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25K views 124 replies 47 participants last post by  petergunn 
#1 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from. I know canned goods are an option but other than that. I'm thinking along the lines of freeze dried/MRE's/dehydrated with a shelf life of at least 5 years but 10 or more would be ideal.

for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

In Simpler Terms:
I have made up my decision to buy long term food storage.
  • Where do you recommend I buy Freeze Dried or MRE's or Dehydrated food?
  • What is generally the cheapest: MRE's, Freeze Dried, or Dehydrated?
  • What is the least expensive place to buy any of these?


Thanks in advance for people who read my questions and do their best to answer them!
I would really like to hear from people who actually have or plan to buy this stuff!
 
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#3 ·
I don't know. I just received my first mylar bags and O2 absorbers. I thought that I ordered small numbers of O2 removers, but there is a bunch of them in each bag, so I'm waiting to go to Sam's to stock up on beans and rice so that I can pack everything and then open the absorbers.

I did order a 50 pound bag of beans from a local grocery store today just to see if I can get fresher bags via a special order. I never did get a price on that, but they should be in tomorrow. I've been watching the smaller bags on the shelves and they're pretty dusty and have not been moving.

I watched one of Kev's videos earlier today and he has lots of MREs. That might work for you.
 
#6 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from.
for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
I don't think its a case of lazy for some folks. Some simply don't have time, others may not be familar with any other way, yet others may choose to do so for assurance that their preps will be safe to eat.

I will grant you there will be some lazy preppers, but I dare say they will be in the small minority if they are prepping correctly.

As for where to go, there are a multitude of resources, several of which are merchants on this board.
 
#55 ·
You know I learn something almost every time I am on here which is often. I saw the quote under your name and of course since I am as curious as a cat I had to look it up. I am amazed by how intelligent some of the people are on this forum and on the other hand how many morons there are as well but for the most part members are very intelligent people and you have my thanks for the knowledge shared.
 
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#7 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from.
for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
If you want a zero-effort, ready-to-eat food supply, it's going to cost some real money. There is no realistic way around it. You pay for convenience, just like ordering take-out food vs. cooking at home.

I have a few buckets of packaged "survival food" from Costco and Wise Foods. Costco is the least expensive. $90 will get you about a 3 week supply for an adult. It's not ideal (not very healthy, lack of variety, longer prep time) but it's a tasty and useful complement to my other preps. It's also a good giveaway item.

If money is an issue, stock up on canned goods. Most ordinary canned food will keep a year or longer. Rotate as needed to keep stocks fresh.
 
#18 ·
If you want a zero-effort, ready-to-eat food supply, it's going to cost some real money. There is no realistic way around it. You pay for convenience, just like ordering take-out food vs. cooking at home.

I have a few buckets of packaged "survival food" from Costco and Wise Foods. Costco is the least expensive. $90 will get you about a 3 week supply for an adult. It's not ideal (not very healthy, lack of variety, longer prep time) but it's a tasty and useful complement to my other preps. It's also a good giveaway item.

If money is an issue, stock up on canned goods. Most ordinary canned food will keep a year or longer. Rotate as needed to keep stocks fresh.
Most canned goods last MANY YEARS. The quality may be mushier, and some of the vitamin values have gone down, but its still edible food years later. Dont believe those "use by" dates, thats just to get people to buy more and also let you know the food inside may not be crisp and full of color and vitamins. Its still edible.
 
#8 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from.
for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
Just be honest.. are you the "people" that your talking about? Hell, you can now get the absorbers and bags off of amazon. Then go to your local store and buy the goodies to put in them. Were only talking an afternoon of finger-liftin power.

If this "people" are friends then feel free to tell them the same thing.

Survival isn't supposed to be easy, nor should it be rocket science. But, YOU have to put forth the effort. If you still want to waste some money on ready made, then by all means air-mail me some cash-ola.
 
#17 ·
What is up with the brutal attacks? Sounds like people are really iritated that someone has the arrogance to even consider buying food storage instead of doing it themselves, is this jealousy or what? Some of you have the nastiest tone. Explain.

To the actual helpful people that I Thanked Thank you again! I appreciate that you guys actually made an effort to answer my question!
 
#20 ·
What is up with the brutal attacks? Sounds like people are really iritated that someone has the arrogance to even consider buying food storage instead of doing it themselves, is this jealousy or what? Some of you have the nastiest tone. Explain.

