# Empty Pantries



## LivinGreen (Mar 26, 2013)

So how long does everyone think it'll be after SHTF for all my neighbors to empty their fridges and pantry cupboards before they come pounding on my door?


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

About 3 days ...


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

They'll be out of food in about 3 days knocking on your door 5-6 after many neighborhood meetings full of fear, whining and desperation.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

What they said.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yup, 3 days an there gonna be moocin. Not gonna find no hep here. I can't mother the world no matter how hard I try. I tell folk ta be ready. Ifin they won't listen I can't help.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I guess it depends on your neighbors, most of ours grow food for a living too, so it will probably be barter time.


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## Paltik (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow. Most pantries I've seen here in California have enough food to keep the household going for 7-10 days easy; longer, if there's power and they have more than 2-3 days to eat what's in the freezer.

True, by day 4 they'll be reduced to actually making food from scratch, and by the end of the food they'll be having meals like hominy, cranberry sauce, and vienna sausages.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Many SHTF scenarios I can think of will be preceded by a power outage so I am not sure how the freezer supplies will always be helpful.

but your neighbors dont know exactly what you ahve yes?

And by the time they figure out that they are stick thin and you still look well fed they might be much weakened...


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

It might pay to start knocking on their door first. Feel them out, then decide when you should disappear.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Paltik said:


> Wow. Most pantries I've seen here in California have enough food to keep the household going for 7-10 days easy; longer, if there's power and they have more than 2-3 days to eat what's in the freezer.
> 
> True, by day 4 they'll be reduced to actually making food from scratch, and by the end of the food they'll be having meals like hominy, cranberry sauce, and vienna sausages.


What be wrong with these? I got lotsa them.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

I give it a week, tops.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

When I first read the title I thought it said Empty Panties and I was wondering what in the world it was all about. 

We tested this out a while back and discovered that we could go 2 weeks without what is on our shelves, freezers and fridge. I am talking normal groceries here, not preps. We could actually go longer if we want to scrape them bare and enjoy some of those foods that normally end up going to food drives, perhaps 17-18 days. I would suspect that 12-14 days would be the norm if people were smart enough to begin rationing right away. This may be a regional thing as well. In the great white North people may be used to buying and storing more food as it is harder to get out and about in the winter (and we are a people of habit). People who live in the country may also be more likely to buy in larger quantities than city dwellers. Apartment dwellers may by less as storage is a factor. 

During that two weeks you will find vending machines broken into and robbed, grocery store shelves and convenience stores fully pillaged, snack bars and kitchenettes at business to be ransacked and other food storage places (to include fast food places and restaurants) to become barricaded and defended or fully misappropriated. A lot of people will have a hard time truly understanding that no more food will be delivered and that they are on their own. Some will hold out for Uncle Sam to come to their rescue and then be baffled when he does not show up (or he does but cannot supply enough food to make a difference). That's when things will quickly go from bad to worse. Then worse to nightmarish. Which is of course why we are all here on this amazing forum looking to be the lucky ones who survive the nightmare.


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

We don't discuss food preps with neighbors. :dunno:


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I like "Sailawy" idea,...see what they have ,that way they "THINK" you are out too....But I also agree many will think FEMA or the government will come bail them out(wrong) they will be to busy covering their own asses if it's a real SHTF....I think maybe 4 or 5 days then when reality sets in ..WATCH OUT....Course the "drugstores" will be hit first and NOT for first aid supplies(unless it's a prepper..)hospitals too.Many people live payday to payday always thinking that "IT" will be there for them....I buy enough food and keep it stored in my prep for my close family members.My children and grandchildren will not starve down the road!They prep too but with growing kids their's seem to disappear more than mine When I die they will find me in my "storage" room with a can of Dr Pepper and a Reeses bar in my hand and a smile on my face!!!!!!


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

Sentry18 said:


> When I first read the title I thought it said Empty Panties and I was wondering what in the world it was all about.


PHEW! I'm really glad that I wasn't the only one who thought that.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Paltik said:


> True, by day 4 they'll be reduced to actually making food from scratch, and by the end of the food they'll be having meals like hominy, cranberry sauce, and vienna sausages.


