[Cuppycake]

I found this webpage today and thought it gave some good tips on the types and quantity of food one should have on hand in an emergency.

http://www.birdflumanual.com/articles/foodStockpilingTips.asp#fN1

I used this page to calculate that for one month, my family of three would need about 90 gallons of water (going on FEMAs recommended 1 gal per person per day), 19 lbs of dry carbohydrates (57 lbs cooked), 16 lbs of fats, and 19 lbs of protein.

Of course, this doesn't take into account all of the vitamins and minerals you also need. You won't be able to live off of rice and beans forever, you'll need to put some fruits and vegetables in there, or vitamin supplements if you're able to store them.

Also, take into account that some foods act as more than one "catagory", for instance, beans would be both a carb and a protein. dried eggs both a protein and fat.

 

[DesertDave]

How much food so you really need?

How long do you want to eat?

I shop at Costco and buy by the case because:
http://www.grandpappy.info/hshelff.htm

 

[SideSwipe]

How long do you want to eat?

I shop at Costco and buy by the case because:
http://www.grandpappy.info/hshelff.htm

What he said...you don't know how long it will be..so have lots..

 

[Admiral Nelson]

Cuppcake thanks for that link. I agree with it because I approach storing food as starvation prevention. Spices, dessert and brandy are not high on the list. I'm not going to spend 10 hours a day canning, plowing and butchering animals until I have to. I plan to supplement rice and beans with items from my garden, the creek and possibly raiding from neighbors. :

 

[Routestep]

A few years back I hiked the AT. Its a well marked trail with lots of water on it.

I guess I was eating 3 to 4 lbs of food a day. Maybe 5000 calories or so. It was a lot of mountain climbing. Up one hill then up the next. In the first six weeks I lost about 18 lbs.

Of course I was carrying quite a load on my back; tent, sleeping bag and mat, clothes, mess kit. Just about everything you need for a bug out - less weapons and tools, that would be extra. I had about 50 lbs those first six week, but it was winter in the mountains. I carried about six days worth of food and a complete change of clothes in case I got wet. I traveled heavy.

I find it hard to believe that a grown man will only use 2200 calories if there is no or little power equipment like cars and internal combustion engines in general. I know digging and rooting and choping and toting gets to be hard work, maybe like walking up one side of a moutain and down the other.

I think I want everything in place and ready to go at the BOL with months of easy to fix food at hand.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I think a lot depends on what you intend to be doing. If you plan on hunkering down in an underground bunker cradling an AK for the rest of your life, you won't need much food at all. However, if you envision a future where you are burning a lot of sweat equity for everything you acquire, then you're gonna eat like Secretariat.

 

[DarknessFalls]

Start with a 6 mos supply for your family, from their step back and re-evaluate. Many people I know chose to have 3-5 years but it is a personal choice.

 

[errorborne]

30 days worth of instant yummie throw it in the microwave type stuff
3 months worth of prepared foods that can we use regualrly for meals and rotated.
6 months of unstable staples that we use in cooking
1 year of long term storage food

 

[MikeK]

Beans and some grains can also be sprouted. This changes their nutritional profile and supplies vitamins not present otherwise. For example, sprouting beans supplies vitamin C.

But variety is always the best policy. Variety in the staples, and variety in the side dishes and such. Not only does it help make up for holes in the diet, but it helps avoid appetite fatigue and that can be life threatening under some circumstances.

 

[kev]

How much food so you really need?

At least 6 months food stockpiled for the family, and a couple of years of garden seed.

I would be happy with being able to say that I have at least 6 months of food, and enough seed to plant 2 gardens a year for 4 years. And without having to harvest any seed from the garden itself.

 

[realmcgyver]

Thanks Cupcake for the link

My favorite quote
"The cost of this particular mind numbing diet is a surprisingly affordable $125"

I am now going to add powered lemonade or tang, this was a oversite since it is not a regular item in our household.

 

[mongoose]

Enough for at least 2-3 years in case of crop failure.

 

[Horsecreeker]

Cuppcake thanks for that link. I agree with it because I approach storing food as starvation prevention. Spices, dessert and brandy are not high on the list. I'm not going to spend 10 hours a day canning, plowing and butchering animals until I have to. I plan to supplement rice and beans with items from my garden, the creek and possibly raiding from neighbors. :

Admiral, If you live in our neighborhood, you won't need much food if you are planning on raiding in our area. We don't look kindly on raiders. You should stick to your beans and rice. We are prepared for your kind.

