Survival Food – Freeze Dried & MRE

There are many people who took action to be food prepared at some point in the last five years. And now that it is 2011, they are not.

Are you someone who bought bulk staples and tried to grow a sustenance garden – two, three, even five years ago? Did you watch the food go to waste unused and found you were too busy to keep it up. Now how prepared are you?

If on the other hand you bought a large freeze dried food reserve five years ago, you would still be as prepared in 2011 as when you bought it. And you would continue to be food prepared for another 20 years.

This is the same message I have repeated in many posts. Why keep repeating the message? I keep hearing from readers the same story again and again.

At some point they get enthusiastic about food preparedness. It is driven by fear created in some news story that seems like danger is imminent. They feel a responsibility to protect their family and others from the consequences of some news event of the day. They go around survival sites and get good information and decide that a life dedicated to being prepared is for them.

Then the event does not happen or was smaller than expected and does not affect them.

Remember Y2K, SARs, H1N1, Peak Oil scare 2008, depression and collapse scare of 2009-10?   These events did not directly result in people needing and using a food reserve. However these risks have not gone away.  And every time a risk gets newsworthy again,  you might remember the time and money you previously wasted on food preparedness that withered away a short time later.  What do you feel like doing? Getting prepared again or not? Maybe you just hope the risk goes away and take your chances.

So why not invest in being food  prepared? If this time however, you invest in something that is going to last a long time, there is no reason not to be food prepared.  When you really do need it, it is there for you and your loved ones.

For 2011, my hope none of us need to use our food reserves.

Unfortunately however in 2010,  I do know that some of us who have seen their jobs disappear with no good opportunities on the horizon have already started to use their food reserves. I hope that stops in 2011.

Kevin

Freeze Dried Food For Long Term Food Storage – Learn the Basics and Benefits

By Charles ONeill

More and more people are becoming aware of the need to prepare themselves and their families in case of emergencies. With everything from earthquakes to hurricanes to terrorist attacks to pandemics threatening us, it just makes sense to have a store of emergency preparedness supplies on hand.

One of the most important things you can do to prepare is to ensure you have a cache of survival foods on hand. But many people get confused as to what options they have.

You want something that is edible, tastes good, will keep for years (so you don’t have to keep replacing it) and has all the vitamins and nutrients you need from your food.

One very popular option with urban survivalists is freeze dried foods.

What are freeze dried foods?

Freeze drying is a process where food is cooked and then flash frozen. After it’s been flash frozen, it is brought to a lower temperature to help evaporate any ice and as much of the food’s moisture as possible.

The food is then placed in a sealed moisture and oxygen-proof package to help ensure freshness when it is opened.

Once water (hot or cold) is replaced in food that is freeze dried, the food regains it’s original flavor, aroma, texture and appearance.

This also has the benefit of tasting good – unlike many of the space-man type of prepackaged survival foods that have been sold for years. And if you have a family, getting them to eat food is going to be a challenge if the food doesn’t taste good.

Why Freeze Dried Food?

With foods that are freeze dried you keep the freshness, color and aroma, as well as maintaining both a long shelf-life and reduced weight (because of the removal of water).

Food that is freeze dried also gives you advantages over frozen food, dehydrated food or canned goods.

Foods that use the freeze dried method do not require lower temperatures for storage, don’t lose there freshness over time as easily as canned goods, and they maintain their flavor and texture over dehydrated foods.

Another benefit to freeze drying food is that it’s lighter than traditional canned goods or even MRE’s (meals ready to eat). This means you can easily transport it in a backpack or boogie bag if you need to evacuate your home in a hurry.

What Options Do You Have For Long Term Food Storage?

You can get Freeze Dried emergency food in a variety of packages. Many companies offer several weeks of food up to a year’s worth of food. You can get food for 1 person or even up to 10 people. Most packages are easily stackable and have at least a shelf life of 10+ years.

You also want to look for packages that are easily storable somewhere. The last thing you want to do is have all this food laying out in your basement for your visitors to see. (Guess who’s door they’ll be knocking on at the first sign of emergency).

Because of this, several emergency food companies offer their freeze dried meals in space saving containers you can place under your bed or off in an inconspicuous corner of your basement.

So those are some advantages of using freeze dried foods for long term emergency food storage. They taste good, preserve their freshness and last a long time. Plus they’re light if you need to carry several weeks worth of meals with you and many packages can be stored so they don’t attract attention from nosy neighbours.

Want more options? See Freeze Dried Food for more suggestions and tips on survival food.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_ONeill
http://EzineArticles.com/?Freeze-Dried-Food-For-Long-Term-Food-Storage—Learn-the-Basics-and-Benefits&id=4294777

Food Preparedness has never been more essential.

As weather gets more unpredictable and extraordinary, people who thought they lived somewhere that they would never need a survival food reserve are thinking differently.

Having a food reserve for your family is now practical advice and no longer extreme.  However when you may need to have reserves of food available is hard to predict.

You can’t predict the unpredictable.

But you can be better prepared with a very long lasting food reserve that will be there when you need it.

Mountain House, the largest makers of freeze dried food in the world have launched a “Connect with Mountain House Online!” campaign.

If you join their Twitter feed or Facebook group you get information updates and discount offers.

Facebook Twitter

They also have a YouTube Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/MountainHouseMeals

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Esondi
http://EzineArticles.com/?Whats-the-Point-of-Survival-Food-Storage-in-a-Modern-World?&id=3638439

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edie_George
http://EzineArticles.com/?Selecting-Foods-For-Disaster-Survival&id=4174821

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_O’Neill
http://EzineArticles.com/?Survival-Foods—3-Options-You-Have-to-Prepare-For-Emergency&id=4229580

How Much Disaster Food Supplies Are Really Needed For Most Situations?

By Lance Esondi

There can be disruptions to normal day to day life. Most of these disruptions are temporary like a severe snow storm where travel and electricity are cut off for a week. There are threats of more long term situations like attacks, pandemics, or economic collapse, but these are extremely rare. What’s a good amount of disaster food supplies to have realistically?

For most families a 30 day supply is a good goal. This means literally having everything you would need for a full 30 days of eating. This is a very manageable number to shoot for an pretty easy for most people to get within a few weeks. Gradually build up your 30 day supply with foods that you already like and are used to eating.

The reason 30 days is a good goal is because there have not been situations in modern society where a country has been completely disrupted for longer than a few weeks. This covers most situations easily.

But won’t 30 days of food be too little in a long term survival situation?

Of course this food won’t last you forever. Even if you had 60, 90, or a half year’s worth of food in a long term situation it would all run out unless you had another means of production. For longer term food, you need to produce it through gardening, foraging, or hunting. It would be such a difficult life that having 60 versus 30 days of a food wouldn’t make a difference consider the hundreds of things one must prepare for to survive long term.

Start today and get at least one week’s worth of supplies and gradually build up what you have. Then in these normal disruptions you at least know you and your family will be fed.

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Esondi
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Much-Disaster-Food-Supplies-Are-Really-Needed-For-Most-Situations?&id=3587959

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.

Backwoods Survival Blog – http://www.backwoodssurvivalblog.com/
Backwoods Essentials Store – http://www.backwoodsessentials.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Crews
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dehydrated—Freeze-Dried-Versus-Bulk-Food-Storage&id=2078555

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.