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> I can give some tips on what I think is good inexpensive food to get in case anyone is interested. I'm interested! I've mostly heard of canned foods and the

> I can give some tips on what I think is good inexpensive food to get in case anyone is interested. I'm interested! I've mostly heard of canned foods and the military-style rations / dried meals that last many years (although those are actually a bit pricey, I think).

ravenstine 7y ago
The dried food and MREs aren't bad. But they can be overkill, or too heavily relied upon. I guess it's a nice idea that there will always be a stockpile of food ready to go, but I figured out that I'd rather keep around some regular food that keeps well that I can slowly rotate through. Don't get me wrong, I think that ration food is great if you're going to be mobile. I keep dried ration meals inside a backpack for that purpose. I don't want to discourage anyone from buying prepared meals if that's what would make them feel better. A hefty fee for some tubs of ready-to-go meals that last 20+ years can provide peace of mind. That said, here's a list of food that I stockpile that I think are the best value: (Most of this will seem obvious, but I've also owned lots of survival meals, and a lot of what's described here is what's in those anyway) - Peanut butter: One jar is more than enough fat/sugar/protein for a day's worth of calories, multi-purpose, can be eaten straight, no cooking required, portable, doesn’t require can opener. Powdered peanut butter exists but is more expensive and I don’t really care for it, but it might make sense to you. A jar at Wallmart is $1.58.) - Canned meat: I normally don't eat canned meat, but in a crisis, having it can be a morale booster. Spam has all the advantages of peanut butter, but in meat form; A can of "Luncheon Meat" at either Wallmart is also around $1.50. Corned beef hash is very tasty and cheap. Canned tuna and pink salmon are good, too. - Dried fruit: I prefer banana chips because they keep the best. Takes no preparation. Can be added to all sorts of things as well. - Oatmeal: It's cheap and versatile. It requires water, but it doesn't necessarily need to be cooked. You can just use cold water and let it soak for a while. Tasty, filling, and can be made plain, sweet, or even savory. Add a boillon cube to a pot of oatmeal and you've got an easy evening meal. It's not great, but it'll fill you up. - Pasta: Ramen noodles, mac n' cheese, etc. Stuff that's quick to make and requires the least preparation. - Rice: A 20 lb sack of rice can be as cheap as $8, perhaps less depending on where you live. - Honey: Very versatile, can be used in place of sugar in a lot of cases, needs no refrigeration, lasts ages. - Ghee or shortening: Both are shelf stable at room temperature and can be used in place of butter. - Hot sauce, salt, spices, etc. All are dirt cheap but can liven up dull food. As I mentioned before, bouillon cubes are handy. - Coffee crystals, hot cocoa powder - Vinegar: For cleaning and can also add flavor. - Alcohol: We can all use a little liquid morale on occasion. Good for sanitation and can be used as fuel in desperation. --- A lot of people recommend beans. I don't because they take longer to cook than rice and they're too fibrous; have fun eating too many beans and sharting your pants while the world is dying around you! It's not like it's bad to have beans, but I've gotten rid of most of mine for that reason at this point. If you could only buy one item, I'd definitely go with peanut butter.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  I have a fireplace, a gas furnace, and an electric grid connection, but only one of these is definitely functional at the moment. If I were to stock up on supplies, I would have to know my situation in the event stuff goes kerblooie. Do I have water? Is it hot? Does it seem clean but actually is full of bacteria? Often people recommend that you prepare for disasters by buying things that you will periodically use up, so they don't get really stale or spoiled. I really can't face eating the amount of spam that it would require to insure against a significant disaster, assuming there isn't one. Or peanut butter. If I have water and the ability to cook, potatoes seem like pretty much the cheapest source of calories that won't quickly spoil as long as you keep them where it's dark and cool. I wonder why people don't recommend stocking up on them?
  - ravenstine 7y ago
    That's why I have extra camp stoves, propane cans, sternos, lighters, etc. If you're worried about contaminated water, you can either sanitize it with some bleach or use a water filter from a brand like Sawyer or Lifestraw. Or distill it. > I really can't face eating the amount of spam that it would require to insure against a significant disaster, assuming there isn't one. Or peanut butter. Hah! Admittedly, I usually go through more of the pasta, oatmeal, and rice over time than I do the other things like spam. However, I've got a can of spam here that has a "best by" date of 2025. It probably will last beyond that if the conditions are right. So let's think about this... Let's say you have 30 cans of spam, enough to have one every day for a month. If they last about 5 years on the shelf, that means you'd have to eat 1 can every other month if I understand the math correctly. Doesn't sound too bad to me! Of course this does mean keeping somewhat close track of what's closer to expiration. > If I have water and the ability to cook, potatoes seem like pretty much the cheapest source of calories that won't quickly spoil as long as you keep them where it's dark and cool. I wonder why people don't recommend stocking up on them? I don't know. I have no experience with storing potatoes, so I don't know how long they last on their own. That seems like a good idea on the face of it. Sorta off topic, I do know one guy who stealthily plants potatoes in the foothills and occasionally digs them up to eat, with the side motivation that they'd be supplemental survival food if need be. I don't know how practical that is, but that's kinda neat nonetheless. Awesome username, btw.

