PrePackaged Long Term Emergency Food Suply

[Pilgrim Sojourner]

Anybody here buy any of the available "1-Year Emergency Food Kit"? Arguments for or against?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I haven't, but have considered it. Since you're receptive to arguments against as well, my thoughts are that it's expensive for what you get. I'm a prepper, but have found canned goods with anticipated long shelf life to be a better buy. Things like pasta are still quite inexpensive (as things go now days!), beans, rice, stored in the right conditions will last many years. I buy a little almost every time I go shopping, maybe just one or two cans, but it adds up. I get what I believe to be good prices at Grocery Outlet stores, especially on things like canned corned beef and chunk chicken. The negatives to my approach are that it is bulky, takes up a lot of storage space, and perhaps some of it will not last as long as the pre-packaged meals. Also, although I can happily eat the stuff I buy, having a reserve amount involves buying more than you routinely eat and a backlog builds up that will inevitably lead to some spoilage and waste.

DG

[Tatume]

I haven't, but have considered it. Since you're receptive to arguments against as well, my thoughts are that it's expensive for what you get. I'm a prepper, but have found canned goods with anticipated long shelf life to be a better buy. Things like pasta are still quite inexpensive (as things go now days!), beans, rice, stored in the right conditions will last many years. I buy a little almost every time I go shopping, maybe just one or two cans, but it adds up. I get what I believe to be good prices at Grocery Outlet stores, especially on things like canned corned beef and chunk chicken. The negatives to my approach are that it is bulky, takes up a lot of storage space, and perhaps some of it will not last as long as the pre-packaged meals. Also, although I can happily eat the stuff I buy, having a reserve amount involves buying more than you routinely eat and a backlog builds up that will inevitably lead to some spoilage and waste.

DG

I agree. In addition, I've found that plastic containers will impart a plastic odor and taste to dry goods like pasta, beans, and grains. Glass apothecary jars are good. Canned goods should be washed to remove pesticides the grocery stores use. Turn them over regularly so the free surface inside doesn't dry. All foods should be cycled into the regular daily diet, as they don't keep forever. Canned food becomes less appetizing with age. Dry goods eventually absorb moisture or become too dry, and also deteriorate from light exposure.

[elmacgyver0]

I'm not a prepper, but I do have large pantry of canned goods and a little dry goods. I always write the date I purchase my cans and any food items I purchase on them with a felt tip marker.
I found this to be the easiest way to use the oldest goods first, also use first in first out racks like at the supermarket. Real preppers have a large garden and produce most of their own food and can, dehydrate and if they have the equipment freeze dry the excess. The wannabe preppers buy the overly expensive food kits.
Like I said, I am not a prepper, too old to get into that game, but I do like to have a bit of food on hand.

[dverna]

Some of the 25 year rated stuff is good enough. I sampled a bunch 10-15 years ago before investing in it. If the SHTF, taste is not high on my list of needs but it has to be edible. It is not cheap but going hungry is worse.

We store a lot of dry rice, beans etc as well as over 300 cans of vegetables. With a freezer full of meat, we have about a year of stuff.

Frankly, doubt most people, including preppers, will last a year if the SHTF.

[Hondolane]

Keeping a 3 to 6 month food stock is more realistic for me. That includes what we currently have on the kitchen shelves and stored "long term" food. I'm not bugging out anywhere, that would make a situation much worse.

[rancher1913]

look into "honeyville" they have freeze dried stuff thats good for 25 years and reconstitutes good enough you most times cant tell it from fresh. get a few big cans of whatever you like to eat and your good. the stuff packed in buckets for emergency times is mostly cheep junk, it will keep you going but not very appetizing. if you want a few weeks or a month of shelf stable food, just get a few cases of mre's

[ascast]

1 year is not very long almost anything you buy in general shopping has that shelf life. No need to buy "special kits". None of it will last 25 years UNLESS you buy the special kits. All depends on what kind of shif you define.

[Pilgrim Sojourner]

look into "honeyville" they have freeze dried stuff thats good for 25 years and reconstitutes good enough you most times cant tell it from fresh. get a few big cans of whatever you like to eat and your good. the stuff packed in buckets for emergency times is mostly cheep junk, it will keep you going but not very appetizing.

Exactly the kind of info I was hoping to see. I am hoping to augment my current stock of canned goods with food stuffs that might have a shelf life of a decade or so to be used intermittently as needed for "unexpected" circumstances. I may not last that long, but I'm betting some of my family might.

[rancher1913]

the number 10 cans from honeyville go a long ways and you can research "meals in a jar", its canning jars filled with freeze dried food to a recipe, when you want a meal you just dump a jar into a pan, add water and you got a decent meal

[GhostHawk]

I have looked at them several times. Always comes down to one thing that breaks it.

A one third of the meals are breakfast.

B Vast majority of breakfasts is oatmeal.

C My wife and I both have problems with oatmeal. She's alergic and I will projectile vomit it. (past experience, I know this for a fact)

So I could not see spending the money for 1/3rd of which we could not use.

