Just about EVERYTHING you need is here:

http://www.endtimesreport.com/

I have used much of the info. there.

If you want true "buy it and forget about it... will not spoil... do not have to rotate food".... you'll need to go freeze dried.... very expensive stuff but will last 30 years or more.
http://www.mountainhouse.com/emgcy_fds.cfm

Check the site out.... it's all there.

You're welcome.

If you have questions on what to get, I can help ya out some.

 

From the "LINKS" section of the website I posted above.

I have purchased some things here:

http://www.internet-grocer.net/

 

If you are needing long term food you are going to want to look for something other than MRE's.

 

PM sent

 

I have ordered from emergency essentials several times.they have great customer service
and run a different sale everymonth on freeze dried food,thats when I order my stuff
beprepared.com is the website

 

The 5 gallon bucket of MRE type food from Costco seems to blow away everything else in cost. 25 lbs in 5gal bucket that lasts 20 years, 275 servings for $89. I have a relative that just hit sams for $2k in various food supplies. Since most canned stuff is 2yrs if you keep a system for rotating stuff out there is not really waste you can just keep regular food you would eat anyways. There is really no extra long term cost this way, you are just keeping more money tied up in food. In true SHTF you really just need to out last others. We are probably in good shape in our area and may have a surplus of food, as I imagine we typically produce a surplus of food being a farming state, the northern USA and expecially large cities up north will be the ones screwed. I think keeping seeds may be a good idea, you can grow a garden in your yard if it came to that. I knoticed costco has a emergency kit for this also, enough seeds to plant a 1 acre garden. The Costco emergency section is really pretty cool. The "Trive" stuff looks tasty.

 

Just like every other time I have looked for info on this forum, you guys are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!!

I feel lucky for a variety of reasons, but one is just digitally "meeting" you people.

Look forward to FTF with all of you.

Thanks again. Going to take off on some knowledge gaining jaunts using some of these suggestions.

 

Here are a couple of other good sources to check. The Yoders bacon availablke from MRE Depot is TASTY

http://www.longlifefood.com/
http://www.longlifefood.com/

 

Don't forget about water. I have instructions for a home made version that I'll post too if I can find them.
http://directive21.com/index.html

 

Read this :http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=632523

And this:http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=34&t=399280

 

Good resources for general research -

survivalblog.com

captaindaves.com

I don't have all my links on this computer, but the ones above and these two will get you started.

MRE's are ok for short term use, but a steady diet of them would be rough. Ask any GI who had to eat them constantly for a month..... Unless you're outfitting a bunker for 40 people for a month, 200 cases of mre's may be a bit much. for that money you can get a mix of rice, beans, wheat, canned meats; regular canned goods, and some mountain house for long-term emergency storage.

Buy what you eat and eat what you buy; that way your diet doesn't change and your stock of food stays current. As stated above, you just wind up with a larger investment in on-hand food stocks. Not a bad idea...

For seeds etc, don't just throw a bunch of seeds in the closet and call it good; as much as hardware (stuff) you need software (skills and experience); now is the time to make the mistake of planting your crops too early (late, shallow, deep, etc etc) when it is just an inconvenience and another trip to the store to restock. When you're depending on crop production to eat is a bad time to figure out how to grow stuff.

CB

 

Anyone here have access to MREs? I mean MREs at less than I can already pay online for them. I see folks offering to pay 15 dollars a case on Craig's list, and I figure they are pretty much ripping off enlisted guys with money management problems, and I see retail for about 30 dollars up to 90 dollars. I am interested in purchasing all I can buy at a good price.

Any of you down around Bragg or LeJeune have a good source? PM me and I will be sure and make it worth your while. I am looking for up to 200 cases at the present time.

I'm also intrested -- however I only want one case. If anyone has a good deal, PM me too!

