Well done, we need more posts like this!

 

I bet if you ditched on the name brand stuff for store brand this could be done for around $80! great kit

 

Don't forget coupons too.

 

Good post for a beginer but the problem I see with your preps is including crappy junk food = pop tarts , chips , candy , koolaid , tang , etc. . Money would be better spent on healthier snacks .
If the time comes when you need those stored food preps you'll want food that is good for you to keep you going in hard times . Not processed , empty calorie , chemical and preservative laden junk food .

 

Good post for a beginer but the problem I see with your preps is including crappy junk food = pop tarts , chips , candy , koolaid , tang . Money would be better spent on healthier snacks .
If the time comes when you need those stored food preps you'll want food that is good for you to keep you going in hard times . Not processed , empty calorie , chemical and preservative laden junk food .

I dont think this is suppose to be a long term prep. Something like this would be awesome for me to tuck away as my main concern would be having power out or impassable roads from storms especially these darn ice storms we keep having. Good short term comfort food kind of prep.

 

Good stuff I like making a tote with a weeks supply vs 50 of like items each in their own box. Well done and thank you.

 

I am other person who thinks you deserve more than a "thanks" for this post!

Back when I first started out it was impossible for me to grasp the smaller steps needed to get started because so many folks already looked "finished" to me. While I managed to stumble my way through, if I'd had someone explain it to me like THIS, I'd have avoided a lot of angst (and a few mistakes) on my part!

So ... from someone who remembers what starting off was like ... THANK YOU!!

 

Agreed. There are several corners that can be cut. My aim is to motivate those who know they need to do this, but cannot assemble a starting point.

I have verbalized this to many people and chose this rainy day to compose the speech for others to build from.

 

I would cut a few items that required too much preparation in sketchy times. Like pancakes....if you are on the move, pancakes take too much time and some specialized implements/pans. And syrup.

I like most of what you've got there but would stick with more things that are super easy/fast to prepare. I'd take honey instead of syrup....use it in the instant oatmeal or for many other uses.

And I agree with whoever said you could probably find healthier snacks. Not a bad idea since most prepackaged & prepared foods are not the healthiest.

 

GREAT JOB, thanks for taking the time, and the pictures. you know, this could be a pretty decent birthday, Christmas , wedding, anniversary, anytime type gift. Thanks again.

 

Now throw in a plastic measuring cup, 2QT Rubbermaid jug and a bottle of multivitamins ( the senior citizen ones are more complete in there nutrition but don't tell the kids that) and it would be a step in the right direction. All in all a great post .

 

Please think about the amount of water you need too. For a family of 5 for a week a 32 pk. of water wouldn't even allow everyone to have one bottle a day. I'm sure you've allowed a gallon a day person but the visual could throw new people off thinking that would be enough.

 

Nice concept and a well made post. I have to admit that I don't care for your food selection but I'm not eating it.

Hey, make another one for sanitation and hygiene!

 

While I agree with the concept of your post, and an "A" for effort, I am going to have to greatly disagree with the content and nutrition of the "food".

 

Great post!

While I do think that the food selection leaves something to be desired. I must say that having already packed food 'pods' is a great idea and makes it much easier to move if the need arises. And, I would say that calorie dense foods will be what is needed in the short term, where as healthy foods would be needed long term. So you could have your first few 'pods' loaded with quick energy, carb loaded food, and the others would contain more nutritous types for the long haul.

 

I looked for a calorie count on what you have done, but I did not see one.

Other than not knowing how many calories per day you are serving, well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think it's a fantastic idea. Folks can vary the food choices, but GET STARTED. I'm sure dizastrous has other foods put away, but these bins can be used first in an emergency, or throughout the year when money's tight one week. It's easy to grab and go with, and the kids will eat it. You can always raid the bins if a real SHTF event happens to spice things up while using your longer term wheat, rice, beans and other goodies. Remember, it's for newbies...Very Well Done, and thank you.

 

Thanks for putting the time into this, great presentation. As for junk food, if the kids have been fed it, it's a good idea to have some for them as a transition anyway. We did it another way with the kids, they weren't trained to eat it in the first place, as we never bought it. It wasn't in the house in the first place, period. Usually the parents are the problem, they buy it, and the kids learn to eat it. Now for the problem with the candy junkie sister in law, well...

