Food Storage Calculator

[karlsgunbunker]

How much do you need to store?

Food Storage Calculator

[Prometheus]

I haven't seen this in awhile. It's eye opening to someone thinking about preparedness for the first time.

To any newbies seeing it for the first time. You can be well on your way by starting with some of the cheaper basics like rice and pasta. Don't get overwhelmed. 50 pounds of rice is under 20 dollars.

[colt45er]

I am new to all of this, but the water seems to be on the light side....for my family 2 adults 2 kids, it says only 56 gal of water and 4 gal of bleach.

Does this seem like not enough to anyone else?

[indyjoe]

Originally Posted by colt45er

I am new to all of this, but the water seems to be on the light side....for my family 2 adults 2 kids, it says only 56 gal of water and 4 gal of bleach.

Does this seem like not enough to anyone else?

For 2, 28 gallons of water seems VERY light. I have 40 gallons of water stored and expect it to be a one month supply. (I guess 50 more in the water heater too.)

I wonder if they are just talking the water needed to cook the food?

[squarepeg]

That seems to me like an odd list of things you need. I don't have at least half that stuff for normal living. And wouldn't want much of it at anytime. Honestly, what are you going to use molasses, corn syrup, jello, or some of that other stuff for if shtf. What good is shortening used for? Isn't that for baking deserts?

After thinking for a while, I guess the flour, baking powder, and yeast are there to make bread, right? Although I don't know anyone younger than 50 who knows how to bake bread without a bread maker machine.

Also I don't see any meat on the list, do they assume you will catch/hunt for that? Vacuum packed meat lasts a long time. Can you honestly live off of what is listed on there? I guess the Asians eat a lot of rice and they seem to live long, and the Italians live off a lot of pasta. Rice and pasta combined are barely found in 1 meal a week for myself.

[indyjoe]

Originally Posted by squarepeg

That seems to me like an odd list of things you need. I don't have at least half that stuff for normal living. And wouldn't want much of it at anytime. Honestly, what are you going to use molasses, corn syrup, jello, or some of that other stuff for if shtf. What good is shortening used for? Isn't that for baking deserts?

Shortening is a more stable fat than butter and very useful if you want to make biscuits from the flour. Molasses would be nice to have on flap jacks. Of course cooking them would require a little oil or shortening.

Originally Posted by squarepeg

After thinking for a while, I guess the flour, baking powder, and yeast are there to make bread, right? Although I don't know anyone younger than 50 who knows how to bake bread without a bread maker machine.

I'm 32. I've known how to make bread since I was 14. Warm water. Add yeast. Add flour. Maybe some molasses for flavor and to feed the yeast. Add some salt. Work quite a bit to develop the gluten. Let rise. Punch down. Let rise in baking dish. Bake. Voila, bread.

Flour isn't the greatest to store, because it goes bad fairly quickly. Hard Red Winter Wheat can be ground into flour as needed and stores for decades.

Originally Posted by squarepeg

Also I don't see any meat on the list, do they assume you will catch/hunt for that? Vacuum packed meat lasts a long time. Can you honestly live off of what is listed on there? I guess the Asians eat a lot of rice and they seem to live long, and the Italians live off a lot of pasta. Rice and pasta combined are barely found in 1 meal a week for myself.

Rice and Beans or Wheat and Beans give you complete proteins that you can live off of. Beans, Rice, and Wheat can store for years and still be viable. Canned or vacuum packed meats get 2 years at the high end. This isn't a "long time" when talking food storage. If you store 1-2 years worth and eat it up while replacing it, then you are good for 1-2 years with meat. The problem is that you cannot eat up as much as you would have to store for an emergency, unless all you eat is your store. (You don't eat at home every meal, do you?) This means some meat will go bad or you will have to donate to a food bank BEFORE it goes bad. If you are fine with this added expense, you can count on meat.

[jediagh]

You need at least 1 gallon of DRINKING water per person per day if you plan on doing nothing but "living" (aka no physcia activity, just lying on the bed).

Now if you think about your every day use you need more than 1 gallon of water. You cook as well so ideally 5 gallons of water fordrnking and cooking.

Best is 10 gal of water per person perday for all activities (drinking, cooking, washing, etc). So yes the calculator is on the low side for the water.

I would recommend a MIN of 5 gal per person per day but would push for 10+ per person per day. It canbe very expensive and take up a lot of room to store that much water. So do a baseline of 5 gal per person per day for 90 days. Once you hae reached that and have reached your 90 day supplie of food then you can go back and increase the water to the 10 gallon level.

As for the sortening comment. Shortening (aka LARD) is a good replacementfor cooking oil, butter, and margine. You can use it to replace all of those and it keeps for a long, long, long, long time! Elimiate th other fats ad just stick with the lard. Back in the old days before our nation went biggie size (LARD) was used i just about everything to cook. It provided the much needed "fat" that your body needs everyday.

Correct on the flour, backing power, etc.. it is to make bread or biscuits. Since you don't know how to make them without a bread machine (neither do I) I suggest you google online for reciepes and direction on how to make bread/biscuits th old fashion way and do it sometime to learn how to.

The calculator is a good starting point to get you thinking on what you need to store. Make sure you get the basisc even if you have no need for them. Example you may not need jello but if STHF you could trade the jello for something you might need. Better to have things you can trade then not have anything at all!

[jediagh]

Originally Posted by indyjoe

Flour isn't the greatest to store, because it goes bad fairly quickly. Hard Red Winter Wheat can be ground into flour as needed and stores for decades.

what about storing the flour in metal bags seals in buckets? Does it store longer?

Did not know about the Winter Wheat. Thanks!

Rice and Beans or Wheat and Beans give you complete proteins that you can live off of. Beans, Rice, and Wheat can store for years and still be viable. Canned or vacuum packed meats get 2 years at the high end. This isn't a "long time" when talking food storage. If you store 1-2 years worth and eat it up while replacing it, then you are good for 1-2 years.

You can store canned meat forever. Granted after a few years the meat may not look right but so long as the can is not distrubed the meat or any concents will be BIOLOGICAL ok to eat. Taste, texture, and nutrinal contents may vary.

Rotate is key if you are going to store canned meats (tuna, chicken). Get stuff you already eat and rotate as you go along.

[indyjoe]

Originally Posted by jediagh

what about storing the flour in metal bags seals in buckets? Does it store longer?

A little, but not much better. Whole Wheat flour goes rancid in a few months. (The better the flour, the quicker.) White flour eliminates the germ (and much of the nutrition) to last longer. Grinding fresh wheat is the best of both worlds.

Originally Posted by jediagh

You can store canned meat forever. Granted after a few years the meat may not look right but so long as the can is not distrubed the meat or any concents will be BIOLOGICAL ok to eat. Taste, texture, and nutrinal contents may vary.

Nutrition takes a nose dive, but you probably won't get sick eating it. Some tuna is now labeled as good for up to 5 years. As with over the counter drugs, most companies are very conservative with exp. dates. Although anything high acid will turn bad.

[karlsgunbunker]

I think the israelis calculated 1 gal of Potable Water per person per day.
You can wash clothes with river or pond water.

For Drinking and Cooking 1 gal is a good basis for storage.
More would be better. Water is hard to store, it takes up a lot of space.
I store what i can and keep Bleach and Purifiers/Filters.
We have 3 ponds and a lake within walking distance.