This is why I don't buy these types of food. If they do make their way into my pantry (THANKS, MOM! ) I donate them to the church pantry as soon as I find them.

Anytime I buy food for our preps it is food that more than one person in the house will eat. Not to sound repetitive here but ... "Store what you eat and eat what you store...!"


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Grimm said:


> This is why I don't buy these types of food. If they do make their way into my pantry (THANKS, MOM! ) I donate them to the church pantry as soon as I find them.
> 
> Anytime I buy food for our preps it is food that more than one person in the house will eat. Not to sound repetitive here but ... "Store what you eat and eat what you store...!"


Good heavens Grimm, those be good eats!

I love hominey an vienna sausage (actually, I make my own). I like cranberry sauce to, but way to much sugar fer me. Save that fer the holidays.

They ain't fer everbody, but that be what makes the world fun.

Yup, some folks store stuff cause it be cheap, not thinin there gonna have ta eat lotsa that some day.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

sentry, when it gets into the 2nd week, dozers will open food warehousing buildings.
I believe I saw an article once that suggested finding those warehouses now, not later!:dunno:


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Good heavens Grimm, those be good eats!
> 
> I love hominey an vienna sausage (actually, I make my own). I like cranberry sauce to, but way to much sugar fer me. Save that fer the holidays.
> 
> ...


I have a shelf for each--Vienna, beanie weenies, pork and beans.
Now, hominy is in cases with the vegetables. 
I like my hominy too!!!


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## LivinGreen (Mar 26, 2013)

Cracks me up. If it was about empty panties then I guess that would mean some VERY empty cupboards.
I'm w u Sentry18, I was guessing bout 2wks but wanted to hear everybodys take on it. We keep our freezers paked w frozen water bags to extemd time for a power outage. Next wamma make a root/storm cellar. Really Im just gaging time b4 we bug out to our timber.


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## rawhide2971 (Apr 19, 2013)

I feel really really good, I was watching the title of this for a couple of days and refraining from responding becasue I kept seeing PANTIES....thank you lord, I am not as a big a Pervert as ....well lets leave it at that....lol. I don't think very many people are going to be beating on my door because I dont kiss and tell and I dont prep and tell and I have already told the useless inlaws that if they come begging at my door what they take away wont be digestable and the wife knows that she can leave with them if she tries to sneak her useless brothers and the even more uselss spouses a single can or jar of any of my hard fought for "supplies" out the door. For most of the stuff we have put away she fought me tough and nail up until the last year so she knows that there will be caterwalling than a pole cat and a porcupine making love before anything gets given to her useless kin folk....as for the neighbors most of them will be running off to the Guberment looking for help before thinking to look to me. They may raid the garden depending on the time of year but I can let them have the little bit of product the can scavenge out back. We will drop the barricades and hunker down. And adopt and wait and see attitude...wink wink.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

Most of our neighbors, and there are less than twenty homes within a mile diameter circle of us, are pretty well set for at least a couple of week. I helped with county communications during an ice storm a few years ago. Power was out for at least two weeks for most in my area, and not one of them required any assistance when the Sheriff's Office did welfare checks on each home a little over a week into the aftermath. 

Even then I don't believe that we need to worry about neighbors knocking on our door, providing we have our perimeter security up. Those arriving at the gate will be directed to the church food pantry. It's the ones that don't plan on knocking that we'll have to be on guard for.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

k0xxx said:


> Most of our neighbors, and there are less than twenty homes within a mile diameter circle of us, are pretty well set for at least a couple of week. I helped with county communications during an ice storm a few years ago. Power was out for at least two weeks for most in my area, and not one of them required any assistance when the Sheriff's Office did welfare checks on each home a little over a week into the aftermath.
> 
> Even then I don't believe that we need to worry about neighbors knocking on our door, providing we have our perimeter security up. Those arriving at the gate will be directed to the church food pantry. It's the ones that don't plan on knocking that we'll have to be on guard for.


Thanks fer hepin durin a emergency!


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Thanks fer hepin durin a emergency!


Thanks for the... er,... thanks 

I'm the county ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) Coordinator and the county appointed RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) Officer. ARES supports non-governmental emergency groups, and RACES directly supports government during emergencies.

