Stocking Up On Long-lasting Emergency Survival Food

Emergency situations pose immediate risk to life, health, the environment or our properties. There are self-evident emergencies like the threats that come from natural disasters. In some other situations, an observer may need to determine if the situation qualifies to be called an emergency.

What may be called an emergency in one place may not be viewed as an emergency in another place. There are instances the definition of emergency is set by a government agency responsible for such. However it is defined, the affected person is in the best position to tell if what he or she is experiencing is an emergency.

You can check out situations that may qualify as emergencies here.

Regardless of who defines what an emergency is, some features will include: 

• Presents a threat to health, life, the environment or property
• Has already resulted in injuries, death, environmental or property damage
• Is likely to worsen and bring about a risk to health, life, the environment or property

Emergencies are Disruptive

In certain emergencies, a lot of things you have grown to depend on will not function well or even not be available at all. Access to food supply may not be possible. Movements may be affected as roads or other travel means may have been destroyed. Utilities that before now had proven very useful with regards to the availability of food may be down.

Your electricity, gas, water, phone services, and other amenities may have been completely destroyed or barely available. It is usually worse for people that have one physical challenge or the other; emergencies increase their vulnerability.

Emergencies, in their nature, demand urgent intervention. Often, failure to provide that urgent intervention leads to the situation worsening. There have been instances where intervention could not bring about mitigation, and palliative care was all that was available. It is necessary for everyone to know what to do in case of emergencies.

So, whether the emergency is brought about by a natural disaster like floods, tornadoes, blizzards, or earthquakes, preparation is key. If it is man-made such as fires, explosions, biological or chemical attacks, preparation is still key. Your solution might include relocating to a temporal shelter which may not have in it provision for your basic needs, including food.

Food Supply Is Basic

In prosperous countries like the USA, it is often difficult to picture a time of food shortages. Just take a look at the shelves of Walmart, Costco or any local store and all you will see are shelves literally overflowing with food.

In practical terms, you can find any kind of food and from all kinds of brands –even exotic ones. Under this scenario, citizens of these countries cannot picture what lack looks like. However, lack could happen and access to these goodies will disappear. So, knowing how to stock up on food in preparation for emergencies is much advised.

For on more on this, you can check out www.ready.gov/food

Go For Food with Long Shelf Life

What should you be considering in deciding what kinds of foods are best for stockpiling in preparation for an emergency? One of the greatest considerations should be foods with long shelf-life. Below are some of such foods:

• Soft Grains –barley, rye, quinoa and grits lasts for as much as 8 years when packaged with oxygen absorber seals. It is better to purchase these from stores that are into food storage for the long term. The reason being that they package and seal in a way intended to bring about a longer shelf life than what obtains in other stores.

• Hard grains –millet, buckwheat, soft-white wheat and hard-red wheat can actually last for up to 10 – 12 years under good storage conditions. For optimum shelf life, an oxygen absorber sealing must be used. Always patronize dealers who deal on long-term storage.

• Rolled Oats –oatmeal container purchased from a store lasts for 24 months, depending on the package. If oxygen and moisture is excluded, it could last for 30 years. Using an oxygen absorber to store it increases how long it can last.

• White rice –this has been known to last for 20 years under ideal conditions. Though brown rice is a healthier variety, it does not have the longevity of white, basmati, jasmine or wild rice. Make sure you buy brands without moisture and stored with oxygen absorber sealing.

• Hardtack –this is a type of bread many have branded as everlasting. It is known to have been a regular for soldiers in the days of the civil war. It actually wasn’t a favourite of the soldiers, but it could be counted on in times of food scarcity. Sadly, you can’t find them in stores again, but they are things anyone can make. All you would need is flour, water, and may be salt and a recipe so that you’ll know the right proportions and method of preparation. 

• Flour – flour that’s not ground has been known to last for 20 years. However, once ground, it decreases dramatically in shelf life. So, do not grind and store, rather grind as your need for it arises. Your flour will last much longer when kept in a bag that is sealed using an oxygen absorber.

Some More Foods on the List

There are so many other foods that will make the list for a Food Crisis Prepping, but space will not permit any elaborate mention of them. However, in the list of emergency survival foods are also these other foods listed below:

Dry pasta, Ramen noodles, Canned spaghetti, Dried beans, Canned beans, Dried legumes and lentils, Dehydrated fruit, Dehydrated veggies, Dried corn, Potato flakes, Dried meat, Freeze-dried meat, Canned meat, Pemmican, Powdered eggs, Peanut butter, Coconut oil and Olive oil.

Others are: Ghee, Maple syrup, Corn syrup,  sugar, Raw honey, Hard candy, Dry-mix jello, Corn starch, Soy sauce, Vinegar, Alcohol, Pure-extract vanilla, Salt, Stock / bouillon, Dried spices and herbs, Baking soda, Instant and freeze-dried coffee, Powdered milk, Raw cacao and cocoa powder, Tea, Freeze-dried meals, Long-lasting bars and snacks,  and canned food.

In Conclusion

If you stock food to last a number of years, you’ll be saving yourself from anxiety that’ll be the lot of other people should an emergency happen. Regardless of the events taking place in the globe, even in times of extreme food shortages, you will never get to the point of starvation. Your life will surely be better than folks around you who did not prepare as you did.

Category: Food.Fun.Stuff.