been done before, but i have a 'how much prepped is enough' question

[chad]

so, i've taken stock of my stored food. i've also been tracking since november how much we actually eat as a family. by my estimates, i have 5 years stored. now, i am probably off, so let's say i've overestimated by a whole year (but i don't think i have). let's say i only have 4 years stored. at what point is it enough and you stop? starting to feel like maybe a i am a candidate for that hoarders t.v. show.

[midnight rambler]

I would suggest you transition from storing sufficient food to producing sufficient food.

[chad]

I would suggest you transition from storing sufficient food to producing sufficient food.

been working on that. i dry canned about 2 months worth of stuff from our land last fall. long way to go...

[osoab]

one can never have enough stoves. :D

[old steel]

I'm sure all your hungry neighbors will have nothing but good things to say about you Chad, when they run short.

[mick silver]

buy what you can store , you will never know who may need your help .... family ...

[Neuro]

I would suggest you transition from storing sufficient food to producing sufficient food.
Further you can probably add a few more years to the pile by lowering metabolism by frequent fasting, without losing too much weight even. The food prepping I have done, would possibly last me and family 6 months at the most, if we had to survive on only that. But I figure in an extended crisis, it may become more of a liability to have a huge pile than the actual risk of starving to death. For instance it may be a better strategy to escape from an area with no food than to stay with the food, and you may think you have both options now, but it may be a hard option to leave the pile behind, and probably leaving with it is no option at all. Unless you have a sailing boat and an ocean nearby...

[mick silver]

i have no place to run to , so adding food and growing what i can for my family is it ... it my home

[Ponce]

Congrad Chad........five years is a good number, buy now all the Junk that you can find at garage sales for trading purposes for the junk of today will be the treasures of tomorrow...........Hey Mick? mi casa es tu casa.

By the way people, have AT LEAST a two years supply of food at hand.

V

[Jewboo]

I would suggest you transition from storing sufficient food to producing sufficient food.

Powerful thought-provoking sentence.

[chad]

one can never have enough stoves. :D

i bought another one this weekend. i feel dirty. :(

[osoab]

i bought another one this weekend. i feel dirty. :(

cause you only bought one?

[mick silver]

"my house is your house"; make yourself at home (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/make_yourself_at_home) ... mi casa es tu casa. is that right mr ponce . come on over ponce for dinner tonight homemade beef stew

[madfranks]

If you've got 5 years worth of food prepped, your biggest threat when SHTF is staying hidden. If your starving neighbors see your family at a healthy weight and normal energy levels, they'll know you have food and come after you. So make sure you have a strategy for staying invisible.

[gunDriller]

starting to feel like maybe a i am a candidate for that hoarders t.v. show.

it gives you some flexibility. at times when precious metals are on sale, you have the option of living off your preps and spending that money on precious metals. that's a good option to have.

[osoab]

You could start discreet defensive placements around your abode.

[Jewboo]

If you've got 5 years worth of food prepped, your biggest threat when SHTF is staying hidden. If your starving neighbors see your family at a healthy weight and normal energy levels, they'll know you have food and come after you. So make sure you have a strategy for staying invisible.






http://calflameblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/18_Friends-Cal-Flame-Med-994x1024.jpg
This is way better than what Ponce tried to serve us wtshtf. Right Buffy?

[ImaCannin]

I would suggest you put lots of thought into your preps... Lets throw a monkey wrench into the mix.... Suppose you or someone in your family gets blessed with Gluten intolerance or some kind of gut issues and can not eat 99% of what you have stored. Do you have an alternative food for them to eat? Make your self aware of Salicylate Sensitivity, Histamine Intolerance, Oxalate Toxicity and be sure to prepare for those who might need a different menu. Sounds like you have enough to get you through on the food that you have stored, try to store food that you dont have. With more and more toxins floating about, gut issues are on the rise. When it hits you, it hits you hard and takes away most of your food choices.

[mick silver]

any sites imacannin for places to order stuff like your talking about thanks mick s

[osoab]

http://calflameblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/18_Friends-Cal-Flame-Med-994x1024.jpg
This is way better than what Ponce tried to serve us wtshtf. Right Buffy?



I don't think that grill was used to cook the food sitting upon it.

[Shami-Amourae]

Some things to consider:

http://static.caloriecount.about.com/images/medium/del-monte-lite-chunky-23706.jpg
I think it's a good idea to first worry about foods that are quick, easy, and don't require preparation. A good example is canned fruit with the pull tops. I keep a few in my car even though I normally wouldn't eat them for health reasons, but if you have to they are there. This kind of thing will last a long time and you don't have any dishes or energy.

