Gun Grabbers Pounce on the Tucson Shootings–America’s Hungerford?

Just as I predicted, the headlines are already full of shrill cries for civilian disarmament. Never mind the fact that these were the actions of just one man who was mentally unstable. They aim to disarm the 99.9% of us law-abiding gun owners in the hopes of disarming the remaining 0.01%–the dangerous lunatics. This is something akin to the Hungerford Massacre, where the actions of one sick individual were used as the pretext to disarm an entire nation.

Most of what I’ve read so far is just the expected statist knee-jerk reaction. But there was one well-reasoned response. And, despite the fact that the perpetrator was a “left wing pothead”, this story is being cleverly spun into blaming the Tea Party movement, Rush Limbaugh, and even Sarah Palin.

The latest news headline: Carolyn McCarthy readies gun control bill. McCarthy is definitely in the “never let a crisis go to waste” school of Democrat politics. That article includes copious unattributed opinion, including this:

“Gun control activists cried it was time to reform weapons laws in the United States, almost immediately after a gunman killed six and injured 14 more, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in Arizona on Saturday. Many said that people with a history of mental instability, like the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, should not be able to buy a gun — and no one should be able to buy stockpiles of ammunition used by the 22-year-old assailant.”

“Stockpiles”??? At least from the initial news reports, Jared Lone Gunman Loughner was carrying around 75 rounds of pistol ammunition. That is less that the amount I shoot in just one session of target practice. And it isn’t unusual for my family to go through 350 rounds of centerfire ammo and 400 rounds of rimfire ammo in just a day target practice. Do they expect me to drive 30 miles to town each time that I need 100 rounds of ammunition? That is absurd.

Next, no doubt, will be calls for a ban on so-called “high capacity” magazines. (These are called “full capacity” by those that actually understand guns. Anything else is a reduced capacity–neutered–magazine.) Jared Loughner used a Glock 9mm with a 31-round magazine and carried an identical spare as well as a 13 round magazine. But ironically, it was the length of the spare extended magazine that allowed a distaff private citizen to help disarm the gunman, as he was attempting to reload. Kudos to Mrs. Patricia Maisch. She obviously knew about guns. I owe her a couple of free books.

And they’ll decry open carry and concealed laws as “too lax”.

There will be calls for nationwide gun registration. (As if that would stop a lunatic.)

Some may even insist that everyone be subjected to a battery of psychological tests before being allowed to own guns.

And they’ll claim that private party sales of guns (at gun shows) are somehow inherently evil and “under-regulated.” ( Even though Loughner bought his Glock Model 19 at a Federally-licensed Sportsman’s Warehouse store.)

And what about freedom of speech? This, they will imply, is the “root of the problem”. Mark Potok of the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center blamed political campaigns with “vitriolic rhetoric” for the Tucson shootings. And there have already been calls for restrictions on political ads or editorials that include “threatening language or symbols”. This leads me to ask: who will be the judge of what words or symbols are “dangerous” or “vitriolic”? Will it be some faceless commission or tribunal? This would surely create a chilling atmosphere of fear and prior restraint.

We had better be prepared for plenty of statist over-reaction to the Tucson shootings that will restrict our First Amendment and Second Amendment rights. It is a good time to both speak out and stock up. I recommend:

  • Complete the private party purchasing of your basic firearms battery. If your state laws allow it, buy guns only from private parties–either at gun shows or from newspaper/internet ads from private sellers. (If you buy through a licensed gun store, then it will leave a paper trail.)
  • Buy plenty of full capacity magazines. There is hardly such a thing as “too many.” If there is a magazine ban, then prices will quickly triple or quadruple. So any extras that you buy will be a great investment. (One of the great things about American jurisprudence is the that to prevent challenges to new laws, there is almost always a “grandfather clause” that allows free trade in goods that were manufactured before a ban.)
  • Keep a low profile. When you write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about gun issues, do so anonymously. and when you buy any substantial quantities of ammunition, pay cash and don’t leave your name. (Oh, BTW if you live in California, it will soon be too late for that.)
  • Pray for America. If this event gets spin-Meistered into America’s Hungerford, then our liberty is in peril.

Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

This week I’ve been busy homeschooling and house cleaning, so I’ve slacked off on my usual reading. Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile:

  • Well, I haven’t dug in to Survivors, yet. (It had been next on my list.) However, Jim was previewing its second season of the television series this past week, and as I was passing by him in the office, I stopped and watched the first ten minutes with him. The show was very intense and dramatic. So I am suspecting that the book is just as dramatic as the show. I’m presently not in the mood for that much drama. The Survivors novel will have to wait for another time.
  • Three nights ago, I was unable to sleep so I whipped out my LED Mini-MagLite and scanned my book pile. I picked up the book Tomorrow, When The War Began and began reading it by flashlight. This novel, by Australian author John Marsden was ostensibly written for the “Young Adult” market, but I think that most adults will reading enjoy it. Without giving away too much of the story, it is about a foreign invasion in the near future, and the beginnings of a war of resistance, a la the movie Red Dawn. This is the first book of a series of seven. It is a useful survivalist book with good information that anyone could glean from.  Since the book is written from the viewpoint of a high schooler telling of her experience during her country’s invasion by a foreign power. There is a lot of high school drama: romance/pairing up, mild talk of fornicating behaviors, talk of drug use, etc.  The style of writing is mildly annoying to me, since it is a bit convoluted, especially in the first half of the book.  I personally don’t recommend it for teenagers, because the culture described is not a lifestyle I wish to promote or expose our young people to.  I don’t plan to read the rest of the series. There are better books out there to read.
  • Jim and I recently started watching the early 1990s television series Northern Exposure on DVD. It is a “fish out of water” comedy. This quirky show is about a young New York City Jewish doctor, who to fulfill a contractual agreement, reluctantly moves to Alaska to be a general practitioner in the fictional town of Cicely.(The outdoor scenes were actually filmed in Roslyn, Washington.) I really enjoy the witty dialogue between the characters. Jim and his late wife (The Memsahib) had missed seeing most of the series when it originally aired, because they had just moved to the wilds of Idaho, sans television. Fast forward 20 years, and Jim is again living in the boonies (after a brief stint in the corporate world), and he still doesn’t have (or desire) a television. Despite the fact that the first season of the series aired in 1990, it holds up fairly well. There are few raunchy references, but no seriously foul language. It is definitely not a show for kids. Some of the characters in the show definitely remind us of our neighbors. The Rawles Ranch is in a very remote region, and believe-you-me, we have some neighbors that are real characters.
  • First thing in the morning, lunch time and in the evening, I check e-mails and do a bit of web and blog surfing. Some of my favorite sites to check regularly are Rural Revolution, Paratus Familia, The Drudge Report, World Watch Daily (Koenig International News), and Chuck Baldwin. I am very keen on keeping up with international and national news.

Letter Re: In Defense of the Fortress Mentality–and Architecture

CPT Rawles:
Rolled [woven] cattle wire and green landscaping cloth strike me as something that could be whipped up into a do-it-yourself HESCO barrier. And then there’s good old-fashioned Basket Weave from saplings. (which is still in the current US Army Engineer field manual, believe it or not)

To save on wire (i.e.: Eliminating the end panels on a HESCO that but up against each other), perhaps two parallel fences can be run with posts and filled in between them with rock, dirt, etc.

Also, I grew up on a farmstead in New England that was built in the 1760s. This was a somewhat unstable time with frequent “Visits” by hostile, indigenous neighbors. Every home up there had “Indian Shutters” as a result.  Since many new Englanders throw nothing away, these shutters were still up in our barn a couple of hundred years later. These were made of thick oak, wrought iron fittings, with a cross cut into them for a musket.

There was also a local community “Blockhouse” centrally located and stocked with supplies. – Jim in Virginia (Currently on an overseas deployment)

Economics and Investing:

John R. pointed us to a piece by Mike Whitney: Printing a Recovery. While our politics don’t always mesh, I’m in full agreement with Whitney on the re-animation of the credit bubble.

Also from John R., a piece over at Lew Rockwell’s site by Terry Coxon: The Long Swim – How the Fed Could Become Insolvent

Silver Demand Surges Six-Fold in India and World’s Richest Man Enters the Silver Market

B.B. recommended a well-produced video from Gold Core: GoldNomics – Cash or Gold Bullion

Reader B.J.G. flagged this item: Brazil Threatens Trade War Against US, China

John S. sent this: Portugal bailout talk weighs on markets

John R. sent this: Debt default fears will spread to US and Japan, warns Citigroup’s Willem Buiter

Odds ‘n Sods:

B.B. suggested an essay by Eric Peters: Where We’re Headed…

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The first hand account of Air Force One pilot Col. Mark Tillman’s experiences on 9-11-01 are well worth the watch. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

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Troy H. suggested this National Geographic article: Seven Billion: By 2045 global population is projected to reach nine billion. Can the planet take the strain?