To the actual helpful people that I Thanked Thank you again!
Some people just dont see the need to spend money on things you can do yourself. I feel that way about some things but not others.

To be completly honest im very into prepping and being prepared for whatever I can but im not going to spend every moment I have on it because if I do whats really the point of living if your living in fear or worry. I spend a good amount of time and resources on my prepping but I also spend time and resources on going out, buying the wife nice things, buying me nice things, etc.

Bottom line if you have the money and dont want to pack things up yourself then buy it prepacked.
 
#23 ·
Take a trip to Cabelas/Gander Mountain/REI, buy some freeze dried food there. The prices are going to be slightly more than buying in bulk from the internet, but you get it today, in your home and you get to peruse all their neat camping gear, the only time when I actually enjoy going shopping.

I keep pastas, rice, beans and the rest of the typical long term foods as well, but there's a special place for freeze dried food, it's light, portable/durable and easy to cook(just add hot water). It works perfect for keeping in a BOB for grab and go or for when you're cooking outside and the weather sucks and you'd rather not sit there cooking rice and chicken for a half hour in the rain..
 
#28 ·
Food storage is not too difficult. What is difficult is all the things that allow you to utilize the food. If you need to heat the food you need the equipment that allows you to accomplish that. How about opening the cans? Utensils, serving dishes, cookware might need to be thought about. Than there is things like mood lighting, Candlelit dinner for two?

Personally, I find that frozen pizzas are the ultimate Lazy mans solution to food storage. There are many varieties available even vegetarian for folks that swing that way. They cook up great in a wood fire stove or even one of those propane ones. You can eat them without needing a fork or spoon. Cleanup is easy, you just throw the unused crusts on the floor for the dog or cockroaches. They are high in life sustaining calories. You can also toss extras toppings on anytime you find them like those cockroaches crawling about (high in protein!).
 
#31 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from. I know canned goods are an option but other than that.

for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
I think that a lot of Americans have the long term storage down pat, well down their pants, shirts, and other fat places that I wont mention.

For canned food, I look for the sales at the local supermarkets and stock up when they are on sale. The veggies and meat(other than citrus) are good past the "expiration date", but once you get out a year or so look for signs that it has gone bad, through bubbled tops or bad smell when you open it.
 
#32 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from. I know canned goods are an option but other than that.

for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
Go ahead and order the mylar bags and O2 absorbers, they are easy to pack. I like the 1 and ½ gallon bags and I put 6 gallons of each product into a small home depot cardboard box and the food is stored with the other boxes and is a great way to hide it. When you move they are already packed. They can stack well.
 
#34 ·
I have noticed in several posts lately where the OP is getting thumped.

I am to the point where I dont even want to start a new thread fearing an array of negative reactions from some of the members here.

I have no doubt that others must feel this expecially new members.

I guess every post is going to be scrutinized. "Is the question too dumb?" "Is it in the wrong section?" "Has it been asked before?" "Is it too funny?" "bad spelling?"

yada yada.


BIH
 
#42 ·
Couldn't have said it better!! That's just how I and many others feel!
the question I ask those people is: why do we have a forum? if they just want us to use the search function then why come to this forum we might as well just use google!

Do you really not have the time? Or do you simply not want to make the time?
why are you asking the questions? has everyone forgot what I actually asked? let me help, the ONLY question I asked was: where do you recommend people to buy long term food storage from?

But, the skills that you need to learn are priceless. Canning, breadmaking, sewing, first-aid, etc. The list goes on and on. These are skills ALL of us need to learn. Cause one of these days, it may just save your life.
Ok first off those skills are great, useful, and sure they could save your life.
No one NEEDS those skills. the way some of you act is so silly, you act as if we don't learn every single survival skill than we should just commit suicide and never come back to this forum.
If/when some disaster happens then you would/will be surprised how quickly people will learn to do whatever it takes to live.
 
#35 ·
I have days when I get home from work and I am tired and just feel plain "lazy". Doesn't mean I don't do what needs to be done. It may take me a little longer. Or perhaps I take the more expensive route and pay the kid next door to help.

Some days I feel lazy and I skip my 10 mile run. :)

To answer the original posts question Augasonfarms.com has some good stuff. They have a sampler pack that has about 50 of their smaller cans(everyday size). Good variety and at a decent savings.


