SORRY, but it's not enough just to get your supplies together, stash them in a closet and forget them. You need to maintain them. Every day you are learning more about what you may need and every day what you have is aging. National Preparedness Month is coming up -- September. What a great time to go through your stuff, review how it is organized, toss stuff that no longer makes sense or add items that you've decided you'll need.
This year I decided to get a head of the calendar and start this annual maintenance process in August. I keep 'layers' of preparedness supplies, so I'm going through each layer. You can think of the layers as being related either by timeline or location. For example, I carry a flashlight, flat military can opener (P51) and pocket knife in my purse. I almost always have a water bottle and protein bar as well. If I'm somewhere and the power goes out, I can find my way out and get to my car. The next layer is there.
Once at my car, I have enough basic supplies to either shelter in place for 24 hours or change shoes and walk home. So what do these include? In addition to the shoes (and socks) there's a pair of jeans and a top, a gallon of water, a 3600 calorie food bar, a tooth brush and paste, a small first aid kit that includes a mask and pair of gloves, a small LED lantern with AM/FM radio, a small tarp, a small day pack, and a fleece sleeping bag liner. In winter, I add a jacket, hat and gloves. Nothing fancy, but enough to see me through to the end of the emergency or to get home.
Then the 72+-hour kit at home, another layer. Each of these needs to be inspected for damage or signs of age, batteries and band-aids rotated, expiration dates checked, etc.. Oh, and for the items that should function, like flashlight and radio, make sure they work and that you can get a strong signal. September is a great time to do this in the desert southwest. The summer heat takes a toll, things melt or explode, so washing the clothing and rotating the food bar and batteries. I change the water monthly -- rotate it inside and drink it or use it on plants.
I once made the mistake of forgetting that in summer, Tucson is 2000 feet lower and 10 degrees hotter than my home. Everything liquid in my supplies exploded in the hot car trunk. Of course, I was parked at the airport, so it all baked for a few days before I found the mess. It smelled like a cross between a brewery and an outhouse. Not pretty driving home or cleaning it out.
Remember to check supplies frequently (not JUST every September) in case you, too, have exploded or frozen stuff. When you need to depart from your routine, remember what you have in your vehicle or personal carry items and adjust accordingly. This is all part of the frugality of keeping what you have. Not having to replace something damaged through lack of attention is the most frugal way to stay prepared!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Low cost food storage samples
I've sent for some free or nearly-free samples of dried food storage items from companies that sell the buckets of 'ready-made' food packets. It's the 'just add water' thing. My first was Wise foods. They sent 'beef stroganoff'. A more precise name would have been beef-flavored TVP stroganoff. Maybe I added too much water or something. It was not a product I would look forward to eating, especially after a long day of feeling overwhelmed and fearful -- a likely emergency scenario. The product was, however, fast and easy to make. Add hot water to the pouch, give a quick stir, seal, wait a few minutes and dig in.
My latest acquisition is from GO global food. For the $9.95 postage, you receive a generous collection of samples. They provide 3 beverage packets to try along with 2 entrees and a soup. The entree and soup packets claim to serve 4 with per-serving calorie counts between 130 for the soup to 269 for one of the entrees. Each packet has an attributes header on the back addressing everything from "Made in USA' to the electrolyte balance to GMO status. Based on the "best if used by' date, they are aiming for 15 years or more of shelf life. Here is the website:
http://buy.mygofoods.com/products/try-a-free-sample/
My disclaimers:
1. I haven't tried any of these yet. Too hot here in southern AZ for anything but salads and BBQ. Once we try them, I'll let you know the verdict.
2. They are not ready to hydrate in the pouch. You will need a source of heat, a pan that will hold 5 cups or more of boiling water and food, and the ability to simmer for up to 25 minutes, depending on the product.
3. There are only a few ingredients listed on the products' packets that I would not normally add to my food preparation, like palm oil and tapioca dextrin.
There also seems to be a tupperware-thing going on to entice people to be part of their GO party distribution system. I'm not one of those participants. Who knows, after I try the product maybe I'll sign up. Or not.
If any of you order and try before I do, or have tried already, give me a shout.
My latest acquisition is from GO global food. For the $9.95 postage, you receive a generous collection of samples. They provide 3 beverage packets to try along with 2 entrees and a soup. The entree and soup packets claim to serve 4 with per-serving calorie counts between 130 for the soup to 269 for one of the entrees. Each packet has an attributes header on the back addressing everything from "Made in USA' to the electrolyte balance to GMO status. Based on the "best if used by' date, they are aiming for 15 years or more of shelf life. Here is the website:
http://buy.mygofoods.com/products/try-a-free-sample/
My disclaimers:
1. I haven't tried any of these yet. Too hot here in southern AZ for anything but salads and BBQ. Once we try them, I'll let you know the verdict.
