How much food can you store for survival?3

[philipma1957]

I was think about storing emergency supplies for 2 people.

How affordable is it to store enough food and water for myself and my wife.

A few years ago hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey hard and the shelfs were bare.

Pandemic came and lots of shortages.

So could I reasonable store 30 days of food and water for my wife and I.

How much space?
How much food ?
 how much water?

propane?

I am a diabetic so I use high protein and fat low carb diet.

30 days means
30 cans of chicken
10 cans of tomatoes
10 cans of chickpeas
10 cans of cannaelli beans

10 pounds of roasted peanuts
 5 pounds of walnuts
5 pounds of almonds

a bottle of multi vitamins

and 100 ½ liter bottles of water
a dozen cans of peaches
a dozen cans of pears
some parmalot as it keeps
some cereal

The above should do the trick for my wife and I. For maybe 45 days.

I can afford to have the above list I am thinking a lot of people can’t.

So how exposed are people to a solid disaster.




No fresh meat
No dairy since refrigerated goods may be gone.


I would think most of the world is a short time away from real food issues if food shopping is shut down.

your thoughts and ideas are welcome.

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[cabron]

I'm thinking the same since the crisis is resulting to food shortage. I'm even thinking of moving first to my cousin who live near the lake. Where we could have unlimited fish to catch. And if in case there really is a war coming. Really worried if all these will escalate to a level where there is no U turn. You never know how long it will take.

Don't you think a water purifier will give you more advantage than keeping 100liters?  I'm thinking of putting all the stored food inside a van where you can travel with you wife because this is what I have in mind.

The more you could store I think if you go for dried food vs canned goods. I tried some in a vacuumed plastic and put them all storage box, this will keep you more than 30 days.  But of course you  still need some canned goods. First aid kit and medicines like antibiotic and for flu. I could be overthinking this already but its best to prepare.

[Alisha-k]

Don't you think a water purifier will give you more advantage than keeping 100liters?  I'm thinking of putting all the stored food inside a van where you can travel with you wife because this is what I have in mind.

Don't you think water purifiers could be harmful as it requires overdose of chemicals for the purification process and this chemicals ends up been deposited in the body of the consumer. 100liters of spring water should be preferred because purified water this days are so unhealthy

The more you could store I think if you go for dried food vs canned goods. I tried some in a vacuumed plastic and put them all storage box, this will keep you more than 30 days.  But of course you  still need some canned goods. First aid kit and medicines like antibiotic and for flu. I could be overthinking this already but its best to prepare.

Dried food and canned food in vacuum plastic can last even beyond 30days and is safer for diabetic patients. First aid kit and antibiotics is like a necessity for me i don't think this is overthinking you are just getting prepared for the worst

[Despairo]

People who doesn't have enough money will bought many high carbohydrate foods since it's cheap and would make your stomach full without thinking the nutrition, vitamins etc. They will bought dozen bags of white rice, dozen carton of spaghetti, ramen or noodle.

In my countries it's completely safe and doesn't have many threat of natural disasters, so I didn't think to store many foods for survival.

I think you're forgot to bought a honey jar and low fat milk or almond milk since you have cereal.

[Gyfts]

The space could be variable. In disaster scenarios, you'd want to maintain materials that could keep warmth. Dealing with summer heat isn't as difficult. Water is more important than food for immediate survival, and you need at least half a liter of water per day minimum (factoring in no perspiration from the temperature which is unrealistic). I'd imagine the space you would occupy wouldn't have long lasting generators for AC, so you'd need to increase the water intake. I'd say 90 liters per person minimum a month. Ideally, you'd probably want 120 liters.

Most people need anywhere from 1k-1.2k kcals minimum to survive, so the most space efficient way to get those calories would be high caloric carbohydrates and fatty foods. Lean proteins won't give you enough calories if you're just looking to survive.

[be.open]

your thoughts and ideas are welcome.

It is quite easy to stock up on food for one month (in fact, the experience of the covid-19 pandemic showed back in 2020 that every home should have some food supply for at least three weeks in case of possible isolation) and your plan is also quite suitable for this. It is more difficult to foresee the option if you have to do without going to the grocery store for say a year or two, for example, in the event that the entire civilian infrastructure is destroyed by a nuclear strike. A few years ago, I experimented with making universal dry food for people and created my own recipe for granola - baked oatmeal in honey with the addition of nuts and dried fruits. When vacuumized, granola retains its taste and nutritional properties without noticeable degradation for at least six months (this is from what I personally checked, I think that it is possible with some stretch to extrapolate the result obtained for 25 years, because there is nothing special to spoil there). After creating such a stock of dry food with a long shelf life, you only need to take care of a water disinfection device and iodine tablets in order to have a chance to survive the apocalypse of any complexity. Hopefully I won't need this skill, but I'm glad I have it.

