Emergency food supply option

[Lennyjoe]

If anyone is interested in an emergency food supply for whatever reason, these guys have a pretty good sale going on right now.

We have some of their products and the quality is rather good. 

https://mypatriotsupply.com/collections/short-term-food-storage/products/4-week-emergency-food-supply-2-000-calories-day?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_campaign=MPS%20-%2012.5.22%20-%20%24100%20off%204%20Week%20Kit%20%282022-12-05%29&_kx=sxkZx2Lsgf5DrYfjZzYcqxy04leJfOcXHehSVJn5gYU%3D.TLRHJG

[230RN]

   

Available everywhere
Not gourmet but not bad.
~$2.89 each
Long shelf time
Microwaveable, they say 60 sec, I use 90
Can be heated other ways
Can be eaten cold if necessary --calories is calories
Sometimes a little salty if that's a concern
No tools to open
Very wide variety
Dinty Moore has similar

[MechAg94]

I will have to look at the Compleats meals next time I go to the store. 

I am not a huge fan of the random food packs as they include a lot of foods I don't like.  However, I realize that if I am depending on that food, I am not in good shape and may have given up being picky.   

[French G.]

I prefer stuff from Emergency Essentials or Mountain House. As already stated the kits include too much fluff. I am definitely a la carts in future purchases as I am trying to prep around a few food allergies.

Compleats are definitely in my preps in the keep a few around and they get eaten and replaced, the most common emergency being I forgot to prep a lunch for work .  Not a staple since not the healthiest. Or as someone here said they are the food that doesn’t have a shelf life, they have a half life. Speaking of, lunch today was baked Mac and cheese I made from 2014 vintage Bega canned cheese.

[Ben]

I settled on Augason Farms for my long term stuff. I have tried some of it and it has all been quite good. With 15-30 year shelf life, at my age it was a one and done purchase. 

I bought pre-covid, when they often offered killer deals on stuff. I think they're kind of expensive now.

Otherwise, I have gone they mylar bag route this last year, and have several plastic bins full of rice, beans, flour, sugar, oatmeal, etc. The mylar bags are super easy to do, and also give you 20ish year shelf life on most things.

This is all for the apocalypse shtf stash though. For the few days to few weeks disaster planning, I just keep extra of whatever canned/boxed stuff I like to eat anyway.

[Lennyjoe]

This is all for the apocalypse shtf stash though. For the few days to few weeks disaster planning, I just keep extra of whatever canned/boxed stuff I like to eat anyway.

Correct.  We also have canned/boxed provisions set aside as well. 

[Lennyjoe]

Available everywhere
Not gourmet but not bad.
~$2.89 each
Long shelf time

Interested on how long is “long shelf life”

[cordex]

Interested on how long is “long shelf life”

Looks like 18 months.

[Bogie]

Canned "no beans" chili. Rice and Ramen. Get plenty of seasoning.

[230RN]

Interested on how long is “long shelf life”

They used to say six months, then changed it to one year. I 'spect they are one hundred percent sterilized and the only reason they state a shelf life at all is it's probably a legal or regulatory  requirement.

ETA:  A recently bought package says "BEST BY" 14 Jan 24.  Today is 06 Dec 22.

Also, too, inevitably, the shorter you make a shelf life, the more often people will buy it ... equals profit.     Of course 100% sterilization will not stop the purely chemical decline in quality (tasty things reacting too other tasty parts). Somebody said it's more like a "half life,"  but nobody will assume the legal liability of pinning an exact long period on it.

Terry, 230RN

[HankB]

<hormel compleates>
Available everywhere
Not gourmet but not bad.
~$2.89 each
Long shelf time
Microwaveable, they say 60 sec, I use 90
Can be heated other ways
Can be eaten cold if necessary --calories is calories
Sometimes a little salty if that's a concern
No tools to open
Very wide variety
Dinty Moore has similar

OK Terry, I bought a couple to try based on your recommendation. ($2.24 each at the HEB store.)

Considering the company, if I get any hint of a SPAM-like taste . . . you're in trouble. 

[MechAg94]

Canned "no beans" chili. Rice and Ramen. Get plenty of seasoning.