2. They are not ready to hydrate in the pouch. You will need a source of heat, a pan that will hold 5 cups or more of boiling water and food, and the ability to simmer for up to 25 minutes, depending on the product.
3. There are only a few ingredients listed on the products' packets that I would not normally add to my food preparation, like palm oil and tapioca dextrin.
There also seems to be a tupperware-thing going on to entice people to be part of their GO party distribution system. I'm not one of those participants. Who knows, after I try the product maybe I'll sign up. Or not.
If any of you order and try before I do, or have tried already, give me a shout.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Grow your own bucket garden
As mentioned on this and other blogs, one way to save on preparedness is to supplement your food supply with what you grow at home. You can either use the produce in lieu of buying at the store and use those liberated $$ to buy less perishables, or can your home grown for future use. There are many how-to websites for this concept. Here is one that seems to cover the basics and some intermediate steps. I just put my buckets on the part of the back patio that gets 10 hours of sun instead of 0 or 16.
I've had surprising results from my bakery bucket gardening experiment. The sugar snap peas were going gang-busters until some fungus got them. Now that the monsoon is here, they have re-sprouted and are producing again.
The rhubarb had some setbacks during the heat and low humidity of June, but are now doing better. Cabbage was eaten by some transient critter -- probably a caterpillar from the looks of it.
Right now I have okra coming in. Lesson learned there is to plant it later, in a bigger bucket with deeper soil and keep it to 2 plants per bucket. I used a 4 gal bucket half-full of soil and it's not enough. I also put in 3 or 4 plants and 3 survived. Now I realise how HUGE an okra plant can be, it's to much plant for too little growing capacity. Next time, 6 gallon bucket, 2/3 full of soil and 2 plants.
Using the drip on bucket gardens is also tricky. You really must have a hole in the bottom, even if it's a small one, like 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. One is enough to keep the plant from getting root rot if the drip or a sudden rain provides too much water. Two holes may be too many and the plant can dry out-- at least here in the arid southwestern US. Second, you need to play with what size drip emitter for the type of plant and amount of soil in the bucket. We run the drip 3 times a week for about half an hour this time of year -- mostly insurance if we have a few days without monsoon rain. A 1-gal/hr emitter is too big for some plant and bucket combos, but not enough for others. Keep an eye on what needs a larger emitter or supplemental water. Example: the snap peas are fine on the 1 gal/hr size emitter, the huge okra in the too-small bucket needs more.
The last lesson I've learned is timing. Our seasons are really different from the norm. Only a few hardy annual crop items can survive the punishing April through June of the high desert (>5000' elevation of AZ and NM). Resisting the urge to plant early is difficult, but things really do not flourish until the monsoon. Unless you need the greens to survive, and are willing to baby them -- including having them in container you can take inside on scorching days, wait. Start your seedlings in mid-June and plant when the dew point gets to 50 for two consecutive days. Let the monsoon take them from there!
I've had surprising results from my bakery bucket gardening experiment. The sugar snap peas were going gang-busters until some fungus got them. Now that the monsoon is here, they have re-sprouted and are producing again.
The rhubarb had some setbacks during the heat and low humidity of June, but are now doing better. Cabbage was eaten by some transient critter -- probably a caterpillar from the looks of it.
Right now I have okra coming in. Lesson learned there is to plant it later, in a bigger bucket with deeper soil and keep it to 2 plants per bucket. I used a 4 gal bucket half-full of soil and it's not enough. I also put in 3 or 4 plants and 3 survived. Now I realise how HUGE an okra plant can be, it's to much plant for too little growing capacity. Next time, 6 gallon bucket, 2/3 full of soil and 2 plants.
Using the drip on bucket gardens is also tricky. You really must have a hole in the bottom, even if it's a small one, like 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. One is enough to keep the plant from getting root rot if the drip or a sudden rain provides too much water. Two holes may be too many and the plant can dry out-- at least here in the arid southwestern US. Second, you need to play with what size drip emitter for the type of plant and amount of soil in the bucket. We run the drip 3 times a week for about half an hour this time of year -- mostly insurance if we have a few days without monsoon rain. A 1-gal/hr emitter is too big for some plant and bucket combos, but not enough for others. Keep an eye on what needs a larger emitter or supplemental water. Example: the snap peas are fine on the 1 gal/hr size emitter, the huge okra in the too-small bucket needs more.
The last lesson I've learned is timing. Our seasons are really different from the norm. Only a few hardy annual crop items can survive the punishing April through June of the high desert (>5000' elevation of AZ and NM). Resisting the urge to plant early is difficult, but things really do not flourish until the monsoon. Unless you need the greens to survive, and are willing to baby them -- including having them in container you can take inside on scorching days, wait. Start your seedlings in mid-June and plant when the dew point gets to 50 for two consecutive days. Let the monsoon take them from there!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
What did you do to prepare in July?