[palle11]

I'm believing your storage of food quest is in a situation where there is no war or other disaster because in such places you hardly will store food for such long time like a month. The people in Ukraine hardly have that luxury of storing food that long because any thing is possible to happen with the attacks. In a peaceful situation, of course you can store for more than a month and beyond. Being a diabetic patient, you need high protein foods and they are really expensive with the level of inflation. You need such storage because you don't have to eat anyhow any more, depending on your space in your apartment, you can get some large containers where you can load food not easily perishing.

[aoluain]

Interesting thread, I'm sure experienced preppers will have it down to a fine art, it would be
nice to hear if there are some preppers here on the forum.

I would say everyone has to some degree a surplus of food in their home but probably not
enough for 30 days. and the list philipma1957 posted in the OP should eb easy to store,
space wise in the home.

Since the pandemic and the war in Ukraine and the resulting inflation and shortages due to
both scenarios it has definitely got me thinking about self reliance along with storing food etc.
more and more.

So much so that this year from early Spring I have started to grow some food, basic food as
an experiment. Its easy over the summer to grow but during the winter a bit more difficult.

So what extra could I add to philipma1957's list?

Cheese as it potentially has an extended shelf live if refridgerated

Nuts and Seeds as these have a long shelf life and are high in protein ad nutrients and energy

Protein bars although expensive for their size they have a long shelf life and are high in . . . Protein

Fresh Vegitables Particularly Potatoes and Onions when stored correctly can last a long time and
are a source of carbohydrate and nutrients

Fresh Herbs / or dried herbs In the case of fresh they offer the opportunity to eat "leafy Greens" and
are easy to grow in your window. In the case of dried they can enhance the taste of an otherwise mundane meal.

Spices

Rice and Pasta Very long shelf life and source of carbohydrate

Other things to consider depending on how far you want to take the subject or how long you would consider
needing to be self sufficient:

Gas stove and gas
Water purification tablets
Medication
Fuel as a heat source for Winter

[wmaurik]

If this is what you need and you will use to anticipate certain storms or crises in life. So I can suggest just two things from some of the foods that are already on your list.

First, for water storage problems, you can use other alternatives such as digging a borehole near your house or in your yard. That way you will always have water and will never be cut off from water forever and you can use it anytime without having to spend money again like buying. But before drinking it, it's a good idea to take the water for cooking first.

The second for storing chickens, you can use other alternatives by buying chickens that are a little big and then keeping them at home for a few days. But you need to prepare the bait for the chicken for a few days as well before you cut it to eat.

Those are the only two things that I can recommend and for the others I think it is very suitable for you to save for 45 days with the aim of anticipating certain storms or crises that can occur at any time in any country.

[buwaytress]

One of the really constant problems we had as food-delivering organisations (when I was working for them) actually tried to answer a lot of these questions, but I already see diabetes might render most of our food packages unusable for you, but as I recall a lot of these are actually lentil based (high protein).

Nevertheless WFP does have a really tried and tested package for pure survival, long shelf life without refrigeration, while keeping max nutritional value in absolute worst conditions. Red Cross packages are similar and even more robust.

One such reference: https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000104979/download/

That's the famous RUSF but many adult versions can be made locally in most countries. They taste like shit but in severe conditions you'll be reasonably healthy just living on these for months. Some refugees spend their entire childhood eating mostly food like this.

Almost certain you can locate manufacturers.

I read (so should not be taken seriously) some doomsday movements or the preppers mentioned above in US also stock and sell all kinds of survival packages, think they tin most of their stuff though. Don't know if these are proven as the more scientific methods of WFP.

For water, I also looked into fog catchers. Those things just condensate water from the air, so it's drinkable, even your waste can be used. Problem they haven't solved I think is a contraption that doesn't need electricity.

Now if only there were people selling all these for BTC eh?