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SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson pointed me to this new product: The Rifle Integrated Power Rail (RIPR). Mike’s comment: “I’m not a huge fan of having a lot of battery powered accessories on a weapon, but, if it’s necessary, this centralized power supply looks like a sound idea.”

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"The universal practice of carrying arms in the South is undoubtedly the cause of occasional loss of life, and is much to be regretted. On the other hand, this custom renders altercations and quarrels of very rare occurrence, for people are naturally careful what they say when a bullet may be the probable result." – LtC Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, HM Coldstream Guards, 24 May 1863

In Defense of the Fortress Mentality–and Architecture

1

I recently got an irate letter from an outspoken Peak Oil commentator who often stresses “community agriculture” and “sustainable development.” He castigated me for “advocating a fortress mentality…” and “encouraging gun-buying…” I think that he meant those as insults, but I took them as compliments.

I am indeed an advocate of the fortress mentality, and fortress architecture. The two go hand-in-hand. As I pointed out in my book “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It”, modern American architecture with flimsy doors and large expanses of windows is just a 70 year aberration from a global norm that dates back many centuries. The real tradition in architecture outside of the tropics has always been to build homes with small windows, very stout doors, and lots of mass in the walls to absorb projectile impacts and to delay entry by evil-doers. Since 1945 we’ve been blessed to live a country that is relatively safe and peaceful. But don’t expect that to last forever. Plan and build, accordingly.

Just look at the long history of the mote-and-bailey and castle in Europe and Fujian Tulou (Hakka) in China. Or look at the stout walls that are still the norm in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And consider the HESCO bastions that are almost always used by the U.S. military when deployed in any of the world’s hot spots. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: There is no substitute for mass. Mass stops bullets. Mass stops gamma radiation. Mass stops (or at least slows down) bad guys from entering a home and depriving its residents of life and property. Sandbags are cheap, so buy plenty of them. When planning your retreat house, think: medieval castle.

The fortress mentality necessitates adopting fortress architecture. Whether you turn yourself into a moving fortress (with body armor), or you decide to design fortress features into your next home, I recommend that you prepare for as many different threats as possible. If you cannot afford to build your house like a fortress, or if that would “stick out” where you now live, then at least add a combination vault/shelter basement room to your house. (Either via new construction, or by remodeling.) Several SurvivalBlog advertisers can supply the know-how and crucial components for such a project such as inward-opening vault doors, blast valves, and HEPA filters. These companies include: Hardened Structures, Safecastle, and Ready Made Resources.

The bottom line is that in the event of societal collapse, looters will prey upon those who are obviously weak and defenseless. Unless they are suicidal, looters will consciously pass by any well-defended retreats. Why would they go up against an Alpenréduit when they could instead go pick on some defenseless granny living in a veritable glass box, a mile down the road? Why would they risk getting ventilated by a group of well-armed Rawlesians who are standing behind ballistic protection–especially while living in a world without readily-available medical care?

Planning ahead for bad times isn’t paranoia. It is prudence. An integrated national defense should start with every hearth and home, and proceed systematically all the way to national borders. This is the true and righteous fortress mentality. The Swiss call this an “intellectual defense of the homeland” (Geistige Landesverteidigung). Their well-armed citizenry and their extensive system of réduits (many of them very well-hidden) have kept them free and essentially independent for 720 years. We should learn a lesson from that.

Letter Re: Archery Equipment for Those Living in Gun-Deprived Locales

Hey James,
I just got into SurvivalBlog after reading “Patriots” and “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” in consecutive nights. 

I have checked out  a lot of posts on many helpful topics so far.  I wanted to post a question on the blog if possible, or simply ask you.  What is the viability of using crossbows in the survival situations we are all talking about?  I am also interested in compound bows as well.  I live in a country where I cannot legally own firearms, though the mafia here do, but I can legally own a crossbow if I fill out a lot of paperwork and pass a background check.  Since it is the only option I am likely to go for it, but I would like some input/ideas/warnings from your readership, some of whom may already own them.

