# new here...need some info on water & food storage



## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

Hey folks,

I'm new here and was asking about covering some basics. Was told by another member to check into water & food storage.

I'm not sure if there are active threads out there but any help owuld be appreciated.

Thanks


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I suggest that you first download and read the LDS Preparedness Manual. This will provide you with answers to questions you have yet to think of. No one book can answer everything but this is an excellent place to start.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Just about everything you need to know about food and water storage can be found in these 2 forums.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f20/ Water

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f6/ Food


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

Caribou said:


> I suggest that you first download and read the LDS Preparedness Manual. This will provide you with answers to questions you have yet to think of. No one book can answer everything but this is an excellent place to start.


perhaps I am not looking in the right place but at that website it talks about the legal ramifications after a self defense shooting. Did I miss something?


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

hangman said:


> perhaps I am not looking in the right place but at that website it talks about the legal ramifications after a self defense shooting. Did I miss something?


You can configure your account on this board to include a "signature" feature attached to every post. The link that you clicked is part of Caribou's signature. Notice the line that separates his link from the text he wrote to you, well everything below that line is automatically appended to his every post.

Look at Uncle Joe's post to you and you see that he also has a signature attachment underneath the line.

Now look at my post. I didn't enable the signature feature for my account and so there is no line at the bottom of my post.

Hope that helps.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

On a more general note people here are very willing to engage with you and help you along but to help the process along you need to be asking questions more narrow in scope than "I want to prepare - help me please." You get the idea 

I'd suggest browsing and reading through the links that Uncle Joe included in his response or ask a question such that we can answer it with specific information. Tell us a little about what you want to accomplish, what you're worried about, what your plan for disaster is at the moment, what you're worried about with regards to your plan, if you plan on doing your own gardening, if you plan on buying food or canning food, how long you plan to survive on your preps, and that sort of thing and that gives people here the basic info to start talking with you about your situation and how they think you could improve your plan.


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

First of all I am very well armed. Many thousands of rounds in each caliber (rifle & pistol). Not planning on gardening because I live in suburbia and have a small yard. Wanted to know more about food storage methods. I've read about 5 gallon buckets and mylar linings but I do not know if there are specific 5 gallon containers or not? Dried foods to start. Water storage as well. I'm reading about canning bacon and such. I don't know much about canning but would like to learn. Hope this narrows it down a bit. 

I've studied history long enough to know that we are fast approaching a currency crises. The national debt is exploding and at least half this country is oblivious to it all. They exist for the government to steal from their neighbors so they can be unproductive, corrupt and lazy. I call it "Reverse Darwinism". Survival of the least fit at the expense of the producers. It's going to end badly. I want to start being prepared. Hope this gives you some insight into my mindset. Thanks


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

i plan on buying dried foods for storage. need details on supplies. Water storage methods including purification. Not sure of how long to need my supply. I would like to think 1-3 years, perhaps more. Don't know because I am new to this area. Thanks again


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

hangman said:


> First of all I am very well armed. Many thousands of rounds in each caliber (rifle & pistol). Not planning on gardening because I live in suburbia and have a small yard. Wanted to know more about food storage methods. I've read about 5 gallon buckets and mylar linings but I do not know if there are specific 5 gallon containers or not? Dried foods to start. Water storage as well. I'm reading about canning bacon and such. I don't know much about canning but would like to learn. Hope this narrows it down a bit.


There's lots of old posts on these topics. The search feature at the top left of the page can be a big help. Alternatively, start a thread with a very specific question and you'll get lots of help.

There are lots of knowledgeable people here who've traveled this same road and are farther along than you and they can tell you what you need to know.

You can buy the food grade buckets new, you can scrounge around and get them from restaurants and institutional kitchens. My 2 cents is to be sure that they are food grade because you want to avoid noxious off-gassing into your food. I'm sure that someone here could hook you up with a internet supplier if you want to go that route.



