Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff (Food Storage)

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

Surplus Commodities Food Program (1936)

source

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

The Last, ... For Now
This is the last blurb about food storage for a little while.

So, ... Here are some 'wrapping up' thoughts.


Home Canning
A great way (O.K. a heck of a lot of work, some upfront costs, and ... satisfaction seeing the finished jars) is home canning your family's food. There are many good manuals for your family to use.

Needless to say, don't use older canning manuals because their information may be outdated, poisoning your family.

Link:
USDA: National Center for Home food Preservation - USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision
http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html


Purdue University: Extension Service - Complete Home Guide to Canning
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/USDAcanning/

Note:
Of course, some family's are going to want a 'hard' copy of the canning manual for use and to store for future use. Plus, this link has links to some free publications.


Shelf-Life
Last week, I received a comment: 

Anonymous said...

"A great article! Thanks for sharing. I started Prepping prior to Y2K (1999) and agree with everything that you say, except for length of storage time. In my experience, you can keep ordinary grocery store canned food and dried beans, rice, etc. much longer than "one year". For instance, this year (2015) we regularly eat canned baked beans, brown rice stored in sealed glass jars, canned green vegetables and canned meat (spam, corned beef, roast beef w/gravy, fish, turkey,chicken) dated "2007" and later, with never any stomach upset. It is all just as tasty as fresh canned food. I store this in a below-ground basement, on shelves behind heavy curtains."

As you can read, this family is eating eight year old commercially canned food and home canned food, with no ill affects. Needless to say, your mileage will vary.

But, ... Anonymous makes a point.

Canned food from the grocery store will last a lot longer than the expiration date printed on the can, box, bag, or bottle.


Dual Usage
Usually empty glass canning jars take up precious storage space.

So, ... One of my brothers, Spartan, came up with the idea of storing dried beans and long grain white rice in clean canning jars. The jars are sealed using a vacuum sealer with the canning jar attachment.

His thinking, ... As you and your family eat the beans and rice, you end up with empty canning jars that can be filled with produce from your garden, farmer's market, or local grocery store. Plus, the jars are full, so the space they do take up is put to good use.


Rotation
I know I mentioned this, but it's important.

Make sure your family is rotating your food.


Never and ...
So, ... When do you eat your food storage during an event?

Never because your family always makes sure to deplete any local supplies of food before eating your food storage.

Let me explain.

During an economic crisis, folks are losing their jobs, including you. Local charities or the government starts handing out food, soup lines form, or food stamps are issued. You and your family get in line.

First, ... Because this extends your family's food supply.

Second, ... OPSEC because no one is going to ask 'Why isn't your family in line?'


Of course, some folks are going to comment how callous that is to take food from other peoples' mouths.

I don't care! This is about your family surviving one more day.


... And Always

You and your family need to always eat your food storage.

Yes, I know; I just told you to never eat your food storage, but ...

You and your family need to practice using your food storage because most families don't cook with whole foods. Plus, your family has to get use to the tastes of these foods.

You can do this by making, at first, one meal a month out of long-term food storage. A few months later, you make two meals a month out of food storage. PA few months later, three meal a month and so on. Plus, this help your family to rotate the stored food.

And, ...

You and your partner get to discover all the things that you have forgotten to store for your family's eating needs ; - )


Where to Start
People ask my brothers all the time where to start on their food storage because my brothers' OPSEC sucks.

So, ... My brothers tell folks the short answer

If you're worried about ordinary events such as hurricanes, winter storms, and earthquakes, your family can start by storing ordinary grocery store food. You know, the stuff your family normally eats.

You just go out to the store and buy a bunch of food.

If you're worried about bigger events like super volcanoes, economic collapses, and nuclear war, your family starts by storing wheat, at least 365 pounds per family member. Next, your family purchases 190 pounds of dried beans per person. Next, you add 365 multivitamins per person. Next you family adds 365 pounds of long grain white rice. Next, you add another 190 pounds of dried beans. Next, you take a breath and purchase 365 multi-vitamins per person.


