Category: Food Storage & Cooking

A Lesson from Fasting for Preparedness, by J.C.

First off, let me tell you a little bit about myself and experiences. I am a thirty-four years old, six foot tall, and an active male who enjoys long distance trail running, running mountains, and competing in mud obstacle races and triathlons. I have been married fourteen years and have two pre-teen sons. I currently work out of town as a carpenter and commute three hours each day and work ten-hour days five and sometimes six days a week. During the warmer months, I train nearly every day, mostly running on stairs, hills, trails. During the winter, I am running …


Letter: T.Z. Answers Some Questions on Paleo Prepping

HJL, As to getting rid of accumulations of prepper storage carbs, find some livestock that naturally eats such things. Maybe a local beekeeper could use the sugar over winter. Maybe some chickens can turn it into good eggs or meat. As to storage, I already mentioned good, organic vitamin and mineral supplements and protein powder, which you can put in bug-out bags. If I have fat on me, I’ll be burning that for a while as I’m bugging out or assessing the local area for wild food, barter, or what I’ve stored. Since I’m not hungry all the time, I …


Letter Re: Prepping for a Paleo Diet

Hugh, TZ’s article on the Paleo diet vs. the more usual heavy-on-carb diet that preppers typically prep for was exciting for me to read because it addressed many of the issues my husband and I are dealing with. We’ve been formally prepping for the past six years, storing up wheat, rice, beans, etc. Then two years ago we found a great doctor, a Functional Medicine Doctor, who emphasizes the health model vs. the pathology model. He started with extensive blood tests, then based on the results starts you off on a series of supplements and a strict non-carb diet. We’re …


How to Use Old Cooking Oil: The Floating Wick

A few months ago, one of my consulting clients mentioned that she had over-stocked her supply of vegetable oil. She had also neglected to store it in her freezer, to extend its storage life. The result after four years was 10 quarts of corn oil and two quarts of olive oil that had gone rancid. She asked if there was anything she could do with the oil. (She bemoaned the fact that that olive oil was particularly expensive.) My reply: Buy some floating wicks, and burn up that oil as a source of light and heat, during power failures. Floating …


Letter Re: Making a Final Run

Dear Hugh, In regards to the final run concept, I have to add my contrarian view and say, don’t do it! I have witnessed first hand the competitive spirit of people at a Walmart prior to a weakened hurricane making landfall. It made Black Friday look calm. Any perceived event that would be seen as significant enough for the general population to panic and flock to stores will be extremely dangerous. Why risk physical danger to the “runner”, damage to that person’s vehicle, exposure to any illness being carried by members of the general population, (which could be the reason …


Letter Re: Making a Last Run

Thank you so much for what you’re doing here. I don’t understand people who say they want to prep but won’t put this website on their daily reading list. In reference to Making a Last Run, at first I was appalled that any prepper would go to the store to stock up on even more food at the last minute. At the time I thought, “Why take away from those who didn’t prepare in advance? Let them get what they can. We already have enough.” Then I read the letter stating that with a 10-year larder it wasn’t necessary for …


Low-Carb Paleo and Primal for Preppers, by T.Z.

I wouldn’t have much to eat in “What’s for Dinner”, so I’m going to write up my own personal paleo/primal low-carb approach to nutrition, especially as it applies to prepping. The mountain men, hunters, and others rarely had sugar and flour and were healthier. I’m not as active as them, but I’m trying to eat like them. Micro and Macro Nutrients– What Your Body Really Needs The first thing to do is separate nutrients from calories. You need nutrients– vitamins, minerals, protein, and a few other things to keep things running. These, like oil and radiator fluid, are things you …


Letter Re: Making the Last Run

Hugh, One thing I didn’t notice in his post was learning your store layouts. Most stores are pretty much laid out the same way, but they do on occasion move things around. Notice where everything is and make sure you pay attention each time you visit your local grocery store. Bread and milk are not normally placed together, thus you have to go through the whole store to get both. Milk is usually at the back of the store or at least very near the back, so that you have to go all the way through to get a gallon. …


Letter Re: Making a Last Run

Hugh, I just wanted to add a tidbit to the article of making a last run when the SHTF by GMJ. Though this was a well written and well thought-out article and most obvious a great tool for the newbie to the art of survival, for me and my family we will not be in need of one last run. Because of all of us being a great student of this business we have benefited greatly from the steps outlined by our fellow survivalists. So for the new comer to this important scene of preparedness, you might want to pay …


Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 4, by GMJ

In Part 3 of this series, we conducted information-gathering trips to see how our community responds to a developing disaster. In Part 4, we will analyze our data and use it to execute a safe and effective last run. Think Twice, Act Once Having gathered the data about your immediate area, take time to analyze your findings and decide whether or not a last run will benefit you and your family. Under the best of circumstances, there will be risks; I don’t want to minimize that. However, if you have done your homework, you will have a good idea of …


Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 3, by GMJ

In Part 2 of this series, we discussed collecting information about the stores and products that might be available to buy as the disaster unfolds. In Part 3, we practice using our plan before the crisis occurs. Make a Trial Run Before Your Last Run I know this sounds counter-intuitive in the face of TEOTWAWKI, but if you have time, it’s always better to do a test run of something that has the potential to fail or be physically dangerous. If you have the opportunity to go out and observe what actually happens during a crisis event before one can …


Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 2, by GMJ

In this section, we are continuing to explain how to begin developing a comprehensive strategy for a last run shopping trip. Steps 1 and 2 have been described in how to make a list of what might happen and arrange it according to each event’s likihood to happen. Now, let’s move on. Steps 3 & 4: Determine What’s Necessary to Eliminate/Reduce Problems Step three requires you to determine what you need to do to eliminate, or at least reduce, the problems that each probable event will cause, and then the next step is to make a list of all the …


Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 1, by GMJ

The last-minute grocery and emergency supply shopping run is part of prepper mythology. Whether or not it makes sense to do a “last run” shopping trip is very controversial in the prepper community and has both positive and negative aspects. Whether or not to do so requires considerable forethought and mental preparation. I know some preppers are horrified by the idea of intentionally utilizing a last run to top-off or expand supplies. It’s great to be able to hunker down with a mug of hot buttered rum in front of the fireplace and watch the snow come down or snuggle …


Letter Re: Letter Re: Root Cellaring Potatoes

It is very possible to grow potatoes from true pollinated seeds. I have been doing it for years. Potato seeds store for a long time, if kept dry. Enough seed to plant a large garden can fit into a small seed packet. Something like 85% of commercial varieties are sterile and thus don’t produce seeds. On my farm I have chosen to only grow varieties of potatoes that routinely produce seeds, and I store the seeds from them even if I most commonly grow from clones. Regards, J the farmer.


Letter Re: Root Cellaring Potatoes

HJL, One of the best reasons for storing potatoes in a root cellar is to have seed available to plant potatoes the next year. While I buy new seed potatoes every year, I also plant some of my own from the previous year. Potatoes are the one crop that you can not buy packets of seed to store for a long time. I plant a lot more than we can eat, just to store for seed. – North-of-80