> I've studied history long enough to know that we are fast approaching a currency crises. The national debt is exploding and at least half this country is oblivious to it all. They exist for the government to steal from their neighbors so they can be unproductive, corrupt and lazy. I call it "Reverse Darwinism". Survival of the least fit at the expense of the producers. It's going to end badly. I want to start being prepared. Hope this gives you some insight into my mindset. Thanks


You should fit right in then.


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

You should fit right in then. **

Thanks


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

hangman said:


> Hey folks,
> 
> I'm new here and was asking about covering some basics. Was told by another member to check into water & food storage.
> 
> ...


P.M me.I've been doing this stuff since the mid 80's


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

hangman said:


> i plan on buying dried foods for storage. need details on supplies. Water storage methods including purification. Not sure of how long to need my supply. I would like to think 1-3 years, perhaps more. Don't know because I am new to this area. Thanks again


This is going to a long term process of education for you. Don't let it get overwhelming. Pick up some info here and then work it on and then repeat with some new info.

Three years of food storage for one person is going to take up a bit of room and it's going to take some time to put together. One step at a time.

What you may want to consider is setting up a rotation schedule where you pull food from your stockpile and use it and then replace it, and a bit more, so that your stockpile grows.

What you might want to avoid, or maybe not, is having your food preps sitting unused for 10+ years. I favor rotation in order to avoid that pitfall. You can find stories of canned food that is 60 years old and still edible but the nutritional value starts to diminish as soon as you can it so shelf life is something to keep in mind. That's not saying that old food is inedible, just that it's not packed to the brim with vitamins - it's often still good, just not perfect. So you see, here is a trade-off but if you implement a rotation system then it becomes a habit and isn't really a chore but it does mean that your food prepping never stops unlike the preppers who store and forget after they've built a stockpile.

Now, the flaw in a multiyear plan is that you're eventually going to run out of food if times are bad, so it's always good to have a backup plan to grow your own as your food storage reaches some low water threshold - say 6 months. Now if you start with a 3 year supply and you're down to 6 months then the fact that you're holed up in suburbia is going to be moot because if you, a prepper, have had to survive on stores for 2 1/2 years then it's quite likely that there has been a huge die-off in civilization and available farm land is going to yours for the taking. Now you just need to be prepared to use it.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Here be one post on treatin water that might help yall out:
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f20/pvc-water-purification-kit-17378/

As fer as dried foods go, I don't buy it, I dry my own. There be several posts yall can look up with good information fer dryin yer own. Thin I don't like bout the commercial stuff be most all it be real high in sodium. Makin yer own let's ya keep that under control.

As fer buckets, I get mine used from a local big box store er a resteraunt. Just make sure they be food grade buckets an ain't had nothin hazerdous stored in em. Pickle buckets gonna be a challenge ta clean cause the smell soaks right inta the bucket!

Even in a small area yall can do some gardenin. I use the square foot system an it puts some nice fresh stuff on the table throughout the season. Otherwise yall got a farmers market round ya? Cannin ain't all that hard an gives ya a useable food store that'll keep a surprisinly long spell.

Ask questions, look round some a the posts. Folks generally be glad ta hep yall out.


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

I figured that there would have to be a rotation of stored food and consumption of the oldest first. I guess a labelling system would be needed

I'm not sure I want to get involved with used plastic containers (for now anyway). Lets start with purchasing storage containers and bags for dried foods. Any helpful links here? 

Thanks


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

hangman said:


> i plan on buying dried foods for storage. need details on supplies. Water storage methods including purification. Not sure of how long to need my supply. I would like to think 1-3 years, perhaps more. Don't know because I am new to this area. Thanks again


Dried as in dehydrated or freeze dried? They are similar, but different.

I posted something similar to the following in a thread a week or so ago.

1. From the time you get up in the morning, to the time you go to bed, write down everything you do.

2. Look at that list and determine what is absolutely essential, what would be nice to have, and what is unnecessary. Either make new lists for the appropriate categories, or note it in the margins of the page.

3. Now, figure out what you need in order to make the essentials happen. Again, make a new list or notes in the margins. Do the same for the "nice to have" list. As an example, if you're going to brush your teeth, you need a toothbrush, toothpaste, and some water.

