Highly Concentrated Storage Preps

[Stealth-X]

Hi guys. I couldn't come of with a good title for this so hopefully a couple of you stumble upon this topic.

I am wondering if there are other examples of highly concentrated products to store or ingredients to store for making (whatever) when the need arises.

The best example, and one that got me very excited when I learned about it, is Calcium Hypochlorite ( Ca(ClO)2 ). This stuff is usually a dry granule/powder used to treat pool water (pool shock). The magic of Ca(ClO)2 is that unlike bleach, it stores well over the long term (bleach loses effectiveness rather quickly) and in the Space of 1 bleach bottle I can store several pounds of Ca(ClO)2. One heaping teaspoon will make 2 gallons of bleach. One pound of Ca(ClO)2 will purify 10,000 gallons of drinking water.

So without a little research, a new prepper might just know that bleach can purify water and it's a lot cheaper than water purification tablets. So they buy 8-12 gallons and think they're set. They might not know that it's only recommended to store bleach for 6 months or that it degrades 20%/yr after that. Eventually they'll just have bottles of salt water.

Another couple examples:
Borax- store to later make your own laundry detergent.
Castile bar soap- store to later make your own liquid hand soap.

It seems that anything with a water base could work. Gatorade powder instead of bottles ready to drink is another obvious example.

So my question is this. What else is like this? What else can we stockpile to later create what we need.

Thank in advance-
Nate

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[Joe13]

Concentrated Vinegar if you can find it like they sell in Europe.

I want to say theirs is 30% and ours is 2%.

 

[erudne]

 

[Joe13]

180 proof Alcohol can be diluted.

Run it thru a still and you can get closer to 100% alcohol.

Will last forever.

 

[Joe13]

I think hash is concentrated pot.

Does that count.

 

[Camelfilter]

180 proof Alcohol can be diluted.

Run it thru a still and you can get closer to 100% alcohol.

Will last forever.

Too pricey for me, good idea though!

I try to keep 1-2 gallons of 91% isopropyl alcohol on hand. I find it especially useful for personal hygiene (use instead of "Purcell"), also as a backup for hygiene in the unlikely event of water loss / interruption.

Obviously not to be ingested (poison), but I rarely drink-so no biggie to me.

Handy as a topical antisceptic and such.

 

[Stomper]

Iodine is another handy item to have on hand.

 

[netsecsys]

baking soda

 

[The Heretic]

epson salts

 

[cigars]

Israeli trauma bandages. Hemcon, etc. They not just dress the wound but induce clotting. Small enough to keep in every kids back pack, glove box, EDC bag, etc. Check ebay. All of my kids have one in their backpacks and know how to apply it. Small, simple, cheap enough and can make a difference.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Don't forget cooking oils. Most all of them have 7000 calories per pound and last quite a while.

 

[Stomper]

Plus for entertainment, you can pour a bottle into an inflatable pool and let the ladies wrastle around.... since I assume the TV won't be working anymore.... cough, cough.

 

[MrNatural]

LIFEBOAT RATIONS!

Concentrated food for a day or more, balanced and nutritionally complete with no cooking required in a package about the size and weight of a baseball. Easily dividable/rationable sub-portions. They do not make you crave water (as MRE's are designed to do). Able to be stored in most any temperature extreme for at least 5 years. Significantly longer if stored in moderate, even temperatures.

ABSOLUTELY the best bugout rations in existence.

Several companies make them Datrex, SOS, Mainstay, etc. Check on Amazon. My favorite (after testing the three major brands) are the Mainstay.

For the month of June, Epicenter in Eugene has a sale on 3600 calorie Mainstay rations, Jan 2016 manufacture, at $6 apiece if you buy a case of twenty. That's a serious no-brainer.

Mainstay 3600 Calorie 3-Day Emergency Food Bar Case | TheEpicenter.com (http://theepicenter.com/mainstay-3600-calorie-food-bar-case.html)

 

[Stomper]

Wow, they referring to TWENTY 3,600 calorie bars as a "three day supply"? What, are they trying to keep lumberjacks alive and working through an emergency?!



I suspect they mean each 3,600 calorie bar is a three-day emergency supply.

 

[cigars]

I bought a bunch of Datrex thru ebay. It's not bad. Bargains can be had. It's emergency rations, not meal replacement. It also weighs quite a bit and in the brick form it comes in can take up a lot of space.
Otherwise, it lasts a long time and will get the job done.

 

[Camelfilter]

LIFEBOAT RATIONS!

Concentrated food for a day or more, balanced and nutritionally complete with no cooking required in a package about the size and weight of a baseball. Easily dividable/rationable sub-portions. They do not make you crave water (as MRE's are designed to do). Able to be stored in most any temperature extreme for at least 5 years. Significantly longer if stored in moderate, even temperatures.

ABSOLUTELY the best bugout rations in existence.

Several companies make them Datrex, SOS, Mainstay, etc. Check on Amazon. My favorite (after testing the three major brands) are the Mainstay.

For the month of June, Epicenter in Eugene has a sale on 3600 calorie Mainstay rations, Jan 2016 manufacture, at $6 apiece if you buy a case of twenty. That's a serious no-brainer.

Mainstay 3600 Calorie 3-Day Emergency Food Bar Case | TheEpicenter.com (http://theepicenter.com/mainstay-3600-calorie-food-bar-case.html)

Thanks!

I might buy a few to try when I go down that way to pick up my rifle.

I'd personally be hesitant to spend a bunch on food, without giving it a try first. Especially if I'll be eating it under less than normal conditions (high stress, high caloric needs). I've found that under high caloric needs, I sometimes have odd cravings, and lose any interest in some things, even skipping eating if what I want isn't readily available (don't do that!).

For the most part I stock up on what I normally eat, and a few things I don't eat much (under normal activity). However the few that I stock up on that I don't eat normally, I have under super high activity (so I can expect to enjoy it).

It also took me a long while to find "power bars/meal bars/ protein bars" that I can eat at any time & enjoy.

For me they are "Pure Protein" brand bars. Decent shelf life, decent consistency, decent GI tract treatment. Available at Target & Costco, probably a bunch of other places. Reasonable price, about $1 per bar. Every once in a while they go on special.

YMMV

 

[Stomper]

In SHTF situations fussy-boys go hungry, just sayin'.

 

[Camelfilter]

In SHTF situations fussy-boys go hungry, just sayin'.

I agree, and hope to avoid doing so.

Now in a full on SHTF type situation ("The Road", "The Postman"), I'll eat anything except people...or my own mule (if I were lucky enough to have one)...

 

[Stomper]

Long-pig is DEFINATELY off the table!

 

[Camelfilter]

I don't have cats, but cat litter.

I keep some around for spill cleanup in the garage or on the trail anyways.

Super handy for personal hygiene if you lose plumbing. It's really easy to make your own "wag bags" for safe no water use.

Put a small scoop of cat litter in a tall kitchen garbage bag, fold up and place that inside a 1g ziplock bag. When needed, place kitchen trash bag in a 5 gallon bucket, with the bottom setting inside the ziplock. Works best if you have a slightly smaller bucket inside the 5g bucket, but not required.

I use a commercially made bucket in bucket system made by reliance the "hassock" for camping.