07 Nov
Food

Survival Food

The first survival food also known as MRE (meals ready to eat) was established during the revolutionary war and consisted of enough to feed a man for a day. The meal consisted of mostly beef, rice and peas. Canned meats were replaced during World War I with preserved meats (salted or dried).

 

The US Department of Defense began developing survival food in 1963 referred to as emergency essentials – a ration relying on packaging technology and modern food preparation to establish a lighter replacement for canned meals in 1975. The meals consisted of dehydrated food stored in plastic retort pouches. The MRE (meals ready to eat) has been continually developing since 1993. The US Department of Defense looked at emergency essentials such as storable foods as a winning situation. Moving into 2012, the Department of Defense presently views meals ready to eat as freeze dried foods.

 

Most survival food taste as good as a home cooked meal by just adding hot water and in 10 minutes your meal is ready to consume.

 

Emergency rations and high calorie bars are good for survival food, they do not require cooking, are light weight, and can be stored in places for years – waiting for you to eat.

 

Long term storage food is designated for longer shelf life. They are hermetically sealed to prevent a build up of bacteria or oxidation and they are dehydrated. These foods can last 7 to 30 years or longer. Rice, wheat, and dry beans can last a long time; as long as they remain in a cool area. Honey can last thousands of years.

 

A survival kit is essential to have; it should consist of basic supplies and tools prepared ahead of time as an aid to survival in an emergency or disaster. These survival kits should consist of supplies and tools providing basic protection against the elements to help you keep warm and to meet your first aid and health needs, and to provide food and water.

 

It is important to place survival food in a place accessible to a location outside of your office or home in case of a disaster or structural damage. You should also have survival food in your car just in case you may be away from home when a disaster occurs.

 

 

Survival Food for an Emergency

 

Emergency food supply should be on hand for times of structural damage and disasters. They are ready to eat and packaged to stay fresh.

 

Emergency water should also be included in your survival kit. You should have at least 1 gallon per person for each day. The water should be in a sanitary container and placed in a cool dark place.  You should replace your water every six months.

 

These emergency preparedness products will have you ready for unexpected emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes or any natural disaster, or even unemployment or unplanned interruptions in your life.

 

This emergency food is perfect for camping, outdoor recreation and mountain climbing, home storage, power outages, emergency food storage, or for any disaster or food emergency.

 

Emergency food storage helps everyone become self sufficient. With emergency food storage, it helps you to prepare for unseen hardships.

 

We should all plan ahead for disasters. Therefore, you will not have to depend on others for help. It will give you and your family the security they need to be safe and self sufficient.

 

Being prepared when a disaster comes will give you and your family a feeling of well-being and knowing that they will be in comfort until everything gets back to normal.

 

Emergency food storage is a smart way to give your family a more secured future. The best practice is to use what you store, and make sure that you store what you use. Make sure that you purchase only the food that you and your family will consume.

 

30 Oct
Food

Prepare Your Pantry for an Emergency

In light of the recent Earthquake magnitude 7.7 off the coast of British Columbia and the ongoing Hurricane Sandy, we offer this advice to prepare your pantry.

When an emergency strikes, many people realize that they don’t have enough food and water supplies to last until help can arrive, or until electricity, water, and transportation are restored. It’s easy and inexpensive to assemble an emergency food supply that will be ready when you need it.

According to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, you should have enough food and water for each member of your family to survive for three days (72 hours) without assistance. Do the math before you put your food supply together. For example, a family of four will need a total of twelve meals.

Think about the specific needs of each family member. If you have an infant, include canned or powdered milk in your emergency food kit, even if you are nursing. Is anyone in your family diabetic or on a reduced-sodium diet? Make sure that your supplies include foods that are healthy and safe for them.

Keep a manual can opener in your food supply kit. You don’t want to have to go searching for a can opener in the middle of an emergency.

Remember that pets are family members, too! Stock your kit with a three-day supply of food for each pet, and make sure you have enough water for them as well.

Even if you have a propane camp stove for emergencies – a great investment! – your options for heating and preparing meals will be limited. Before you can “just add water,” you’ll have to boil water from your supply, and washing dishes uses up water, too. Often, it will be easiest to eat meals directly from the can.

Emergencies are stressful, so choose comforting and familiar foods that you’ll enjoy. If your kids think of canned pasta as a special treat, include some in your emergency food kit! If your supply includes a variety of appealing choices, you’ll keep a positive frame of mind as well as a full stomach.

Once you’ve put your emergency food supply together, make sure you keep it up to date. Even canned and non-perishable foods have expiration dates. FEMA, the United States’ emergency management department, advises that canned fruit, vegetables, soups, and meats should be eaten within one year of purchase. Freeze-dried and dehydrated meals can last much longer – up to 25 years.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be well-fed through any emergency!

20 Sep
Food

Long Term Food Storage

Everyone has some type of pantry covering long term food storage. Storing food in large plastic containers, cans and other sources are common place in outlying areas. Most experience long term food storage with kitchen canisters, storing flour, cookies and other treats. Long term storage is a necessity for people who still live in regions where going out to the store is not a short walk. People living away from urban areas and in places that are considered quite desolate still need to concern themselves with long term food storage.

