Survival Food – Freeze Dried & MRE

Download this Android app and put the entire U.S. Army survival guide on your phone, offline. Can install on sd card(2.2+). Based on the U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 3-05.70

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.androidtrainer.survive&feature=top-free

Chapter 1: Introduction
- Survival Actions
- Pattern for Survival

Chapter 2: PSYCHOLOGY OF SURVIVAL
- A Look at Stress
- Natural Reactions
- Preparing Yourself

Chapter 3: SURVIVAL PLANNING AND SURVIVAL KITS
- Importance of Planning
- Survival Kits

Chapter 4: BASIC SURVIVAL MEDICINE
- Requirements for Maintenance of Health
- Medical Emergencies
- Lifesaving Steps
- Bone and Joint Injury
- Bites and Stings
- Wounds
- Environmental Injuries
- Herbal Medicines

Chapter 5: SHELTERS
- Primary Shelter—Uniform
- Shelter Site Selection
- Types of Shelters

Chapter 6: WATER PROCUREMENT
- Water Sources
- Still Construction
- Water Purification
- Water Filtration Devices

Chapter 7: FIRECRAFT
- Basic Fire Principles
- Site Selection and Preparation
- Fire Material Selection
- How to Build a Fire
- How to Light a Fire

Chapter 8: FOOD PROCUREMENT
- Animals for Food
- Traps and Snares
- Killing Devices
- Fishing Devices
- Cooking and Storage of Fish and Game

Chapter 9: SURVIVAL USE OF PLANTS
- Edibility of Plants
- Plants for Medicine
- Miscellaneous Uses of Plants

Chapter 10: POISONOUS PLANTS
- How Plants Poison
- All About Plants
- Rules for Avoiding Poisonous Plants
- Contact Dermatitis
- Ingestion Poisoning

Chapter 11: DANGEROUS ANIMALS
- Insects and Arachnids
- Leeches
- Bats
- Venomous Snakes
- Snake-Free Areas
- Dangerous Lizards
- Dangers in Rivers
- Dangers in Bays and Estuaries
- Saltwater Dangers
- Other Dangerous Sea Creatures

Chapter 12: FIELD-EXPEDIENT WEAPONS, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT
- Staffs
- Clubs
- Edged Weapons
- Other Expedient Weapons
- Cordage and Lashing
- Rucksack Construction
- Clothing and Insulation
- Cooking and Eating Utensils

Chapter 13: DESERT SURVIVAL
- Terrain
- Environmental Factors
- Need for Water
- Heat Casualties
- Precautions
- Desert Hazards

Chapter 14: TROPICAL SURVIVAL
- Tropical Weather
- Jungle Types
- Travel Through Jungle Areas
- Immediate Considerations
- Water Procurement
- Food
- Poisonous Plants

Chapter 15: COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL
- Cold Regions and Locations
- Windchill
- Basic Principles of Cold Weather Survival
- Hygiene
- Medical Aspects
- Cold Injuries
- Shelters
- Fire
- Water
- Food
- Travel
- Weather Signs

Chapter 16: SEA SURVIVAL
- The Open Sea
- Seashores

Chapter 17: EXPEDIENT WATER CROSSINGS
- Rivers and Streams
- Rapids
- Rafts
- Flotation Devices
- Other Water Obstacles
- Vegetation Obstacles

Chapter 18: FIELD-EXPEDIENT DIRECTION FINDING
- Using the Sun and Shadows
- Using the Moon
- Using the Stars
- Making Improvised Compasses
- Other Means of Determining Direction

Chapter 19: SIGNALING TECHNIQUES
-Application
-Means for Signaling
-Codes and Signals
-Aircraft Vectoring Procedures

Chapter 20: Survival Movement In Hostile Areas
-Phases of Planning

Chapter 21: Camouflage
-Personal Camouflage
-Methods of Stalking

Chapter 22: Contact With People
-Contact with Local People
-Survival Behavior
-Changes to Political Allegiance