Lots to do here every July. Drain and clean the rainwater harvesting system to prepare for the Monsoonal bounty, check and rotate those wet canned food items (January and July for me), test the emergency radio and flashlights (last month of each quarter), adjust the auto emergency kits for monsoon flash flooding (add more food and water in case we can't get home for a day), etc..
How about you? Regular maintenance of what you have is as (maybe more!!) important as getting the next item on your list. Sure would be sad to finally have that second new 20 lb propane tank if the stove or heater you need it for isn't working due to lack of maintenance!
Part of your plan should include what items need to be checked, cleaned, tested, etc. and how often. IT's just a paperweight if IT doesn't work when you need IT -- whatever IT is.
How about you? Regular maintenance of what you have is as (maybe more!!) important as getting the next item on your list. Sure would be sad to finally have that second new 20 lb propane tank if the stove or heater you need it for isn't working due to lack of maintenance!
Part of your plan should include what items need to be checked, cleaned, tested, etc. and how often. IT's just a paperweight if IT doesn't work when you need IT -- whatever IT is.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Observation on clearance items
Since retiring, I've been able to shop during the week -- it's a whole different world! Pardon me if you already know this, but there's something happening at Target that needs mention. They regularly have items on the shelves with big red CLEARANCE tabs under them. I'm not talking about the end-cap clearance items that are usually useless fluffy stuff. Maybe this was happening before and I mentally edited out the red tabs with empty shelves behind them -- these items tend to go fast. Perhaps this is only local because they just remodeled to add a bigger food section. Maybe they are still adjusting their inventory to the local buyers. Whatever it is, there are some good deals if you can catch them, so please look for them if you have a Target nearby.
Here are some bargain prep food-storage items I found last week: the last can of fat-free Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, 10 ounce cans of Italian espresso in real cans with hard tops for $2.18 ($3.48 per pound), and 39 ounce cans of Chef Boyardee spaghetti w/meatballs for $2.15 (that's 4.5 generous servings @ 9 grams of protein and 12 of fat per). NONE of these has a BEST BEFORE date in 2012, the Spaghetti date is Jan 2014. Dang, that's the stuff of home preparedness kits -- edible cold and chocked with fat, carbs and protein for those grid-down moments. For $10 you could add real substance to your larder -- in this case a meal with sweet, creamed coffee. If you have some left-over biscuits and coconut, add a classic Eagle Brand dessert.
Here are some bargain prep food-storage items I found last week: the last can of fat-free Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, 10 ounce cans of Italian espresso in real cans with hard tops for $2.18 ($3.48 per pound), and 39 ounce cans of Chef Boyardee spaghetti w/meatballs for $2.15 (that's 4.5 generous servings @ 9 grams of protein and 12 of fat per). NONE of these has a BEST BEFORE date in 2012, the Spaghetti date is Jan 2014. Dang, that's the stuff of home preparedness kits -- edible cold and chocked with fat, carbs and protein for those grid-down moments. For $10 you could add real substance to your larder -- in this case a meal with sweet, creamed coffee. If you have some left-over biscuits and coconut, add a classic Eagle Brand dessert.
Happy hunting!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Great Article on Bakery Buckets
If you would like to know more about a great, and often free, resource, hop over to:
http://www.emergencyfoodstorage101.com/2012/07/19/bakery-buckets-a-preppers-best-friend/
There is a great guest post about the many uses and possible sources for bakery buckets.
If you have young children, go HOME while you are there and see the 72-hour checklist for your infants!
http://www.emergencyfoodstorage101.com/2012/07/19/bakery-buckets-a-preppers-best-friend/
There is a great guest post about the many uses and possible sources for bakery buckets.
If you have young children, go HOME while you are there and see the 72-hour checklist for your infants!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Solar power backup
We don't have a backup generator. We probably should, but we don't. Part of the 'we don't' is related to the idea of storing bulk fuel in a residential area.
This month, Emergency Essentials has a rechargeable battery pack with a solar cell and LED light on sale for about half the usual price. It is normally $409, is on sale for $259 AND you receive a $50 giftcard which brings the longer-term price down to $209. This is not going to run your air-conditioning or your washing machine. It will bring you light, recharge your cell phones and allow you to use a small fan, your laptop or other small electronics. If the power outage is longer that one night, stick the solar panel out in the sun the next day to prepare for another night without juice. Maybe it won't seem so long if you have a few comforts working!
This month, Emergency Essentials has a rechargeable battery pack with a solar cell and LED light on sale for about half the usual price. It is normally $409, is on sale for $259 AND you receive a $50 giftcard which brings the longer-term price down to $209. This is not going to run your air-conditioning or your washing machine. It will bring you light, recharge your cell phones and allow you to use a small fan, your laptop or other small electronics. If the power outage is longer that one night, stick the solar panel out in the sun the next day to prepare for another night without juice. Maybe it won't seem so long if you have a few comforts working!
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