When to Stop
Being a prepper, really a survivalist, you never stop with your family's food storage because your family's tastes are going to change. Your children are going to stop liking Mac and Cheese all the time, so you will need to use it up and start stocking what they currently enjoy eating.

Next, your children will leave home; maybe going to college, joining the military, or starting a career; they will still need a place to emergency evacuate.

So, ... You will still need to store food for them.

Next, they will meet a partner, get married, and have children. They will need help starting their family's food storage program, short, medium, or long-term. Hopefully, they will seek your advice.

Of course, the extended family will probably designate you and your partner's home as the rally point for any larger and longer event. (You did take my advice to build a family 'retreat,' didn't you?). So, ... You will need to store even more food for the many mouths that will descend on your home.

Don't let the your children mooch off you. Make sure they send you one or two cases of long-term food storage, each month, until they have the basics such as 365 pounds of white rice, 190 pounds of dried beans, and 365 multivitamins for their cache.

Lastly, you and your partner are going to die, so your long-term food storage should be considered part of the childrens' inheritance.

So, ... Make sure you're rotating your food by using it, as food ; - )

Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff (Food Storage)

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

Mother and Child

at a cooking class (ca 2015)

photograph by

Sgt. Sinthia Rosario

Last week, I wrote about starting a Medium-Term food storage plan for your family. Today, I'm talking long-term.


Different Meanings
A long-term food storage plan has a different meaning to different people. Some folks think long-term is having one year of food storage, in your home. While other people might think a long-term food storage plan is having food that will last longer than one year. Lastly, there are some folks that think a long-term food storage plan is about a three to five year supply of food for their family and a few friends.


One Year
Currently, one year's worth of food is considered long-term food storage. As we have seen during other events, one year may not be enough, so your family may need to store two, three, or even five years worth of food.

If you're careful, a one year supply of food can be easily stored using 'normal' grocery store bottled, boxed, bagged, canned, and frozen food. You might even be able to store two years of this type of food. You just need storage space, a lot of storage space.

Once you get past the two year mark, your family is going to have to store bulk whole foods, such as whole wheat, dried beans, oats, pasta, white sugar, and salt. (Dang, I forgot white rice, too)

Luckily, these whole foods also cover some folks concept of long-term food storage because they last eight to thirty years. That's right, dried beans will last at least eight years while white sugar, white rice, whole wheat, oats, some pastas, and salt will last up to thirty years!

To be in fact, 3.000 year old wheat was recently sprouted. (Ooops, that's false!)

Needless to say, you and your partner are going to have to change your family's food preferences from McDonald's to whole foods "If" you're planning to use whole foods in your food storage ; - )


Where to Purchase
There are various places to purchase your family's long-term food storage. You can buy it at the local grocery store, speciality stores, or on the internet. The most inexpensive place that I have found is from the Later-day Saints. They have whole wheat (two kinds), dried beans (only one), oats, pasta, and other food storage items.


How Much
There are one or two food storage calculators from folks like Julie and Jodi at Food Storage Made Easy and Provident Living or The Food Guys. These food storage calculators will give you a general idea of your family's needs for long-term food.

Needless to say, they are based on the Latter-day Saints recommendations, except for the Provident Living calculator. It is a simpler model, just seven items.


What to Purchase
Before I begin, you have to answer this question, 'How bad is it?'

Let me explain.

Is the collapse happening or are you able to slowly and rationally gather your family's long-term food storage. If it's happening, right now, I suggest, per person:

* 400 pounds of White Rice
* 200 pounds of Dried Beans
* 365 multi-vitamins

Because these three items will keep one person alive for one very boring year, food wise.

So, ... A family of four would immediately require 1600 pounds of white rice, 800 pounds of dried beans, and 1460 multi-vitamins. (I suggest purchasing adult vitamins for the adults and children's vitamins for the children. But, ... You can improvise a kid vitamin by cutting an adult's vitamin in half)

Note:
I read that one pound of rice and a half a pound of dried beans will supply enough protein (plant, not animal) and enough calories to keep a person alive.

