# DIY Emergency Food Bucket?



## voodooteam13 (Jan 19, 2013)

I want to make an emergency food bucket. I don't want or need a food bucket with food that lasts 25 years. My primary reason for the bucket is for "normal natural disasters" for example high winds, blizzard, and strong severe storms, that would cause the power to be out for a week or two. I would like it to have enough food for my wife and I to eat comfortably for 2 weeks. I would like it to have food that can be prepared easily and has a shelf life for 1 1/2 to 3 years. My question for everyone with all their experience in prepping is what food should I get. The only way that I have to cook the food will be a Coleman style camp stove. Please help me with this and thank you all for your time.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

You can easily do a 5 gallon bucket with rice, beans, oatmeal, in mylar bags. Then add some canned meat and veggies to supplement. Don't forget to add some vitamins, meds, and toiletries. That'll get you through a couple weeks without concern.

And have stove fuel and water handy!!


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Go to E-Bay or Amazon and type in Survival Food. Like the pic! Although I have heard the weapon he is holding is very rare today!


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## Tactic12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Depending on your diet, you should lean towards what you eat most. Depending if your vegetarian, etc... Otherwise, I recommend (for 1.5 - 3 years) canned meat such as spam, pastas (ramen is cheap & lasts long), canned fruits & veggies, etc. If you can do more than 1 bucket, you can do one with meat, one with pastas, one with fruit/veggie combo. Then just make sure you have plenty of cooking fuel & water (as stated in post above). You should be good


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I would put in oatmeal, soup mixes, pudding mix, crackers, deviled ham, tuna, etc. It all depends on what you all eat. You might makes a second bucket with plastic utensils, paper plates, handwipes, candles, matches, etc. If there is no water, paper plates would be easier for short term.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Very good idea!! That cld even work for pets.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Also consider instant rice, oatmeal and such if your fuel is a concern. You dont want to be cooking for 8+ hours a pot of dried beans. If you can you could always can a few meals in jars and place them in the bucket once complete with other items around them to prevent breakage. Some more information about what type's of food you eat would help folks give you some better information as to how to prepare the bucket. 

If your power is out for an extended period of time how will you get water? If it's a blizzard how will you provide heat? You don't want to try to heat a room with a coleman stove. Are you planning on leaving your home hence the need for the bucket or simple storage? If I wasn't leaving I would simply store some of those eating utensils, paper plates and stuff on a shelf near the bucket.


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## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

I would put in powdered gravy mixes and condiments you like such as salt, pepper, hot sauce or ketchup. Always helps emergency foods taste better!
Our bucket would have to include pasta and jarred sauce, ramen noodles and a box of cereal.
Agree strongly with paper goods and plastic flatware. Also a good heavy bottomed pan to use on that Coleman Camp stove.
Oh- maybe some just add water pancake mix and syrup. If power goes out, you might want to have what you need to cook up what will go bad in your fridge or freezer. For us, that would be teriyaki or soy sauce to cook up whatever meats will get thrown away if unused ASAP.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

In addition to the Spam and tuna: canned luncheon meats (similar to Spam but less expensive), corned beef, dried beef, canned hams, canned chicken (if you look you can even find canned whole chickens), jerky in your favorite meats and flavors, dried fruits and vegetables, and Jiffy mixes. If you purchase one of these Coleman Camp Oven, you will be able to do some quick baking to make quick breads, biscuits, etc.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

It should really depend on what you and your family like and are used to eating. If all I had to cook was a coleman stove and it was for a limited amount of time I would lean towards quick oats, lentils, and ramen or other quick pasta for carbs, along with some pancake mix if it was swapped out regularily.
Dehydrated meat ie. jerky
Dehydrated/freeze dried vegetables and fruit.
Some kind of oil.
Organic bouillon of some kind.
Milk, either tetra paks, evaporated milk in cans, or powdered.
Honey, salt, pepper.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

As said before canned meats, dried meats, pastas, soup mixes etc. I would also recommend high protein meal replacement shakes. NOT diet shakes but true meal replacements. They are compact and lightweight and do not require any use of your fuel stores. They are best for breakfast (IMO) and generally contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, carbs, and protein. You can find them at any health food store.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I agree with cowboyhermit. Take a 3-5 day sample menu from your normal eating routines and see what food stuffs have long term storage potential. If your family loves say oatmeal, take several bags of instant oatmeal and vacuum seal it (if you have one) and add it to the bucket. If your family loves fruit punch, get a box of Crystal Light fruit punch mixes and add it to your bucket. I'm sure somebody said it already but don't forget to store some water as well. More than you think you will need.


