Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2.)

Priorities in Food Selection For a JIT Food-Storage Program

The following list is a one-year supply for one person so multiply it by however many people you’re buying for. If a year’s worth doesn’t seem practical divide it by how many months you want to prepare for.

Any kind of food-storage program should be primarily based on daily calories. For those without much money to spend, you want the most calories each dollar can provide you with. High-calorie foods also take up less storage space than low-calorie foods.

Calorie information is provided on my list. For other foods you want on your own list, the calories can be calculated easily enough from food-package labels. My numbers are based on the recommended 2,500 calories per day for adults. When our daily lifestyle includes a lot of physical labor, more calories are required of course.Continue reading“Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column: More saber-rattling and general angst, in the news.

Election Fears Ignite ‘Preppers’

The leftist NBC News reports: Election fears ignite ‘preppers’ already planning for the catastrophic unknown.

What Countries Will Be in World War 3?

Over at the MIRA Safety blog: 2024 Conflict Analysis: What Countries Will Be in World War 3?

The Prepper Supply Business is Booming

Peter in Ohio sent this: In uncertain times, the prepper supply business is booming.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — October 30, 2024

On October 30, 1938, a radio broadcast of H.G. Wells “The War of the Worlds“, narrated by Orson Welles, caused a mass panic.

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October 30, 1893: US Senate approved repealing Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890.

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October 30th, 1735 was the birthday of President John Adams. (Some sources cite his birthdate as October 19, 1735.)

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Some sad news: Teri Garr has passed away.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.)

Repackaging vs Keeping Original Packaging

Whether we’re using freezer or mylar bags for our SOP food storage, we’ll need to know what needs repackaging and what doesn’t.

Leaving in Original Packaging – Pest-wise, some of the items on our shopping list can be left in the original packaging if the packaging is good enough or if the food doesn’t attract pests. Sugar can be left in its original paper bag. If it clumps inside the bag before opening, a few raps on a countertop will break up the lumps. The powdered milk I use comes in a sealed pest-proof #10 can. Vegetable oil, spices, yeast in glass jars, etc. are more items that can be left in their original containers.

Foods Which Must Be Repackaged – Other items on our JIT shopping list like beans and grains will eventually be attacked by pests if not repackaged. It may be a month or two, or it may be a year or so in the future. Spending a few dollars to double bag everything in freezer bags is the best option that makes sense pest-wise for JIT preppers who don’t have mylar bags. Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers are a certain guarantee against pests as long as the bags don’t get punctured.

If you buy JIT and use double freezer bags, pests are probably more of worry than a problem. After experimenting with freezer bags, and investigating all of my stored heritage seeds, I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered. This topic will be covered in the follow-up article. If you have available freezer space the filled bags can also be frozen to kill any pests present at the time of filling.Continue reading“Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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By mule and helicopter, volunteers deliver aid to Helene victims.

o  o  o

Daniel Penny’s defense likely to invoke NYC subway as a key ‘witness’ in fatal chokehold trial. JWR’s Comments: In disarmed New York City, good citizens rarely step in to help others in danger. The few who do so are at risk of both prosecution and civil lawsuits from perpetrators who claim to be “victims”. The verdict in  this trial will tell us a lot about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs in 21st Century New York City.  (I suspect that sheepdogs will still be in legal jeopardy.)

o  o  o

Long-time reader Chris M. wrote:

“The failure of the currency from the debt is going to be a bleak event.  Save the Republic, save the banks, or save the currency.  Pick any two.  Not even mentioned in the current political contests.  How do you navigate $35 Trillion on the books and $100 +/-Trillion that is off the books?”

o  o  o

New Jersey hunter kills 770-pound black bear, setting state record: ‘Smartest animal I’ve chased’. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 29, 2024

Today is the birthday of World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (born 1921, died January 22, 2003).

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October 29th is also the birthday of fighter pilot Vermont Garrison, an American who fought in three wars– WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died on February 14th, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 1, by St. Funogas

This article describes a just-In-time food storage plan for preppers.

These are some of the biggest reasons/excuses why some preppers don’t currently have much food storage:

1. I’ll probably never need it.
2. It’s too complicated to figure all the techniques out.
3. It’s too expensive.
4. Where am I going to store it all?
5. It would be much too embarrassing if my family and friends found out!

This article is about taking probabilities into account as things heat up in the world and putting together a last-minute food-storage shopping list to be prepared just in case.

