What NOT to stockpile?

[weekendclimber]

chemical, biological attacks, flood, volcano....who knows. I just like the idea of being prepared for whatever. Of course now that I think of some of the possibilities, I could be hosed.

My philosophy is to rely on nothing, to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining with nothing more than a pocket knife and my wits. It's easy to make traps and eat plants and be able to survive indefinitely.

 

[Izzy]

My philosophy is to rely on nothing, to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining with nothing more than a pocket knife and my wits. It's easy to make traps and eat plants and be able to survive indefinitely.

PLEASE, correct me if I'm wrong, aren’t you "relying" on these plants & animals being there when you need them.

Please don't take this as a personal attack, I just don't understand how one can see a lack of planning as a good plan.

 

[weekendclimber]

PLEASE, correct me if I'm wrong, aren’t you "relying" on these plants & animals being there when you need them.

Please don't take this as a personal attack, I just don't understand how one can see a lack of planning as a good plan.

No offense taken. I seriously doubt that anything man can throw at nature will completely destroy things. A few million years ago an asteroid hit this planet and life survive, plants included. If the nuclear holocaust starts, I'll be running toward the mushroom cloud, because who would want to be around after that anyway. Ritual suicide is always an option, because when you die time reboots anyway. Don't make me explain that last point, my astrophysics is a little to rusty to give a lesson on that.

 

[g.i. joe]

Consider items generally found on "black market" lists from generations gone bye. They seem to have been a staple for a reason, and I'm sure will still hold today. These are basic items: Vodka, cigarettes, chocolate, and coffee.
Vodka is is an excellent pain killer, disinfectant, and makes you feel happy when sad.
Cigarettes, nothing useful about them unless your an addict, but have excellent trade value. People will give up their last meal for a smoke.
Chocolate, keeps the spirits of the youngsters up.
Coffee, a stimulant and an appetite suppressant, also great for enemas.
The point here is, even if you don't use these items, historically, they are great for barter.

 

[Father of four]

What not to stockpile? Beets

As for Weekendclimber, he has a great point. In time our food supply will be used up.

Knowing how to find or make drinkable water, how to identify and prepare wild edible food, knowing how to trap, hunt and store wild game and knowing how to plant, grow, harvest your food and seeds is another great way to be prepared in a SHTF situation.

If a persons house burns down will all their supplies or thugs take their stuff, what will they do? There are alternative ways to prepare then just buying stuff.

Having a bunch of supplies is great but Knowledge is power they say!

 

[Izzy]

What not to stockpile? Beets

As for Weekendclimber, he has a great point. In time our food supply will be used up.

Knowing how to find or make drinkable water, how to identify and prepare wild edible food, knowing how to trap, hunt and store wild game and knowing how to plant, grow, harvest your food and seeds is another great way to be prepared in a SHTF situation.

If a persons house burns down will all their supplies or thugs take their stuff, what will they do? There are alternative ways to prepare then just buying stuff.

Having a bunch of supplies is great but Knowledge is power they say!

I do not completely disagree with Weekendclimber, I believe in being prepared for most every thing.
Fishing, hunting, trapping & knowing your plants (food & medicine) Is a very large part of being prepared.

I feel that having food & supplies here at home & other places on top of being prepared for the " hunter/gatherer" scenario is the way to go.

I have said before if your not prepared to "bug in & bug out" your not prepared!! It's easy to think of one SHTF scenario & prepare for it, but you NEED to prepare for as many scenarios as possible, this is not easy but necessary!

 

[CJ49er]

I feel that having food & supplies here at home & other places on top of being prepared for the " hunter/gatherer" scenario is the way to go.

agree

 

[kenno]

I like this thread, it is opening up new paths to follow!
As for last minute shopping; I'd rather be "Overstocked" on realitively cheap perishables that I could use for barter than go into a grocery store when Midnight strikes!
As a child my mother took me grocery shopping once, we entered a Ralph's Super Market, the largest in the area. Several clerks loitered around the check-out stands and another young employee was sweeping-up a pile of sugar from a broken bag dropped by a frenzied shopper. All the market employees were in a state of shock, they looked at us as if we were ghosts or crazy. There was no food in the Super Market, there was some laundry detergent and household hardware items, that's it. It was the Cuban Missile Crisis and my mom was just a few hours behind the learning curve.

 

[Izzy]

I like this thread, it is opening up new paths to follow!
As for last minute shopping; I'd rather be "Overstocked" on realitively cheap perishables that I could use for barter than go into a grocery store when Midnight strikes!
As a child my mother took me grocery shopping once, we entered a Ralph's Super Market, the largest in the area. Several clerks loitered around the check-out stands and another young employee was sweeping-up a pile of sugar from a broken bag dropped by a frenzied shopper. All the market employees were in a state of shock, they looked at us as if we were ghosts or crazy. There was no food in the Super Market, there was some laundry detergent and household hardware items, that's it. It was the Cuban Missile Crisis and my mom was just a few hours behind the learning curve.

This is a GREAT example, thank you very much for sharing this with us!!!

