We are living in strange times: earthquakes, floods, and political upheaval. There have been a number of stories in the news this week about governments warning citizens to begin stockpiling food, particularly in Germany. While Canada has yet to receive such a warning, it may be wise to begin a stockpile campaign in your home. Here are some tips, some of which are taken from Sean Broderick's The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide:
1. Store foods you eat: It's not a good to store foods that you and your family will have a hard time eating. And when in an emergency situation, it's not a good time to switch diets to accommodate storable food. If you're living on fast food, and you're interested in storing food, you'll need to change your diet. Also, don't buy survival foods just because they're cheap. You have some time now; store foods that you will actually eat and will give you the energy you need.
2. Start with the essentials: Long-term storage foods that are healthy and store well are: whole grains, rice, and beans (Did you know that beans and rice are considered a perfect protein?) Whole grains and brown rice are packed with nutrients.
3. Then move to other essentials: Dried and canned vegetables will be important. You'll also need some oils to cook your food in, such as olive, vegetable, and peanut. You can also add some canned or dry meats, fish, and chicken to your stockpile.
4. Energy foods: Things like peanut butter, dried fruit, and other such snacks are great for instant energy. Chocolate is also a very important item, not only for its health benefits, but also as an item for barter (Chocolate is said to be veering into a shortage). Imagine yourself in some kind of catastrophe (natural disaster for instance), and think about what you'll need to eat to stay energized. There'll be a lot of demand placed on you, so you need to think energy when you're stockpiling food.
5. Plan: You need to make a list of the foods you eat over a two-week period. Also, you need to know how much food you and your family eat per week. This will help you plan what and how much to buy.
6. Designate Storage Space: The ideal place to store you food is a cool dry area that sustains a temperature of 40 degrees fahrenheit (about 4 degrees celsius). This is difficult, especially for those who have hot summer months. The average is more like 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 degrees celsius). Keep in mind that every 10 degrees above that halves your storage life. You need to find a space that holds that cool dry temperature, and where you can store ample food. A nice dry basement can be a good place to store your food. If your basement is full of stuff, you might need to declutter--a fairly easy task.
7. Food-grade containers: You need to use food-grade containers to store your food, otherwise it simply won't last. Food-grade containers are simply plastic containers designed to store food. A common container is a plastic bucket with a rubber gasket lid manufactured specifically for storing food. This is an important part of your stockpiling, especially if its grains, rice, and beans.
8. Price-list: I have a friend who buys multiples of things when they're on sale. Whereas I tend to buy one, grateful for the price reduction, he buys 5-10. This is a good way to save money and stockpile at the same time. This requires that you understand the general price of things you need to stockpile, and their lowest price; and you understand this by putting together a price-list. It's not difficult: a small notebook in which you copy down the foods you want to store, and how much they cost at the various stores you purchase them at, including the lowest price possible. When it comes to stockpiling, you can determine if what you're purchasing is at the lowest price, or will come down further.
8. Price-list: I have a friend who buys multiples of things when they're on sale. Whereas I tend to buy one, grateful for the price reduction, he buys 5-10. This is a good way to save money and stockpile at the same time. This requires that you understand the general price of things you need to stockpile, and their lowest price; and you understand this by putting together a price-list. It's not difficult: a small notebook in which you copy down the foods you want to store, and how much they cost at the various stores you purchase them at, including the lowest price possible. When it comes to stockpiling, you can determine if what you're purchasing is at the lowest price, or will come down further.
9. Keep Inventory: If you stockpile food but forget what you have and when it expires, you could be wasting money and food. When you store your food, keep an inventory list of what you have and when it's likely to expire. Check it routinely. If certain items are nearing expiry, use them.
Stockpiling food that will last you 10 days is a good place to start. It may seem excessive; it may seem alarmist; but there are enough news reports that suggest it's not a bad time to begin. Take your time, but don't hesitate. Whenever you see something you need on sale, buy 5 of them. Remember, if you go slowly, you won't overwhelm your budget. The important thing is you do it. Just thinking about the Ontario ice storm and the Calgary flood--both in 2013!--is enough to keep us sober-minded and prepared.
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