4. From the lists above you should have a good idea of what you need to stock up on, but maybe not how much of it for a given time period. This is the point at which you will either have to make a guess, or start writing the date on items when you start using them. If it takes you a month to use a tube of toothpaste, then you need twelve of them for a year's supply.

For water purification, there are multiple methods. Distillation, chemical, heat, UV light exposure.... Filters don't purify water, but they will remove _some_ biological and/or chemical contaminants. They are best used with other treatment methods. Sometimes the government actually does something worthwhile with the money they steal from us: http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm There is a downloadable PDF link on that page as well.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

hangman said:


> I figured that there would have to be a rotation of stored food and consumption of the oldest first. I guess a labelling system would be needed
> 
> I'm not sure I want to get involved with used plastic containers (for now anyway). Lets start with purchasing storage containers and bags for dried foods. Any helpful links here?
> 
> Thanks


"Eat what you store, store what you eat." Trite but true. What this means for you is that you should have a good understanding of what you eat. There's no sense in storing bulk wheat if you never grind your own wheat right now because that stored wheat, which might come in handy if you have to dig into your preps, could end up being unused for a while or simply shunted to the next week and then the next week when you are digging into your stores because there is always some easier food to use first. Better to just not store it and store something that you will eat in its place.

Give this thread a few days to grow and you'll likely get people giving your very specific supplier information.

For instance, you can go to Emergency Essentials and give them your credit card and have them ship everything already stored in buckets. Or you can buy buckets and then pick up 50 # bags of pinto beans at a food wholesaler or Wal-Mart and do it yourself. Or, like some folks here, you can assemble a collection of 2,000, 3,000, or more canning jars and make your own stews, chili, soups, meats, etc and process and store them. I processed over a dozen large turkeys a month ago because we got them at fantastically low price. That's more turkey than we would eat in a couple of years. It's now in rotation.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

Bobbb said:


> This is going to a long term process of education for you. Don't let it get overwhelming. Pick up some info here and then work it on and then repeat with some new info.


Bobbb - VERY nice posts man! Good advice!


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## hangman (Feb 18, 2013)

Yes, I have a lot to learn. What are the practical differences between dried food and freeze dried foods? I am assuming it has to do with length of storage. 

Thanks


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

hangman said:


> Yes, I have a lot to learn. What are the practical differences between dried food and freeze dried foods? I am assuming it has to do with length of storage.
> 
> Thanks


Freeze dried would be pre-made meals that have been freeze dried... All you need to do is heat water to boil, then add, stir let sit for 12-15 minutes and presto... There are several manufacturers - Wise and Mount House are the two largest (it seems)... I have tried both and prefer MH, but MH is more expensive. Freezes dried from either can last 10+ years... Also extremely light weight.

Dried foods - IMO - would be like using a dehumidifier and drying apples, pineapples, making beef jerky etc.. Not an expert here.

What I have done is bought several individual servings of wise and MH, found out what I like then bought some of each. I also have a ton of store bought canned food - a years worth. Rotating isn't hard... I have a walkin pantry off the kitchen that I cook from, when that runs low, I go down stairs and grab what I need taking from front of shelf, when I restock, I restock from behind the shelves...

If you go with store bought cans, they will last past expire date typically. Also, look for deals for what you buy... For example we have Krogers grocery stores that run 10/$10 specials on del monte veggies... So, when I am shopping every week, if I see they are running it, I go ahead and grab $10-20 worth for extra stocking... Over a couple of months it adds up...

Also if you have the cash flow, you can say screw it, and just buy a years supply of freeze dried MH or Wise in a kit for around $2,000 - if you actually use it to cook with, it is actually cheaper than buying stuff at a grocery store... But I don't do this...


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## valannb22 (Jan 6, 2012)

I really like this woman's blog http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/p/start-here.html This breaks food/water/emergency equip/financial stores into really small, easy to follow weekly and/or monthly steps. She mostly uses everyday foods like canned goods to start out with and working up to a one year supply, but it also tells you how to use long term storage like the freeze dried stuff. It isn't huge on equip or medical supplies, but I think its a good way to get started towards at least a couple of months supply.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

hangman said:


> Hey folks,
> 
> I'm new here and was asking about covering some basics. Was told by another member to check into water & food storage.
> 
> ...


