Food Storage (Purchasing Habits)

Now is the time to start storing more. 

I have a habit of stocking up at a quickened pace in the months leading up to the winter and it's not a bad idea. Last year we had a rather subdued winter overall, but had a major snowstorm just prior to Halloween that was so bad that local trick or treating was delayed a couple of days and most lost power anywhere from a day to a whole week. I'd rather have some stored foods just in case. And having a gas stove means I can continue to cook my cache of food even during a prolonged power outage.

Very small example of stored foods

I have also decided to spend more time looking at and purchasing foods for storage. For me there's a couple of factors:
1.) Content and Ingredients
2.) Shelf Life
3.) Price
4.) Preservatives and/or additives

I like to think that what I am buying will benefit my family and I if things start to look bad outside our windows. I make sure it is something everyone can and will eat. In order to purchase it has to be something that will have a high caloric value combined with some form of nutrition that will help sustain the eater when food isn't plentiful or easily obtained anymore.

It also has to have a decent shelf life. Most canned items have anywhere from a 1-3 year lifespan depending on the item.

I'd hate to put a price on my family's future well-being, but being broke doesn't help my family either. Finding a good balance of all these factors helps in the long run.

Most long-lasting canned foods have preservatives and additives, there isn't really a way around that, but I do choose to actively avoid some. You can look up related health concerns and common side effects as there's often too many to list.

For example:

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)  - Used for its flavor enhancing and thickening properties
Sodium Nitrate - Added to cured meats as a preservative and color fixative
High Fructose Syrup - Sweetener

Pricing

Some of the items I buy still contain some of these less-than-pleasant ingredients, but if it's really cheap or if it's lasts a little longer I'll bite the bullet and get it anyway. Remember - it's all about moderation. Don't eat too much crap and you should be okay. Eat nothing but crap and you may be in trouble.

In a world where's there no food having something with preservatives is the least of your troubles.

Regardless, it is nice to know I have an ever-growing comfort bubble when it comes to having a store of food in case getting to a grocery store becomes dangerous or downright impossible.

The Power of the Can

[A quick note]

Don't underestimate the power of something you either throw in the garbage or bring to recycling every week. The average can has quite a few uses long after it's original purpose has been expended. For one it's a container you can use as a sturdy transport for many different small items in instead of using your hands. 

You can use it to eat food out of or drink water out of - not to mention safely boil water in. Punch a couple holes at the top and you can rig it up to sit above a fire and boil water to be safe for drinking.

You can also use it to carry a small fire bundle or embers so you can travel without having to make fire over and over again from scratch.

If you've already stocked up on food and water, you probably have at least a handful of canned items, if not many. So instead of throwing away your can when you're done - hold onto it - it may actually be a useful tool.

Your Very Own Ammo Dump

Remember Burt Gummer from the film Tremors? Remember that outrageous basement he had and all the guns, ammo and gear to survive the end of the world? Don't you sometimes wish you had the funds to have such a thing?

Suffice to say a lot of people probably do.

Here's the thing - no matter what caliber you're looking to stock up on - it'll probably end up costing you a bit of money. From dirt cheap Russian 7.62x39 ammo costing you a mere 12 cents a round to expensive .308 rounds costing you almost 3 dollars a pop - in bulk it'll cost you.

How much are you willing to spend on a single online or in-store order?

First and foremost have a good place to store it; an attic that doesn't leak, a basement that doesn't flood, a stand-up gun safe (if you own one) and most importantly somewhere where children cannot easily get to it. If you don't have a gun safe and are going the ammo-can route that's perfectly fine. You can get surplus ammo cans in a number of different sizes for very little - either online, gun shops or in your local army surplus store.

Here's a tip: if you don't want to spend 200 to 500 dollars in one go then buy a little bit at a time. Whether you're buying pistol, rifle or shotgun ammo you can get pretty much any of it at your local gun store, or if you feel like living on the edge Wal-Mart will do too, I guess. Buy 20-50 rounds at a time. Maybe a box or two a week on your way home from work or when you're doing your regular around-town errands. It'll accumulate in your ammo cans fast enough. In about a month I was about to amass over 300 rounds of the cheap Russian TulAmmo, one box of Winchester and one box of American Eagle 7.62x39 ammunition.  Did it cost me more than buying in bulk? Yes, a little, but sometimes it's easier to buy in little spurts when you have many other expenditures and financial responsibilities to attend to.

Another note - find a relatively dry and cool place to store your ammo. And yes, most ammo can last quite a while in rather adverse conditions, but wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry? Newer plastic ammo cans have an O-ring that helps protect against moisture, which is nice if you have 20-30 boxes of stacked ammo you're planning on storing for the long run.