But, ...

I have not done the math or the experimentation to prove this statement. You have been warned.


A Little More Time
If you have a little more time, your family can purchase, what is called, The Mormon Basic Four. Needless to say, this long-term food storage plan is based on wheat. It is, per person:

* 365 pounds of wheat
* 100 powdered milk
* 100 pounds sugar or honey
*   12 pound salt, iodized preferred

As you see, it has its problems. It's all wheat, so you have to know how to cook wheat, a whole lot of different ways. There is a whole lot of sugar, and ... It's all wheat ; - )


12 Months or 52 Weeks
Now, the Latter-day Saints have been doing this a long time, so they have other recommendations that build on the 'Basic Four.' It is a 52 week or 12 month buying plan.

In this 52 week or 12 month purchase plan, a family buys certain supplies to help them acquire enough food to last one year. Of course, "If" you use this plan, you need 52 weeks to get everything purchased.

Of course, it's going to get complicated because the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) recommend different amounts for each family member.


Don't Have That Much Time
Now, if you have time, but not 52 weeks, your family can use a basic plan that Cresson Kearny (Nuclear War Survival Skills) developed many decades ago called The Kearny Basic Survival Foods plan. This plan uses seven items, per person:

* 360 lbs of whole wheat
* 120 lbs of dried beans
*   48 lbs of dried milk
*   24 lbs vegetable oil (I think that is 3 gallons, but I'm not sure)
*   48 lbs of white sugar
*     8 lbs of salt, iodized preferred
* 365 multi-vitamins


The Basics
Now, all of these plans, I have covered, are basics, except of course the 52 week or 12 month plan. They are meant to be supplemented by other food that your family may store, barter for, grow or harvest (hunt/trap) during the event. Plus, other options have become available in the last thirty years.


Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Food
Like Xerox for copiers, Mountain House has become the common name for freeze-dried food, even though, there are currently many, many manufactures of freeze-dried food. Some of these other manufactures, I believe, are contracting with Oregon Freeze Dried (Mountain House) to prepare their products ; - ) (Don't ask me which ones because I don't know)

Now, Mountain House products come in two different containers, a plastic foil package and #10 cans. The plastic packages have a shelf life of about seven years (cool, dry place) while the #10 cans have a shelf life of about twenty-five years. Yes, twenty-five years! Of course, the plastic foil packages only have two servings while the #10 cans have from about ten to twenty servings, depending on the product.

Next, these products come two ways, already combined and as ingredients.

My brothers and I have bought freeze-dried foods from Mountain house for our families. Scout, my brother, buys his food in the plastic foil packages because his family is bugging out. They are coming to my house "If" it's bad enough. Plus, they use them for camping.

The plastic foil packages are opened, hot water is poured in the bag, allowed to sit for about 10 minutes, and eaten. The food can also be placed in a pan, water added, then heated. The food is divided up when finished cooking.

Spartan, another brother, buys all his Mountain House as prepared food in #10 cans. He doesn't want the hassle of having to cook, real cooking that is.

My family has bought our freeze-dried food as ingredients, corn, peas, green beans, and carrots. These ingredients will be used to make food like dirty rice, stews/soups, and casseroles. We will also eat it as regular veggies with our meals. (more about that latter)


Now there are some companies that aren't selling freeze-dried food. They are selling dehydrated food. These dehydrated foods are less expensive then freeze-dried because it is a different process. You can look it up on the internet or just go to the links.



Draw Backs
There are draw backs to both of them. Dehydrated food has a shelf life of about eight years, even in #10 cans. Freeze-dried foods are expensive. Plus, they both take precious water to rehydrate before you can use them.


