Container For Long Term Food Storage
Feb0
I've been thinking about this for a while.The two most important things to longterm survival are going to be food and water (assuming you've a secure place to hold up). I've done a lot of research and I've already purchased the majority of items I've mentioned here.
One of the best water filters available is the MSR Mini-works Ex. It's also small enough to fit in any BOB. With a couple extra ceramic filters, you should be good for a long time. A good strategy to add significant life to your filter is simply to place a coffee filter (or a cut piece of white T-Shirt, or both) over then intake hose with a string or rubberband to pre-filter the water. You can easily multiply the serviceable life of your filter this way.
Also, you likely won't be completely blindsided by TSHTF. When you decide that it may be safer to stay home (as opposed to going to work or hitting the road), fill every container in your home with tap water, ESPECIALLY your bathtub. This won't last you forever, but when the tap water eventually stops flowing, you'll be thankful. Exhaust your tap water reserves before you even think about using any bottled water reserves. At first you may be able to drink your tap water without filtering or boiling (depending on the SHTF scenario), but after a couple of days of setting, start doing both.
If you decide to bug out before you exhaust your tap water reserves (which is likely), filter, boil, and bottle as much remaining water as you can carry without jeopardizing mobility.
Long term survival will require finding a relatively uncontaminated source of water, period. Even then you will need to create a filtration system (including charcoal) that you can remake and reuse......and always boil after filtration.
That takes care of water.
For food, you're going to have 2 sources. One source will be your initial pre-SHTF preparation food, which will later become fall-back storage.
Preparation: One of the most tried and true methods for storing food is canning them with mason jars. For this, you will need two things, one is a good supply of mason jars, and the other is a way to heat pressurize them. You could get by with a large pot for most foods, but if you want to store any low-acid foods long term, you're going to need a way to pressurize it to get it to the proper heat levels.
Mason jars are best bought in 1 quart jars as such.
The process is pretty simple....you place your (just barely closed) mason jars into your heating vessel (a pot or something) filled with unheated water. You place that over your stove or a fire and leave it there for about 20 - 30 minutes. Some foods require this to be done under pressure to achieve the proper temperatures, which will require a pot that is airtight. Doing this under pressure has a little more science to it to be done right. You want to do it right too, since if you don't, you could die.
Worth noting is that you really want one that can be done over an open flame (not just plugged in) since if TSHTF you may be without a source of electricity powerful enough to maintain the proper heat levels required. Here are a few.
Also, if you do buy mason jars in bulk, make sure you keep the original packaging they come in. That packaging is great for keeping them from banging around against one another while in a vehicle or when terra is no longer firma.
The other type of food is food that you either grow or hunt. I won't get into growing (since I'm not a farmer) or hunting (since most of us probably know how already). I will give this little advice to those near a body of water.
YoYos are great at gathering food while you're doing something else. You simply set these up and leave. The fish hits the bait and it automatically hooks the fish. You come back in a few hours or the next day, and the fish is still there (and alive) waiting to be eaten. This pack of 12 of them could likely sustain a small family indefinitely near running water.
Small game traps are also worth having, since all that fish will get old eventually. What is nice about small game is that you can sustain them easier. Who needs a refrigerator when you can just keep them alive until you want to eat them. Assuming you don't have salt to preserve the meat of course....which is another way to preserve food for long term storage, but I won't cover that because unless you live near a source of it, salt is non-renewable.
Lastly, its good to have a compact grill. My favorite compact grill is by far the grilliput. Most folks will already have some sort of grill that can be used, even if its just the grill off and old BBQ placed over 4 wooden legs. However, the grilliput folds up to the size of 2 minimaglites placed end to end. The whole grill. It's hard to compete with that usefullness and compactness. I recommend it, but like I said, you may not need it.
