Reasons Why you Should Store Canned Food

Posted on June 4, 2013 by admin

Whether you are a prepper or not, there are many reasons why you should store canned food. Most grocery stores only carry two days’ worth of food. If a disaster should strike your area, food will be limited. Those who have a good supply of canned food will be able to deal with the crisis better than others.

Purchasing freeze-dried and dehydrated survival food is great for prepping. However, if you are on a tighter budget and want to increase your food stash, you should invest in canned food. Here are seven reasons why you should add canned food to your stockpile:

1) Price – When you purchase items in bulk, you can save up to 75 percent by getting mostly canned foods rather than freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Even if you are not buying in bulk, you can find great deals on canned food.

2) Long-lasting – Many canned food have a shelf life of between one and several years. If you have canned food in your stash, be sure to rotate it and eat foods that are coming close to their expiration date.

3) Variety – If you had to, you would eat the same thing every day, but people like variety and choices. With canned foods, there is a wide variety of options to choose from.

4) Nutrition – Canned foods can be very nutritious and rich in protein. The protein will help keep your strength and the higher calories will be good for you when you are in survival mode.

5) Water – There is very little water in freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. The water that is in canned food will make preparation easier.

6) Familiarity – Many of the things families normally eat, chicken, beef, ham, fish, vegetables, beans, and pasta, can all be found in canned form. In the event of a disaster, being able to eat foods your family is used to will help normalize the situation.

7) Safe storage – Sometimes bugs and rodents can infiltrate boxes and bags, but very seldom do they break into a can.

Best Ways to Store Emergency Food

Posted on October 2, 2012 by admin

Where and how should emergency food be stored? In many cases, you are going to need your survival food to be in the same area that you plan on doing your surviving. Storing your survival food on-site is the best idea. Other supplies you could store somewhere, or you can have some of your food in storage, but emergency food should initially be kept where you’ll be the most likely to have access to it, which is also where you would probably need it the most, as well: at home.

Store food in a dry place, somewhere that is low in humidity if possible. Moisture can cause problems with stored foods like rice or anything else where bacteria could grow, and you should always be cautious of where you’re storing them. Also, if you are storing any canned goods, you will want to be sure that there is no possibility of rusting from excessive humidity or moisture.

Unless you are storing the food in a bomb shelter or basement or other place where flooding is not an issue, you should store your supplies somewhere high-up if possible. While this may not always be an option, it’s suggested that you store your emergency food as high up as you can to prevent flood waters from affecting your supply in any way.

Nobody should have access to the area if they do not need it. If you have these supplies stored in your home then you should keep them out of the way and somewhere only you have access to, like a locked room or a safe.

You can never be sure what kind of drastic circumstances will surround an emergency situation, and when disaster strikes, the magnitude of the disaster could be such that you really will need to hide your supplies. The best place you can hide your emergency food supply is somewhere that hasn’t been mentioned here, because it hasn’t been thought of yet.

Choosing a Brand of Freeze Dried Food: Wise, Mountain House, or Lindon Farms

Posted on January 28, 2012 by admin

Natural disasters come in all types. Some lock you inside your home or leave you isolated for days at a time, while others require swift and unpredictable evacuation. So, shouldn’t your emergency preparedness plan, including food storage, be adapted for the type of natural disaster you potentially may face? In preparing for an emergency, consider the conditions to which your area is most prone, and choose your freeze dried food wisely.

Although starting your food storage with basics is recommended, your emergency supply should require minimal preparation and, in some cases, be able to go along with you. There’s no right emergency kit, so consider the benefits and possible drawbacks of popular brands of freeze-dried foods.

• Mountain House is one of the most well-known. With freeze-dried foods packaged in #10 cans, Mountain House kits have a 25-year or longer shelf life and, with already-prepared meals, provide variety for each meal of the day. With Mountain House, add pasta, proteins, eggs, and vegetables to your diet of grains, beans, and milk. #10 cans, however, contain several servings, so, if you go with Mountain House, additionally have a plan for storing all leftovers, which must be eaten within a year from opening.

• Wise Food Storage is another prominent brand. With a similar variety of entrees and breakfast items, Wise considers easy transport with its kits. Although meals are packaged in airtight mylar pouches, a bucket holds all servings. In the event of an emergency, one or more buckets can be quickly grabbed. Additionally, the two-serving pouches are a solution to the leftovers conundrum.

• Lindon Farms eliminates the need for basics, as kits allow an individual to live off 2,000 calories per day. A full year’s supply can essentially be purchased at once. With mylar pouches holding five to 10 servings of entrees, breakfast times, fruits, or vegetables, Lindon Farms also uses buckets for grab-and-go instances. Because the pouches contain several servings, however, have a plan for storing the leftover freeze-dried food.