# Klondike Gold Rush--1yr Food Supply Recommendations



## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

During the Klondike gold rush, apparently the RCMP feared mass starvation, so they required gold rushers to pack in a year's supply of food.

From the Chicago Record's Book for Gold Seekers, 1897:
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150 lbs. bacon
400 lbs. flour
25 lbs. rolled oats
125 lbs. beans
10 lbs. tea
10 lbs. coffee
25 lbs. sugar
25 lbs. dried potatoes
2 lbs. dried onions
15 lbs. salt 1 lb. pepper
75 lbs. dried fruits
8 lbs. baking powder
2 lbs. soda
1/2 lb. evaporated vinegar
12 oz. compressed soup
1 can mustard
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*Grains:* Based on an LDS list I saw years ago, I figured on 400 pounds of grains per adult per year. I included dried potatoes in that, even though I know potatoes are not grains. The Klondike gold rushers were recommended to have 450 pounds. I think I will stick with the LDS recommendation, but the difference is interesting to note.

*Beans:* I figured on 60 pounds of beans/adult/year. But perhaps I should increase my bean estimates, since the Klondike gold rushers planned on more than double that: 125 pounds of beans.

*Sugar:* They recommend 25 lbs. The LDS source recommended 40 lbs. per adult per year. I think I'll stick to 40. Sugar is easy to store...and could be a good barter item.

*Evaporated vinegar*...that sounds like a good thing to have. I looked very briefly on the Internet for it, but I didn't see any being commercially sold. Looks like that might be a food item that has disappeared in the past 100 years. Anybody ever seen it sold?

(As an interesting aside, in searching for evaporated vinegar, I did find some recipes for salad dressing with evaporated milk & vinegar as the base mixture, with some spices added, or even onion soup mix added to it.)


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

Tacitus said:


> *Evaporated vinegar*...that sounds like a good thing to have. I looked very briefly on the Internet for it, but I didn't see any being commercially sold. Looks like that might be a food item that has disappeared in the past 100 years. Anybody ever seen it sold?


Since vinegar is just diluted Acetic acid, I suggest evaporated vinegar is just a higher concentrate than is normally sold. Care should be exercised when handling concentrations above 10%.

I make this suggestion since evaporated milk is just milk with most of the water removed.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Back in those days, vinegar concentrations varied a lot and were usually pretty weak. These days there is "distilled" vinegar (not actually distilled) and reduced vinegar that would likely be the equivalent.

Now, if they meant powdered vinegar, you can buy acetic acid powder that is used to make "non-fermented condiment" type vinegar (or weed and cleaning type applications) and, apparently at least somebody makes true powdered vinegar;
http://www.melbournefooddepot.com/buy/vinegar-powder-fd-100g/F05016


> This product conatins no anticaking (silica) or blending agents (lactose or maltodextrin powder), it is 100% pure white vinegar powder. It contains no wheat, corn or dairy only 100% freeze dried vinegar liquid. - See more at: http://www.melbournefooddepot.com/buy/vinegar-powder-fd-100g/F05016#sthash.IBxwgWMi.dpuf


:dunno:


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Years ago I was fascinated by the Klondike gold rush and read many books on it. The drive, determination and endurance of those folks was incredible. And that list was the REQUIRED foods, not everything they needed to bring with them! They were going mining, by hand. Implements to dig, pan for gold, shelter, cut firewood, clothing....... And those are per person! If you were in a team or group, multiply the amounts. And then fathom transporting all those goods overland???? Fill your hand-made sledge and drag it up a pass or down the trail a mile or two. Unload it, drag the empty sledge back for another load, drag it to your pile, unload it, drag the sledge back for another load............

And many folks still starved along the way. I've seen pictures of the stuff scattered along the trail. People cut their loads after a few days, week, weeks, of hauling load after load and left stuff behind so they would have one less sledge trip to make.

Sorry to get OT, just brought back memories and makes me want to go and re-read some books. Another good one is Earnest Shackelton's Antarctica expedition in the early 1900's.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I tried, to no avail, to copy and post this picture. It is a picture of hundreds of men climbing the pass headed for the Klondike. That long straight line is men, one after another, of men making the climb with many more waiting their turn. They have made steps in the snow and each would step into the print made from the previous man. If anyone stepped out of line to rest it might be hours before someone let him back in the line.

http://library.alaska.gov/hist/goldrush/30.gif

If anyone can post this picture I would appreciate it.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Here you go;


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

the amount required, caused the term "Grub stake'' to come into existence

@Tacitus this food load is for a grown man who is expecting to perform hard labour all day, not just survive in a shelter.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I too rely heavily on the LDS Preparedness Manual and the list included but I use it as a guide not as a hard and fast rule. I know how we eat and I adjust my own supplies accordingly. I will use the one year time frame you started with but two years, or six months, or any other time frame works with my system. I started with the LDS list and adapted it to our eating habits.

I date each item as it goes into inventory. If when I use the item it has been in stock for less than the intended time frame then I have too little and I increase the allotted space for that item. This is a less than perfect system as waiting for the next sale can mean that I get low on most items on a rotational basis, each in its own turn. Once I have my years worth of any item I fill up the allotted row with additional cans/packages of that item. This will help reduce the time I am below the one year mark between sales.

One plus is that if I decide to increase my time frame it is a simple matter of looking for a longer timeframe and purchasing at the next sale accordingly. I have a few items that are strictly for long term storage like my wheat and that 25# of table salt will be a rare purchase.

Looking at the Klondike list I suspect that the 150# of bacon and the beans are anticipated to go together and be a staple. The bacon grease will be used with any wild game and the flour will help provide a complete protein when served with the beans. 

I had a sourdough starter that came from that gold rush. When I was young Mom got some from a friend of ours that had been there.

I wish those coming across our border today had the wherewithal to provide for themselves.


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