 

[StormWatch]

I found this webpage today and thought it gave some good tips on the types and quantity of food one should have on hand in an emergency.

http://www.birdflumanual.com/articles/foodStockpilingTips.asp#fN1

I used this page to calculate that for one month, my family of three would need about 90 gallons of water (going on FEMAs recommended 1 gal per person per day), 19 lbs of dry carbohydrates (57 lbs cooked), 16 lbs of fats, and 19 lbs of protein.

This is what I don't understand--16 lbs of fats in a month??? What is that, 2 gallons?? We do use a couple of boxes of butter in a month, but I had to throw out the last bottle of cooking oil we had because it was rancid. Of course, if I was baking a lot of bread or biscuits, we would use more oil and shortening.

We have 10 lbs of crisco, a gallon of oil, and about 25 lbs of butter. Plus 4 cans of French canned butter. Looks like I need to get some more oil, as much as I hate the thought of wasting it because we'll never use it up before it goes bad.

 

[Velvet Elvis]

At one time, I stumbled upon a site that had recommendations for how much of the staple items to store per adult per year. I thought it was somewhere on the LDS site, but I can't find it again.

 

[Ryn]

Just look food Calculator

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm

Personally I would go with 2 years of foods and 4 years of seeds. It may take a full year before you can plant a garden then you might see crop failure or you may end up with extra mouths. 2 years is much more safe imo

 

[Cuppycake]

A few years back I hiked the AT. Its a well marked trail with lots of water on it.

I guess I was eating 3 to 4 lbs of food a day. Maybe 5000 calories or so. It was a lot of mountain climbing. Up one hill then up the next. In the first six weeks I lost about 18 lbs.

Of course I was carrying quite a load on my back; tent, sleeping bag and mat, clothes, mess kit. Just about everything you need for a bug out - less weapons and tools, that would be extra. I had about 50 lbs those first six week, but it was winter in the mountains. I carried about six days worth of food and a complete change of clothes in case I got wet. I traveled heavy.

I find it hard to believe that a grown man will only use 2200 calories if there is no or little power equipment like cars and internal combustion engines in general. I know digging and rooting and choping and toting gets to be hard work, maybe like walking up one side of a moutain and down the other.

I think I want everything in place and ready to go at the BOL with months of easy to fix food at hand.

I assumed a much higher caloric intake per person when I did my math. about 3500 for a my husband, 2600 for me, and 1300 for our daughter. Caloric intake depends entirely on your activity level, gender, and size, so adjustments will need to be made when anyone figures the numbers for them selves

Also, I assume that if we would have needed more than a month's worth of food that we will be bugging out. We live in a really densely populated area, so I'd rather get out while the getting's good.

 

[jleverin]

What he said...you don't know how long it will be..so have lots..

You do have a point...Don't want to underestimate and be left with empty shelves.

 

[thyme2bprepped]

I found this webpage today and thought it gave some good tips on the types and quantity of food one should have on hand in an emergency.

http://www.birdflumanual.com/articles/foodStockpilingTips.asp#fN1

I used this page to calculate that for one month, my family of three would need about 90 gallons of water (going on FEMAs recommended 1 gal per person per day), 19 lbs of dry carbohydrates (57 lbs cooked), 16 lbs of fats, and 19 lbs of protein.

Of course, this doesn't take into account all of the vitamins and minerals you also need. You won't be able to live off of rice and beans forever, you'll need to put some fruits and vegetables in there, or vitamin supplements if you're able to store them.

Also, take into account that some foods act as more than one "catagory", for instance, beans would be both a carb and a protein. dried eggs both a protein and fat.

Sounds light to me... if this is for three people you would have 6.3 lbs carbs, 5.3 lbs fats, and 6.3 lbs meat per person per month. Convert to ounces (x16 oz/lb) You have 101.3 ounces each of carbs and proteins, and 84.8 ounces fats per month. Now divide by 30 days 3.37 ounces each of carbs and protein, 2.82 ounces fats. It doesn't sound like very much. Total of 9.6 ounces of food per day per person. We eat alot more than that now.

 

[OhioMan]

Admiral, If you live in our neighborhood, you won't need much food if you are planning on raiding in our area. We don't look kindly on raiders. You should stick to your beans and rice. We are prepared for your kind.

Admiral Nelson was joking, that's why he posted a : when he said that.