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## BushwhackerTactical (Jan 26, 2013)

Well, no one has mentioned it so I will I guess. I use sopako MRE'S. these store between 5-7 years and have a variety of menus inside. I choose to save money and get the ones without the heaters.... If I need to hear it up I dump it into my canteen cup and cook it on a pocket stove. The cost is around a 80-120 for a case of 12. I use these to hunt and camp also... This way my stock is always rotated but I have at least a 2 week supply on hand. My power was out for a week and grabbing one of these are easy. Also for camping these have a high caloric intakeand pack down small when field stripped. Maybe I'm partial to these because this is what I was issued in the military but they work well for me and take the prep work out of things.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

The main reason I don't store mre's is that I might have to eat them 
They are sort of expensive as well, for what you are getting nutrition wise.
If you like them and the money is not too much of an issue they may be just what you are looking for.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

i had bug out food pails set near the kitchen door for me and my disabled spouse not too long ago. they contained canned pasta, canned stew, canned chili, fruit-gel chew thingies, singly packed jerky, singly packed cheese sticks, and DIY MREs constructed from minute rice, gravy mix and small packages of meat (tuna envelopes, single serving spam packets, sardines, etc) that could be mixed for quick one-pot meals. For base carbs I used minute rice, instant mashed potatoes (complete) or ramen noodles; sauces were gravy mixes (beef, pork, chicken, white or country), cheese sauces and tomato cup-o-soup for apoor man's tomato sauce; dehydrated veggies came from the produce section or the soup section where they sold as soup veggies; and proteins were TVP granules (fastest cooking), meat single serving size packets, hamburger rocks, and/or precooked beans I had dehydrated for faster cooking. I had quite a few different mixes using those as bases. I added 1-lb plastic jars (from bouliion powder) containing home made mixes for cheese sauce, dried hamburger gravy mix, and white sauce. Kind of like constructing personalized hamburger helper meals - I used some noodle-sauce mix packets as a base for tuna alfredo. "Instant Breakfast" packets together with NFD milk gives breakfast drink with many vitamins and minerals, for breakfasts that do not need cooking. Add granola bars or indivicual gorp packets (sold in the munchie aisle for lunch box packing) if you need something to chew on the trail. Hard candies and single bite chocolate bars saved from Halloween were desserts. Plastic tubes (Packed in sandwich size zip lock bag) of Wal-Marts sugar free fruit drink mixes (only the orange has Vit C), instant coffee and tea bags were packed for making treated water a bit more palatable. Make sure there are some utensils in there and several can openers if the cans are not pull-tab. Dishes are optional, you can rinse out the cans and cook/eat from them. Ditto for cooking once you remove the paper labels. Maybe a small fire starting kit (I had one in each pail along with at least one tuna-size buddy burner) and some packets of vitamins and other OTC meds you might find handy. And remember, caffeine pills will dissolve in cold water for an emergency boost, if all else fails you can add it to your flavored water.
I found bug-out food pails very workable for me and they were all made with common supermarket foods. On scene they can be emptied and used as pails for 'normal' uses.

That way, if the chemical plant near us caught fire and we had to evac, we would toss him in the van, toss our BOBs in the van, throw in the food pails and away we would go! The van was already packed with sleeping bags in case we had to sleep there. (We did have a queen size mattress that fit in there exactly, but decided that was a little extreme so we eliminated that.)
And yes, it worked - I slept in the van at minus 30 degrees, warm and comfy dressed in long underwear, topped with full set of hooded sweats, gloves, double sox, and 2 sleeping bags, one inside the other. The only thing that got cold was my nose, so I added a ski mask to the winter BOB.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

That makes a lot of sense; wld clear up some weigh in the BOBs.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

BushwhackerTactical said:


> Well, no one has mentioned it so I will I guess. I use sopako MRE'S. these store between 5-7 years and have a variety of menus inside. I choose to save money and get the ones without the heaters.... If I need to hear it up I dump it into my canteen cup and cook it on a pocket stove. The cost is around a 80-120 for a case of 12. I use these to hunt and camp also... This way my stock is always rotated but I have at least a 2 week supply on hand. My power was out for a week and grabbing one of these are easy. Also for camping these have a high caloric intakeand pack down small when field stripped. Maybe I'm partial to these because this is what I was issued in the military but they work well for me and take the prep work out of things.


