Emergency Food Supply (freeze dried goods)

[QuietH3art]

I honestly think that the freeze-dried foods are probably a huge waste of money unless you are eating them right now. They might keep 20 years but I probably won't. After much thought, I don't think its wise to keep more than about a 2 year supply of food as well as a large variety of seed. Just about anything store bought that I would eat can be kept that long. Anything I can from my garden will keep at least that long. Keep a large variety of seed and a knowledge of how to grow them. That is going to be key to survival. Freeze dried, packaged and canned goods lose a lot of their nutritive value in processing and then more as time passes.
The only use I can see for the 20 year foods is in the case of nuclear war and then it really isn't going to matter long-term because nothing is going to grow to replace that once it's gone. Personally, I just don't think I want to live through something like that.

 

[Maverick]

I honestly think that the freeze-dried foods are probably a huge waste of money unless you are eating them right now. They might keep 20 years but I probably won't. After much thought, I don't think its wise to keep more than about a 2 year supply of food as well as a large variety of seed. Just about anything store bought that I would eat can be kept that long. Anything I can from my garden will keep at least that long. Keep a large variety of seed and a knowledge of how to grow them. That is going to be key to survival. Freeze dried, packaged and canned goods lose a lot of their nutritive value in processing and then more as time passes.
The only use I can see for the 20 year foods is in the case of nuclear war and then it really isn't going to matter long-term because nothing is going to grow to replace that once it's gone. Personally, I just don't think I want to live through something like that.

Agree, It's why I only keep a 30day supply freeze dry most everything else is from the garden though I have over 300lbs of beans bucket sealed (pinto/lentils/split pea) 3gal honey 5gal sugar 12gal kosher salt (for table salt and can be ground finer for canning salt) 10gal of black/green tea, I have instant coffee put away since it last substantially longer then normal coffee, everything I have is shelf stable and nutritional ok, maybe the instant coffee isn't nutritional but if sanity is healthy then instant coffee is nutritional

 

[QuietH3art]

Agree, It's why I only keep a 30day supply freeze dry most everything else is from the garden though I have over 300lbs of beans bucket sealed (pinto/lentils/split pea) 3gal honey 5gal sugar 12gal kosher salt (for table salt and can be ground finer for canning salt) 10gal of black/green tea, I have instant coffee put away since it last substantially longer then normal coffee, everything I have is shelf stable and nutritional ok, maybe the instant coffee isn't nutritional but if sanity is healthy then instant coffee is nutritional

I have a lot of packages of beans, but they are still in the packages. I use them often and rotate. Same with everything I have. It's all lined up so I can take from the front and add to the back.

 

[QuietH3art]

By the way, yesterday was it for me. A lot of the things that I use were on sale and I bought so much that I have no more room. I'm not allowed to shop for awhile unless I can get really creative and I'm not feeling creative today after rescuing my willow trees from the goats and moving my younger chicks to a pen around the willow tree so the bigger chickens can get used to them without being able to attack them.

 

[Gazrok]

The only use I can see for the 20 year foods is in the case of nuclear war and then it really isn't going to matter long-term because nothing is going to grow to replace that once it's gone. Personally, I just don't think I want to live through something like that.

I think most folks would be surprised at just how much area would be relatively untouched by nuclear war. Growing up in the Cold War, we were bombarded with the idea that nuclear war would completely wipe out our species. Looking at the current number of nukes, their yields, targets, etc., I just can't see that happening.

Same goes for how long nuclear winter would last, how long soil would be bad, etc. even in attacked areas. A lot was based on guesswork, and subsequent results in bombed areas have proven all the estimates were way too pessimistic.

 

[QuietH3art]

I think most folks would be surprised at just how much area would be relatively untouched by nuclear war. Growing up in the Cold War, we were bombarded with the idea that nuclear war would completely wipe out our species. Looking at the current number of nukes, their yields, targets, etc., I just can't see that happening.

Same goes for how long nuclear winter would last, how long soil would be bad, etc. even in attacked areas. A lot was based on guesswork, and subsequent results in bombed areas have proven all the estimates were way too pessimistic.

Ah, but I live less than 10 miles from the center of Camp Lejeune Marine Base. If there's a nuclear attack, I'll be gone immediately anyway.

 

[Gazrok]

Not near as many nukes as there were...so not sure a training base would be high on the priority list. Airbases, missile sites, and naval facilities would be bigger targets than Camp Lajeune.

 

[Maverick]

A good read, the maps pretty much shows the effects of fallout

http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/issue.aspx?y=0&content=true&id=982&css=print&page=6

 

[Gazrok]

Interesting. Not saying it will all be fine...just that an actual nuclear war now (as opposed to 30 years ago) will be much less damaging than we were all made to believe while growing up. Not to say that cancers won't increase, etc., but it just seems that a nuclear war is survivable given the right locations, and the right measures. Forget duck and cover, get inside some concrete, or with a lot of dirt between you and the radiation.

 

[Maverick]

Interesting. Not saying it will all be fine...just that an actual nuclear war now (as opposed to 30 years ago) will be much less damaging than we were all made to believe while growing up. Not to say that cancers won't increase, etc., but it just seems that a nuclear war is survivable given the right locations, and the right measures. Forget duck and cover, get inside some concrete, or with a lot of dirt between you and the radiation.

I certainly hope I'm vacationing in falklands if it ever comes to a nuke war

 

[Danil54grl]

This is a link I ran across today for those of you who have bought freeze dried goods. It has recipes to use up your storage goods. I thought it was interesting and even thinking of doing some of her recipes with my dehydrated stuff.
http://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/p/52-method-recipe.html