It's Latter
You will notice when I was talking about freeze-dried food, I said 'We will ...' Because freeze-dried is soooo expensive, we 'normally' don't use it. We use dehydrated food for our practice meals and as a less expensive alternative in our food storage.


Practice, Practice, and More Practice
Needless to say, at least, you and your partner need to practice cooking with all these different foods, whole food, freeze-dried, and dehydrated that you and your family store for an event. These food also need to be eaten as part of your family's normal food, so during an event, you don't go hungry.

We do this a couple of ways. First, is the 'camping.'

We go camping about twice a year. During our camping trips, we practice our skills putting up the tent, building a fire, cooking with cast iron, pooping in the woods, and many others. Kind'a like the scouts ; - )

Second, ... We have 'practice' sessions. Yes, we pretend the heat has gone out, so the family can practice closing off the house and using the wood stove, making a meal using the wood stove, and other skills.

Third, we have made changes in our diet to include foods like beans and rice, eating meatless stews (made with dehydrated veggies), and planting a garden.

Lastly, ... 


Specialty Equipment
Of course, you're going to need some specialty equipment such as ...

* Grain Grinder, a quality model

* Pressure Cooker with spare seals

And, ...

* Several Cookbooks


Link:
The Latter-day Saints: Self Reliance - Home Storage
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_3074457345616706237_-1_N_image_0?countryName=US&warehouse=01&showCountryChangePopUp=false&langId=-1&currency=USD&catalogId=10557&DM_PersistentCookieCreated=true&storeId=715839595&ddkey=http:SetCurrencyPreference

Food Storage Made Easy - Food Storage Calculator
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/03/09/long-term-food-storage-calculator/

Provident Living - Food Storage Calculator
http://providentliving.com/preparedness/food-storage/foodcalc/

The Food Guys - Food Storage Claculator
http://thefoodguys.com/foodcalc.html

Millennium Ark - The Mormon Basic Four
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/LTAH_Food_Store6.html

Millennium Ark - 52 week or 12 month Purchase Plan
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/LTAH_Food_Store6b.html

Millennium Ark -Mormon's Food Guides
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/LTAH_Food_Store6c.html

Millennium Ark -The Kearny Basic Survival Foods
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/LTAH_Food_Store7.html

Food Storage Made Easy - Freeze-Dried Foods versus Dehydrated Foods
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2013/09/10/freeze-dried-foods-versus-dehydrated-foods/

LDS.org - Food Storage
https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng

Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff (Cache)

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

Himmelbett (ca 2007)

photograph by

Wolfgang Sauber

About two years ago, (scroll 7/8s of the way down) I built a bed using dimensional lumber from the local big-box lumber store. It was a success, but I need a larger 'secret' storage compartment, now.

So, ...

Needed Supplies
2 * 2 X 10 X 98 inches
1 * 2 X 8 X 98 inches
4 * 2 X 4 X 98 inches
1 * 1 X 3 X 98 inches
3 * Sheets of Plywood 5/8 inch thick.
1 * Box of 3 inch long deck screws, one pound
1 * Box of 2 inch long deck screws, one pound
1 * package felt pads (if you have wood floors)

Safety Supplies
Hearing Protection (Earplugs)
Eye Protection (Safety Glasses)
My Brain (Hey, you have to think to be safe)

Needed Equipment
Wood Saw (Circular Saw Preferred)
Extension Cord (50 feet)
Tape Measure
Pencil
Framing Square or a short and long straight board
Drill with Phillips screw bit (Electric Drill Preferred)
Sawhorses, one set


First Things, First
All of our family's beds are queen sized, so I measured the mattresses. They are 80 inches long and 60 inches wide. If you plan to build a bed for a different sized mattress, you'll have to measure them to get a custom fit.

Next, I drove into town purchased the needed material, drove home, collected the needed tools, and found a shady spot to work.

Yes, I had to go back into town, a second time, but that's another story ; - )


Making the 'Frame'
First off, to keep Katniss happy, I did all my cutting out in the yard, so I set up the sawhorses in a shady, level spot.