Chapter 23: Survival In Man-Made Hazards
-The Nuclear Environment
-Biological Environments
-Chemical Environments

Appendix A: Survival Kits

Appendix B: Edible and Medicinal Plants

Appendix C: Poisonous Plants

Appendix D: Dangerous Insects and Arachnids

Appendix E: Venomous Snakes and Mollusks

Appendix F: Dangerous Fish and Mollusks

Appendix G: Ropes and Knots

Appendix H: Clouds Foretellers of Weather

Appendix I: Evasion of Action Format

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Survival Food Made Easy

Long Term Food Storage - Where To Find The Best Deals and Discounts

“With the ever-increasing threat of food hyperinflation due to the massive dollar printing, many people are choosing to store up food for the long run.”

What’s the Point of Survival Food Storage in a Modern World?

By Lance Esondi

In a modern world to most having something like a survival food storage seems a bit silly. The idea of having access to food and goods at all times seems normal because most of our lives that’s exactly how it has been. There are situations that having a survival food storage is a good option to have.

There are some situations where access to goods or ability to buy goods could be limited. Having a good 30 or 60 day supply on hand isn’t a bad idea.

Job loss – For most people at any time their jobs can be lost. This normally isn’t thought of as a survival situation but in a modern world it is. Having extra food and supplies will just make the period of job loss a bit easier.

Natural disaster – Some natural disasters you will have to evacuate the city like a major hurricane. But for some you might be stuck at home because it’s too difficult to leave the city. Having this food supply gives you something to rely on.

Pandemics – Pandemics can happen. Luckily there is some security out there where things are done to control them, but a sickness or virus could get out of control. The strategy in an area if one of these sicknesses is too far out of control is to quarantine everyone. While you are quarantined having some supplies will make this time much easier.

When you make your survival food storage, store food that you currently eat. Stock up on items that you already enjoy and just rotate your supply. Put the new one you just purchased into your storage bin and take the oldest one out to use next. This way you don’t have to worry as much about the food spoiling. Also you aren’t going to be left with old freeze dried meals that you may never actually eat if they go bad.

Do you have a plan for natural disasters or pandemics?

Click and learn Urban Survival Skills to properly prepare and be ready for these situations.

Discover Food Storage Secrets that let you have a good supply of food without constant worry about expiration dates.

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Selecting Foods For Disaster Survival

By Edie George

Choosing and storing foods for disaster survival is critical because of the possibility of being stranded with no way to purchase needed supplies for days on end. There are prepackaged survival food kits available, but with a little thought you can have everyday favorites on hand to add variety to meals. This will help raise everyone’s spirits as well. As you stock up on foods take into consideration anyone in the family who has special dietary needs.

Water is your first priority. It is recommended that there be a one week supply of food and water. Allow about one gallon of water per person per day for tooth brushing, washing up and cooking. You will need about 28 gallons for a family of four. Store your water in sturdy containers, preferably glass, rotating and using it regularly so that it remains fresh.

Milk is an important item to include. Even though the electricity may be out, you will find milk in new types of cartons that need no refrigeration and has a long shelf life. As you gather your disaster survival foods note the expiration dates and use and replace the items regularly to keep them fresh. The milk can be used for cooking and for cereals, which are vitamin fortified to provide extra nourishment. Powdered milk is OK, but it uses some of your precious store of water.

Make a list so you can include your favorite canned fruits and vegetables. Pick a variety of colorful and sweet fruits like peaches, pears and mandarin oranges to satisfy the need for something sweet. Staple vegetables like green beans (even spicy pinto beans), peas, potatoes contain vitamins necessary to keep up everyone’s strength. Canned items can be eaten cold if there is no stove available and no way to start a fire. Soups are important and canned meats, tuna, beef stew will all round out the menus you can create. Some foods that are too high in calories or fat for everyday use are good for short term survival situations because they supply extra energy and feel wonderfully decadent in trying times.

