Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Letter Re: Notes on Using FoodSavers and Other Home Vacuum Packer/Sealers

Hello, Just a quick note about vacuum sealing for the folks who purchased a FoodSaver recently [during the current special $59 sale price offer.] I live in Alaska and grew up using the FoodSaver brand sealer and there are two key things to remember when using them. The first is follow the instructions and allow ample time for the sealing strip to cool down between bags and second never allow moisture into the unit as this will ruin it quickly, we have ruined many this way and when they quit working, had to throw them away and get another. When …


Letter Re: Observations on Preparedness from a Gulf Coast Hurricane Veteran

Mr. Rawles, I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your site. I had no idea that there were whole survivalist communities out there until I stumbled on a link by accident. In fact, I didn’t really know that I fit into that category myself. My wife and I live on the Gulf Coast and we discovered the hard way during Hurricane Rita that a bag of trail mix and a bottle of water, was not preparing to evacuate. Eighteen hours in traffic in a hundred and fifty mile traffic jam taught us to find the …


From the SurvivalBlog Archives: Survival On a Shoestring Budget

I often get e-mails from readers claiming either directly or indirectly that preparedness is “only for wealthy people”–that working class people cannot afford to prepare. That is nonsense. By simply re-prioritizing your budget and cutting out needless expenses (such as alcohol, cigarettes, convenience foods, and cable television) almost anyone can set aside enough money for a year’s worth of storage food in fairly short order. It is amazing what can be done with hard work, ingenuity, and very little money. While I do not endorse interloping on public lands nor do I suggest that you live like a hermit, the …


Bug Out Bag Preparedness Tips From the Mouths of Babes

Hello Thank you for all the work you do. I thought I’d give you a Christmas chuckle. My small daughter was telling us the Christmas story, but it had a twist. She told us that “the wise men brought Jesus gold, food, and water, because they [Joseph and Mary] had to leave quickly and didn’t get their bags ready.” Just when you think your children aren’t listening… Needless to say, we set her straight on the real story, but have been, and will continue to smile over that story for a long time. Have a terrific Holiday, – Mr. O. …


Letter Re: My Preparations are Fairly Complete, So What Next?

Dear Jim, I have been saving money and selling some of my unnecessary items and toys for a while now and have amassed $42,000. I have plenty of firearms and ammunition, tools, a house that is semi-remote, and a stash of food (which isn’t enough I’m sure). I have paid off my credit cards and only have a house payment left. My job is relatively secure I feel, as I work at a power plant; though once the coal stops moving I wont be needed, I guess. I’m not sure what iI should do with the money I have saved. …


Mobile Choices for Survival Retreats by T.D.

Our family lives full time in our camping trailer and have found out there would be many advantages to keeping one in any situation. I am not talking the big 5th wheel or the ones with a motor, just a plain travel trailer [with a traditional vehicle hitch]. Our trailer is 27 feet long and weighs in at 9,500 lbs empty and almost 11,000 lbs full. It is a bunkhouse model and can sleep up to 11 people. It has a 40 gallon fresh water tank, 40 gallon black water tank (waste) and a 40 gallon gray water tank (drain …


On Livestock and Self Sufficiency by TAS

Most of the readers of Survival Blog agree on at least the distinct possibility, if not the absolute certainty, of a collapse. This may come in a variety of forms – flu pandemic, economic depression, or an EMP attack are likely scenarios. Regardless of the form, the result will be very similar and our concerns are as well: How do we protect ourselves and our families and provide a living? While stocking up on beans, bullets, and band-aids is the initial response, further preparation encourages us to find a defensible, as well as productive retreat. But then what? So you …