Thanks and Blessings, – J. in Taiwan

JWR Replies: My advice is to buy a medium draw-weight compound bow rather than a crossbow. This is because compound bows are much faster to fire repetitively than crossbows.

If you can afford it, there might be some utility in getting a compound bow for yourself, and medium-power crossbows for your wife and children. The latter require less practice, but can be kept “cocked” for brief periods. The key question for determining the maximum draw weight of a crossbow is: can they handle the task reloading, with a crutch. (Reloading tool.) Join a local hobby archery club, and choose the right equipment for your particular circumstances. Then practice, practice, practice.

Most modern arrows are essentially modular. The current trend is definitely toward carbon fiber shafts. You screw on plain target points for practice, bird points for garden defense, or various broadheads for big game hunting or self-defense. Some broadheads even have individually replaceable blades. Buy plenty of carbon fiber arrow shafts, spare heads, and spare fletchings. Any arrows or components that are excess to your needs might someday be valuable barter goods.

Arrows can also be used with some slingshots. So, if there is no paperwork required to own a slingshot and arrows, then that might be an even better option than a bow and arrows for those that strive to maintain a low profile.

Also check on the local legality of owning and/or carrying edged weapons, impact weapons, slingshots, flammables, Tasers, stun guns, and chemical irritant sprays. If you opt for a sword, then a Wakizashi (short sword or “companion” sword) is the best length for home defense.

I’ve heard so many stories from my readers all around the globe of this or that being banned. These laws vary widely from country to country, province to province, or even from city to city. Do your homework and stay legal. If all else fails, in almost all locales there is recourse to the humble cane or walking stick, which has been discussed at length in the blog. (Search the SurvivalBlog archives.)

Letter Re: An Alabama Snowstorm

James Wesley:
It is beginning to snow in Alabama.  In small towns all around, the grocery stores have been stripped down to the shelves.  People were buying food to cook in fear that they might not make it to the grocery stores when they need to.  Milk is all but gone.   

I went to the grocery store Sunday morning to pick-up a few doughnuts for our Sunday school class.  I saw one of my wife’s friends on the junk food aisle.  She is a single mom of two.  She said, “I have $40 to buy groceries to get us by for the next few days.  What do you recommend I buy?”   

We quickly developed a plan based on what her kids would eat and drink and under the assumption that the power will go down.   This was her shopping list…

1.       Pop tarts – She wanted a hot cereal for her boys; I said stick the pop tarts in an oven.

2.       Coca-Cola.  She said that she had to have caffeine.

3.       Bread.  She asked about sandwich meat. I recommended tomato, banana or peanut butter.

4.       She wanted milk.  I said good.  Asked if she had a cooler.  She said yes.  I said if the power goes out, stick it in the snow and throw the milk in it.  By the way, she bought a half gallon because there were no gallons on the shelves.

5.       She bought a few soups and cans of chili in case the power does not go out.

6.       She also got the ingredients to make vegetable soup from cans and potentially some cornbread.

7.        She was going to buy a case of water.  I got her to buy an extra case.  

Then she surprised me when she asked if she could cook on their natural gas stove.  I asked it got hot enough to boil water.  She said it did.  So we talked about cooking on the stove if she needed to and she only had to worry about the power going out and not having electricity to keep her fridge running.   So she bought some chips and Little Debbie cakes.  She said she had a popcorn popper on the wall that was given to her.  So she bought some popcorn to pop on her stove in her antique corn popper. 

We then talked about how to make snow cream and she realized that she had everything she needed to give the boys a treat.   After talking to her, she realized that she was in better shape than people with just electric heat and water heaters.  She has a gas stove and gas water heater.   I then invited her to church and I was surprised to see her and her boys sitting in our sanctuary.  I told her I was glad to see her.  She told me that she was confused about what to buy and prayed that if someone would help her she would go to church today.     

Being prepared to help others can pay dividends for our Lord.    By the way, she had $12 leftover from the $40.  Most of all, she does not have to worry about what the kids will do for food.  She has it all laid out.   – J.E.H.