ravenstine 7y ago

The dried food and MREs aren't bad. But they can be overkill, or too heavily relied upon. I guess it's a nice idea that there will always be a stockpile of food ready to go, but I figured out that I'd rather keep around some regular food that keeps well that I can slowly rotate through. Don't get me wrong, I think that ration food is great if you're going to be mobile. I keep dried ration meals inside a backpack for that purpose. I don't want to discourage anyone from buying prepared meals if that's what would make them feel better. A hefty fee for some tubs of ready-to-go meals that last 20+ years can provide peace of mind. That said, here's a list of food that I stockpile that I think are the best value: (Most of this will seem obvious, but I've also owned lots of survival meals, and a lot of what's described here is what's in those anyway) - Peanut butter: One jar is more than enough fat/sugar/protein for a day's worth of calories, multi-purpose, can be eaten straight, no cooking required, portable, doesn’t require can opener. Powdered peanut butter exists but is more expensive and I don’t really care for it, but it might make sense to you. A jar at Wallmart is $1.58.) - Canned meat: I normally don't eat canned meat, but in a crisis, having it can be a morale booster. Spam has all the advantages of peanut butter, but in meat form; A can of "Luncheon Meat" at either Wallmart is also around $1.50. Corned beef hash is very tasty and cheap. Canned tuna and pink salmon are good, too. - Dried fruit: I prefer banana chips because they keep the best. Takes no preparation. Can be added to all sorts of things as well. - Oatmeal: It's cheap and versatile. It requires water, but it doesn't necessarily need to be cooked. You can just use cold water and let it soak for a while. Tasty, filling, and can be made plain, sweet, or even savory. Add a boillon cube to a pot of oatmeal and you've got an easy evening meal. It's not great, but it'll fill you up. - Pasta: Ramen noodles, mac n' cheese, etc. Stuff that's quick to make and requires the least preparation. - Rice: A 20 lb sack of rice can be as cheap as $8, perhaps less depending on where you live. - Honey: Very versatile, can be used in place of sugar in a lot of cases, needs no refrigeration, lasts ages. - Ghee or shortening: Both are shelf stable at room temperature and can be used in place of butter. - Hot sauce, salt, spices, etc. All are dirt cheap but can liven up dull food. As I mentioned before, bouillon cubes are handy. - Coffee crystals, hot cocoa powder - Vinegar: For cleaning and can also add flavor. - Alcohol: We can all use a little liquid morale on occasion. Good for sanitation and can be used as fuel in desperation. --- A lot of people recommend beans. I don't because they take longer to cook than rice and they're too fibrous; have fun eating too many beans and sharting your pants while the world is dying around you! It's not like it's bad to have beans, but I've gotten rid of most of mine for that reason at this point. If you could only buy one item, I'd definitely go with peanut butter.

perl4ever 7y ago
I have a fireplace, a gas furnace, and an electric grid connection, but only one of these is definitely functional at the moment. If I were to stock up on supplies, I would have to know my situation in the event stuff goes kerblooie. Do I have water? Is it hot? Does it seem clean but actually is full of bacteria? Often people recommend that you prepare for disasters by buying things that you will periodically use up, so they don't get really stale or spoiled. I really can't face eating the amount of spam that it would require to insure against a significant disaster, assuming there isn't one. Or peanut butter. If I have water and the ability to cook, potatoes seem like pretty much the cheapest source of calories that won't quickly spoil as long as you keep them where it's dark and cool. I wonder why people don't recommend stocking up on them?
- ravenstine 7y ago
  That's why I have extra camp stoves, propane cans, sternos, lighters, etc. If you're worried about contaminated water, you can either sanitize it with some bleach or use a water filter from a brand like Sawyer or Lifestraw. Or distill it. > I really can't face eating the amount of spam that it would require to insure against a significant disaster, assuming there isn't one. Or peanut butter. Hah! Admittedly, I usually go through more of the pasta, oatmeal, and rice over time than I do the other things like spam. However, I've got a can of spam here that has a "best by" date of 2025. It probably will last beyond that if the conditions are right. So let's think about this... Let's say you have 30 cans of spam, enough to have one every day for a month. If they last about 5 years on the shelf, that means you'd have to eat 1 can every other month if I understand the math correctly. Doesn't sound too bad to me! Of course this does mean keeping somewhat close track of what's closer to expiration. > If I have water and the ability to cook, potatoes seem like pretty much the cheapest source of calories that won't quickly spoil as long as you keep them where it's dark and cool. I wonder why people don't recommend stocking up on them? I don't know. I have no experience with storing potatoes, so I don't know how long they last on their own. That seems like a good idea on the face of it. Sorta off topic, I do know one guy who stealthily plants potatoes in the foothills and occasionally digs them up to eat, with the side motivation that they'd be supplemental survival food if need be. I don't know how practical that is, but that's kinda neat nonetheless. Awesome username, btw.