Snacks are important disaster survival foods that help to keep up spirits between meals. Select some junk snacks, potato chips, pretzels, nuts and dried foods and trail mix that all store well. The vitamin fortified cereals work as a snack and are also good for you. Be sure and include salt and pepper and small amounts of your favorite spices to dress up meals. Dried articles such as pasta, beans or rice should be used sparingly because they all take large amounts of water to prepare and you need to watch your water supply to make sure you have enough to drink. These items are also available in the canned food section of the grocery store.

Keep a list of your foods for disaster survival, post it on the wall of the storage area and check it often for content and expiration dates. This will keep you content knowing you are prepared for whatever comes.

Edie has many interests and her curiosity leads her to researching them resulting in free lance articles which help others meet their online goals. If you would like to spice up your bedroom look for a vintage duvet cover or a queen size duvet cover to add color and ambiance to the room.

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Survival Foods – 3 Options You Have to Prepare For Emergency

By Charles O’Neill

In times of distress, natural disaster or even terrorist attacks, survival foods are one of the most important things to have on hand.

Having enough food to eat will help you and your family survive most emergency situations. Survival foods can also help you in case of a job loss or in the case of an illness or pandemic where you don’t want to leave your home.

Most people today are taking steps to make sure they have a supply of survival foods on hand. What are your options? Here are 3 different types of survival food to consider with advantages and disadvantages of each:

#1 Can or Preserve your Own Food

If you are the Martha Stewart type, have hours of free time, or have nothing better to do on the weekend, then canning or preserving your own food might be for you.

The advantage to this option is that you can choose what kinds of foods to have on hand and preferably choose something you’d actually enjoy eating. You might also save a bit of money doing it this way as well.

The disadvantage is of course time. If you’re like most people, you don’t have much free time after work and the thought of preserving food all weekend doesn’t excite you.

Plus you have to be aware of the shelf life of this food – probably around 1 – 2 years at best. So you’ll have to make sure you eat your preserved food and add in some more newer foods as time goes by.

#2 Dehydrated Foods

You can dehydrate your own foods with a food dehydrator. This option gives you a little more variety and again, you get to choose foods that you like to eat.

Many of the higher end food dehydrators have timers so you can “set and forget”, which make things a little easier. I consider dehydrated foods more of a short term food storage item, as you should (according to some sources) consume them within 1 year of making them.

Experts also recommend that any dehydrated meats be placed in a freezer to help them from spoiling.

You may also need to place your newly dehydrated foods in the freezer right after dehydration for a few days to help reduce the possibility of insect contamination.

Again the two issues you may have with dehydrating food is preparation time – which can be long, and shelf life – which can be quite short.

#3 Freeze Dried Foods

You can also buy prepackaged freeze dried food that is easy to stack and store.

Freeze dried meals that are easy to prepare are one of your best options for survival foods. Most meals only require you to add water – which in an emergency situation might be all you have.

Plus in a true emergency if you have young children, the simpler the meal is to make, the better. You can ask them to help (this will also keep them distracted from the problems outside).

And contrary to how the name sounds freeze dried foods can taste remarkably good. Some companies have made their freeze dried foods almost to gourmet levels.

For example you can get Chicken a la King, Italian wedding soup with meatballs, vegetable stew with beef, and even blueberry pancakes.

Plus unlike the two options above, some freeze dried survival foods have a shelf life of 25+ years (depending on storage temperature). So as a long term food storage option they fit the bill.

Basically all you do is store them in a cool dry spot, and inspect them on a regular basis.

So those are 3 options for having survival foods on hand in case of emergency. No matter how you choose to prepare yourself, it’s important that you do take some steps to have food on hand should you be stranded in your home and/or unable to find food.

Being properly prepared can mean the difference between barely surviving and thriving should the worst happen.

Want more options? See Survival Foods for more suggestions and tips on emergency preparedness.

Or visit Food Insurance for freeze dried foods with a 25 year shelf life.