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I do appreciate the extra points and tips.

There will likely never be a perfect "kit" that can fit every situation and family, and yes, the food may not be for your family table. What my goal was, and continues to be, is this - IF you are thinking about getting started - START NOW. This is (in my opinion) a great first step to a long term plan. This is how I started. Once that first week is put away - your confidence is higher and your next kit is a bit different, but still for a week.

Look in your kitchen/pantry and see what you eat. Now, list it out per meal/per day as above. Think about easy prep - just add water, just add heat, or eat out of the package. That is what this is about. There is meat, there is vitamin enriched foods, there is comfort/snack food. This is likely how you already operate today. Toss in some canned vegetables in place of something.

Sure, the food pyramid people are not happy - but you know what - you took the first step and built a weeks worth of backup for you and your family.

Keep adding to this thread and know that some first-timer is appreciating all the help you can add.

Thanks again everyone

 

How do you plan to keep the milk for the milk and cereal?
Shells and cheese is hardly a meal. I understand that this may get you thru a week, but a little more thought would produce better planned meals. That will be a tough week.

 

The milk is instant - that particular package has three 1 quart pouches. Perfect for three little mouths and some cereal.

A tough week?

If a situation rises that warrants living from these for several weeks - the contents of your weekly storage food bin will hardly be the element of the tough week. It will be the welcoming part of your day.

 

Very nicely done, what you have done took effort and caring awesome! Now lot of us are saying horrible diet we wouldn't eat this stuff...what I'm not seeing is anyone taking the time to make up a better one.

Anyone willing to take the time to make a better list and post it?? I challenge us all to improve on it. What would you keep on that's already on the list and what would you change? What's the price difference, with your substitutions?

 

Anyone willing to take the time to make a better list and post it?? I challenge us all to improve on it.

You bring up a very good point there.

So, Dizasterous, I'll elaborate on my first post. Going on the premise of 'eat what you store and store what you eat', I see nothing wrong with the list at all. It's just not what *we* eat. Trying to do a sudden radical change of diet in a stressful time is a BAD idea. For instance, I happen to like shells and cheese but if I try to eat it I would wipe out a weeks worth of toilet paper in about an hour.

Actually, I find the intent and purpose of the OP to be outstanding. For many that have no or few preps I think that it's a pretty good primer to get started with.

We have the exact same tote with food in it. Four of them actually. But our food tote is all grains, legumes, dehydrated veggies, canned meats ect. Thats OUR diet but it's not everyone's.

The other totes are cooking stuff, medical, and the third is designated for sanitation and hygiene. Thats why I suggested doing a sanitation and hygiene tote. I haven't done ours yet so I wanted to see what you came up with. Isn't plagerism grand? :

 

EDIT: I see the powder milk now. Some better than none in a pinch.

 

Nicely done. This is a starting point, not the final goal. The person who has something like this put away is far ahead of the person who doesn't. Everyone has to start somewhere, and many people seem to overthink it.

 

Fully agree about the welcoming part of the day!

 

Great job. I am sure the hoards who would slit your throat for that food would also think there is nothing tough about eating that (rather than dying). Good job.

 

Nice post!

Thank you for taking your time to take pictures and write the post. I agree with others, why don't we have more examples of stuff with pictures? Not BOB's ( plenty of those! ). The best part of the post?...Now we have something we can print/send/etc to all those we know who don't prep, or whom ask us.


It is hard for new preppers to come here to the forums, see all the wonderful advice, tips, suggesstions, and pictures.....and go "Holy Cow!" I am so far behind all these folks. They have so much stuff. I can never match all this anytime soon." They may just be so dis-enheartened that they may decide to not prep because it is too much work to start now when compared to most here whom have ben prepping for years.


Sure as many have said, the ingredients posted are not on most of the forum's posters food preps, but as the OP said, it is for those who need a visual aid and written down with care and detail. Even the cost, where he purchased it was a great idea. For new preppers it is so easy to go to Wal-Mart as it is familar every town has one, as compared to get this from LDS, that from CostCo, this from Emergancy Foods, etc.