Next, I cut the 2 X 10s to 79 and 1/2 inches.

Why? To keep the frame from sticking out too far. It seems, I hit my shins on the original 80 inches bed.

Next, I cut the single 2 X 8 into two 45 inches pieces. After I cut it to length, I found the center and cut a notch on both sides. The notch is 1 1/2 inches deep and 3 1/2 inches wide.

To mark the 2 X 8 for the notches, I found the center, made a mark with the pencil then measured 1 3/4 inches on either side of the mark. Next, I measured from the edge 1 1/2 inches creating a box. Then, I set may circular saw blade to 1 1/2 inches and cut the box out.


Needless to say, I made a mistake, and I had to go back to town for another 2 X 8.


After cutting the 2 X 10s and 2 X 8, I cut the 1 X 3 into a bunch of 8 inch long pieces. These pieces will be 'feet' for the bed frame.

Next, I cut two of the 2 X 4s to 56 inches long and the other two 2 X 4s to 53 inches long.

With everything cut, I attached the 'feet' to each end of the 2 X 10s and the middle with two 2 inch deck screws, per foot. I then added a felt pad to each foot.

I made sure to countersink the screws, just a little bit, to keep the screws from possibly scratching the floor.

Next, I carefully carried all the cut pieces inside and upstairs to where I would build the bed. I laid out the two 2 X 10s on the floor and placed the 2 pieces of 2 X 8 in between them.

Next, I attached everything with 3 inch deck screws.

The 2 X 8s were screwed, using three deck screws, one foot in from the top and bottom. The 2 X 8s were also leveled with the top of the 2 X 10s, to form a level surface.

One of the 56 inches long 2 X 4 was screwed into the bottom notch while the two 53 inch long 2 X 4s were screwed along the side of the 2 X 10s, level with the bottom of the 2 X 8.

As you can see, in the above picture, a frame is created within the 2 X 10s. This frame is 56 inches long by 45 inches wide. The frame is recessed about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the 2 X 10, to allow air to circulate under the bed.

Next, I went downstairs and cut a piece of plywood into a 56 inch by 45 inch rectangle. Then, ... I carried it upstairs and attached it to the bottom of the recessed frame with 2 inch deck screws along the edge and the middle. I also used 3 inch deck screws at the corners and along the middle edges.

The next one I build. I will also glue the plywood to the frame for added strength.

If you embiggen the picture, you might be able to count how many screws I used to hold the bottom.

After everything was attached, I carefully laid the bed frame on the floor. Be careful, it's starting to get heavy.

Next, ... I want downstairs, grabbed a drink of water and cut the remaining 2 X 4 to 79 1/5 inches long. Carried it up stairs and laid it in the top notch.

I did not attach it to the 2 X 8, yet.

Next, I went down the stairs and started cutting the other two pieces of plywood to the proper dimension.

Now, I can be crazy, as you can see in this project, so there are a couple of ways to finish this bed frame. You could cut the two pieces of plywood down to 79 1/2 inches long by 29 3/4, fill the cache and screw the two sheets of plywood to the frame. Securing the 2 X 4 in the process.

Then, when you need something out of the cache, you unscrew the plywood and pull whatever you wanted out and go from there.

Or, ... You could cut the middle of the plywood out and make two 'doors' for the cache.

To do this, is pretty simple.

First, cut the two pieces of plywood down to 79 1/2 inches long by 29 3/4 wide.

Next, taking a sheet of paper (so you don't forget) draw a picture like this.

ADD DRAWING

Then, measure from the top edge of the bed frame, along the 2 X 10, to the middle of the 2 X 8 (the cross piece). The measurement should be around 12 3/4 inches. This will give the plywood an overlap of about 3/4 inc for securing the plywood to the 2 X 8. Make sure to measure both left and right hand side, to make sure they're even.

Next, measure the bottom.

