Food
A person can live about three weeks without any type of food. However, after only a day or two mental and physical symptoms will emerge. Lack of food causes the thought process to become sluggish and muscles to break down. There are many things to consider when storing food. Does the food need to be prepared? Will it go bad without refrigeration? Is the food portable or fixed? The ultimate goal should be to have a renewable food supply. These are things like gardens and livestock. Many preppers may not be able to do this so the only other option is to store food.
Try to store food at first. Put a few cans back here and there until you build up about a three month supply. Then cycle through them so you can keep a fresh inventory. Freeze dried foods have the longest shelf life and can be made with boiling water. Try to stock back foods that you will actually eat.
Mountain House foods are the best tasting freeze dried meals I have tried. They come in a variety of flavors and are lightweight. This means you can carry quite a bit more with you, if you had to evacuate for some reason. They can be bought locally at Sportsman's Warehouse for around $6.00 a pack. Each pack also has two servings, so they are reasonably priced.
MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) are a very good prepping item however they have become expensive lately. If you have eaten mre's for any extended period of time, you know that they are not the best tasting either. They are also heavy and not suitable for carrying large amounts. Anyone who has to carry mres on their backs always opens them and only takes items they will eat anyways. The good thing about mres is that there is no preparation whatsoever. Just open them up and eat. They also have a lot of calories in them.
When you have about six months of food stored, try to grow some of your own. Start out small and try something like a few tomato plants in pots, or some blackberry bushes around the house. Work your way up to a garden (if you have never grown one before) and see what grows well in your soil. Even the smallest amount of crops will help to suppliment your food stores.
Try to store food at first. Put a few cans back here and there until you build up about a three month supply. Then cycle through them so you can keep a fresh inventory. Freeze dried foods have the longest shelf life and can be made with boiling water. Try to stock back foods that you will actually eat.
Mountain House foods are the best tasting freeze dried meals I have tried. They come in a variety of flavors and are lightweight. This means you can carry quite a bit more with you, if you had to evacuate for some reason. They can be bought locally at Sportsman's Warehouse for around $6.00 a pack. Each pack also has two servings, so they are reasonably priced.
MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) are a very good prepping item however they have become expensive lately. If you have eaten mre's for any extended period of time, you know that they are not the best tasting either. They are also heavy and not suitable for carrying large amounts. Anyone who has to carry mres on their backs always opens them and only takes items they will eat anyways. The good thing about mres is that there is no preparation whatsoever. Just open them up and eat. They also have a lot of calories in them.
When you have about six months of food stored, try to grow some of your own. Start out small and try something like a few tomato plants in pots, or some blackberry bushes around the house. Work your way up to a garden (if you have never grown one before) and see what grows well in your soil. Even the smallest amount of crops will help to suppliment your food stores.