The kid food is important. I taught outdoor education and wilderness survival to grades k-12th and can tell you that for 5 days some kids are so picky that they will only eat white bread....none of the cafeteria food, none of the survival/foraged for food...That which is familiar is very important to kids. And remember, the kids are already needing comfort food and familiarity in any SHTF scenario.

Once again....A stellar post! Thanks for your time and effort!

 

If I would have seen something like that 2 yrs ago, I wouldn't have stressed as much as I did. Thank you for the time and effort. I think I'd add a pouch/can or two of tuna or chicken to mix in with the shells when you cook them.

 

That was EXACTLY my thought upon seeing the OP's post. The only pantry porn that I found when I first started out was folks posting pics of their entire basement filled floor to ceiling with stuff. I was both mortified that I was so far behind the curve and terrified I'd not have time to catch up that it very nearly made me just not try at all. :taped: And yet here we are ... 3 years in and the world is still chugging along. HOWEVER, there have been several times over that 3 year period that I have been ever so grateful that I had even the little bit I'd accomplished to date done. A couple of times it allowed us to stay in our home, where we could tend to our critters and he could still come and go to work, and still be comfortable (relatively speaking) as opposed to having to spend time and money on hotel rooms and eating out. One of those times our entire neighborhood was without power for a week. You hear stories all the time of folks being without power for weekS at a time so I feel very fortunate!

Thank goodness I have a husband who thinks that MREs are sufficient. (The thought of trying to survive on MREs makes me just a tad bit nauseous ... :xeye: so it was prepare to "survive" on what he thought was sufficient or just take over.

He still tries to get me to "try" them every so often. I just tell him that if the end of the world comes he can go to the bedroom with the MREs and I'll go to the "Pantry" and we'll see who lasts the longest! :

 

Thank you kindly for the post. I have a question/suggestion. What if you were to use the vacuum seal packaging on the items that you were able to? Obviously not the canned food, but the other stuff. For instance, take each person’s individual breakfast - be it oatmeal, cereal with milk, whichever - and seal it individually. Wouldn't that increase the shelf life of a lot of it? I know part of the purpose of the post was to prove it can be done very inexpensively, but to further save more money down the road without having to re-buy things once they go bad.
All in all, though, thank you again for the post. I think its the motivation I needed to get something like this going

 

Thank you kindly for the post. I have a question/suggestion. What if you were to use the vacuum seal packaging on the items that you were able to? Obviously not the canned food, but the other stuff. For instance, take each person’s individual breakfast - be it oatmeal, cereal with milk, whichever - and seal it individually. Wouldn't that increase the shelf life of a lot of it? I know part of the purpose of the post was to prove it can be done very inexpensively, but to further save more money down the road without having to re-buy things once they go bad.
All in all, though, thank you again for the post. I think its the motivation I needed to get something like this going

Muffin -

I have spent several years trying to "perfect" the vacuum sealing and have yet to find the mix that works for us.

I have vacuumed instant milk - it was not pretty, clean, or good for the equipment. Same for bulk oatmeal. I am sure there is a way to do it, but I gave up.

Now, I did experiment with sealing individual packets of oatmeal, pop-tarts and even raisins. Because we eat what we store, they didn't last long enough to get a sense of "quality" after a prolonged period of time. I do know that air is one of the primary enemies of stored processed food, so you are on the right track from what I know.

Here are benefits I have found though - a separate vacuumed sealed bag DOES keep surrounding odors and that "plastic" taste away from food better than simply letting it sit in the tote. I also have vacuumed down portions that get swapped out of the BOB's, but that is more for storage space than for quality.

Dehydrated veggies is where I seem to be using the vacuum the most. Pictured here is 3 bags of frozen peas/carrots and 2 large bags of hash brown potatoes. Dehydrating shrinks it nicely, then vacuuming it really packs them in. The white packs are oxygen absorbers. The final bag here is the size of a regular bag of frozen vegetables. I left this out of the original post because dehydrating and vacuuming can turn people off from even trying to store/prep.

So, my answer is - if you have the funds and equipment, you are surely not going to decrease the shelf life by vacuuming them down. It is a layer of bug protection - odor shielding - waterproofing and life extension.

Thank you for this -
I think its the motivation I needed to get something like this going