# I've been remiss about fod security



## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Since I dont have a garden and will not be able to be self sufficent anyway i have often not taken care of food security.
But for what its worth I feel a little better now after I bought a couple of cases of MRE's.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Don't forget the laxatives..


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

I wish I could find a couple cases of the cold weather MRE's. The ones in the white packages. Much higher calorie count and they taste much better. I think they are preserved differently as well. Id eat one right now if I had one. I keep a case of regular mre's as go food.


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## ComputerGuy (Dec 10, 2010)

I have 25 cases of MREs in the BIL and for the BOBs I use Mt House. Reason being I have the Mt House 3 day survival pack in each bag. MRE's are too heavy and the Mt House weigh about a 1/10 that of a MRE.


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## Immolatus (Feb 20, 2011)

If I had to rely on my garden to sustain me, I'd be a dead man. I've only tried MRE's once and it wasnt that bad. They just seem pretty expensive to me, and I have to admit I would feel like a kook buying a case of them. Wait, since when has that stopped me?
Is the consensus here that MRE's are a good deal?


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

MRE's, MT. House, etc., are all too expensive for me. I wouldn't criticize the merits of either, but I can't afford them. So, food security for our family is based on producing and preserving.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

BlueZ said:


> Since I dont have a garden and will not be able to be self sufficent anyway i have often not taken care of food security.
> But for what its worth I feel a little better now after I bought a couple of cases of MRE's.


That's a good start but I think you still need a year's supply of food and water. Food prices in the store are about to go up a lot if they haven't already started. If you can afford to stock up the time to do that is now.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

machinist said:


> MRE's, MT. House, etc., are all too expensive for me. I wouldn't criticize the merits of either, but I can't afford them. So, food security for our family is based on producing and preserving.


they are out of my price budget too..but there are things that I would love to splurge and add to my stash.. the freeze dried meats. that is one thing that I like the texture of freeze dried rather than my dehydrating. plus it is more than likely to be safer than what I can produce at home in the long term storage. Sure I can can and freeze now but SHTF my freezer and canning may not last that long.. I have to say that while I do not like to reuse canning lids I have had a couple that I used with pickles just to see if they would work.. and if you don't use a can opener to pop them off and don't deform the lid in any way they did seal very well. but you didn't hear that from me.. 
I also reuse them when I vac-pack.. as long as they hold the vacuum I can't see throwing them out.. plus I've used the used lids to nail over holes in the shed and for nailing over holes made by mice in my darn cupboards. and I've used them as pumpkin scrapers at Halloween and we've covered them with glue and pictures and tinsel and glitter and all kinds of stuff for Christmas tree ornaments at school.


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## ilovetigger (Aug 10, 2011)

I got a GREAT deal on 200 of the tattler lids and try to stock up on the traditional lids each year as well.

I have a budget for groceries and have tried to make it a habit to spend it each time. If I run short one week.......too bad. I make do. BUT, when I have $10 extra, I buy $10 of something on sale to store. This habit has created a pretty good food store, supplemented and added to with a big garden, and meat from a local farm.

Now, I basically ONLY buy things on sale and with coupons. It has become my standing joke and challenge to NEVER pay for toothpaste. Between 10 for $10 sales with the 11th free and having 50 cent off coupons that get doubled............They have been paying me 10 cents a tube to carry it out of the store for about 5 years now. I clip coupons, value shop, and Aldis is my friend.


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## Billyboy (May 3, 2011)

ilovetigger, where did you get your great deal on tattler lids? I'm anxious to try them.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Emerald--you are right; yesterday I used a used lid on tomatoes.
It sealed just like the new. I was right there to re-seal if it didn't though. 
Just thought I'd try it--it worked.
And with my canning, I check the lids every week or two for a few months.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

JayJay said:


> Emerald--you are right; yesterday I used a used lid on tomatoes.
> It sealed just like the new. I was right there to re-seal if it didn't though.
> Just thought I'd try it--it worked.
> And with my canning, I check the lids every week or two for a few months.


Just make sure that the sealing stuff is thick and that there are no scratches on the inside liner stuff.(it will rust thru).


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

*Drought is a Problem*

The Midwest US corn and soybean crops are in big trouble. Indiana has had some rain recently, but it was too dry during the pollination period so even though the plants survived, they won't produce grain. I have heard estimates of a 60% loss in the corn crop. Local anecdotal info supports that, or worse.

Time to get your preps ON!!

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/usa-drought-crops-idINL2E8IK6HA20120720

As usual, these reports are far behind the curve of the actual situation. I see farmers here that are worried sick.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

machinist said:


> MRE's, MT. House, etc., are all too expensive for me. I wouldn't criticize the merits of either, but I can't afford them. So, food security for our family is based on producing and preserving.


Not very practical for our family of five either but I must say we do love & splurge on freeze dried fruit! For meat I'm guessing we'll mainly be eating goat & rabbit, hopefully with some beef & chicken from the neighbors added in. :crossfinger:


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

my question is.... what about after you use your supplies? how to do you plan to replace them. I have a small garden but no food animals. I can't raise chickens or others birds due to meds I now take. after the shtf :dunno: I probably will try to find some to raise as I will not be able to get my meds.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

stayingthegame,

The only 2 options I know are either raise it yourself, or trade for what you need. Trading could be either labor or goods, if we are assuming that money doesn't work. Useful skills could be very valuable to those of us that can't raise what we need. 