Stores are filled with plastic bins and aluminum containers good for long term storage. Can goods produced by manufacturers last for years. Many are light weight and packed in aluminum cans and have pop top opening that do not require can openers. Long term food storage is found with a shelf life of as much as 25 years, so there is no danger of your investment failing. Large homes over the centuries found a self sustaining lifestyle very wise. Most people do not have land and livestock to supply all of their needs. But there are long term food supply companies that sell huge amounts of dried foods prepared for to last for years.

Long term food storage is a wonderful idea for churches and homes. Flour and other dry items are stored by many organizations for the usefulness of the idea. Buying at every turn is not always possible nor is it practical making long term food storage a brilliant idea. Access to transportation and money does not always guarantee access to the things needed. Food sitting close at hand under any circumstance is better than a grocery store a few miles away. A shift in any environmental circumstance can keep you away from the staples you need to survive. Illness, work, weather; there is no way to tell and being prepared for any alternative is the best option.

Foods particularly packaged for long term storage are good to have around. Storing food in freezers is a nice option but this food is perishable and subject to freezer burn. Long term food storage is stored differently and can last for many years. It is there whenever you need it and you do not need to worry about it constantly. If you are not home and there is a power outage, there is no worry, and generators do not always kick in.

 

 

17 Jul
Food

Food Tips for Survivalists

Storing food for emergencies isn’t difficult as you might think. Most of your decisions will come down to price, availability and food preferences – there is a survival food plan of action for just about everyone.

Many survivalists buy MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat. These are a good option as they provide about 2,000 calories per meal plus essential vitamins. Sometimes referred to as ‘heater meals’ because they can come self-heating or with specially made heaters, the packaging on MREs is sturdy and they do not require water to cook. Frequent complaints about MREs, however, are that they do not have a very long shelf life and the taste of some of these meals leaves a bit to be desired. Family favorite meals are available with MREs, though. You can expect to find spaghetti, beef stew and even fruit!

Some companies offer dehydrated pre-packaged meals that do require hot water to cook. The quality of these meals is much better than MREs, but they come with a price tag to match. The packaging usually isn’t as durable, but these meals weigh significantly less than MREs, enabling you to carry more food with you. Many of these meals provide around 1500 calories and the varieties are virtually endless. Shoppers can even find vegetarian entrees!

You can also buy your own dehydrated fruits, vegetables and meats which can be prepared fairly quickly, but usually do need hot water to cook them. Look for hardy foods that pack lots of protein and necessary vitamins – spinach, broccoli, oranges, bananas and even peas and carrots will provide great nutrition.

Making your own provisions is relatively easy and less expensive than buying prepared foods. Buy fruits and vegetables in season and dehydrate them yourself, storing them in labeled and dated vacuum sealed bags. This allows you to choose what you store and eat. Look for granola bars with long shelf lives, as well as protein-rich nuts.

A great food that you can make yourself that will store for a very long time and transports well is pemmican. It is made with dried meats, berries and rendered fat. Making a batch of pemmican every couple of months or so and storing them can keep you in essential nutrients for quite a while.

Always be mindful of the expiration dates of your stored food, and rotate the old and new foods to make sure that your stores are as fresh as possible.

Probably the most important tip for survival food, though, is to store what you like to eat. Including your family’s favorite foods can make emergency situations easier to endure.

07 Jun
Food

Food is an Essential Part of Emergency Preparedness

The key to being prepared in case of an extreme emergency is stocking up with food and water. While this may seem like an obvious facet of any emergency preparedness plan, there are many people that do not actually follow through and obtain the food stuffs for the plan. The real key in setting up an emergency food plan is getting it all written down. By simply stating that a household must obtain food stuffs in case of an emergency is not enough. The fact is that most people do not purchase food items that last long and that will not perish within a few weeks or months.

A household should create a list of items to purchase and then find a place to store everything. Every member of the household should know where their stock is and understand how to ration it should the time ever come. It may seem like an expensive and daunting task to stock these items, but it is absolutely necessary for every household to do so. Along with an escape and cover plan, food is the most important aspect of any emergency plan – it’s the only way to truly survive.

Some of the items that a household should consider purchasing include canned foods that are meant to last at least a couple of years. Among the available canned foods are freeze dried meats, tomato powder, granola, wheat, vegetables, and more. But there are also “luxury” foods that come in cans such as imitation vanilla powder, freeze-dried ice cream chips, fruits, candy, and more. Additionally, every household should also consider storing plenty of water and other liquids, since the body cannot go more than a couple of days without water. Instant dry milk is also available for stocking and can be a great way to get necessary nutrients.

Some sites sell a year’s supply of food for one person, or a six month supply for two people. Purchasing a couple of these for a large household can be a quick and easy way to get enough stocked food that includes all the necessary nutrients as well as water and “luxury” items.