[Leviathan.007]

I cannot say that I agree with the idea of saving food because we are going to face the food crisis or if we are already facing it, a big part of the food crisis comes from people and the demand they have. So they should buy more and collect everything in their homes because of the crisis. At the same time, this will increase the demand and create a hostile atmosphere and other people will also try to do the same thing and this will increase the price and worst, also since we should pay attention to how long you can save the foods, I'm sure that's not a long time, regardless of that in my idea the root of the food crisis is partly because of the war between Russia and Ukraine and another part can be related to the crisis of water.

[Mauser]

Interesting thread, just yesterday I read an article about the updated disaster recommendation how every person can prepare for themselves. It basically sad to have 20 litres of water and 14 kilo of food per person to last 10 days without leaving the house. In crisis times these supplies could also be stretched to 20 days, but it still doesn't seem a lot to me. I am trying now to store provision for a longer period of time. Your 45 days approach seems like a good start. I like your variety of canned goods to not be forced to eat the same thing every day. Canned goods are good if you have space to store, if you are limited on space I would recommend different food. Take a look at the army or mountaineer rations, they very lightly packed because they don't contain any water. Like that they last forever and you can pack a lot of them on each other. The only problem is you need a lot of more water to prepare the meals. One solution can be a water purification system at home that cleans public water. Another thing I would add is vitamin supplements and medicine to make sure we don't get sick.

[kryptqnick]

Having a supply of food for 3 weeks is normally enough for most emergencies. If you realize that it will be longer, you can usually ration the 3-week supply for longer. My changes are based on observations related to the war (Ukraine) and how people were surviving in cases where you really couldn't buy food. Meat and nuts aren't a priority because you can survive without both and food supplies are for survival purposes. Same goes for cans of peaches and pears (unless it's a diabetic thing because you need to ensure you aren't low on sugar, but even for that you should probably store something smaller and more reliable). Water is a must if there is a risk there won't be any or it will be very unsafe to get any, but again, in case of emergency, you can survive on less water than you might normally drink, not to mention all the fluids on the cans themselves. So having 50 litres of water is probably enough. Cans with beans are good, but I'd also add rice, pasta, wheat or something like that because these can make other things last much longer (for example, you can ear chickpeas with rice), and it's more filling. If you are out of electricity, you might have gas. If you're out of gas, you can probably cook on fire. If you're a diabetic and you need meds or there's a chance you'll need them when a diet changes, you must store a healthy supply of meds as well.

[Reid]

The pandemic and lockdown may have trained me from this. I don't want to but it's necessary.
2 years ago or maybe 3. Stayed at home for almost a month. Foods bought at the supermarket once a month and then drinking supply that also last that long.
There's a difference though, I am not diabetic so I guess health issues will surely be something to think about prepping. And then electricity.
I got rice, pasta, canned goods, sardines, tuna, beans, dried fish, frozen goods, nuts (yes this will definitely be a life saver), chocolates.
But the thing with rice and pasta is you need fire, so storing gas will be a necessity. Canned butane are sold in the market that will be loaded in a portable gas stove with the exact size to fit it.

[virasisog]

The pandemic and lockdown may have trained me from this. I don't want to but it's necessary.
2 years ago or maybe 3. Stayed at home for almost a month. Foods bought at the supermarket once a month and then drinking supply that also last that long.
There's a difference though, I am not diabetic so I guess health issues will surely be something to think about prepping. And then electricity.
I got rice, pasta, canned goods, sardines, tuna, beans, dried fish, frozen goods, nuts (yes this will definitely be a lifesaver), and chocolates.
But the thing with rice and pasta is you need fire, so storing gas will be a necessity. Canned butane is sold in the market that will be loaded in a portable gas stove with the exact size to fit it.

I certainly agree with the suggestion that you gave. The pandemic situation also trained me to stock and store foods that could last for a longer period. When buying, always check the expiration date for your safety and assurance. More than anything else, store rice and secure gas as well as clean water. Don't focus on junk foods and those that won't make you full. You also need to store medicine and vitamins. I guess, if we've been through lockdowns during the worse pandemic situation, we've all learned our lesson when it comes to storing and stocking important supplies.

[minime0105]

I am just responding to this with a lay man understanding and general thinking of any human creature. Because looking at this from the beginning then you will understand that there is no amount of food you can store for one and the two persons to survive for an annual or three years that will not get spoilt. If you think of storage of food for long time and  also think of  spoilage of food. So no how you can store food that will serve you for four years.

[Easteregg69]

Say you gotta solve your problems within 4 years then.

What else would one need?

About the can food. People don't eat it so it tends to run out of date. I think it's from some romantic memory.