[MrWolf]

Some of the 25 year rated stuff is good enough. I sampled a bunch 10-15 years ago before investing in it. If the SHTF, taste is not high on my list of needs but it has to be edible. It is not cheap but going hungry is worse.

We store a lot of dry rice, beans etc as well as over 300 cans of vegetables. With a freezer full of meat, we have about a year of stuff.

Frankly, doubt most people, including preppers, will last a year if the SHTF.

Agreed. We have sugar, rice, beans, flour, etc stored in mylar bags with absorbers where necessary. We always keep a supply of canned goods plus what little we preserve I additional about 500 lbs of beef, venison, and some chicken. We have our girls (chickens) for eggs only. There is only the two of us so we figure we are pretty good. I have 81 acres so deer and other game would be available for a brief period of time. We also picked up a bucket of prepared prep stuff from Costco when it was being discontinued.

[armoredman]

Interestingly enough, for about the last year I have been doing ongoing taste tests of various long term storage foods from Ready Hour and Auguson Farms. Unfortunately, the long and picture intensive thread is on another forum. Some of them my wife and I found to be quite good, some, not so much. The ONE thing I highly suggest with any long term storage foods is spices. Salt at the very minimum. Some of them are VERY expensive for what you get - the beef and chicken chunks come to mind, as well as the whole egg powder. Others, like the Potato Cheddar soup, extremely good and lasts quite a while.
Hint, if you have a WinCo in your area, chances are very high they have a selection of Auguson Farms stuff, usually in small enough bags to sample without breaking the bank.
Yes, canned goods can last for a few years, especially if the cans are not dented, and are, of course, good for past the shelf life if not bulging or rusted, general rule of thumb, but I got on a Ready Hour kick for a while, courtesy of My Patriot Supply.

[Pilgrim Sojourner]

I appreciate all who have commented. Excellent info for contemplation.

[BadgerShooter]

Two years ago we got a Harvestright freeze dryer. You can make your own long term meals with excellent results. We have extensive gardens and can, dehydrate, freeze dry, freeze, salt, ferment etc. Freeze drying retains vastly more nutrition of your food than most of the other processes. Some data says 95% while canning is at 50%. We make large batches of chili, stew, spaghetti etc and freeze dry it. Pour in some hot water and in 5 minutes it tastes like it just came off the stove. One real amazing thing is fresh tomatos or fresh salsa. It rehydrates and tastes amazingly fresh. Cooked low fat meat works well, just about any dairy product works amazingly well. Sometimes the neighbors have excess eggs. They freeze dry great too. It is a serious game changer for long term food storage using mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Plus you are not spending large amounts of money for textured vegetable protein and oatmeal.

[BadgerShooter]

In regards to SPAM, We just made a 12 lb batch of our own and pressure canned it. Came out great. Not a real big need to worry about purchased spam when you can make and preserve a better, cheaper product yourself. 5 minutes on the internet will give you lots of options and how to.

[farmbif]

as far as those emergency kits, never bought one but I do keep canned food in cupboard and also a few dried packages of soup, noodle and rice meals from Walmart supermarket. along with garden seeds and canning jars. nothing better than a big summer garden of varieties you can save the seeds from for long term food security. if you got room for chickens and pigs, goats or cattle you will be all that much better off

[gishooter]

We like Rainy Day foods. Good folks who have been doing this a long time. Their deluxe 1 year pack is on sale.
They come with a cookbook with plenty of recipes to use everything.

[gishooter]

Our food storage consists of three levels:

Level 1: Everything we regularly buy and eat. This is anything that requires refrigeration or to be frozen. Plus our normal canned/grocery store items. Power goes out and the back up diesel generator and bulk diesel will help keep the chest freezers cold. But won't last more than a few weeks. Will be pressure canning/ drying meat ASAP if things last more than a couple weeks.
Everything gets dated! Oldest goes in front of each row. Some items we keep a case worth or more. Just depends on how much we use of that item. Condiments we might only have two or three bottles of ketchup etc. As we use it goes on the shopping list to be replaced. So every week we are keeping the rows full. And the new goes in the back of each row.
Level 2: Bulk wheat, beans, rice, etc in pails. Plus lots of #10 cannd staples. Mostly from Rainy Day foods.
We have a Country Living grain mill that makes great whole wheat flour. Haven't tried to make corn meal yet but that is in the works.
Level 3: Main entrees (no breakfast or other fluff) from Mountain House. Dehydrated in #10 cans. I've eaten a lot of Mountain House while camping and on hunting trips.
All the above would be supplemented by what we already grow or catch/kill. Already have a flock of chickens and garden. Seriously considering raising some meat rabbits also. The roto-tiller would get put to work converting food plots for deer to more gardens for root crops like turnips/sweet potatoes/etc that store well over winter.

[armoredman]

That is my biggest Achilles Heel - dating product. We have not been consistent is making sur older product is moved forward to consume, and have had things go out of date...but following the experience of making sure the can isn't rusted or bulging, I've only found a few that were unusable after the date. That is a weekend project for me, check everything.