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The Three Big Food Storage Mistakes Most People Make

By Lance Esondi

If you are storing food long term for disaster, survival, or job loss, there are three very common mistakes that most people make. Look at your food storage habits and be sure you aren’t doing one of these.

The first big mistake is storing food that you don’t like. While it’s not realistic to store months of food from your favorite recipes and dishes, you can’t have food stored up that you really don’t like eating at all. Put things into your storage supplies that you actually look forward to and enjoy eating. Be sure there are plenty of things like salt, sugar, and spices to make the food taste good.

Another mistake is not rotating your supplies. If you go to the store and buy a new jar of peanut butter, put that into your food storage containers. Take the old one out and use that one for day to day use. This keeps everything that is stored on a constant rotation making sure things stay fresher. This also helps with problem one where you are actually used to eating the food you are storing.

The third mistake is storing all your food in the same place. This is a huge mistake made by many. If there is a fire or tornado and takes out the part of your home where all that food is stored, you now have none. If you are doing long term storage consider putting it in different places around the home. As an additional step consider storing some food at a different location as well.

Do you have a plan for natural disasters or pandemics?
Click and learn Urban Survival Skills to properly prepare and be ready for these situations.

A Bug Out Bag is a must to have prepared before disaster situations so you can have something to rely upon.

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Dehydrated – Freeze-Dried Versus Bulk Food Storage

By Jeremy Crews

Recently, I posted a series of videos on my blog showing the proper method of packing staple food items such as rice, beans, and wheat for long-term storage. I couldn’t possibly stress enough the importance of using such methods as one would be hard-pressed to find a better way to quickly build up a larder of nutritious, life-sustaining food. When dealing in such bulk items as grains, legumes, etc., a hardy supply of foodstuffs will quickly accumulate.

Of course, these methods do have their drawbacks. The first is that it is time- and labor-intensive as you can see from watching the videos. Another downside is that food packed in such ways is typically not going to be something you can just jump in and start eating. Raw wheat, for instance, must be ground into flour using a countertop mill and then baked into bread. A 5 gallon bucket full of wheat will make a lot of bread to feed you and your family, but that level of work going into preparing it may not be what you’re looking for in an emergency. If your personal preparations tend toward gearing up for a long stretch of bad times, then this method is by-far the best for you due to the many months of food you can quickly and economically accumulate.

If, on the other hand, your preps tend toward shorter emergencies (i.e. blizzards and/or ice storms, floods, or even self-quarantine during a bird flu pandemic) you might find it better to simply load up your pantry with canned goods. With few exceptions, virtually any commercially-canned product you buy in the grocery store will last at least 2 years as long as it is not exposed to high temperatures for extended periods and there are no noticeable abnormalities in the packaging (i.e. bulging cans, etc.). In fact, many are still good long past the expiration dates printed on them. Those using this method must be diligent about rotating the stock in the pantry on a regular basis, meaning you must get used to using the oldest items first.

A sort of middle-of-the-road option and the one that I use mostly is to buy commercially-canned dehydrated and freeze-dried foods in #10 cans. The downside to this method is, first off, it’s more expensive. Secondly, you’ll often find these products are not available locally, and so you must pay for shipping as well. Still, when you factor in the *LONG* shelf lives of these foodstuffs, I believe the added cost is worth it.

For those who may not be familiar with food storage as an emergency prep, dehydrated foods are usually base ingredients such as rice or beans with little or no seasoning added. You typically add them to boiling water, which rehydrates and cooks them at the same time. This can be done on the stove, in a crockpot, or even over a camp fire. Things like pancake and muffin mixes are also typically dehydrated. A personal favorite of mine are dehydrated Potato Flakes, which make mashed potatoes when you fix them. Mmm… mashed potatoes. Okay, I think I’ve recovered now. The bottom line is that these more or less always require cooking. These products, unopened, are good for an amazing 15 years on average.