 

[Siglvr]

Two words "North Cascades".......Marmots are plentiful enough up there, that I'd have plenty of meat. Even in winter

I've got a thousand bucks that if you start prepping right now, and walk in there in September/October with whatever you can carry on your back, you will be dead before the snow melts. Guaranteed fella. Sorry...but it's better to live realistically.

Better if you head to the beach and while waiting for the scenario to play out and things are still good: study the crazy stuff you can pull out of the ocean or ground to eat. The temps stay moderate all year, there is always wood for campfires and shelters (cedar slices oh so nice), and tasty healthy food is a quick dip net or pull a few mussels out of the ocean away. There's a reason 90% of the animals drop down to lower elevations in the winter.

 

[simpleguy]

MRE's.......store what you eat, eat what you store. I don't eat MRE's, I don't store'em.

 

[cyborg]

Ok...so taking in what everyone is saying.... though i have many things in proper rotatable quantities now I should not seriously consider it reasonable that I would have time to bulk up to the required post-SHTF levels if I wait until the last minute. SO with something critical and perishable like cooking oils for example, I should get them and just accept that there will be some loss dues spoilage and rotate them out as the spoilage gets near.

I agree with what soem of you have said about gaining knowledge as a back up to my storage plan. I have hunting,trapping and foraging skills that I am working on....this is a wise choice as we must have back up plans.

I will wait on bulking up on spices beyond my pre-SHTF rotatable stockpile level though. Many can be grown myself if need be.

 

[Gunner3456]

What not to stockpile? If you don't have the cash to "get ready," then I'd say get rid of your toys. That antique collector Schwinn bike or that ski boat would look awful silly if you're hungry.

 

[cyborg]

Gunner,

It is not a question of having the money to buy the stuff but rather not wanting to stock proper levels now which will spoil due to my inability to rotate it fast enough. THe point of the thread was to see if anyone feels there might be some things that could wait. Apparently the consensus is .... no.

 

[Gunner3456]

Gunner,

It is not a question of having the money to buy the stuff but rather not wanting to stock proper levels now which will spoil due to my inability to rotate it fast enough. THe point of the thread was to see if anyone feels there might be some things that could wait. Apparently the consensus is .... no.

OK, my wife's family has a 4,000 acre wheat/grain and cattle ranch in E. Oregon. They store grains in galvanized grain elevators, sometimes for a couple of years hoping the price will improve. It gets freezing cold and really hot in those elevators with no apparent damage.

If you're sealing basics like sugar and salt, beans and grains in mylar with oxygen absorbers, I think you'll be fine because your temps can't possibly vary as much as those elevators do... ??

Just a thought... ??

 

[cyborg]

Gunner, Yes i have all my core staples secured just as you described. Things like cooking oil that are more perishable than wheat berries and rice requires more rotation that I will be able to do.

 

[Gunner3456]

Gunner, Yes i have all my core staples secured just as you described. Things like cooking oil that are more perishable than wheat berries and rice requires more rotation that I will be able to do.

Some things I will just have to get rid of (take it to the Gospel Mission or similar) just before it expires and replace it.

 

[kenno]

I've been following this thread,,,,some people getsooo annal about what? Thier food might degrade? Yes of course it will degrade! Now you want to give it away while it is still 'good'. Not GOOD enough for YOU? Not GOOD enough for your children?
Yeah, give it away.
Feed the 'Poor', the addicted
Don't save it as barter.
Dear God, don't save it to feed your kids.
To buy-off the vermin in Portland. or even establish a political structure.
No don't do that,,,
Feed the 'poor' now, today, while they expect to be fed, and have no loyaltys, Heck they can still buy sushi (for free) at PDX.
Yeah give it to them NOW with no conditions.
Excelent use of your post-tax dollars, instead of buying something for your kids or MOM, maybe, if your feeling guilty, for your dad.

 

[Trlsmn]

I've been following this thread,,,,some people getsooo annal about what? Thier food might degrade? Yes of course it will degrade! Now you want to give it away while it is still 'good'. Not GOOD enough for YOU? Not GOOD enough for your children?
Yeah, give it away.
Feed the 'Poor', the addicted
Don't save it as barter.
Dear God, don't save it to feed your kids.
To buy-off the vermin in Portland. or even establish a political structure.
No don't do that,,,
Feed the 'poor' now, today, while they expect to be fed, and have no loyaltys, Heck they can still buy sushi (for free) at PDX.
Yeah give it to them NOW with no conditions.
Excelent use of your post-tax dollars, instead of buying something for your kids or MOM, maybe, if your feeling guilty, for your dad.

:huh:

 

[phathom]

Feed the 'poor' now, today, while they expect to be fed, and have no loyaltys, Heck they can still buy sushi (for free) at PDX.
Excelent use of your post-tax dollars(sarcasm), instead of buying something for your kids or MOM, maybe, if your feeling guilty, for your dad.

I think he's saying to be selfish and not give your expiring supplies away to the homeless and less fortunate. I think he's saying to either use it yourself or buy stuff that won't degrade for your family. Or buy gifts for your parents and kids.