Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Letter Re: Once a Prepper, Always a Prepper

Mr. Rawles, The following describes my background and how it shaped me. My Parents’ Influences My parents were from the south (Eastern Tennessee) They were also children of the Great Depression, their families were farmers and it was normal to prepare for winter or hard times. Both my parents could can food, especially vegetables and fruit. My father was an avid hunter and trapper. I learned from a young age from my parents, never take anything for granted, prepare for good and bad times. My Childhood My parents moved to Ohio for work, where I was born. I spent my …


Letter Re: Preps and Minimizing My Debts Paid Off When Unemployed

Dear Mr. Rawles, With all the bad news reported every day and your personal heartbreaks I hope I can reassure you about our future just a little by sharing my story with you. I started reading your blog three years ago, during the good times. I’m a 23 year-old man from the liberal north east, some college under my belt, married, and willing to dig in and work to secure my family’s future. I had a good job with a subsidiary of a major european telecom, I worked every hour of overtime I could and pushed myself to excel at …


Letter Re: Some Ground Truth–The “Us” and the “Them” in a Societal Collapse

Mr. Rawles, I am a retired Army warrant officer working for the Army teaching Electronic Warfare and Signal Intelligence. I only started reading your blog last week. It’s addictive, but slightly disturbing. Having worked for the Army for 27 years in a number of different failed countries I may have a unique perspective on survival that I would like to share with your readers. I believe most of the “survivalist community” is vastly underestimating the impact that other humans are going to have on their plans. Hunkering down and waiting for everyone to die off is a simplistic plan and …


The Flash to Bang Count: Observations on the October Indonesian Asteroid Airburst

A few days ago, The Telegraph reported: “An asteroid that exploded in the Earth’s atmosphere with the energy of three Hiroshima bombs this month has reignited fears about our planet’s defenses against space impacts. On 8 October, the rock crashed into the atmosphere above South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The asteroid was around 20 meters across and hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 45,000 mph. The blast was heard by monitoring stations 10,000 miles away, according to a report by scientists at the University of Western Ontario. Scientists are concerned that it was not spotted by any telescopes, and that had it been …


Letter Re: Comments of Storing Coffee and Grinding Whole Wheat Flour

Jim: Buryl misses the point to storing coffee. Freeze dried blocks of ground coffee wrapped in aluminum foil pouches and vacuum packed is my preferred method, but I also store instant coffee crystals. I recommend not getting addicted to coffee. I can take it or leave it. But it is a wonderful trade/barter item. Especially after six months or a year or more have gone by after the SHTF and there is no coffee to be found anywhere, a stash of coffee will be good as gold with its purchasing power. Storing jerked meats and especially honey as barter items …


Letter Re: Comments of Storing Coffee and Grinding Whole Wheat Flour

Sir: I suggest kicking the coffee habit. Coffee offers very little actual nutritional value. It is mostly a comfort food. While that is important, consider the drawbacks: 1. Sleep pattern changes 2. Increased anxiety 3. Staining of the teeth 4. Effects on pregnancy and menopause 5. Cholesterol (French Press method can use trap cafestol and kahweol which may raise LDL levels that paper filters capture) Regular use may lead to “habituation”; that is, no net benefit from use but, rather, a negative effect if the drug is not taken. Too much caffeine can produce restlessness, nausea, headache, tense muscles, sleep …


Letter Re: Comments of Storing Coffee and Grinding Whole Wheat Flour

Mr. Rawles, In your new book [“How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It“], which I ordered on “Book Bomb day” you mention that coffee is hard to store, and suggest using the vacuum-packed bricks. I have found that the key to stocking up on coffee for the long term is to buy green coffee beans that have not been roasted yet. They have the potential to keep for up to two years in just a burlap bag, or much longer if actually packed like you would wheat berries. Roasting can be an art in itself, …