I wasn't sure of you knew, but there was a recall on sopako MREs in 2009. They listed the package numbers so you can check if any are the ones you have on hand. Just an FYI


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## rachilders (Oct 9, 2008)

I've got several son's who are Boy Scouts and over the years I've helped them prepare for weekend-10 day camp outs (as well as going on more than a few myself). If you have done any camping, use that as a guide for what you like'd and/or need for your emergency supplies. Simply add or subtract based on experience and number of individuals. Camping is also good practice for making it through short term emergencies and learning what works or doesn't in survival conditions.


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## squshnut (Sep 5, 2011)

It would take more than a 5 gallon bucket for us. Maybe 1 bucket per person.
And i would not worry about plates. Eating out of cans or sharing a cooking pot to eat out of would be acceptable during that time.
A camping knife would help, with spoon and fork included.


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## badman400 (Oct 15, 2011)

Cotton balls saturated in petroleum jelly and sealed in a ziplock make excellent fire starters for cheap!


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## fred45 (Sep 3, 2010)

add a cardboard and foil solar oven that will help with the bean cooking, add some pool shock, I dont have the formual in front of me but it is something like this, 1 tablespoon of shock in water makes 2 gal of normal bleach, 1 teaspoon of bleach steralizes 1 gal of water, I take a small bottle 16 oz do the math and put in that amount of shock, put the lid on, add to your kit. when you need it fill with water now you have 16 oz of bleach, at one tsp/gal that is enough to sterilize 32 gal of water.


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## prep4four (Jan 17, 2010)

Store what you eat and eat what you store. Simple as that.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Um...interesting idea. I published a book two months ago just about emergency bug-out buckets and other specialty and transition buckets.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Storage-Specialty-Transition-ebook/dp/B00AS0UYDU/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1359556665&sr=8-11&keywords=susan+gregersen

They make great water-tight containers and they keep out rodents and insects, plus if you have to bug-out with it, you have a handy 'chair' so you don't have to sit on the ground!


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## Boris (Apr 10, 2009)

all suggestions so far look good


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## scodoublet (Jun 25, 2012)

We store MREs, #10 Cans, Pouches, etc, for longer term emergencies, but we also have 2 weeks "every day" foods stored for smaller emergencies, just like the OP is planning. We have 2 kids, so 2 weeks for us, is like 8 weeks for a single person.
Anyhow, we have easy everyday food stored: granola/power bars, hot chocolate/coffee, trail mix, chunky soups/spaghetti-o's, crackers, flavored drink powders, beef jerky, Hormel ComplEats, Ramen noodles, capri-sun juice, candies, water, and dog food (can't forget about the dog!) 
Also, like someone mentioned, we'd be going through our perishable food first, from the refrigerators, which would give us an additional week, if it stayed cool long enough.


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## RossA (Oct 9, 2008)

I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but Peanut Butter! Keeps forever (well, maybe not quite that long) without refrigeration, good source of carbs, essential fats and protein. Also, "sticks to your ribs" and a couple of spoonfuls keeps hunger away for awhile.


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## Laura (Oct 1, 2011)

*Luxury foods*

Instant coffee or regular ground to go through a press is a must. I try to mock what I and the family eat now...as much as possible. I include chocolate, instant hot chocolate and hard candy ( seasonal out of season candy is cheap ). Sugar is a great preservative.
Good luck!!


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## ms_a2gwus (Feb 27, 2012)

I've set aside foil packages of tuna and chicken in my storage stuff; they takes up less space that a canned version. All the other items mentioned are great!


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## sewserious (Mar 16, 2010)

Figure out what you eat for 2 weeks. Do a trial menu. Think of things you like that store easily, beans (cooked and dehydrated are best to store, try this at home first and see if you like them first!), rice, oatmeal, canned or dehydrated cooked chicken, beef, or pork. Thinks soaps and stews. Dehydrate veggies (buy bags of frozen and dehydrate if necessary). Think of what you would normally have in fridge/freezer that you would have to cook up first (this is one reason I don't store food frozen for any length of time; don't want to run a gennie just to keep the food frozen). Be sure to have something to light that coleman stove


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

voodooteam13: People are offering you advanced long term issues and solutions. If your gearing up to survive a short term disaster canned food and water will do you. 

So help us out. I got the feeling you wanted short term home preps. No bad there, worst most people will experience. So what are you really looking for?


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## dag53 (Jan 28, 2012)

If you put in canned food be sure to have a manual can opener available.


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## voodooteam13 (Jan 19, 2013)

Yes I'm just looking for short term ideas


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## sewserious (Mar 16, 2010)

bahramthered said:


> voodooteam13: People are offering you advanced long term issues and solutions. If your gearing up to survive a short term disaster canned food and water will do you.
> 
> So help us out. I got the feeling you wanted short term home preps. No bad there, worst most people will experience. So what are you really looking for?