BIH
 
#36 ·
I've purchased from the following with good results:

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
http://www.thereadystore.com/
http://www.augasonfarms.com/

Some other places to buy
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_21158_-1_N_image_0
http://www.dehydratedfoodstorage.com/

You can also find almost all of this on amazon.

I don't really feel its lazy to trade work for money then trade the money for service and goods. I do it all the time.

Just today I used money I recieved from work to buy gas instead of drilling my own oil well. But I'm wierd that way.
 
#38 ·
Hubby first got on board about prepping after he heard Glenn Beck spouting about it. GB is a proponent of Food Insurance, so that's where Hubby ordered some freeze dried food. (Which, BTW, I think tastes like poop, but that's another story...)

Hubby is a store-it-and-forget-it kind of person. He doubts the S is ever going to HTF. Having a little extra food is just insurance for him. He doesn't want to take the time to rotate it or manage it. As a result, whenever I talk about adding more food, he always suggests freeze dried stuff because of it's long shelf life.

I don't think it's a matter of laziness. It's just a matter of convenience and time. At this point, life as we know it continues to go on. We've still got daily chores, jobs to go to, kids to raise, social obligations, household duties, home maintenance, and family events. We do what we can to move toward self-sufficiency and better preparedness, but there is no way Hubby will put our "normal" life on hold. For example, we could've canned veggies/fruits this year. And certainly it's a skill worth learning. But the time and effort required wasn't worth it for us. If I value his time at $25/hr (which is less than he earns), we could obtain twice the amount of food from the canned aisle of the supermarket. It's not laziness. It's a time/effort/money = outcome equation.
 
#39 ·
I don't think it's a matter of laziness. It's just a matter of convenience and time. At this point, life as we know it continues to go on. We've still got daily chores, jobs to go to, kids to raise, social obligations, household duties, home maintenance, and family events. We do what we can to move toward self-sufficiency and better preparedness, but there is no way Hubby will put our "normal" life on hold. For example, we could've canned veggies/fruits this year. And certainly it's a skill worth learning. But the time and effort required wasn't worth it for us. If I value his time at $25/hr (which is less than he earns), we could obtain twice the amount of food from the canned aisle of the supermarket. It's not laziness. It's a time/effort/money = outcome equation.
But, the skills that you need to learn are priceless. Canning, breadmaking, sewing, first-aid, etc. The list goes on and on. These are skills ALL of us need to learn. Cause one of these days, it may just save your life.
 
#41 ·
Here's my question, for people who are too lazy or don't have the time to do their own long term food storage (mylar bags o2 absorbers etc) I want to know where you guys recommend they buy long term food storage from. I know canned goods are an option but other than that.

for example, http://www.foodinsurance.com/ would be perfect except the prices are WAY to high!

Thanks!
For those people, I suggest they send the money to me and I will store it for them. No muss, no fuss. :rolleyes: Seriously, if people do not want to do something, they usually pay someone else to do it FOR them. Choose one or the other. If you (or they) don't want either way, I don't know many ohter options. You said in the OP that the people are either lazy or poor...are the people you are talking about that poor that they can't afford an extra package of rice or pasta? If yes, then I guess it is up to you to do it for them.
 
#47 ·
I found this website that may prove useful:
http://www.stilltasty.com/

A lot of info on storing and preserving food.
Also, somewhere (another thread here) I saw someone quote a Hormel representative who stated that their canned products were good far beyond their 3 year "shelf life". He stated that the flavor and texture may diminish over time, but the food would be safe to eat.
Anyone else see that thread?

Also x2 - This from the above website concerning canned tuna, but applies to all shelf stable commercially canned goods :

"After the “best by” date has passed, the canned tuna’s texture, color and flavor will gradually deteriorate. So from a sheer quality standpoint, the sooner you eat the tuna, the better. But from a safety perspective, you can consume it well beyond the “best by” date — in fact, unopened shelf-stable commercially canned foods will keep safe indefinitely (assuming they remain properly stored and undamaged), according to the USDA."
 
#48 ·
I found this website that may prove useful:
http://www.stilltasty.com/

A lot of info on storing and preserving food.
Also, somewhere (another thread here) I saw someone quote a Hormel representative who stated that their canned products were good far beyond their 3 year "shelf life". He stated that the flavor and texture may diminish over time, but the food would be safe to eat.
Anyone else see that thread?
Thanks, yeah I did see that, it says on the hormel website that they have an indefinite shelf life.
 
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