what kind of food supply do you keep?

i am becoming more and more convinced that we are headed for a total global economic collapse therefore dilligaf and i have decided to increase our on hand food supply as well as gas and ammunition. right now id just like to focus on food supply.(although i dont consider discussing fuel and ammunition supply's nor anything else that will aid in your survival to be off topic in this thread so feel free to discuss them as well.)

we currently have about a year of meat and veggies put back,although much of our meat stuffs are frozen we do have plenty of meat on the hoof and in the coop,and we do have the knowledge to smoke what meat we have should electricity become a issue.so our total meat supply is essentially inexhaustible as long as we keep the goats popping baby's out.

we are focusing now on getting a stockpile of seeds for the gardens (heirloom of course) we feel this will be essential in our long term survival.we are also working on building our supply of staples,rice,flour,pastas,coffee etc.

ideally we would like to have a 2 year supply of staples before our money is worthless..

so what extra preparations if any are you taking for the possibility of economic collapse?

how much food do you keep on hand for you and your family?

if you dont keep a supply of food on hand,why?

once again feel free to discuss any other things you feel essential to keep on hand for long term survival as well as tips for long term food storage..

also if anyone has questions on long term food storage please feel free to ask.

 

Well nothing since i didnt have any idea that this could happen before today. I would think MRE's would be a good idea since they keep for years dont they?

 

Hard red or hard white have superior storage lives and relatively high protein contents, usually 12 persent. Higher gluten content than soft wheats and are superior for making breads. Manual-crank grain mills are a must have for any food storage. Passport to Survival Esther Dickey. Putting one inch of salt in the bottom of a container will hold the moisture content below 10 percent.This eliminates the environment required for molds to grow and prevents many insect eggs from hatching.

 

I've thought a lot about this. My problem is not having any storage space for that much food. Things I've studied indicate to me that 3 1/2 years or so of food would be ideal. Since there is no way I could store that much food in the little studio apartment I rent (which I hope not to be in a few months anyway) I have given careful thought to alternative means.

My main thought is to find an ideal location to hopefully learn and practice hunter/gatherer survival techniques. Since this would be awfully hard where I live, I'm looking at alternative living situations in Hawaii. I deem the South Pacific to be the ideal place to live off the land for awhile and since Hawaii is a state, why not?

I actually wrote a thread in the hip-forums personals alluding to my idea somewhat.

http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287179

Because, while this is a dream of mine and something I think that would be worth trying, I'm scared to do it alone. I will though if I have too. I have been thinking about this for awhile, and have a shit ton of ideas. Problem is I don't think I could pull it off until next winter, maybe November....

I hope I can live the dream though

 

the problem with the "hunter gatherer" idea (as i see it)in the event of global economic collapse,or other catastrophes where the infrastructure is gone but large amounts of humans still exist is that there will be a large number of people thinking the same thing,no matter where you are.
therefore resources will be quickly depleted. animals,plants etc. can only reproduce at a certain rate. once they are depleted,there is no more..

Dont get me wrong,that is in some ways a scenario we are preparing for(in the event of land confiscation etc.),however the way we see it "hunter gathering" as a sustainable life is not a long term option in this context.

as far as Hawaii being a viable option,perhaps you should look into there "homeland security/gestapo" preparedness levels. from what ive read they have a very good population control plan in place,couple that with the age old rule of law that dictates those born and raised there will have the best chance of survival outside the governments martial law and the fact that Hawaiians are notorious for there disdain for mainlanders,it just doesnt seem like its where i would be thinking of going.

also you must realize once the ball begins rolling down hill fast(not that it hasnt already began),there will be little warning to the general public and travel will be restricted before you even know its time to get out.not to mention the fact that in the next couple months your going to see inflation soar(IMO) and a airline ticket may very well become much more than you can afford.

therefore if your planning on relocating i would advise doing it ASAP.

 

there is a process before storage. you should always take your wheat,flour,sugar,dried beans,coffee,rice, etc. and freeze them for at least a week,its preferable to freeze in the container to be used for storage if possible(container should be airtight and sealed).this kills whatever micro organisms,bug eggs,etc. that may be in the foods. if they were not frozen in there storage containers,then youll want to wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and place in a airtight bucket or storage container fill container full if possible, then seal the lid with silicone or if thats not available duct tape(silicone is best)..

its very important to note that food supplys MUST be stored in airtight solid containers for long term storage.

with that method, yes most any staple will survive a decade.

