SURVIVAL PREPS

[John]

I have been thinking over time about the one year of stock of food that seems to be generally recommended.
Is it enough? I know enough can never be enough but after our move to South West England some years ago we started a garden, fruit and vegetables. It took us a while to get the soil into reasonably good condition and we have had to learn how to grow stuff. Things like which plants grow best in our area, which plants grow well with other plants, when to water and when not to and much more.

I began to think, is a year’s stock really enough. A garden in the first year after the collapse would draw people to it, especially those that are starving, and they will keep coming until it is gone. Against so many people, you wouldn’t stand much of a chance. Then there are things like drought, hail storms, insect infestations, flood, fungal infections, lots of things that can wipe out a garden overnight. So all that considered, I started to think a three-year supply of food to be the absolute minimum, and since it is so easy to collect and store, why not five years?

A person who thinks he can start a garden and live off its produce in one year will be fatally wrong.
Maybe the second year, depending. But not the first.

Stored food will ensure immediate and mid-term survival and non-hybrid seeds will be a long-term investment.
The we considered forage. I expect much of the animal life to have been hunted to near extinction and that will take time to replace, I don’t think we will manage to kill it all off. Also many people know their basic plants, things like common fruits and vegetables but what about wild edible plants. These may help and supplement your food store over the first year or so.
I would be interested in the thoughts of others.
John

[Tigs]

hi john thats a great post , yep you are right about so many things , you will never have enough stored food and growing your own helps

[Prepaday]

How much will a 5 year supply cost and how do you do it?
You have to use your stored food before the sell by date and replace, pus also buying food for now, Most tins I have come across only have 1-2 years BFD on them, How will you have a 5 year supply? Are we not talking tins? Maybe dry food and then of course you need water to make said dry foods edible? An interested and confused Perepaday x

[bigpaul]

the 1 year store of tinned food is generally accepted as being your back up until you have your garden established. there is a "Rule of 3": 1. Food storage. 2. grow fresh food and raise animals( this could be chickens and rabbits). 3. Hunter/Gatherer/Forager. if one fails you have the other 2 to fall back on. if you only use 1 you may fail-its a bit like "mono"cropping, dont put all your eggs in one basket!!

[Skean Dhude]

In all my articles I talk about 18 months as a min. 1st year living from your stock then growing your own and supplimenting it with stores to eke the stores out.

[John]

Obviously you have to rotate stocks and mainly buy what you and the family will eat. If you don't like tin beans then why buy them.
Tins will last a lot longer than expiry dates if stored at stable temperatures.
Check tin for signs of rust etc before use. If it smells OK and tastes OK then it may be OK. If in doubt sling it out.

Dry food you need water yes and this is another subject.
Do you do research of articles on survival prep web sites?
Lots of good stuff on many.
John

(3 August 2012, 10:47)Prepaday Wrote: How much will a 5 year supply cost and how do you do it?
You have to use your stored food before the sell by date and replace, pus also buying food for now, Most tins I have come across only have 1-2 years BFD on them, How will you have a 5 year supply? Are we not talking tins? Maybe dry food and then of course you need water to make said dry foods edible? An interested and confused Perepaday x

[Nemesis]

(3 August 2012, 10:47)Prepaday Wrote: You have to use your stored food before the sell by date

No that’s not correct.

[NorthernRaider]

Try this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Meals-Flav...=8-1-fkmr2

[bigpaul]

is it all pasta? dosent look very appetising, i cant eat pasta...the taste of it makes me want to throw up

[Armoured Gideon]

BP, I've got so much pasta and rice stored that I'm sure I'll be sick of it after just a couple of months, but it's better than starving. I've stashed plenty of gravy granules and spices to make it taste better and I've got plenty of vitamins to help me stay well!