A good friend of mine, Adam, was “trapped”…
While visiting some friends in New York City, Hurricane Sandy had taken a turn and and there were no flights available for him to escape before this powerful storm struck the city of 8 million people with a vengeance.
The grocery stores were picked clean in a matter of a few hours.
Fortunately, Adam had some extra water… he was safe and secure in his hotel room… and he had managed to put together a small stockpile of food to keep him fed while the city was recovering from the “super storm”.
That was, until his “friends” came over to face the storm with him…
Clueless as to the what was headed their way, they had devoured all of his best supplies like a pack of teenagers at a pizza parlor.
In just one day his entire stockpile of food was gone – and all because they didn’t follow these rules…
Simple 5-Step “Grid-Down” Food-Response Plan Reveals:
How To Prioritize The Food You Already Have – At The Very Moment A Disaster Or Crisis Strikes – To Avoid Chaos, Conflict, And Starvation…
The devastation from Hurricane Sandy hit the entire city by surprise – and they weren’t prepared for what life looked like after the storm…
The streets were shut down… the power was out… fist-fights were breaking out at grocery stores and gas stations… and everyday citizens were literally digging into trash dumpsters looking for food.
These are all hard lessons to learn unless you take your “survival food planning” seriously – and follow ALL 5 of these “food management” steps below…
Step 1: First To Spoil = First To Go
Look at your produce and in your refrigerator to identify the most perishable foods you have right now.
Think about the “meal” you can make with just these foods that will also give you a good combination of protein (helps you feel “full”), carbohydrates (for energy) and fats (for long-term energy and also for feeling “full”).
Try to keep it “healthy”, but your primary goal right now is to consume the foods that will spoil first without refrigeration.
Bonus Tip: Be creative with things like mayonnaise or other high-fat items that are going to spoil very quickly but can help you mix something up that will give you a lot of calories from the fats that you can use for long-lasting energy and feeling “full”.
Step 2: Hit The Freezer
Your perishable freezer food will last the longest of your refrigerator supplies, so hit these after your refrigerator food is gone.
Start with the smaller, non-processed packaged foods because they will defrost first.
Then move on to the larger foods, like large cuts of meat.
Bonus Tip: if you know how to preserve foods (canning, salting, etc.), this would be the time to do it as these foods will begin to defrost and you can extend the lifespan of what you already have.
Step 3: Mmmm… Preservatives!
Highly-processed and preservative-filled foods are horrible for your health – but hey… man can’t live on tree bark alone, right?
These foods (like boxed macaroni and cheese, raman noodles, potato chips and other snacks, etc.) typically have the longest shelf-life.
Search your pantry to plan out your meals, using these types of foods next.
Step 4: Canned Goods And Staples
Canned goods and staples (like dried pasta, rice, dried beans, etc.) are some of the easiest foods to store away and can last a very long time while providing a bulk of food.
But beware – many of these foods can be ruined by moisture (like if it’s hot and humid out and you have no air conditioning) or other outside elements that can destroy their advantage of a long shelf-life! (more on this in a minute).
And make sure to look at expiration dates!
Unlike what most people think, virtually all staples can have a very limited shelf-life unless prepared and stored properly.
Step 5: Have A Long-Term “Mobile Stockpile”
Ok, this one requires more lead-time, so it’s critical that you take this seriously and plan right away…
In fact, it’s the #1 thing you can do to be ready for ANY crisis that gets thrown at you.
Everyone needs to have a stockpile of “mobile-friendly” food you can just throw in your vehicle to keep you and your family well-fed if you’re forced to evacuate.
But since you won’t have your well-stocked kitchen to prepare your food in, the “type” of food you plan to have on-hand really matters here…
Dehydrated or freeze-dried “survival food” – although it can be expensive – is a great option here because it’s lightweight and can be transferred to your bugout bag if you’re stopped en-route and have to continue on by another means of transportation.
Bonus Tip: While I wouldn’t suggest taking sacks of staples like flour and sugar, I do suggest investing in some of the new canned survival food with a 25-year shelf-life that’s ready-to-eat because it prevents you from having to stop and prep your food when time is of the essence.
