOST people are NOT alergic to bees, and ALMOST ALL can be KILLED by rattlesnake venom. BTW the antitoxin, for SNAKES, is DIFFERENT in most cases! For BEES, they apparently always use the anaphylactic treatments.

Steve

I'm not 100% sure what constitutes as junk food. If it's strictly like chips, cookies, etc., then I eat a bit every other day or so. But I have fries with most meals I cook. I eat fried chicken a few times a week. And fried burgers. My potatoes have a lot of butter on them. I put at least half a tablespoon of sugar in my yogurt.

That IS understandable. I HAVE been in situations where I have had a circumstance that made me very hungry, and it IS nice if the food is right there. So I can understand a pregnant woman to want to horde. You ARE eating for two, and there is undoubtedly some overhead, etc...

Now THAT is funny! What did you do? Pack the belt 3 high, end to end? I can only IMAGINE!

Steve

When I am really hungry, Then I will eat more food while compare to normal time. Whenever my mom prepare some dishes which I like mostly, That day also I take more food. I love to eat all types of vegetable, So mainly I prefer vegetarian food because it will be some what less diet while compare to non-vegetarian. However, Diet will depend upon the situation and the person capability.

I have several cases of dehydrated water on hand, because good clean water is one of the most basic needs. Far more important than food in the short term.

I like to stock up on water, rice, chickpeas, sprouts, coconut milk and chili sauce. In case of a crisis, at least you know all the food you have tastes good together.

What's your logic or reasoning for people that aren't allergic?

A girl was also shot and killed at a restaurant, does that mean you won't be stashing any weapons?

I also have powedered milk...Should I get rid of it if you're lactose intolerant?

So John? You smokin' some real good fatties out there or is this some sort of dementia being brought on by your impending old age?

GEE, I only have a little gun, but I could maybe shoot you a few times before you get your big gun up in the air.

Steve

ROTFLMFAO
Ran my mascara down to my jawline on that one.


Peanut butter........I'm deadly allergic. Never even want other people around who are eating it. They always end up getting some on you or a cupboard for you to accidently stick your hand or arm in it later - then it eats your skin off...
But that's me.

For you guys, it's great protien but it's an iodine blocker - eat too much you might start having thyroid problems. Good thing to have some kelp tablets or some kale or chard or sea food if you are eating iodine blockers - don't count on salt, it's not stable.