I agree on seasoning.  Even stuff like salt is something to not forget.  I don't keep a lot of canned food, but some.  That falls into the store of food in my cupboard that will get eaten in the first month or two of a bad event. 


If all else fails, if you don't like certain foods or they are expired, keep them in a stash for people who come begging. 

[230RN]

Heh on tasting like Spam.  Answer=no.

I don't know why Spam is such a whipping boy.  Sorta like a political party.  You either hate it or love can tolerate it.  Yet it's still on the market, and I see they've come up with new varieties like bacon Spam and turkey Spam and what-not.  I like it because you can eat it like meat, but right out of the can.  If you can get it out of the can --I had to develop a damned Spam can plan which involves pressing it hard in the long direction so the sides pop away from the meat, allowing air to get up and behind the meat to break the suction.

So I'm not really partial to Spam, but it's not that bad and I recognize its utility.  Protein is protein.

[HankB]

On SPAM:

. . . you can eat it like meat . . .

SO much meaning packed into that one little phrase . . . 

[230RN]

On SPAM:
SO much meaning packed into that one little phrase . . . 

I gotta watch my tongue around you guys.

[HankB]

I gotta watch my tongue around you guys.

That double entendre was offal.

[Pb]

The light weight of those would be good, but it looks like they need hot water to prepare, is that right?

If your source of hot water is cut off, that would make them obnoxious to use.

It seems like regular cans would be better, unless you were needing to carry the food with you, in which case the low weight would be helpful.

[Ben]

The light weight of those would be good, but it looks like they need hot water to prepare, is that right?

Do you mean the OP's link? If so, you're not gonna find many long term (10+ years) food options that don't need water. Most people who prepare with these kinds of foods for long term shtf already have their water situation figured out as well.

In short term emergencies, certainly hydrated foods are a better option. I have always said that Katrina would not have been such a shitshow if all those people that showed up to the stadium had instead invested $30 of their monthly cable/iphone/Nikes bill into a couple of cases of canned food and a couple of cases of water.

Heck, a six pack of Campbell's chicken soup is like seven ducats at Walmart and gives you both food and water (obviously not all your water).

[230RN]

When I started out with concern about emergency supplies, I made a little stove out of a large tin can and stocked up on Sterno cans.  Later, I got a two-burner camp stove and stocked up on Bernz  LPG torch tanks, but I still have the homemade can stove and Sterno burners.  But let's face it, if tummy growls turn to HUNGER pains, eating cold stuff is OK.

I remember a line from a movie: "Ma'am, if you're really hungry, and I don't mean just ready for dinner, you'll eat dog and fight over the bones."

And don't forget candles and batteries.

[MechAg94]

I have some candles, but if there were no power, I don't have near enough.  I like the little tea light candles but I guess you could go through those pretty quick.  I need to look into the burners.  You can buy cases of the little propane cans also. 

[Ben]

Gotta say, with all the available LED light / power brick options, I would not deal with candles for lighting. For several years now, when there's an outage, I just use a few USB LED bulbs and light up the house almost as well as regular lighting.

https://www.amazon.com/Onite-20-US24USB3W-WW-Warehouse-Emergency-WarmWhite/dp/B00QX096L0

[cordex]

I totally agree with you regarding lighting, however candles have non-lighting capabilities.  They can also be used for heating food, heating small spaces, and depending on the wax composition sometimes other things as well.

[230RN]

I'm not clear on where the USB power comes from in an outage.  Do you charge a battery that's in line between the lamp and the USB plug?

I'm sure I'll give myself a dope slap when somebody tells me, but...

[Ben]

I totally agree with you regarding lighting, however candles have non-lighting capabilities.  They can also be used for heating food, heating small spaces, and depending on the wax composition sometimes other things as well.

Point taken, and yeah, I was specifically talking about lighting. I don't have much use for candles for heating or whatnot (for home use) simply because I have many other options. I could see their utility for apartment dwellers or others (including backwoods survival).

[Ben]

I'm not clear on where the USB power comes from in an outage.  Do you charge a battery that's in line between the lamp and the USB plug?

I'm sure I'll give myself a dope slap when somebody tells me, but...

Power brick, the UPS that should be hooked up to your computer, etc. One of these will run one of those LED bulbs for like 15 hours. That's at least three nights of lighting for me. More in the Summer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SSC23Z4