Starting from the bottom edge, along the top of the 2 X 10, measure to the middle of the 2 X 8 (the cross piece). Once again, this measurement should be around 12 3/4 inches. Make sure to measure both sides, to make sure they are even.

Next, measure between the 2 X 10s, from the middle to middle. This measurement should be 46 1/2 inches. This allows the plywood to overlap 3/4 inch on each 2 X 10.

After all this is done, I'm almost ready to cut the opening for the plywood to size, but first, I have to mark the plywood.

First, mark the top and bottom on each sheet of plywood (cut down to 79 1/2 inches long by 29 3/4 wide) I want all the way across, so I would be able to easily transfer my other measurements.

Next, you will have to divide your, between the 2 X 10, measurement. It should be 23 1/4 inches.

Now, here comes the hard part. I have to remember which sheet of plywood is going to be the right and which one is going to be the left, also the top and bottom of each sheet.

I always write on the plywood, left, right, top, and bottom ; - )

Once I determined left and right; I measured from the middle, marking the 23 1/4 inches.

Warning:
A long time ago, I learned to measure twice and cut once.

So, ... I made sure to remeasure everything a second time to make sure all the dimensions were correct, before cutting the plywood.

After all the measurements have been marked on the plywood, I'm ready to cut.

So, .. I reset the circular saw's blade for cutting plywood. Yes, I unplugged the saw ; - )

Once, the two sheets of plywood are cut, I will have two "C" shaped pieces and two small plywood sheets 23 1/4 wide by 54 1/2 inches long.

Once I had these four pieces of plywood, I carried them upstairs and test fitted the "C" shaped pieces to the frame, making adjustments as needed. Of course, I needed to make an adjustment, (I didn't like the fit) so I carried them downstairs and shaved about an 1/8 inch off the top and bottom of the "C."

Once that was done, I used 2 inch deck screws to attach the plywood to the frame. Starting at the top, attaching the plywood to the 2 X 10s first then moving down to the bottom, attaching the plywood to the 2 X 10s. Next, I attached the middle of the plywood to the 2 X 10s and 2 X 8s.

And, ... That is when I adjusted the 56 inches long 2 X 4 to properly fit.

Once, I was finished, I placed the cache's cover (found they didn't fit, too big) on the opening and called it good (after I cut about 1/4 inch off each side, so they would fit properly)

Next, I took a full sized flat sheet and placed it on top the bed frame and started placing the box springs and mattress on the bed frame. This protects the box springs from the plywood.


The Biggest Mistake
Of course, I made a mistake.

The cache isn't deep enough to hold .50 caliber ammo cans, not even on their side.

Only .30 caliber (small) ammunition containers (ammo cans) can fit in this cache.

Oh well, ... Version 3.0, here I cut ; - )


Doesn't Fit the Narrative
As (almost) always, some of the pictures didn't fit the narrative.

This picture is one of the middle 'feet' with the felt pad attached. In the future, I would bevel the ends of the feet, so it looks nicer.

This picture gives you an idea of how the 2 X 8s are positioned on the 2 X 10s, with the tops level and the bottom about 1 to 2 inches from the bottom, allow air circulation under the bed.

This picture shows how the 2 X 4s butt up to the 2 X 8s making a frame to secure the bottom, with screws.

I used an electric drill to screw the screws through the 2 X 10s. I wanted it as strong as possible, to carry a lot of weight.

Memorial Day 2015

U.S. Military Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer,

Calvados, Normandy (ca 2005)

photograph by

Urban

Memorial Day
After our country's bloodiest war, Decorations Day was started by the Grand Army of the Republic as an occasion to remember and decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. During World War I, the holiday grew to include remembering the war dead, from that conflict. The holiday has grown to include remembering all of military members dying during service to these United States from the revolution to current times, such as ...

Mikayla Bragg

Randy Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Elizabeth Kealy

John M. Dawson

and, ... Many Others

Link:
Wikipedia - United States Military Casualties of War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war 

Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff, on a Sunday (AR-15 Magazines)