With all the news going on in the world around us, and some right here at home, it has pushed my prepping into high gear. Could this be nothing other than saber rattling and trash talk from one leader to another? It could be. But am I willing to risk not being prepared in case something does happen? Not a chance.
My concerns range from North Korea, to Antifa, to the never-ending supply of money the government thinks it has. While the threat from North Korea is a little overhyped by the mainstream media, the silence surrounding government corruption (unless your Donald Trump) and government spending is deafening.
I have been listening to many different news shows as well as podcasts, and even though I really don’t want anything to happen, it could. I want to make sure I am as prepared as I can be, just in case. And if my internal sense is incorrect, well I guess my family and I will be that much more prepared for a little bit longer. I’m ok with that.
One of my priorities for prepping is of course food. I love food. My family loves food too. And I love the feeling of having a substantial back up of food. We spend hundreds of dollars each month to feed out families, and it’s nice to know that if the money train stops, I can still feed my family.
Sometimes though, this can get a little out of hand. We have cupboards and closets that are filled with food storage. And when we run out of conventional storage, we start thinking out of the box, and create some additional areas to store even more food.
When Packaged Food Nears Expiration Date
And when we inevitably have some food that has reached, or is near reaching its expiration date, we transfer that up to our kitchen pantry. OR, if it’s way past its expiration date, I save it. Do you wonder why I save expired food?
This may be a little too far out there for some people, but it works for me. Let’s say that there was some scenario that happened, and I had people coming into my home demanding I give them my food. I am a lot more willing to give them food that is near its best by date or well past it.
I will have that food in plain sight while the really food storage is safely hidden away. If things are that dire, I can assure you people will try to get what you have, and if there is no stopping them I will give them that food.
Count Your Calories
Another thing to think about is how you eat now, versus how you will be eating in case of an SHTF situation. According to different studies that have been done, the average American consumes between 2800 and 3300 calories a day. And I’m not sure I agree with that number. Watching what people I work with put into their bodies on a daily basis, they eat way more than 3000 calories a day.
I am confident in an SHTF situation you will not be consuming 3000 calories. I mean you could, but then how long will your food storage last?
Which means you need to plan your long-term food storage to last you based on the number of calories you want to consume daily. Have you ever gone on a diet? And have you had success with said diet?
In my opinion, most of us fail to be successful with diets because food is everywhere, and so easy to get. We can always start a diet tomorrow, or try to eat healthier tomorrow. But what if the power goes out tomorrow, and doesn’t come back on instead? So you are going to have to make do with the food you have in your house.
If you are eating 3000 calories a day, how long will that food last you? You may have to do some serious planning because if you dropped your calorie intake down to 1500 calories per day you could increase the length of time your food would last times 2!
You also should consider how many people are in your family, and/or how many people you will be preparing meals for. Because you will need to accommodate their caloric needs too.
This is why long term food storage is so important to think about.
Your Food Will Run Out
No matter how well you prepare and plan, eventually your food storage will run out. Everyone’s food storage will run out eventually. Unless one day we are lucky enough to have food replicator’s, then this discussion might be irrelevant. But until that day comes, you need to plan on what you will do when you no longer have food stored.
The majority of people will not be thinking about this until the open the cupboards and find there isn’t anything left. You and I on the other hand are already looking several years ahead, and planning on what we will do for food.
Long Term Food = Short Term Solution
Your long-term food storage is not meant to last forever. It is meant to help get you through until your other options have come into play. For example, if everything goes down in the middle of the winter, you will most likely have a few months before you can even begin to get your garden going, and even longer before your food is ready to be harvested and preserved.
In a short term disaster scenario, long term food storage is a great way to bulk up your food supply very quickly. Dale and I have a mix of pantry foods and long term food. We sell Legacy Food Storage products at the SHTFShop, If you are interested or have any questions, let us know here?
Your long term food storage is meant to supplement and get you through until your alternative food sources are available. This is why your planning is so important when considering just how you will create your long term storage plan.
Diversify Your Pantry
You do want to include regular shelf life type products like canned goods and pantry items. Staples like flour, spices, noodles, etc can be a mixture of regular grocery store purchases, and also include some longer term shelf life items that you can find from companies like Legacy, or Augason Farms.
You will also want to include your own preserved food if you are capable of doing this. If you have never attempted canning, or making meals in jars, now would be a good time to start learning these skills.
And above everything, always store what you eat and eat what you store in order to make the most of your long term food storage.
Discover more from Survivalist Prepper
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.