Food preps: rice, beans, pancake mix, salt, what else?

[The Heretic]

Rats will get through just about any kind of plastic container. Plastic inside metal is a good idea.

Yes - but I don't have rats - just field mice. Mice can get thru some plastic if they are determined enough - but they usually don't try on plastic containers - just thin plastic wrappers. Squirrels, raccoons, possum, etc. - those might try. Generally inside the house I keep things like rice/etc. inside plastic bottles/etc. - the dollar store often has one gallon plastic jars. Local guy has thick plastic 55 gallon drums with snap on lids that I am going to get to put smaller containers/etc. into and put those out in the shop.

The luxury of time is one thing that will be difficult to deal with in its absence for many of us. All kinds of routine tasks made easy by modernity go south in bad times, suddenly consuming way more time than we are used to. One example: Staying warm.

Time and energy. Good thing is that my house is well insulated. Having an alternative means of heating the house and cooking is good. My woodstove serves that purpose. I also have a somewhat insulated shop (the rollup doors are not insulated and neither is the roof or the concrete floor and the windows are single pane) - if I have to, it can serve a backup shelter. If someone else has to take shelter outside my house then the shop will keep them out of the rain and wind - especially if they have some kind of camping shelter like a trailer/RV/tent trailer.

My next residence will probably be earth bermed ICF with hydronic floor heating using a geothermal heat pump powered by solar - so much more off the grid.

 

[gmerkt]

but I don't have rats

Well, you're a lucky pup if you don't have any rats around. They were present when I lived in the city decades ago. My mother lived in a nice suburb, she told me she'd see rats running along the utility wires. I lived in a wooded area, they are around quite close. I have traps set up all the time. They want to get into structures during Spring breeding season. They want to get into structures when the weather gets cold. It never stops. You've got to keep any little aperture that they could get into closed up. Ditto mice, they are all around. I have lots of traps set up for them too. Sometimes the rats set off the mouse traps and get a bloody nose, I guess. But the mice that trigger a rat trap, well, they are done.

We have a disposal service that comes around. They provide these big, sturdy, thick plastic wheeled carts to deposit garbage in. One is for yard and food waste. Always being one to get his money's worth, I never put them out along the road partly full. I fill them to the top. These carts are well-scarred with tooth marks from some kind of critters. Has to be rats or squirrels. But I can't make a certain determination because I've never seen it happen. The mystery to me is how they get up onto them, including especially the hinged lids. There isn't anything for them to climb on except the hard plastic surface of the carts. I'd think they couldn't get any traction on that surface. But get there they do, somehow. Nothing nearby that they can ramp on with.

One of my delayed Hippie generation neighbors has an open compost pile. I see evidence of rats chewing on contents. He feeds them, I trap them. I don't favor rat poison, they can ingest the poison, then get into an enclosed space to die.

From what I know, suburban compost piles rarely get used. Their creators have grand ideas of returning nutrients to the soil. But it's work to turn it from time to time, more work to spread it and work it into existing soil. Takes more time than they figure to completely decompose. People like the idea, usually don't follow through.

Vermin are all around. Sometimes I have to kill raccoons, they can be a pest. Once in a while, an opossum gets into something and I have to destroy it. Sqirrels can be destructive, too.

My woodstove serves that purpose.

I've got one of those too, and probably more wood stored than I will burn in what's left of my lifetime. But it's sure a lot more work than flicking a switch on the wall.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I got a notification that one of those Mountain House #10 cans that my now ex loved to buy and stock went on sale. I looked at the lame duck 1/2 cup serving and 10 servings per can for $40 and was like, ugh...no...

So I picked up 50 lbs of rice, 50 lbs of beans, 25 lbs pancake mix, 5 lbs of salt (I already have some food and salt) for $40 today. I am thinking of going back tomorrow to get more of the same. I'm currently storing the 50 lb bag of rice in my freezer to kill the bugs/eggs. I made that mistake once before where I went to use it and there were live bugs all up in there!

I already had about 40 lbs of rice and beans, pasta, salt, canned meat, veggies, etc. But I decided to get more because I would like to have 1 years worth of food on hand, which should be easy to do IMO based on serving sizes with:

100 lbs of rice
100 lbs of black beans
75 lbs of pancake mix
10 lbs of salt

What else should I get? Oatmeal? More pasta? Flour? Potato flakes? I'm going for bang for the buck simple meals that are tasty and high in calories, carbs and protein (and yes I love rice and black beans). I have a garden space (I have a large yard) and I used to raise rabbits and chickens for meat and eggs previously and am CONSIDERING doing it again (though it's a daily chore morning and night...). I will get variety from what I already have on hand (but am open to suggestions), what I grow and raise as well as what I barter for.

And yes I have heirloom seeds and such.

We got one of these:

Commercial | Harvest Right™ | Home Freeze Dryers | Freeze Dried Food Storage

harvestright.com

The advantage is that the food can be pre-cooked before drying. Just add water and it's ready to eat and delicious. We've done things like chili, soup, shredded potatoes, fruit, vegetables, etc. If you seal it in mylar bags with the included sealer it will last 25 years. We got a scratch & blem item for considerably less than retail, and I can't find the defect. Works great.