Two Letters Re: Plastic Food Grade Buckets and Other Storage Food Issues

Hi JWR, About the recent post on HDPE food grade buckets: Please note: Plastic food grade buckets are oxygen and gas permeable and will not store food for a long time by themselves. That is what a mylar liner is for, to greatly slow this process down (it will not stop it entirely). Here is some data for oxygen permeability & plastics: Material…………………………….ml o2/(day*mil*sq. meter*atm) PE (polyethylene)…………………..6000-15000 HDPE…………………………………1500-3000 Saran………………………………….10-350 Mylar…………………………………..50-100 Foil laminate………………………….0 Plastic laminate………………………10-400 Regards, – Malcolm   JWR, Just an add-on for Don in Ohio’s post: I live fairly close to a major soda bottler/distributor. Their flavoring comes in …


Letter Re: Feedback on Foodsaver Vacuum Packers

James, Just a note of thanks. Years ago I purchased a Bosch brand food saver, which has worked well but died about a year ago,. Since it cost over $300 years ago I had not gotten another. When you mentioned the special sale on the FoodSaver v2830, I ordered one (Dec 1) which I just received. I strongly recommend these units, I just received mine yesterday, and it is every bit worth the $59. Thank you James! I love your novel, have read it 4.75 times now, (taking notes) and can see the truth of the story line being fulfilled …


Letter Re: Plastic Food Grade Buckets and Other Storage Food Issues

Dear Editor: Food grade plastic buckets can be found for free or fairly cheap ($1-$2 each) by checking with Dunkin’ Donuts, grocery store bakeries and restaurants. Some throw them away and will be happy to sell them. The fillings and glaze coverings for donuts all come in buckets. Fast food restaurants get their pickle slices in buckets (the strong pickle flavor/odor will be hard if not impossible to remove from the bucket-watch what you store in these, it will absorb that pickle odor). When you get used buckets (make sure you ask for lids!!!) you will need to clean them …


Letter Re: Dress for Survival Success

Jim; That was a great article by George Haystack in Tuesday’s blog! I thought I was the only one [that carried so much survival gear around on a daily basis.] Mr. Haystack takes it further than I do. First, I could not carry [a concealed firearm] at my workplace being within the secure area of an airport. I generally carried a sturdy day pack, with the following: (1) Lockback knife (2) LED flashlights (9 LED’s / 3 AA batteries) (16) spare AAA batteries (1) regular AA flashlight (4) spare AA batteries The following are all OTC medications, of course (1) …


Letter Re: Food Items in Non-Food Grade Buckets?

Jim, Just an FYI for those who think the food grade plastic buckets are expensive. I have been putting together a list of places to find food and buckets. Online resources seem way too expensive so I’ve been looking local. I found that my local junk store had used but still in fine condition 5 gallon food grade buckets for $1.50 each. I also called some bakeries and was able to get the 3.5 gallon buckets for free after they were done with them. And finally I live about a half hour north of a large Amish area. There are …


Letter Re: Food Storage Versus Expecting Manna Falling from Heaven

Greetings! In response to Heather M., I think your Old Testament examples are excellent, but there are numerous New Testament examples as well, with the best being St. Paul’s admonition in II Thessalonians 3: 6-15 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the …


Letter Re: Food Items in Non-Food Grade Buckets?

Hi Jim, I’m an avid reader of your blog but I have a question: Can I store vacuum sealed wheat in regular buckets (not food grade)? I like the idea of having 10 lb bags of vacuum sealed wheat for simplicity in retrieving when needed and for distributing as charity if needed. I realize it wastes space in each bucket (being in a vacuum sealed block) – but my question is whether it’s safe to use the less expensive buckets or will potential out-gassing eat the vacuum sealed bags? Your books (I have all of them) are very helpful to …


Getting Your Loved Ones on Board with Preparedness

Roughly 10% of the e-mails that I receive from SurvivalBlog readers come from people that mention they have a relative that refuses to get prepared. This is usually because they refuse to believe that anything could ever go wrong beyond a localized and short-term natural disaster. (“Order and commerce will certainly be restored within a week!”) This is what I call the Pollyanna syndrome. How someone could have witnessed the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina so well-documented on television, yet still maintain a “Polly” attitude astounds me. Convincing Pollys to to get prepared can be frustrating, especially when they stop listening …