Freeze-dried foods, on the other hand, are typically already a meal that just requires rehydration. Just pour some odd-looking powdery concoction into a pot of hot water and let it sit for 20 minutes or so and return to find that it has magically soacked-up all the water and turned into a steaming pot of yummy Chili Macaroni or Chicken Teriyaki, all pre-cooked and seasoned and ready to eat. Most freeze dried foods are typically advertised as having an almost unbelievable 25 year shelf-life if left unopened.

As always, it is up to you to decide which is your best option for putting up a larder of storage food. Only you can decide what best suits your individual situation. For me and mine, I have concentrated mostly on dehydrated and freeze-dried so far, but I am planning to put away some bulk beans, rice, rolled oats, and pancake mix in 5 gallon buckets with mylar liners and oxygen absorbers in the next few months.

© Copyright 2009 Backwoods Industries (except where otherwise cited). Text, video, photographs, and any other material may be republished, rebroadcast or redistributed as long as our website is sited as the author and a link back to our website is provided.

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Food preparedness is the logical choice when confronted with real tangible risks.

Why would anyone spend all their resources to prepare for high impact low probability events, while neglecting local significant probability and high impact preparedness?

Live in an seismically active area – be prepared for earthquakes  (Freeze dried food & water)

Live in a coastal area that has hurricane disasters every 50 years – be prepared (Freeze Dried Food & Water)

Live in a coastal area that has hurricane disasters every 20 years – be prepared (MRE)

Worried about flu pandemics every 80 years – be prepared (Freeze dried food  & water)

Live in a flood plain that floods every 20 years – keep several 72 hour kits in your home and automobile (think about moving to higher ground too)

Worried about global economic collapse on a scale that has never happened before – be prepared (Freeze dried food  & water)

Shelf life estimates

Freeze Dried Food – 25 years

MRE – 5 – 7 years

MRE and food bars in a 72 hour emergency kit, in the trunk of a car in a temperate region (Atlanta) – 1 year or less

Buy and store bulk staples, let them rot due to poor oversight and then throw them out a year or two later = unprepared.

Dry Bulk Food Storage – 3 Steps to Obtaining Maximum Shelf Life

By Cheryl Moss

Ideally, you should plan your bulk food storage for a minimum of 6 months. The whole purpose of “buying-bulk” is for long-term food storage and emergency preparedness planning. A 72-hour emergency food supply, and commercially prepared survival foods are important to have, but in this article we will discuss — how to obtain long term shelf life from dry foods stored in bulk.

Step 1 – Using Proper Food Storage Containers

Plastic Food Grade Buckets and Airtight Containers:

For long-term storage, you need to store bulk dry foods in a hard container that mice won’t chew like glass, hard plastic or metal (plastic bags or zip-lock bags alone, are not effective for long term food storage).

Plastic containers, by themselves, are not a true oxygen barrier. For maximum shelf-life of stored foods, plastic containers require the addition of oxygen barrier or Mylar/metalized bags, and oxygen absorber packets.

• Expect 6 months to 1 year stable shelf life for most dry foods in just the plastic container alone.
• Expect 5 to 20 years plus, by adding oxygen barrier/Mylar bags, and also oxygen absorber packets.

Glass food storage containers:

Glass bottles also come in several different sizes. Glass containers do have an advantage if properly sealed (air-tight), because glass is a true oxygen barrier by itself, unlike plastic.

The dis-advantage is; the possibility of the glass breaking if mis-handled or in a disaster situation such as a hurricane or an earthquake.

List of Typical Dry Foods To Store For Emergencies:

• Grains
• Flours
• Beans
• Sugars
• Corn
• Powdered Dairy & Eggs
• Pastas
• Dried Fruits & Vegetables
• Spices & Herb’s
• Nuts
• Dried Meats/Jerky

Step 2 – Moisture and Oxygen Control

Using an air-tight container alone, works fine for 6 months up to a year for some foods. Adding a oxygen barrier bag, such as Mylar bags, and also the use of oxygen absorber packets, is the key in obtaining the maximum shelf life of stored foods.