 

I would normally agree with everything you've posted. However, I've experienced (albeit only for a few months) living as a squatter in the Kalalau Valley in Kauai.

This valley is regularly raided by government officials who jump out of military helicopters and run around looking to stir things up. The valley has a group of squatters who call themselves the "Kalalau Outlaws" and since the valley is a state park the squatters get raided all the time. Also the DEA regularly practices operation green harvest there.

The advantage the squatters have over these raids is knowledge of the land, and the fact that the jungle is so easy to hide in. Now I understand the difference between police raids on squatters, compared to Chinese U.N. Soldiers with AK's and shoot on sight clearance, but there are still many advantages a squatter who knows the lay of the land can make use of.

And I don't plan to lay down when they come lookin'! Plus, the area I'm thinking of is very remote, and they'd HAVE to make a two day jungle trek, or helicopter or boat in.

When they are rounding people up, like we suspect might happen, they will be focusing on the major population centers, big cities in other words. People in rural areas, especially those who stick together, have a much better chance. Do you really think extra forces will be spent chasing hippy squatters, when they will have to cordon off cities like New York and L.A.?

As far as the hunter/gatherer survival thing goes, Hawaii is the ONLY place where I can see this working. I can say this with experience, having actually done it (albeit only for a few months as previously noted). I am confident that with a little gear I could go over there now and start living off the land. I plan on making a transition though, hopefully mixing in wild edibles and caught fish, etc. with store bought rice and such. When the rice is gone, hopefully by then my hidden gardens and taro patches will keep me going. At the very least wild guavas are plentiful and opae(freshwater shrimp) are easy to catch if you know the trick. There would be a ton to learn and practice, but better to attempt this than nothing IMO. Most people won't be prepared at all!

 

Also, regarding your point that everyone will be thinking the same thing, therefore resources will be tapped...

I don't know that everyone IS thinking the same thing. Most folks will be stuck where they are at, and with what they have on them at the time.

I plan to hopefully get set up under the radar, on an island with only 10,000 people anyway, that is literally a Garden of Eden if you know what's up.

Hopefully I'm set up and prepared when the police state emerges, and I doubt many folks will be able to join me once it happens, though they will no doubt want to

 

MRE'S in most cases are expensive for what they are.
however if ya look around on the web there are deals to be found.
dilligaf found MRE'S for a year for 2 people for 1400 dollars.
and yes they do keep for years.

the reason we are not going that route is the fact that we have animals and ample garden space. even in the event of having to become nomadic we would still keep our goats,still keep seeds with us and plant gardens whenever we were in a safe spot long enough to cultivate a crop. even if the gardens had to be planted covertly and we had to keep on the move,much as with guerrilla pot growers we could leave the gardens for much of the time and come back only for harvests. risky i know,but if it comes to that everything will be risky.

 

sounds like youve thought it through well mellow mike.. i still would suggest if your relocating to do it ASAP.
next week your going to here more frightening news about the coming collapse.

citi bank has just suspended withdrawals from there hedge funds,the FDIC has admitted they dont have the cash on hand to bail all the depositors out when the number of banks predicted fail..over 60% of florida banks are over extended by 300% and are projected to fail first.

this has all came out in the last couple days..

IMO we have less than 6 months.

if ever there was need for a sense of urgency id say its now...

 

It's hard to speculate on these things. I'm hoping we have until the next president is elected, Hillary I suppose. My own speculations lead me to believe that the "collapse" or the emergence of the police state will have to come about after another false flag "event", then everything will be in place that will enable Blackwater to roam every street in the Nation taking guns and enforcing martial law.

I hope we have a little longer than six months before this plays out, maybe a couple of years, but you're right that it could happen tomorrow. If that’s' the case I'll have to pray and do the best I can here. I'm luckily still in a remote and rural area in Colorado, but the winters would suck and it would be hard to grow much. Hunting and Fishing would still be possible though, and I do have a plan B if Hawaii doesn't quite work! I will leave it to God.

 

seeds....enuf to eat and grow.
a pyramid (framework only) is supposed to store things well and keep viable long term...seeds in the pyramids in egypt sprouted even though age was rated at over 2,000 yrs......I have heard it suggested that it's best are finding out the specific angles for your latitude....there are books on this. Would personally use cool temps, low humidity in conjunction with.
Having the plastic for greenhouse in my climate become a must as well. Sprouted seeds go further and keep you going better than any other preparation....plus they are ready for planting.

Should it come to it....one must ask themselves if they will kill to save their supplies and survival preparations....because there will be many who have not that would take from those that have....so make sure you keep a low profile....especially on survival storage you maintain.