A source of fire. All this stuff is well and good, but will be fairly useless without a reliable source of fire. If you're up for starting a fire with two piece of wood like and Indian, more power to you...but for those of us not inclined to that, a good flint lighter is priceless. Two or three would be better than one, since you never know if you may drop/lose one or simply use it to the point that it is no longer serviceable. A reliable lighter will allow you to cook your food and boil your water, which really cannot be understated. It's not just for Bear Grills.
As for weapons. A large caliber rifle is great, and a necessity to bag the occasional big game, but a .22LR will keep you alive. You can still purchase 1,000 rounds of 22LR for less than two hundred dollars. You can also carry a lot more 22LR rounds than you can that big rifle. Since the primary goal of hunting to supplement long term survival, you want to get your food was much as possible with the yoyos and small game traps. They don't need ammo and they'll last pretty much forever. However, a good large caliber rifle is a necessity, as is a 22LR......don't think you're good because you have one or the other, get both, and live.
With that said, a bow and carbon arrows really should be your bread and butter weapon. Carbon arrows will not corrode, nor bend. If you have plastic feathers on it, carbon arrows will last your nearly forever. After multiple kills and/or practice with the bow, the feathers may start to peel, so have a decent supply of glue to repair them. A bow is silent, which will be useful depending on which SHTF scenario you are in, can bag large game, and does not run out of ammo.
When you have these bases covered, you should start looking at purchasing some reloading equipment. I would wait until after you have the equipment mentioned here, since the money that it takes to purchase an adequate reloading setup would be better spent on the previously mentioned equipment.
A main requirement of long term food storage is to keep the food from light, heat, and moisture. To accomplish this, you can use a variety of techniques and container types. As you read through this article, you’ll learn lots of things you probably hadn’t thought of.
5 and 6 Gallon Food Grade HDPE Plastic Buckets
HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic buckets have tight-fitting lids with rubber gaskets. They are ideal for the storage of bulk staples such as grains, legumes, sugar, flour, salt, etc. If you wish, you can purchase an inner liner that is made from metalized foil (mylar). This liner will keep light from harming the food inside and causing deterioration. The liner also acts as a moisture barrier and helps keep rodents out.
While the bucket and a metalized liner is a very good method of storing food, it is not required. You can just store the packed buckets in an area with a low level of light or no light at all.
If you use the mylar liner, you should seal it. This can be done with dry ice, nitrogen flushing, or oxygen absorber packets. The idea is to get out as much air as possible. Once you think that most of the air is out, you can seal it with an iron.
My preferred method is to just rent a cylinder of nitrogen from a welding supply house and flush the bucket with nitrogen. This is generally done with a “wand” that is attached to the hose coming off the nitrogen cylinder. You poke the wand all the way to the bottom of the bucket and turn on the gas. You also will have the lid open just enough to get the wand into the bucket. To see that all the oxygen has been displaced from the bucket, you can light a match and hold it over the open area of the bucket. When the match goes out the oxygen has been displayed.
You will need to poke the wand down into the bucket at three different places. At the 2:00, 6:00, and 10:00 positions. That way you will be flushing the majority of the oxygen from the bucket. If you wish, you can place an oxygen absorber packet in the bucket before pounding on the lid.
For the longest storage life, store the buckets in a dry, cool, area with no light.
#10 Can with Double Enamel
The #10 can holds approximately 1 gallon and are ideal for smaller quantities of food. If you purchase freeze dried food storage from a major manufacturer like Mountain House Food, the cans will have an enamel coating on the inside and outside of the can. The contents are also packed in nitrogen. This type of food storage provides the longest shelf life possible. Mountain House Foods has had laboratory testing done and found that their food lasts for 30 years and longer. However, they have decided to be on the conservative side and only state that it lasts for 25 years.
After you have open a #10 can, you should put a plastic lid on it. Some food units come with a supply of plastic lids. Some don’t. So, if yours doesn’t, you will have to purchase some lids to have on hand.
Mountain House Foods also puts an oxygen absorber packet in each can to further ensure that all the oxygen has been removed from the container. This also helps to prevent insect eggs from hatching in the can. It also prevents rancidity because there is no oxygen.