Even short-term it has to keep without refrigeration. That is why we are mentioning canned meats, dehydrated veggies, etc. I keep a "special" stock of stuff that is short-term but it is canned, dehydrated, etc. Oatmeal, cream of wheat, pancake mix, syrup, dehydrated veggies for making soup or stew, canned meat for same. Short-term just means less stuff not necessarily different stuff than long-term. Eat what is in the fridge/freezer first and then go from there. In my experience when we have been without power for 10 days, it is hard to eat up most of the stuff in the fridge/freezer yourself without it going bad. Have to cook it all up in the first couple of days so there go the fresh eggs, fresh meat, etc.


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## MountainRon (Feb 2, 2009)

I make up buckets like these for my mining adventures. Some of the old mines I visit are so far back in the boonies that a trip to the store or restaurant is out of the question. Here's what I put in mine: Mountain House freeze dried meals, canned meats such as corned beef and herrings or sardines, Ramen noodles, dried veggie mix, dehydrated potato shreds & the usual assortment of spices. All require water but you already know how to handle that situation, right? Some times I stay for up to 2 weeks at a locality so I pack accordingly.

http://ronsprimitiveskills.blogspot.com/


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## texican (Feb 15, 2010)

DIY Emergency Food to me means eat it quick, with minimal or no cooking... so that'd include tuna fish (in oil... the water packed stuff is devoid of calories and that's what you NEED in an emergency), sardines, canned meats, dried venison jerky, cans of chili, peanut butter, jellies, canned beans, and hot sauces.

In my truck, there is always, at a minimum, a milk crate full of canned food... right now, a dozen cans of tuna, 6 chilis, dozen sardines, dozen deviled hams, 3 pound jars of peanut butter, 3 different jellies. Several cans of refried beans. And in the toolbox, water filter, half a dozen propane cannisters, two propane stoves, pots, pans, utensils. Back seat usually has an assortment of other goodies, like bags of cookies, dried fruits, jerkies (homemade), canned yams, sugar, salsas, medicinal liquor, 10lb or so dried beans, flour, and probably half a case (minimum) of canned corn and green beans. Today, there's a six month supply of tea (can live off meager rations as long as I have my tea).

I wouldn't put a lot of grub that's going to need a lot of cooking or baking, in an emergency kit... as it's doubtful I'd have time to cook several hours. I keep the beans, knowing if I got 'stuck' in the middle of nowhere, I 'would' have time to cook them overnight, in a dutch oven.


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## boomer (Jul 13, 2011)

I prefer to stock items that can be frozen for in the vehicles and for emergencies that require evacuation. This does not include most canned goods for winter preps for snow storms. 

We are more likely to be storm stayed with power during snow storms and without electricity in the summer. The canned goods are therefore for bugging in. As much as possible we try to keep most of the perishables in the garden and most of the meat in freezer storage with back up power.


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## morningbird (Sep 15, 2012)

*food preps*

I have another recommendation. I have been learning of wild edibles that can be dehydrated made into vinegars and such. These are weeds that grow wild and are super nutritious. Type in wild edible weeds and see what comes up. Things like burdock and lambs quarters. These things can get you through as well as just lower everyday cost of living. Just remember to always 100 % identify any wild thing and also test a little of one at a time. These weeds are more nutritious than some of the veggies I grow in my garden. The other way to ensure veggies is seed saving. Non hybrid seeds will give viable seeds at the end of the season that can be planted next season. Hope this helps!


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## warhammer (Mar 10, 2013)

I know this sounds cheap but I have been stocking up on all the free condiments I can get thought fast food places to gas station food bars. Take home and separate and you will be surprised how fast your collection will grow and how many different sauces there will be. Catsup, mustard, taco sauce, mayo, onion, BBQ, tartar, relish, hot sauce ect. All comfort food for your can of tuna. Also salt, pepper and sugar packets. Don't laugh, barter items too.


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## mpguy18 (Sep 7, 2011)

Warhammer, that ain't cheap, it's called thrifty! We vac pack those in Starbuck bags. Will last for decades.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

mpguy18 said:


> it's called thrifty!


It's called THEFT.


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

PackerBacker said:


> It's called THEFT.


Its not theft if they are "complimentary". Most places will load you up with stuff, just ask politely.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

oif_ghost_tod said:


> Its not theft if they are "complimentary". Most places will load you up with stuff, just ask politely.


If you asked.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*It depends upon how you got it*

When I go through a drive through and they throw in a dozen packages of hot sauce, my keeping it when I get home is not theft.

If I am in a place that has condiments to select from and I take some and take them home, you could call that stealing. The condiments are there for you to use on the food you purchase.