The “Next Steps” Most Citizens Will Never Take To Prepare For Disaster…
Now that you’re armed with this simple 5-step plan, it may seem that you’d be squared away for several days and not have to worry, right?
Not so fast there Sparky…
There are any number of things that can go wrong and can throw your entire response plan out the window…
A disaster can destroy your entire stockpile in one strike… the disaster can go longer than expected… your friends and extended family can strain your supplies… you can even be attacked by looters or just plain old ticked-off citizens who will do anything – including beg, borrow or even STEAL your food stores – to feed their own families.
Evaluate where you stand right now based on this action guide and don’t wait around on filling in the gaps.
“Waiting” is for “victims”.
On day one start generator and start canning food but keep freezer closed with towels or rugs on top to keep cold except except for what you need to process one canning. Then keep next batch in refrigerator to keep things cold for extra day while eating first to spoil.
Have someone else make a Dakota stove Incase no generator to process more canning. Do this until you can’t keep food frozen or cold. Then dry meat with salt hang on clothes line with mesh clean pantyhose if necessary. Pray no one steals it. Or share with neighbors so you don’t get killed.
Tj
Trish, great ideas, especially on the pantyhose!
Interesting info
I have a garden
Can’t really rate from 1-10, but most rate a 7 or above.
If “Adam” really thought these were his “friends”, shouldn’t he have spoken up about them rolling wild thru his meager food pile BEFORE they consumed it? It’s HIS food, right?
My one big simple tip is to remember to keep handy at least one good quality can opener, preferably two or more. Good ones are compact and easy to use.
Jeff, you know as well as many of us how the P-51 and 38(?)can save the day.
Good reminder article, thanks.
For theory, I rate this a 10. Devil comes in the details of practicality. Many don’t have a separate/chest style freezer. With upright fridge/freezers, as soon as you open the door, you’re dumping cold air that can’t be replaced if you don’t have power. Good advice is to think ahead of what you’re going to grab to fix a meal and do it quickly. Better advice is to have a super-insulated ice chest like a Yeti (do your research and don’t pay for bear-resistant features if you’re not going camping around bears). If you’re storage space constrained, use that cooler in normal times to store your freeze-dried meals (provides a grab and go option, and can be emptied without penalty to store perishable foods during power outages). In emergencies, place refrigerated perishables on the bottom and cover with frozen foods (remember that cold air sinks), so that you don’t lose so much cold air when opening to retrieve products. I’m a great advocate of freeze-dried options because they can have anywhere from 5-30 year shelf lives. As others have noted, be sure you have manual can opener(s). Military issue style P-38 and P-51 pocket openers are inexpensive and if you have multiples, make great barter items for extended SHTF events. Get on mailing lists for suppliers of these survival products, and buy them every time they go on sale. Prices will never be lower than they are currently, you can eat them, barter them, and easily share them with others (especially as rationed “take these and leave” items for unwelcome “visitors”). I really like Peak Refuel (serving packages) and Mountain House brands (#10 bulk can size). I close with caution not to eat questionable food in any event – getting sick and dehydrated during emergencies is far worse than being hungry!
I keep a supply of MRE, freeze dried meals and staples ready.
We live in a 5th floor condo, with a gas stove. I am trying to get more matches as the electric starter won’t work in a power outage. I am storing canned good right now and bottled water. and water in used big jugs for doing personal washing. I am eager to find tips, plus we are late seniors.
Somewhere along the line, you are going to need FLOUR. This also should be CANNED. First, Freeze it for a couple of weeks, this is to kill the little insects that are in there. Then, allow it to sit for a day and take 1/2gallon jars, Cleaned and thoroughly dried, put the Flour in them, put them in the oven at 180 to 200 degrees for 15 minutes. When you take them out, the lids will eventually suck down, sealing them. Even if they don’t completely seal, your FLOUR will still be good for a long time. Keep away from highly lit areas. You can even cover them with Aluminum foil.