Fresh frozen. Same story.

[philipma1957]

People who doesn't have enough money will bought many high carbohydrate foods since it's cheap and would make your stomach full without thinking the nutrition, vitamins etc. They will bought dozen bags of white rice, dozen carton of spaghetti, ramen or noodle.

In my countries it's completely safe and doesn't have many threat of natural disasters, so I didn't think to store many foods for survival.

I think you're forgot to bought a honey jar and low fat milk or almond milk since you have cereal.

parmalot is milk in a box keeps for months no cooling needed.

[DrBeer]

.....

Let me tell you my take on this issue. We in Ukraine also have reasons to think about some reserve. The first weeks after the new terrorist attack of the Kremlin bastards (I live in Kiev, the attack began on February 24, 2022), the prospects were not very positive, and we came to the conclusion that we should probably prepare.
We prepared a little in advance (by the way, I also recommend it if there are risks of global problems)
1. Having a home, tactical backpacks. Pre-assembled and stocked. What do we still have in our backpacks?
- hygiene products: soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, sets of wet wipes 10 packs * 50 pcs., antiseptic (in 25 ml spray bottles, 5 pcs.), 5 packets of "dry shower", comb
- underwear: underwear, T-shirts, socks. All cotton (reduces hygiene issues). Warm socks.
- 2 liters of plain water, in a container of 250-400 ml, preferably with the addition of silver (a simple way to disinfect water and increase the shelf life, but it must be changed at least once every 2 months!).
- Cereal bread. 5-6 packs, divided into daily sets.
- Dark chocolate. The most pure and the most containing cocoa. 2 tiles
- Snickers bars 5 pcs. Yes, not the most useful product, especially for those who have problems like diabetes, but very effective.
- Canned food - lard twisted with parsley, garlic and black pepper. An extremely satisfying dish, with a minimum volume. It is completely absorbed by the body and does not give side effects. in vacuum bags of 100 grams, 1 kg total.
- scissors, multi-tool, knife
- Fleece jacket. Tactical hat (convenient and comfortable). Tactical gloves. Spare belt.
- Money (in local currency and dollars, the total equivalent for each is approximately 3000-4000 dollars)
- Documents and copies of documents that may be with you.
- Powerbank, one for 20000, the other compact for 10000. 2x universal type-c cables, with Mini-Usb + type-C termination
- Compass
- Tourist flashlight
- The simplest mobile phone, with maximum autonomy, charged.
- Medications: adhesive plaster (packaging), stopping tourniquet, painkiller, antidiarrheal, bandage, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, drugs to stabilize the intestines and stomach, activated charcoal, potassium permanganate. Well, who needs special preparations - them, depending on the degree of significance. Also multivitamins, divided into 10-20 pieces per sachet, 90 pieces (for 3 months of daily intake)

In the remaining place - whoever wishes from the personal
This is the first part !

The second part.

Stocks of food. What is good for us is that in the complex where I have an apartment, in the basement equipped as a bomb shelter (but not originally intended for this), storage rooms were also sold. From 4 to 15 meters. We bought 15 meters.
There, 2-3 weeks after the start of the terrorist attack on Kyiv and the region, they collected the following:
- drinking water, mineralized, about 12 packs (6 bottles * 1.5 liters, per pack)
- canned food (stewed pork, as the most nutritious and satisfying product, although perhaps not the most useful ). It was difficult to buy, but they were periodically imported, but they gave me and my son as rations (we serve in the territorial defense units of Kyiv). Total collected about 40 cans (450 grams)
- Crackers and bread. Packs 30-40.
- Again, canned twisted lard (lard, garlic, parsley, dill, black pepper). in jars of 200 g, sterile closed, 2 kg.
- Chocolate, protein bars, dried berries, raisins, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews)
- Inflatable mattresses - 4 pcs. Fleece covers 4 pcs. inflatable pillows, 4 pcs.
- Dog food

After the russian terrorists were destroyed in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, most of the stocks were donated to charity, and the longest stored was left in the basement, just in case.


Oh yes, and most importantly - I wish you that this will never come in handy for you!

[coupable]

I do not imagine that any ordinary person is able to store enough food for more than two or three months at the latest, unless he has enough storage machines for longer periods. In the past, people have devised practical ways to store food for long periods, but this is not available to everyone, and if circumstances require a person to secure his food needs for a long period, I do not think he will survive for longer than a month or two.