Also consider stocking up on disposable plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. Water may be a precious resource and you may want to only use it for drinking/cooking/hygiene. Cleaning plates, bowls, cups, and utensils may be a waste of water.

If there is a "collapse" I think it will most likely be a short term thing like Hurricane Sandy or Hurricane Katrina were it's only SHTF for a short period of time. And yeah, try to have a plan be since your home may catch fire and your preps may go with it.

[Spectrism]

I see food stores as 3 components. Everyone knows about two: nutrition and energy. A third one is barter power. You have to think about how you can trade food for useful things when the time comes. It can be a dangerous trade when dealing with desperate people. Think of what it is like selling drugs. Only offer a trade when you see something you can use. Otherwise, you got nuthin.... and anyone who asks will only be told you got nuthin.

Ultimately, energy will rule the day. Think about how to produce energy.

[Jewboo]

Suppose you or someone in your family gets blessed with Gluten intolerance or some kind of gut issues and can not eat 99% of what you have stored. Do you have an alternative food for them to eat? Make yourself aware of Salicylate Sensitivity, Histamine Intolerance, Oxalate Toxicity and be sure to prepare for those who might need a different menu.





http://youtu.be/Qtlsjmct3MU




At some point Darwin naturally selects out those finicky about food. Just sayin'.


:(?? wtshtf you are on your own

[chad]

my sister in law has the gluten thing. she is a huge liberal, makes fun of anything libertarian minded, hates guns, makes fun of anything that happens outside of a city of 1+ million. total statist. i have prepped 3 months for her. after that, she gets the boot.

[osoab]

my sister in law has the gluten thing. she is a huge liberal, makes fun of anything libertarian minded, hates guns, makes fun of anything that happens outside of a city of 1+ million. total statist. i have prepped 3 months for her. after that, she gets the boot.

From Chicago huh.

[EE_]

http://calflameblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/18_Friends-Cal-Flame-Med-994x1024.jpg
Hey girls, who's your daddy?...that's right, uh huh, me!


Good reason to bring out the good stuff.

[ImaCannin]

any sites imacannin for places to order stuff like your talking about thanks mick s

Sorry Mick, No food sites for the way bad gut people have to eat! The worse the gut the more the food sensitivities the less one can eat.

Most with bad sensitivities have a diet like this:

Day 1 : Chicken and WInter Squash, rice
Day 2 : Elk and cow peas, rice
Day 3 : Duck and Apple Sauce, rice
Day 4 : Bison and spaghetti squash, rice
Sometimes Hazelnut butter, or a wedge of an orange.
You can grow lots of winter squash as it stores well thru the winter and some are suppose to last a year long ( Iran Squash )You can - can it, or dehydrate it. Some foods are hypoallergenic, like bison and some have very little allergy reactions like apples or winter squash. Do your homework. Just buy different foods than what you already have, like cow peas, can lots of organic apple sauce. Get lots of brown rice so you can make rice flour and use it instead of wheat flour. Look at alternative ways of cooking (gluten free) and start buying those foods. Get Gluten free rice noodles. - vacuumed sealed they last a long long time! Buy lots of REAL SALT, it may be the only spice one can tolerate!

[midnight rambler]

i feel dirty. :(

That's good, 'cause the very first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem.

[Neuro]

my sister in law has the gluten thing. she is a huge liberal, makes fun of anything libertarian minded, hates guns, makes fun of anything that happens outside of a city of 1+ million. total statist. i have prepped 3 months for her. after that, she gets the boot.
How are you planning of getting rid of her? It would probably take her 15 minutes after booting her out to return with a posse demanding that you share all your food with them. Do you think she will be greatful for 3 months of free food?

[Neuro]

i have no place to run to , so adding food and growing what i can for my family is it ... it my home
Nothing wrong with trying to stay at your home as long as possible, it is probably one of the safest places on earth, for you....

However you have pre-limited your options too much... You have everywhere in the world to run to if you have to!

[chad]

How are you planning of getting rid of her? It would probably take her 15 minutes after booting her out to return with a posse demanding that you share all your food with them. Do you think she will be greatful for 3 months of free food?

the rest of my family will probably kill her for me. whiny person that no one likes. actually, she probably wouldn't even make it here, it would require leaving & not living in the city. you might not be able to get a starbucks and shop at whole foods where i live.

[gunDriller]

my sister in law has the gluten thing. she is a huge liberal, makes fun of anything libertarian minded, hates guns, makes fun of anything that happens outside of a city of 1+ million. total statist. i have prepped 3 months for her. after that, she gets the boot.

if you ever want to score 'brownie points' with the Obama-ist, have these 3 websites up on your computer next time she walks by your desk -

http://www.alternet.org/
http://www.commondreams.org/
http://www.motherjones.com/