 

[wp4]

We got one of these:

Commercial | Harvest Right™ | Home Freeze Dryers | Freeze Dried Food Storage

harvestright.com

The advantage is that the food can be pre-cooked before drying. Just add water and it's ready to eat and delicious. We've done things like chili, soup, shredded potatoes, fruit, vegetables, etc. If you seal it in mylar bags with the included sealer it will last 25 years. We got a scratch & blem item for considerably less than retail, and I can't find the defect. Works great.

Probably still cheaper than buying 12 months of mountain house too!?!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Probably still cheaper than buying 12 months of mountain house too!?!

Costs about $3 a run (if you include the cost of mylar bags) that produces the equivalent of 8 Mountain House pouches.

 

[Bushman]

This:

And this:

Just a heads up the lifestraw only filters 1K gallons. The sawyer mini filters 100K gallons, they both cost roughly $20.

 

[Pete F]

Vacuum sealed nuts and lots of dried fruit for the sweet tooth and bowel movements. I have to have dried fruit around for a healthy snack and when I was first living on my own, I mixed raisins with Cheerios for snack time. Dried fruit seems to last quite a while in the original sealed container. I have had dried cranberries from Costco last for several years before they began to dry out. No bugs either. Made cookies with them.

 

[Howard1955]

Just a heads up the lifestraw only filters 1K gallons. The sawyer mini filters 100K gallons, they both cost roughly $20.

There are different sizes available.


Personal Lifestraw: Long-lasting: filters 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters), enough drinking water for an individual for over 5 years. $19.95



Lifestraw Family: Filters up to 4755 gallon or 18000 liter of water to 0.02 microns. $74.99



Lifestraw Community: Lifetime of 26,000 gallons, enough for 100 people for 3-5 years. $395


I'll definitely check out the Sawyer Mini.

 

[Bushman]

You know I had thought about holding off on buying this stuff because I am looking to move but didn't want to move this stuff, been trying to get rid of stuff to prepare for the move. Then I thought to myself, what if an earthquake or something happens? I decided to get it and now with the corona virus (not that worried about that really) issues

There are different sizes available.


Personal Lifestraw: Long-lasting: filters 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters), enough drinking water for an individual for over 5 years. $19.95



Lifestraw Family: Filters up to 4755 gallon or 18000 liter of water to 0.02 microns. $74.99



Lifestraw Community: Lifetime of 26,000 gallons, enough for 100 people for 3-5 years. $395


I'll definitely check out the Sawyer Mini.

I don't think you are understanding the math that I tried to explain to you before....It doesn't matter if there are different sizes available, I'll break it down for you...

1K gallons is 99 times less than 100,000 for the same amount of money. So you pay the same $20 then get 99 times less water filtering capability than the sawyer mini....


But there are different sizes you say...

Ok let's take a look....

LifeStraw family for 4,755 gallons for $75??? REALLY??? That's 21 times less water you can filter for 3.75 times more money than the sawyer mini.

And then lifestraw community??????? 3.85 times less water filtered than the sawyer mini for 20 times the price of the sawyer mini....

 

[zenbreath]

Store what you eat. Eat what you store.

Buy what you eat and buy more and put it away.

After a while, you will build up a 6 month to 2 year supply of everything you need.

 

[The Heretic]

Well, you're a lucky pup if you don't have any rats around. They were present when I lived in the city decades ago.

I live on a mountain in the boonies.

Lot's of field mice (a lot - they get into everything), some squirrels, cougars, coyotes (saw some in my yard the other day), deer, bear, raccoons, possum, rabbits, porcupine and skunks - but I have not seen rats.

 

[Gray Wolf]

Honey, cooking oil, dehydrated milk.
FYI, flaxseed meal is a good substitute for eggs in baking or waffles and pancakes.
1 tbsp of flaxseed meal and 3 tbsp of water for each egg you want to replace. Mix well and let sit for a couple of minutes before you use it. Makes good cornbread too.

 

[The Heretic]

Every single one of you get a fail.








Not one single mention about stocking up on hot sauce.

Spices and spicy sauce, etc., is a given IMO. I have a number of different kinds, and the quantity is more than a gallon, when it only takes a little bit (for me).

 

[gunfreak]

I say sugar as well. We keep it in one of those gamma sealed 5 gallon home depot buckets.

 

[Camelfilter]

I say sugar as well. We keep it in one of those gamma sealed 5 gallon home depot buckets.

Nice.

Sugar and salt don't go bad, so they are an "easy one". However also easily overlooked by many.

Both will brick up, if not stored from humidity. Still good, just a hassle.

 

[Angie]

They are expensive, but I would suggest the freeze-dried meat and cheese, whatever brand. It's probably good to have a variety, as others have said. Some beans and rice, but also some canned foods and freeze-dried canned foods. Salt, oils (consider canned butter or butter powder also). Spices, sugar, oatmeal and other cereal (oatmeal takes up less space) and powdered eggs and milk, along with some evaporated canned milk. Coffee or tea if you like caffeine, and booze if you drink it, hot chocolate if you have kids (marshmallows keep amazingly well in a sealed mylar bag ) Yeast if you think you will bake some bread, along with baking powder and baking soda (multiple uses), and vinegar (also multiple uses). Basically, think of everything you regularly consume and start there.