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## mpguy18 (Sep 7, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> If you asked.


Dude, When you were at McDonalds or your local fast food joint, you ask for your condiment of choice, they throw it on you tray, you then had your meal, and then most throw away everything on your tray in the garbage. We just keep what we don't use. Man that comment was harsh and judgemental.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

mpguy18 said:


> Dude, When you were at McDonalds or your local fast food joint, you ask for your condiment of choice, they throw it on you tray, you then had your meal, and then most throw away everything on your tray in the garbage. We just keep what we don't use. Man that comment was harsh and judgemental.


If it is given to you and you don't use it and take it home that's fine.

If it's self help and you take more with the intent to take it home that's wrong.

Theft just like lies don't have to be big. Petty theft in many ways is worse then grand theft.


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## mpguy18 (Sep 7, 2011)

Ok you win. We understand the moral complications and the defination of theft.

The question still is, can these be used in a vac packed bucket or do will they detoriate/contaminate in short order?


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

mpguy18 said:


> The question still is, can these be used in a vac packed bucket or do will they detoriate/contaminate in short order?


It depends. Are they HOT? :rofl:


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## d_saum (Jan 17, 2012)

texican said:


> In my truck, there is always, at a minimum, a milk crate full of canned food... right now, a dozen cans of tuna, 6 chilis, dozen sardines, dozen deviled hams, 3 pound jars of peanut butter, 3 different jellies. Several cans of refried beans. And in the toolbox, water filter, half a dozen propane cannisters, two propane stoves, pots, pans, utensils. Back seat usually has an assortment of other goodies, like bags of cookies, dried fruits, jerkies (homemade), canned yams, sugar, salsas, medicinal liquor, 10lb or so dried beans, flour, and probably half a case (minimum) of canned corn and green beans. Today, there's a six month supply of tea (can live off meager rations as long as I have my tea).


How do you keep all that stuff in your truck without worrying about extreme heat and/or cold?


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## mpguy18 (Sep 7, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> It depends. Are they HOT? :rofl:


Funny - When we are out as a group with the Boy Scouts, they normally give them to us in a separate bag, individually, MD, BK and KC throw them on top, the others Arby's, Chik-Fla, ets hand them to you. We have been vac sealing them with the scouts for years without any adverse reactions, but with the knowledge base here, thougt it would be good to ask.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Food storage and preservation been doing this since I was born,my family in the country cured and salted every kind of meat/fish in order to have food all year,never had a refrigerator until I came to this great nation,so food preservation was a most.Bacteria need moisture, oxygen and the proper temperature range in order to multiply,you take away this three items,food will be safe,once a package is open you will need to vacuum seal it again.The history of american food is the perfect guide to food preservation,a hot metal sheet(sun heat) ripe fruit and sugar will give you dried fruit and honey from the bees coming to eat.
I`m going to post some info on this subjects,and on 5 gallon bucket leads,food preservation is my hobbie.
http://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-Lid-ASSORTED-COLORS/dp/B001VBALBK
http://www.family-survival-planning.com/long-term-food-shelf-life.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/ny 
Any question,I`ll be glad to help.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

voodooteam13 said:


> I want to make an emergency food bucket. I don't want or need a food bucket with food that lasts 25 years. My primary reason for the bucket is for "normal natural disasters" for example high winds, blizzard, and strong severe storms, that would cause the power to be out for a week or two. I would like it to have enough food for my wife and I to eat comfortably for 2 weeks. I would like it to have food that can be prepared easily and has a shelf life for 1 1/2 to 3 years. My question for everyone with all their experience in prepping is what food should I get. The only way that I have to cook the food will be a Coleman style camp stove. Please help me with this and thank you all for your time.


Food preservation info.
http://www.family-survival-planning.com/long-term-food-shelf-life.html
Second,water,1 gallon each per day but if water is a problem the less cooking you have to do the better, if you don`t canned buy food items you like, heat them in the can in a pot of water, never dumping the water, your Coleman stove together with a propane BBQ you will be able to make gourmet meals to include breads,cakes,biscuits,the main thing here is that you are on the right track, thinking ahead.


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## Digger (Jan 17, 2011)

I went to GFS for their dry soup. 5 bucks for what makes a gallon and it is delicious. They have I think 5 differant type. have had them all. With and without meat added. Cannot beat it for taste and/or cost.


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## Onebigelf (Sep 17, 2011)

That short of a time frame, 1-1.5 years, food for a couple of weeks, just do normal canned goods, pasta in vacuum sealed bags, canned meats, etc.

John


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