And good luck...because you do not control where the vultures might land....or what position the gov. might have on hoarders.

yah the times we live in



make it wonderful by Li(O)ving and Doing and Being ....for you may not have tomorrow

Blessings all

Namaste

 

ill be honest,, its absolutely frightening to me,,looking at all the implications..

we are prepared to do whats necessary to ensure our survival however it may play out. we do have a core of neighbors around us that although we dont really associate, im glad they are around us.nice to have a buffer of extremists between you an the hoards,,or gestapo..

buckle up kids,,the rides starting...

 

Anybody ever read Mike Oehlers book : The Hippy Survival Guide to Y2K?
http://www.amazon.com/Hippy-Survival-Guide-Y2K/dp/1879628171

Hes a hippy kind of guy, lives in an underground house in Idaho. Its a really good read, not only for the tips he gives on survival, but it also reads like a diary in the run up to the year 2000 as he tries to convince his neighbours to be prepared - most of whom think he's just a drugged out hippy.

 

We've been thinking about this for years now and, in the last five years, have managed to have a pretty good supply on hand. Though you will find plenty of Alaskans with outdoor and survival skills, Alaska isn't really a great place to be when TSHTF. Our supply chain relys on boat, truck and air and could easily get interrupted leaving your average person in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks hungry inside of weeks.

There was another thread last year about this here is my basic list of supplies from that thread.

This year we are going to increase our seed stock.

 

Alaska if you had 100 pounds of super kind bud stashed away i think i would rent that cabin from ya after all

But how about first aid supplies and medicine? I havent seen that mentioned yet.

 

free in alaska,how much do you have invested in your solar system and what all do you run off it?

the reason im asking is i may just close my 401 k out rather than just withdraw enough to pay my house off(plus penalties an taxes of course.damn vultures) and if i did that i know id have the money,i just aint sure i can justify spending it..

please enlighten me on the subject.


oh as far as the first aid supplies,thats something we are going to have to invest in here. nothing but bandaids here now..lol

 

well you do have dili and her nursing degree so i bet that would help out quite a bit

Do you have any ideas on what you are getting or have you not thought a whole lot about it?

 

well i exaggerated a little.. what we do have here,
crutches
knee brace
arm sling
wrist brace
hernia belt
needle nose pliers
needle and thread
the basics of course in small amounts triple antibiotic ointment peroxide etc.

what is on dilligafs list.
a large supply of all of course.
bandaids
alcohol
peroxide
gauze
tape
splints
wraps (ace bandages)
needles/syringes
epinephrine
penicillin
pain killer(over the counter like aleave, maybe a bottle or two of everclear)
toothache shit.
blood stop
new skin
triple antibiotic ointment.

plus shes becoming quite the herbalist so we always have our herbs for colds,stings,minor cuts and abrasions,stomach problems ,your general minor ailments...

did we forget anything?

 

youngdeadhead, good point about the first aid and medicines. Fortunately my family is healthy, with no one needing regular medications, so that makes it easier. Since I made my daughter a band aid out of duct tape and a piece of old rag last night I think I'd better get some supplies in the first aid area.


HHB, no one can provide power for your home as cheap as the power company. It would take tens of thousands of dollars to convert an average home to solar with a twenty to thirty year return on your investment.....But if a SHTF situation is different.

I power my home with a system that I have about five or six grand in and $3K of that is in the Honda 3KW gas generator. I have a battery bank with about 800AHs of storage, a couple of 750W inverters, battery charger and a hodge podge of about eight solar panels. This gives me enough power, during average daylight months, to run a TV/DVD, CD player, lighting, PC, charge Dewalt batteries, and run my 12V RV type water system without charging the batteries with the generator very often. I have to run a generator for the clothes washer.

The key to alternative energy use is to greatly reduce your needs. Get rid of microwave ovens and anything that heats with electric ie cook stoves, space heaters, dryers, and toaster ovens. Use compact flourescent ligh bulbs. Come up with alternatives to heating water like a water jacket for the woodstove.

I use a propane refrigerator, but that doesn't do me much good when the propane supply isn't there. That's when the root cellar comes in handy.

Ask yourself what do I really need.

Realistically for a few of thousand bucks you could set yourself up with small backup power system.

Here are a couple of threads to check out from a homesteading board. The OP was asking the same questions as you and there is information from folks a lot more knowledge than I.
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=232814
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=233070
An alternative energy forum from the same site.
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?f=54