Besides helping the community, it keeps me informed on what's occurring in the area, and the county supports me too (like bringing diesel for my generators during prolonged events).


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## Kodeman (Jul 25, 2013)

stanb999 said:


> We don't discuss food preps with neighbors. :dunno:


That's exactly how I feel. My storage area is hidden and only my family knows about it with instructions on keeping this quite.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Talking is advertising*

Anyone who knows or thinks that you might have something when they and their children are starving will come knocking, friendly call or otherwise.

I have always thought that even if you have, you should go knocking on the neighbors doors and give the appearance of not having any food, unless of course someone from the government wants to take you away because you are starving. Then I will have some ramen and garden (summer, spring, fall or winter, something in the garden).


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> When I first read the title I thought it said Empty Panties and I was wondering what in the world it was all about.
> 
> We tested this out a while back and discovered that we could go 2 weeks without what is on our shelves, freezers and fridge. I am talking normal groceries here, not preps. We could actually go longer if we want to scrape them bare and enjoy some of those foods that normally end up going to food drives, perhaps 17-18 days. I would suspect that 12-14 days would be the norm if people were smart enough to begin rationing right away. This may be a regional thing as well. In the great white North people may be used to buying and storing more food as it is harder to get out and about in the winter (and we are a people of habit). People who live in the country may also be more likely to buy in larger quantities than city dwellers. Apartment dwellers may by less as storage is a factor.
> 
> During that two weeks you will find vending machines broken into and robbed, grocery store shelves and convenience stores fully pillaged, snack bars and kitchenettes at business to be ransacked and other food storage places (to include fast food places and restaurants) to become barricaded and defended or fully misappropriated. A lot of people will have a hard time truly understanding that no more food will be delivered and that they are on their own. Some will hold out for Uncle Sam to come to their rescue and then be baffled when he does not show up (or he does but cannot supply enough food to make a difference). That's when things will quickly go from bad to worse. Then worse to nightmarish. Which is of course why we are all here on this amazing forum looking to be the lucky ones who survive the nightmare.


You spend WAY too much time thinking about panties. You see them everywhere. Or maybe the lack of.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

SouthCentralUS said:


> You spend WAY too much time thinking about panties. You see them everywhere. Or maybe the lack of.


He and his wife *DO* have seven kids!


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Paltik said:


> Wow. Most pantries I've seen here in California have enough food to keep the household going for 7-10 days easy; longer, if there's power and they have more than 2-3 days to eat what's in the freezer.
> 
> True, by day 4 they'll be reduced to actually making food from scratch, and by the end of the food they'll be having meals like hominy, cranberry sauce, and vienna sausages.


It depends on the people and the area you are in. When I first went into Pub Ed I was shocked at the number of folks that eat out morning, noon and night and keep little to no food in the house.

That was why we pushed 3 days of food with 7 ta 10 being better. (But the number of folks that said pfft ... were all around)

You can lead a horse to water but can't make them drink ...


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## HELIXX (Jan 2, 2011)

stanb999 said:


> We don't discuss food preps with neighbors. :dunno:


Ditto! Mine are all staggering drunks that are retired. If they were any drunker they would be zombies.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

We are fairly fortunate everyone in our neighborhood, even the less savory folks know we have 5 big dogs. We can sit inside watching out the window and watch people cross to the other side of the road when the dogs are outside and running the fence... 
:teehee:


You should really see the looks on their faces when they clear the house and look and see any of the gates open...... :lolsmash:

So I really dont see a lot of folks coming up to my door willingly to knock. Whats everyones thoughts of during a eotwawki shtf leaving anyone who tries to take whats yours leaving them where you drop them as a possible warning to others? I realize there could be retalitory type attacks if one did that and the obvious health concerns.

But I really dont have any desire to dig a hole and waste my precious energy on something that was due to the other guy being STUPID??


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Good heavens Grimm, those be good eats!
> 
> I love hominey an vienna sausage (actually, I make my own). I like cranberry sauce to, but way to much sugar fer me. Save that fer the holidays.
> 
> ...


I used to make a delicious Cranberry Banana Bread that called for whole berry cranberry sauce instead of the berries themselves. It came from a Martha White cookbook..


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