Hangman, turn your private messages on if I'm going to help you...
anyway, this was my reply:

Food, water, Shelter,medical, defense.

Tell me where you are in each category and we'll build from there.what kind of budget do you have? I can do rice n beans to fillet mingion.

I also need any special circumstances like your age, anybody disabled or elderly and your current area where you live, I.E urban, suburban, north south etc.

I'll hook you up a nice comprehensive list and suggest certain tools and items for you.no charge.LOL


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

hangman said:


> Hey folks,
> 
> I'm new here and was asking about covering some basics. Was told by another member to check into water & food storage.
> 
> ...


Just keep the *4 B*'s in mind.

*B*eans (Food)

*B*everage (Water)

*B*ullets &

*B*andaids (First Aid)


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Except for grains and legumes, I have mostly freeze dried foods from Emergency Essentials, and quite a few MREs. Most of our storage items are complete meals, not individual products in large containers. Since there are only two of us, opening containers of single items with a dozen servings didn't fit our needs as well as the meals. I've only sampled a few of the products and they were way better than C-rations, so I'll do fine...though the wife might complain.

I also chose freeze dried because we are at the age that the shelf life is far longer than we can expect to live, so our kids can fight over who gets the twenty year old banana chips.

I also have a generous supply of seeds, for if we decide to grow our own. In any case, they would make good barter material.


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## haley4217 (Dec 16, 2012)

GaryS said:


> Except for grains and legumes, I have mostly freeze dried foods from Emergency Essentials, and quite a few MREs. Most of our storage items are complete meals, not individual products in large containers. Since there are only two of us, opening containers of single items with a dozen servings didn't fit our needs as well as the meals. I've only sampled a few of the products and they were way better than C-rations, so I'll do fine...though the wife might complain.
> 
> I also chose freeze dried because we are at the age that the shelf life is far longer than we can expect to live, so our kids can fight over who gets the twenty year old banana chips.
> 
> I also have a generous supply of seeds, for if we decide to grow our own. In any case, they would make good barter material.


It sounds like you are in a similar situation to my family. There are only two of us and like you the very long term storage items may out last us. We also have to consider that if we open a six gallon can of oatmeal, we'll get tired of eating oatmeal everyday long before we reach the bottom of the can, so to this end our storage plan is three fold.

First we have the short term less self stable goods stored that we like and eat frequently. Then I go to our Supermarket to replenish the kitchen pantry. So we have extras cans of ground coffee, 1 lb boxes of oatmeal, canned goods, canned fruit, tuna, sugar, honey, small containers of grains, legumes and pasta. When the Supermarket runs low it's off to Sam's for bulk replenishing.

Second, we have freeze dried meals like you from Emergency Essentials and small packages (#10 cans) from Augason Farms and Mother Earth that give us about six months after the "Supermarket" and kitchen pantry run out. This gives us a buffer until garden is producing. Plus we have a flock of chickens to keep us in protein from eggs to supplement the vegetable garden. Canning and dehydrating from each years garden adds to this supply and gives us canned vegetables to transfer to the "Supermarket" as we need them in the winter.

Third, our long term preps are the 30 Year shelf life buckets of beans, rice, oatmeal, sugar, flour, corn and other dehydrated foods which supplement the garden and chickens. We've got Mylar bags, spare buckets and smaller containers so when we do crack open one of the buckets we can split it up and re-seal to hopefully extend the shelf life.

We also keep and re-supply each year bulk vegetable seeds to have for next years gardens and to have available for barter when TSHTF.


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## kristina2011 (Mar 8, 2013)

There's a lot of storage that you can use, its either a plastic storage, drum or a natural storage. Eitherway, water is very important. With regards to preparing for a storm, many people say better safe than sorry. Get the things you want when a storm caution is shown to you. If you end up stuck in your home or without electricity for a couple of days, you will want a few things. It is worth the payday loan to make sure you have candles, blankets and food. =)


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