The Mormon church has canneries available where you can pack your own buckets. However, packing food yourself will probably not be as good as purchasing food that has been packed at the factory. Factory-packed food provides the longest shelf life possible.
Mylar Bags
The mylar bags (or liners) previously mentioned can be purchased from food storage companies. The heaviest Mylar bags in the large size are the best for lining the plastic buckets. After packing, the bag can be sealed with a hot iron. You can also insert oxygen packets before sealing.
These bags are good gas barriers and will not allow nitrogen or CO2 to escape through the plastic bucket.
Oxygen Absorber Packets
Oxygen absorber packets look like a sugar packet or a silica gel packet. These packets are a relatively new method of oxygen removal and are proving to be one of the best methods.
To use these packets, you should know that they must be used within fifteen minutes of being opened and exposed to the air. These packets absorb the oxygen from the container and trap it in the iron powder, salt and moisture mixture in the packet. This is the easiest way to remove oxygen.
Oxygen Absorber packets can be purchased from food storage companies.
Dry Ice
To use this method of packing, you should place a mylar bag inside the bucket, and then put three inches of food on the bottom. Next, place a three-inch square of dry ice on top of the food. Now, fill the bucket about half full, lay the lid loosely on top of the bucket, and allow it to sit for one half hour to two hours. This will allow the ice to dissipate. With the lid loosely on, the gas will be able to escape. Next, seal the bucket tightly.
One pound of dry ice is enough for a thirty-gallon drum of wheat. If the container should start to bulge, just take the lid off to let the gas out, and then seal it again.
CO2 and Nitrogen Flush
This was mentioned earlier, but I will touch on it again. You can rent a cylinder of CO2 or nitrogen from a welding supply house. This method of packing can be used instead of the dry ice method.
Insert the wand down into the bucket (all the way to the bottom), lay the lid loosely on top, and wait for the nitrogen to rise out of the container. If you hold a match over the opening and it goes out, the nitrogen has reached the top. Do this three times at the 2:00, 6:00, and 10:00 positions. This will ensure that the majority of the gas has been flushed out.
Be careful when you pack flours and other powdery substances. You will have to turn the regulator on the cylinder down low enough so the gas doesn’t spray flour out of the bucket and all over the place. Just play with the valve and you’ll see what I mean.
Bay Leaves
Some people pack food with Bay leaves. Use two bay leaves for small amounts up to one gallon or five leaves in five gallon buckets. Some people say this works well, although I’ve never tried it.
Freezing Grain
If you store grain in places that freeze over the winter, you can be assured that any insects that were missed during inspection will be killed.
Diatomaceous Earth
Another method of packing is to use Diatomaceous Earth. The Earth can be mixed into your stored grains and beans to control insects without the need to remove the dust before consuming it.
For every forty pounds of grains or beans, you mix one cup of diatomaceous earth with it. Coat every kernel and mix it in small batches. You will want to cover your mouth so you dont breathe in the dust, as it can irritate your lungs.
The diatomaceous earth you want to use is sold as an organic garden insecticide. There are several different types of Diatomaceous Earth. Make sure you get the kind that is approved for human consumption.
Summary
If I am packing the food myself, then my favorite method is to buy food grade buckets, bulk staples, and do nitrogen packing. It works great. The final cost depends on your welding supply company and how much they will charge you for the nitrogen. If you are on a limited budget, you will want to choose this option.
Home-canning and dehydration also work great for food preservation. There is nothing quite like eating your own home-canned meats, fruits, and vegetables. It gives you a lot of satisfaction.
Freezing is another method of food storage. Although, I don’t consider it to be a viable method for an emergency, because you may not have electricity.
If you are looking to get factory-packaged food storage, and are looking for the longest possible shelf life, quality, and taste, then you’ll have to buy Mountain House Freeze Dried Food. They are the absolute best of the factory-packed storable foods. Nitro-Pak is the best place to get your storable food.
This article has given you some ideas. All you have to do is pick one thing and do it! Today!