Thanks,
Steve

 

Post from another board:

I have several cases of MRE's for sale. There are twelve meals to a case. These have an inspection date of 04/2011. Both A and B menus available. Price is $45.00 FTF in Fountain Inn, SC or $55.00 shipped. Discounts available for multiple purchases. Please call me at 864-908-0223 with any questions. Thanks.

 

I recently discovered freeze dried myself. A bit on the salty side (at least Mountain House products seem to be), but pretty good. The Mountain House mac n cheese is better than home-made! Having access to boiling water could be a problem, but overall, a better choice than MRE's. Freeze dried costs more, but its lighter and tastier.

 

I was introduced to a neat package meal last winter. Was kayaking with a friend of mine that works EMS in Polk County...he acquired some emergency ration meals from the county that were past the "best if used by" date. He got them free, but had to stand by the dumpster and grab them before they went in (regulational disposal).
I had a turkey, green beans, and mashed potatoes meal...open the box...open the foil pack of "water?"...pour water over some kinda absorption pad (created heat!)...place foil packs of food and tray with heat source, back in the box and close...wait 10 minutes...discard box...open food packs into included paper tray...and eat!...it was delicious!...but probably expensive when purchased new.

 

I recently discovered freeze dried myself. A bit on the salty side (at least Mountain House products seem to be), but pretty good. The Mountain House mac n cheese is better than home-made! Having access to boiling water could be a problem, but overall, a better choice than MRE's. Freeze dried costs more, but its lighter and tastier.

Mountain House is generally considered to be the best in the industry .... you don't have to use boiling water, but it is better if you do.
When Katrina hit ( and other problems ) the government just about took over the plants entire production for over a year.. I tried to order some things and much was out of stock.
It is much tastier and better than I thought it would be.
Stored properly, the foil pouches should last 5 to 7 years.... the cans last 25 to 30 years.

Ever pick up a garden house that has been laying in the sun?? I have picked them up, and sprayed my hands and arms.... the water is almost boiling LOL or feels like it.
I have a couple of those black outdoor shower bags, left in the sun for a little while the water is plenty hot for freeze dried meals.

 

In general, without going into great details on brands and such, I figure an overall plan needs to have some combination of the following components :


Water storage

Sealed, long-term storage of the major staples (rice, flour, beans, etc.)

Home canning / preserving

Freeze dried meals / MRE

Long-term seeds storage for gardening



Personally, I'm well into preps on 2 of the 5 prior listed components...soon to be working on the rest.


Regards,

MD

 

contact this place. they may have some. http://www.robbyssales.com/index.htm

 

I've been buying MRE's locally at a flea market for around $30-35 per sealed case, or around $3 each individually. However, the supply has seemed to dry up lately, and one of the dealers attributes it to the earthquake in Haiti.

 

In general, without going into great details on brands and such, I figure an overall plan needs to have some combination of the following components :

Water storage

Sealed, long-term storage of the major staples (rice, flour, beans, etc.)

Home canning / preserving

Freeze dried meals / MRE

Long-term seeds storage for gardening

Personally, I'm well into preps on 2 of the 5 prior listed components...soon to be working on the rest.

Regards,

MD

+1 on this.

Don't buy just one type of food and think you have it coverd. My break down is some thing like this:

30% MRE
20% MT House
30% Vac packed- beans, rice, wheat...
20% canned/ home canned

 

There is a wealth of information on the forums here:
http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/vb/index.php

There are some nice folks there and especially the disaster prep and homestead food forums would help you. I check on the firearms forum at times but dont enjoy it as much as CSF.

I lived thru Hurricane Hugo in college and ever since then I have always maintained some emergency supplies. As I became a father and watched what happened with Katrina I started to get more serious about preparedness. I personaly decided what was the most likely situation which would hit my family and prepared for that first ( a weather related disaster i think is most likely where I live). I have been slowly adding to my food preps about 2 years and we have a pretty good back up out in my garage. It hasnt cost a lot of money and I actually have done the bulk of the buying myself.

