Any 'net bought emergency food worth it?

[CroftonBilly]

Mountain House has some really great sales throughout the year, especially black Friday through New Year. Get on their mailing list and watch for sales. https://mountainhouse.com/

 

[paperwork351]

My main backup is solar power for my well pump.

My backup backup backup is a year 'round stream 1/4 mile behind the house. But carrying water sucks bad. And the further you have to carry it, the worse it sucks.

How about a hand crank to back up the solar?

 

[Growler215]

How about a hand crank to back up the solar?

Would probably have to dig a shallower well. I don't have the paperwork in front of me, but as I recall my pump is down around 350'.

 

[King Chicken]

The more ways you’re able to cook, the better.

Signature for cooking involves many things. Smoke and smell are near the top of the list. When you haven’t eaten for a while and somebody is cooking (almost anything) you can smell it a long way away.

Rocket stoves are wonderful. Stocking up on propane is never a bad idea. Use it. Trade it.

The freeze dried hiking chow is great initially… as boiling water is pretty quick, low signature and can easily be kept hidden.

Why are rocket stoves wonderful? Never heard of it before now. At first I thought you meant a pocket rocket(lightweight stove).

I really have appreciated my Jetboil while hiking in many different environments. Very efficient and important piece of my kit.

https://jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/stoves-systems/flash-cooking-system

 

[Growler215]

Why are rocket stoves wonderful? Never heard of it before now. At first I thought you meant a pocket rocket(lightweight stove).

I really have appreciated my Jetboil while hiking in many different environments. Very efficient and important piece of my kit.

You can build a pretty good rocket stove with bricks or cinder blocks. Check YouTube for ideas. Very efficient and little smoke due to complete high temperature combustion.

 

[Joseph]

The freeze dried hiking chow is great initially… as boiling water is pretty quick, low signature and can easily be kept hidden.

Why just initially? Are they not recommended long term?
Just curious.

 

[Blacksmith101]

Rocket Stove Thread:

Show me your rocket stoves!

I was doing some yard clean up and found a pile of bricks. I ended up procrastinating on my work and instead build a super ghetto rocket stove. Despite how fugly it is, I was surprised how much heat this sucker can focus out the top pretty quickly. One day I want to cook a steak on it...

www.mdshooters.com

YouTube Rocket Stove Build search:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rocket+stove+build

 

[Archeryrob]

Jetboil might be a great stove, but if we run into a SHTF scenario you are not able to obtain refill canisters. A rocket stove works on sticks and small wood splits, which can be hand made and readily available.

 

[SummitCnty]

Why just initially? Are they not recommended long term?
Just curious.

They are loaded with sodium I believe.

 

[dblas]

They are loaded with sodium I believe.

Not really, high sodium levels are not such a good thing on long hikes, walks, etc.

 

[dblas]

Not really, they are mostly freeze dried veggies, meats, etc and whatever spices needed. Not really processed like you might think.

 

[King Chicken]

Jetboil might be a great stove, but if we run into a SHTF scenario you are not able to obtain refill canisters. A rocket stove works on sticks and small wood splits, which can be hand made and readily available.

Yeah you'll eventually run out of fuel.

I imagine you can't use a rocket stove safely indoors, can you? I mean the premade small metal ones.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

Why just initially? Are they not recommended long term?
Just curious.

No problem eating them all the time…forever. Except you’ll have to have lots of money to have ROUGHLY 2 a day at $10 each. Moreso if you’re feeding several folks. No reason you can’t have thousands on hand…except cost and storage.

The limit is wallet based not product based. IMO of course.

Another consideration is not unlike MREs. Realistically, there’s only so many different meals. Won’t be too long you go back to first world think and bitch about eating “the same thing over and over.” Heard it from a friend…

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

They are loaded with sodium I believe.

Sodium can be an issue. Moreso for old folks with high BP…and likely run out of BP meds by 90 days into any long term event…

Otherwise, the sodium should be welcome in a grid down environ where lots more work and exercise outdoors equals loss of sodium via sweat. Just cutting and humping wood alone will bring a need for more sodium.

The freeze dried chow is engineered for folks who are Uber active outside and all kinds of WX. Sodium and fat are their friend.

 

[Archeryrob]

I imagine you can't use a rocket stove safely indoors, can you? I mean the premade small metal ones.

I doubt that would be a good idea. Like heating with a wood stove and no chimney.

 

[Joseph]

No problem eating them all the time…forever. Except you’ll have to have lots of money to have ROUGHLY 2 a day at $10 each. Moreso if you’re feeding several folks. No reason you can’t have thousands on hand…except cost and storage.

The limit is wallet based not product based. IMO of course.

Another consideration is not unlike MREs. Realistically, there’s only so many different meals. Won’t be too long you go back to first world think and bitch about eating “the same thing over and over.” Heard it from a friend…

Got it. Thanks.

 

[Blacksmith101]

I doubt that would be a good idea. Like heating with a wood stove and no chimney.

Rig a hood over it that you could vent out a window when you are using it.

 

[pen]

I've got a couple of buckets of ReadyWise that I bought at Costco on the cheap, a 10lb bag of dried black beans, 32 oz of dried skim milk, and that's about it.

I realize that this is inadequate. But when I look at the prices of the internet store emergency food, my inner Scot starts yelling at me.

Is there any of these emergency food sellers that offer reasonably priced for what you get?

(I'm hearing the snickering even now)

I read where you can go to our good friends the Mormons to look for reasonably priced foods, but it seems like it's always eggs or milk and the like. Not prepared meals.

What's a cheap prepper-wanna-be to do?

Have you considered the LDS bishops storehouse? They offer the following:

Wheat, red and white, Flour, dehydrated apple slices, carrots, onions. Rice, flour, black, white and pinto beans, quick and regular oats, macaroni and spaghetti bites. They are over in Upper Marlboro, and you don’t have to be a member. Years ago, you could borrow their canning machine and can your own dry goods but that stopped I believe in 2012. If you can’t make it to their location here is an order form.

https://store.churchofjesuschrist.o...rage/food-storage-items/5637169327.c?lang=eng

 

[Archeryrob]

$40+ dollars for 36# of wheat is expensive, plus you need a mill. 50# of feed wheat is probably $18 and stores selling food cleared at $25+ so the bucket and Mylar bags will save a lot of money and give you more. Do you all have a mill? I bought a cheap one and it is just that. Okay to crack chicken corn for feed, but making flour, not so much.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

$40+ dollars for 36# of wheat is expensive, plus you need a mill. 50# of feed wheat is probably $18 and stores selling food cleared at $25+ so the bucket and Mylar bags will save a lot of money and give you more. Do you all have a mill? I bought a cheap one and it is just that. Okay to crack chicken corn for feed, but making flour, not so much.

Buy a decent mill or ensure someone in your tribe has one. It’s not that much money. PS. Shelf life better with unprocessed wheat n oats n barley etc. imo

PS. When things get bad, don’t rule out birdseed and or suet as nutritional sources.