Two Letters Re: Protein Powders as Emergency Survival Foods

Mr. Rawles- D. in Dubai has made an excellent point in regards to protein powders/meal replacement drinks. You are correct in that the ‘Ensure” and other medical-oriented drinks are a bit more balanced; however they tend to be lower in protein per ounce than the ‘sports’ type of drinks. That said, The bulk purchase of a powder that is palatable to you and your family is an excellent means to balance out your bulk food stores, such as pastas, rice, etc. There also tends to be excellent vitamin and mineral contents in their drinks as well. A caveat: go to …


Letter Re: Protein Powders as Emergency Survival Foods

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Mr. Rawles, I’ve been following your site for some time and thoroughly enjoy it. The information provided here is outstanding. I’m writing to make a suggestion for a short term and possibly long term survival food. A quick premise. I’ve been working out and lifting weights off and on for the last three to four years. I lifted weights when I was much younger and I needed to incorporate them to get back into shape. Now that I’m a little older and wiser I’ve been using the internet to find out more about fitness and physical development. I’m by no …


Letter Re: Survival Notes from the Dominican Republic

Jim, I’ve recently read several of your books and found them both interesting and educational. I would like to offer some personal insights based on my experiences from living in a small rural town one of the larger Caribbean islands. Most of my notes are cheap solutions used by people in developing nations all over the world. There may be better ways, but these work and cost next to nothing. Water: There is something especially disturbing about opening the faucet and hearing a sucking air sound. Not being able to shower, flush, or wash dishes is the worst. One or …


Letter Re: Portable, Minimal Prep. Emergency Foods

Sir, Here is a list of the food suggestions that we made for our kids families. This list only deals with the food and not any implements or utensils needed for preparation and consumption. We already supplied them with what was needed kit wise and it was up to them to provide the food of their choice. Trail Mix Jerky Dried Fruit – Raisins, Banana Chips, Etc Small Pop Top Canned Meats – Vienna Sausage, Deviled Ham or Tuna Small Jar Peanut Butter Crackers (large round ones can be stored in “Pringles” tube) Granola Bars Candy (but consider the melt …


Comments from Michael Z. Williamson Re: Storing Food in Commercial Storage Spaces?

Dear Jim, Several years ago my wife and I were resident managers of a self-storage facility. Here are some useful facts: Check them out first with the Better Business Bureau. The company we worked for, sad to say, was and still is rated very poorly for failing to respond to customer complaints. They operated on a model of “Get every penny they have.” The rent was reasonable, and we were on site as “Security” with the usual corporate garbage that we never have anything resembling a weapon in the office or on duty. The problem came with late fees. As …


Letter Re: Preparedness for Families that Move Frequently

Mr. Rawles, Just finished reading your book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It. I finished it in one long sitting, and have plans to go over it again with highlighter and pen and paper to take more detailed notes. Great work! As a member of the Armed Forces, I face a difficult dilemma in that I understand and can clearly see the need to prepare/plan ahead, but my family and I feel hamstrung by our relatively transient lifestyle. I’ve been in the service for just over four years, and in that time I have …


Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping, by Jolly

I was a Boy Scout, and later did a fair amount of camping when I toured the US by motorcycle in the late 1980s. My tents started floorless and without mosquito netting; progressed to canvas umbrella tent with both. Later still, I was able to go to ripstop nylon “pup” style tents. Advancing, finally, to modern shock-corded aluminum poles and nylon. After a long gap of 20+ years, my son is now a scout, and I’m on the “no-other-parent-can-go-and-we’ll-have-to-cancel-if-you-don’t-volunteer” rotation for his troop. I just completed my second camp-out, and have noticed a few things that both dismay and encourage …


Food Storage–A Necessary Preparation, by Melanie G.

An important resource to have in times of need is a good food storage.  When I have talked to others about having an emergency supply of food in place, I have received laughter and ridicule.  I even had a neighbor to tell me when he needed emergency food, he would just come to my place.  I jokingly informed him not to bother as I had a supply of ammunition as well.  Too many people have come to rely on the grocery store.  But the threat of a snow storm here in Kentucky clears out the milk and bread in record …