We keep a mix of short term and long term supplies including a big rubbermaid container that has MRE's ( they store better if you deconstruct the packaging!) and water plus first aid etc. which would be used if we had a short term emergency such as a forced evacuation. Then we have what I call "the garage store" which is the bulk of our canned foods and stuff that we eat every day such as mac and cheese ,pasta and sauces and peanut butter( I keep a lot more but you get my drift here) This is the stuff that my kids like and when the kitchen pantry doesnt have it, I grab it from the garage...just ike running to the store. When I replenish something we use often I buy it in 3's: 2 get stored and 1 goes in the kitchen pantry. I buy water when it is on sale and have a mix of gallon jugs and the smaller individual bottles. Stuff like coleman fuel, candles, and camping gear is also a growing stockpile. I am going to next add freeze dried stuff for super long term storage.

My kids thought I was a bit crazy until they saw the news coverage for Haiti and they asked me if the food and water I had in the garage was in case of a home emergency and when I said YES they had relieved looks on their faces!

You can totally do this, collect info and start making plans, its easier to do it little by little at every grocery buy then to go buy 100 cases of MRE's. If you had to...you could live on 100 cases of dinty moore beef stew a lot cheaper.

And dont get me started on "survival weapons"!

Ignatius

 

The LDS church has a food calculator you put in the number of people and the age group and it tells you what you will need for a years supply. MRE's are ok for short term but ya gotta figure anything made to last years has to be full of chemicals.

 

mountain house

cheapest place for it i found was at www.getgear.biz

especially their "pilot" bread. A friend of mine found a 55 gal fiber drum they opened in the basement of walter reed hospital, in DC; it was full of saltines. He ate one and it was fine, packed in 1922 iirc.

That stuff should be technically good and provide emergency carbs (for thousands of years if the can doesn't rust); and probably just as good even if it does.

But even there, where it is 20% less than elsewhere... was not cheap.

But to be fair, a 50 pound sack of rice at Sams club is $15; and a year supply of it should only be 1000 pounds.

and its polished rice with vitamins. Should last ten years;

also i just learned that swallowing uncooked rice, (it will swell in your stomach and could burst it if you eat too much....) it will get digested just fine.

50 pound bag of act2 popcorn there is only like $20, and while you will not get anything from eating it raw, you can a: plant the seeds, b: pop them or c: grind to make cornmeal...

... If mere "survival" is okay with you...

but the mres, etc are good for an "engagement" scenario where you have no home base. but in a no more oil scenario, it probably wouldn't be a nazi takeover but a daily grind to survive and find enough to eat scenario...

Personally, if $300 can buy 1000 pounds of dry rice(2 tons cooked?), and $300 can buy ten cases of cheap MREs, i say... buy both.

 

One can buy most anything they want--but is it good for you??? MREs are packed with loads of preservatives, salt, etc. I have a couple months supply for my family but plan on mixing with conventional foods. IMO, the safest most reliable way to preserve food long term is by using whole grains where ever possible. It is simple to put up and will be there for generations. I am putting mine into 20 gallon barrels now instead of 55s. Also using five gallon buckets. I use food grade plastic bags(Mylar is best but also expensive)(doubled), put in my grains, shoot it full of Argon(Nitrogen or CO2 work also), and forget after sealing. They will last as long as the containers are viable. Dried grains will last indefinately prepared this way. A few gallons of cooking oil, condiments, baking soda, sugar, etc. and you are good to go for more years than you will last.
You said you did not want to have to bother preserving foods yourself but it is better for you and much more reliable. Keeping foods dry is the biggest key to long term storage. Oxygen purging with inert gasses does this and kills bugs, fungus, mildew, and even larvae.

 

The LDS church has a food calculator you put in the number of people and the age group and it tells you what you will need for a years supply. MRE's are ok for short term but ya gotta figure anything made to last years has to be full of chemicals.

Turner I notice the hog farms out there in Pink Hill on google maps. You should be fine if you know how to cure a ham.