Storing staples such as; rice, beans, wheat, corn, sugar, etc., using mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and air-tight containers or 5 gallon buckets, the food will still be edible and nutritious for up to 20 (some users even claim 30) years.

Step 3 – Pest, Temperature and Light Control

Rodents and insects are pretty much eliminated if you follow the recommended methods above. Mice and bugs cannot penetrate a hard plastic, glass or metal container, food is protected from insects when lined with a sealed Mylar/metalized bag.

Temperature and light can be controlled by storing your sealed foods in dark, cool areas. Do not store long term foods above heat sources such as; cook stoves, refrigerators, or even microwaves. An even cool (45 to 50 degrees) temperature, with little or no light, is the optimal condition for storing dry bulk foods.

Be prepared before a disaster or a food shortage emergency, having at least some bulk food storage, is smart preparedness planning.

Cheryl Moss, has a background and passion in emergency related fields – Canine Search & Rescue, Emergency Medical Dispatch Training, and a Website on Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Planning.

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The Shelf Life of Long Term Food Storage Items

By Frank Salvo

There are four main factors that determine the shelf life of your long term food storage items. If you are looking to start a food storage program for your family, or you already have one, you will want to be aware of these things in order to get the maximum shelf life possible.

The four factors are as follows. The temperature of the storage area, the moisture content of the food, the atmosphere in the storage container, and the storage container itself. Let’s look at each of those factors.

1) Temperature of the Storage Area

Temperature has more to do with how long storable food will last than anything else. If you are planning on storing your food in a warm environment, it will only last a fraction of the time it would last in a cool, dry place. Some feel that the optimum temperature is 40 degrees F or less. However, not everyone will be able to achieve that. Another factor is that you have a place where the temperature is relatively constant. Frequent temperature changes can also shorten the life of storable food.

Remember to choose a cool, dry, dark place, where the temperature remains relatively constant, for storing your food.

2) Moisture Content of the Food

Foods with excess moisture can spoil in their containers. Food chosen for long term storage should have a moisture content of 10% or less. This is hard to achieve because most people don’t have access to specialized equipment.

An alternative is to get freeze-dried food, which has been specially-prepared for this purpose. The moisture content of these foods has been taken care of in the preparation process.

3) Atmosphere in the Storage Container

Oxygen oxidizes many of the compounds in food, so foods packed in air in storage containers will not store as well as Nitrogen, which is a popular gas for storing food, and one that works very well.

Some people use oxygen absorber packets. You simply place one in the storage container and seal. When you use these, you must have a storage container that is able to withstand some vacuum pressure. This is because the absorber packet will create a slight vacuum as it absorbs the oxygen.

Most food units that are packaged and sold for long term food storage have been packed with nitrogen in the #10 cans.

4) The Storage Container

Storage containers should have a hermetic seal (air tight) in order to get the longest life out of your stored foods. #10 Cans and sealable food-grade storage buckets work very well for this.

You must make certain that the storage containers you use are food grade containers. #10 cans that are used for food storage often have an enamel lining for this purpose. You can also buy plastic food-grade 5 gallon buckets.

If you buy a commercially-prepared food unit with #10 cans, then the second, third, and fourth factors are already addressed for you. In order to satisfy the first factor, you will still want to store the food in a cool, dry, dark place.

If you decide to buy plastic buckets, add the food, and seal them yourself, you will need to rent a nitrogen cylinder to fill the airspace in the buckets. When you do this, the oxygen will be displaced leaving only the nitrogen. Again, make sure that you purchase food-grade quality buckets. This is very important.

Remember these things when purchasing or creating a supply of long term storable food for your family.

Frank Salvo has been involved in food storage and emergency preparedness for the past 20 years. To learn more about these topics, please visit: http://www.freezedriedsurvivalfood.com.

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