Some of the possibilities in the next six months include: post-election chaos at multiple levels is almost guaranteed, whether by coordinated terrorists and foreign agents who’ve crossed into the US over the past four years, or false-flag events by the powers that be which are then blamed on terrorists. Other possibilities are wider-spread wars in the Middle East, the Ukraine war taking a turn for the worst, possible nuclear wars, hacker infrastructure disruptions, and supply chain disruptions, which we saw the threat of by the recent dock worker’s strike, are easier to pull off than we’d considered. The list of possibilities is longer if you take into account the long list of false-flag events and other deceptions the US government have used to fool We the People. There are plenty of declassified CIA and Defense Department documents to see what’s been planned and/or done in the past and we can rest assured they continue as always.Continue reading“Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, we focus on American Redoubt region races in the upcoming election. Even more importantly, pray! – JWR

Region-Wide

All of the American Redoubt states allow early voting and mail-in ballots.

o  o  o

As reported by the left-biased Malheur Enterprise: Measure makes Malheur County ballot to end meetings on Idaho border move.

o  o  o

In Pacific Northwest, 2 toss-up US House races could determine control of narrowly divided Congress.

o  o  o

National Weather Service maps show a series of storms lined up across the Pacific Ocean. That will mean copious rain and then fairly heavy snow in the American Redoubt. The serious snow looks like it will arrive starting November 2nd. Get ready!

Idaho

A rank odor: Idaho Proposition 1, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024).  JWR’s Comment:  My eldest son, Jonathan, wrote a piece about this, posted by Redoubt News: Prop 1, A Return To The Good Old Days???

o  o  o

Noncitizen voting amendment to appear on Idaho 2024 ballot.

o  o  o

Reported back in May: The unlikely California exodus: Idaho becomes a hotspot for Republicans looking to flee the golden state.

o  o  o

Idaho Presidential Forecast.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 28, 2024

On October 28, 1640, English King Charles I signed a peace treaty with the Scottish Covenanters, ending the Second Bishops’ War.

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October 28, 1831: Michael Faraday demonstrated his dynamo invention, an electrical generator.

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The last day!  We’ve been running a 2-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until midnight PST tonight, October 28th, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns have their prices deeply discounted. Most of these shotguns can fire modern 12 gauge 2-1/2″ or 2-3/4″ shotgun shells. Order soon!

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Today’s feature article is a review by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

Swiza D03 Pocket Knife, by Thomas Christianson

With its locking blade, ergonomic shape, and easily gripped scales, the Swiza D03 is an attempt to update the venerable Swiss Army Knife into a modern everyday carry (EDC) knife. Unfortunately, its lack of ambidextrous one-handed-opening and a pocket-clip leave its performance lacking.

For people who prefer a traditional pocket knife to a modern EDC knife, the D03 will be more than adequate. For people like me who prefer the ease of access and deployment provided by a pocket clip and a provision for ambidextrous one-handed opening, the D03 will fail to satisfy.

The D03 had a manufacturer-suggested retail price at the time of this writing of $41.95 and was widely available online for prices approaching $30. Since there are better EDC knife options available in that price range, I do not recommend the D03.Continue reading“Swiza D03 Pocket Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Storage Foods Granola

The following recipe for Storage Foods Granola is from SurvivalBlog reader Angie T..  She notes:  “This for making up bulk quantities of granola. The basic recipe makes 14 cups+ of granola, which is more than 5 pounds. But this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, if need be.”

Note that this recipe is gluten-free, if you use certified gluten-free rolled oats. (Any oats by themselves are gluten-free, but they must come from a facility that has no cross-contamination.)

DRY BASE Ingredients
  • 8 cups rolled oats (I use the gluten-free type)
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup coconut (optional)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients (first mixed in a separate bowl):

1-1/3 cups of honey. (Pours more easily if is heated)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup oil (Canola oil works great, but olive oil makes the granola taste salty,)

Final After-Baking Ingredients

2 cups dried fruit  (mix your preference.)

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine the dry base in large bowl: oats, flax, quinoa, nuts, seeds, salt, coconut, and cinnamon.
  3. Mix separately: honey, vanilla, and oil.
  4. Mix in the wet mix to the dry base mixture.
  5. Mix thoroughly, spread on large cookie sheets with a parchment liners.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, stirring sometime soon after it has baked for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and let it sit, but not too long or it can stick to your cookie sheet.
  8. After baking, mix in 2 cups of any dried fruit. (Berries, raisins, crushed dried apple slices, or whatever you prefer. You can use some craisins, but it is better if they are mixed in with another type of fruit, because two pounds of craisins just by themselves create a too-powerful flavor.)
SERVING

Serve with milk, warm or cold.  The milk can be fresh, or reconstituted powdered milk.  (One of our children is lactose intolerant, so hers is served with almond milk.)

STORAGE

Stores well in airtight containers for up to two months. It is best to store it in airtight containers that are no larger than one gallon each.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Predicted population change 2024-2050, according to a UN forecast. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.