For me, that probably would mean doing repair work for some farmer as I have done before I retired.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

stayingthegame said:


> my question is.... what about after you use your supplies? how to do you plan to replace them. I have a small garden but no food animals. I can't raise chickens or others birds due to meds I now take. after the shtf :dunno: I probably will try to find some to raise as I will not be able to get my meds.


This is exactly why I have been of the opinion that prepping by stockpiling usefulness is limited to short term crisis. Knowledge, skill and experience is far more important and valuable than most any tangible goods
It is why I am such a big advocate of being self sustaining now. Relocate to where ever you intend on bugging out to. Start becoming self sustaining. Plant a garden learn what grows and does not grow. Learn how much you need to plant to get you through a year. Learn what edible wild foods are available. Learn how, when and where to harvest them. Use them. Learn how to prepare them for food or medicine and how to preserve than. Incorporate them into you regular diet, use them when you are sick. It is by doing on your turf that you learn what grows well, where the good morel mushroom patches are, where the berries are, the best spots to fish, shrimp, crab or hunt. If you wait until after it hits the fan you are going to be way behind the eight ball. After SHTF is not the time to learn, school is out. Now if you do not have enough chickens or they die you can replace them, if you do not plant enough or do not harvest and gather preserve enough you get a do over. You buy more chickens plant more gather harvest and preserve more. After SHTF you go without and starve


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

stayingthegame said:


> my question is.... what about after you use your supplies? how to do you plan to replace them. I have a small garden but no food animals. I can't raise chickens or others birds due to meds I now take. after the shtf :dunno: I probably will try to find some to raise as I will not be able to get my meds.


What about rabbits? Breed fast, eat little.


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

I have a chance to buy cases of MRE's for $50 per case. I just think that should SHTF quality of life is a big deal for me and my family. I cannot see TEOTWAWKI. I have a hard time thinking of a collapse so bad that we're all doing our own farming and living in the 1600's. That is just not realistic to me. I know many here just gasped but do we really think we'll all be living as we did hundreds of years ago? For me and my family I can meats and veggies and hope to provide a good hot meal that taste great daily. I guess I'm more of a short term prepper. My goal is one year of stored foods (yes that's a lot of jars) and be able to provide at least one delicious meal a day. Brunch can be a lesser meal but sitting down during a rough time and having a good hot meal that does not taste like rehydrated cardboard is so good for moral. 60 cases of jars is a lot. Bugging out is another story. How to move all of that is an issue. Now that being said I do not know if the same is attainable with dehydrated foods. I must admit I'm ignorant to that starage method but I do want to learn it. I had my fill of MRE's in the military. I can see some in BOB's though. Just my thoughts.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

how many are in a case? MRE as back up is a good idea if you can afford it.
I haven't even seen one in about 30 years.. and then my dad bought them at an auction and everyone got to try them.. They came with all kinds of stuff in it.. from cigarettes to tp to candy-pasty hard to eat for sure back then but most of them also had little hot sauce bottles.. last of them went to deer camp way back in the 80's..


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

12 MER's per case. the military MREs are entree + desert+ crackers+ condiment for crackers like cheese or jelly+ beverage poweder+ chewing gum + salt+pepper+tabasco sauce+ a candy of some kind+ toilet paper.

A pretty complete packgae that counts as one veyr rich meal or two small meals.

In a SHTF situation One could make do w/ one military MRE per day, I think.
At the commissaary they are 88 dollars per case right now.

Moby : where did u find 50 bucks/case?
are those real coeplete military MRE pouches?


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

I think there's 12 in a case.
They don't come with smokes anymore.
They don't taste too bad. Their kind of 
like trail mix, really good in the right environment.
But at a pizaa joint they suck.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well moby not sure what your storage looks like but buy bulk wheat berries. They stay good forever as long as they stay air tight. I packed mine with a vacuum sealer. As far as cost goes they were a much cheaper alternative to freeze dried meals. If thing get bad were eating lots of rice and beans and homemade bread. And since I've had more than my share of mre's count me out!! I will gladly eat homemade burritos for a long time instead of the don't worry you aren't supposed to poop mre meals. So for 500 bucks you can get 120 mre's or 125 lbs of pinto beans, 120 lbs of rice and 325 lbs of wheat berries to grind down for flour. Which option do you think is gonna feed your family longer? And I GUARANTEE option 2 is way tastier!!


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## TexasPatriot (Jun 24, 2012)

We have been purchasing Shelf Reliance freeze dried foods for almost two years now. They have a great program that you can set up a monthly shipment on your budget. 
Eating nothing but rice and beans will eventually cause you too go into a food depression and can also cause you to become allergic. This is over a long period of time of course. 
Do what ever you can to store a good variety of different foods.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well we would also augment with a massive garden, chickens (and the eggs) and whatever local game I can get. Our neighborhood is littered with deer. But the staples will be rice and beans. I think beef and pork will be hard to come by unfortunately but iffin I get my hands on some pork, its on baby!! And my bbq chicken has gotten only rave reviews from friends and family so if you need a good cook bring em by, we just gotta share!


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## TexasPatriot (Jun 24, 2012)

We have plenty of pork around here. We are two miles from the river bottom where the hogs are as thick as skeeters.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well texas you suck!! I would absolutely LOVE to have a wild pig problem in my area. I gotta travel to help out with the unwanted porkers!


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## TexasPatriot (Jun 24, 2012)

Lol. Hog hunting around here is a s common as going to work.

Although wild hogs are a part of the plan, they are a small part. I am afraid that it will be the easiest thing for people to hunt and they will go rather quickly.


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