JWR Replies: Coincidentally, I was recently sent a photo link that illustrates the immediate result of yesterday’s ice storm warning in Trussville, Alabama: No Bread at Trussville Wal-Mart. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

Mention of all that soda pop and those high-sugar processed foods really makes me wonder. Do people really eat that way? We don’t claim to have a perfect diet here at the ranch–yes, plenty of corn chips and even a few potato chips have passed through our portals without alarm–but we certainly eat a better diet than that young lady. Please, folks! For the sake of your health and your ability to perform physically and mentally when the proverbial Schumer hits the fan, adjust your diets:

  • Less refined sugar
  • Fewer processed foods
  • Little or no MSG
  • Moderate protein intake
  • Fewer carbohydrates
  • Wholesome oils (like coconut oil and olive oil)
  • Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Lean fresh meats, preferably either home-raised or wild game

And, guess what? If you buy healthy foods in bulk then not only will you have better health, but your weekly grocery expenses will go down!

Letter Re: Storing Fats and Oils

Dear Editor:
There are many in the medical field who will dispute Dave the R.N.’s assertions in his recent post on fats and oils.

A recommendation that is more in line with the mainstream thinking is to store 3 liters (three quarts or approximately 90 ounces) of oils or fats for each person-month of preps.

The assumption is that everyday life will become intensely physical and a per-person calorie budget of 2,500 Calories (or more!) will be required.  Three liters of oil will provide 30-35% of calories-from-fat which is consistent with mainstream wisdom.  Other stored foods and supplementation with produced food might make some of the stored fats and oils a surplus.  The surplus will be a valuable barter or charity item. – Joe H.

Economics and Investing:

Richard Duncan: A Catastrophic Global Economic Breakdown May Be Unavoidable!

Reader P.D. sent an article that is surprising to see from a mainstream media outlet like Reuters: Economists foretell of U.S. decline, China’s ascension

Over at The Daily Bell: Peter Schiff on Why the American Economy Is Broken – and What to Do About It

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson mentioned this article at The Atlantic: How The Recession Changed Us. JWR Adds: Their use of simplistic “sand pile” graphs is disingenuous. They make the recession look like a discrete post facto event. It isn’t! Traditional linear or stair steps graphs like the ones published by The Heritage Institute would have better served the truth.

Items from The Economatrix:

Confirmed:  We are Literally on the Brink of Catastrophic Collapse  

Not For Profit (The Mogambo Guru)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Terry D. sent a link to a fascinating interactive map, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. Terry suggested using this to your data set, when judging retreat locales.

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My old friend Fred the Valmet-meister sent a link to a great web page: Farming in the 1920s.

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California’s mail order ammunition ban and fingerprinting for face to face buyers goes into effect on February 1st. One more nail in the coffin for the Citizens of a once-free state.

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Honey laundering: The sour side of nature’s golden sweetener. (Thanks to Cameron for the link.)

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Dr. Gary North recently posted a reminder that it is important to have your personal details removed from the Spokeo database. (It is wise to mark your calendar, to do this twice per year, since their data mining is relentless! Gary also mentioned that anyone with a Facebook account should crank up their privacy settings.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“What people did not realize was that war had started.  By 1 p.m., a few minutes after Molotov’s speech, queues, especially in the food stores, began to grow.  The women shoppers in the gastronoms or grocery stores started to buy indiscriminately – canned goods (which Russians do not like very much), butter, sugar, lard, flour, groats, sausage, matches, salt.  In twenty years of Soviet power Leningraders had learned by bitter experience what to expect in time of crisis.  They rushed to the stores to buy what they could.  They gave preference to foods which would keep.  But they were not particular.  One shopper bought five kilos of caviar, another ten.

At the savings banks the people clutched worn and greasy passbooks in their hands.  They were drawing out every ruble that stood to their accounts.  Many headed straight for the commission shops.  There they turned over fat packets of paper money for diamond rings, gold watches, emerald earrings, oriental rugs, brass samovars.

The crowds outside the savings banks quickly became disorderly.  No one wanted to wait.  They demanded their money seichas-immediately.  Police detachments appeared.  By 3 p.m. the banks had closed, having exhausted their supply of currency.  They did not reopen again until Tuesday (Monday was their closed day).  When they opened again, the government had imposed a limit on withdrawals of two hundred rubles per person per month.” – Harrison E. Salisbury, The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

365 Meals: What to Do With All That Dehydrated Food, by Kory M.

It all started while reading Survivalblog. In an article about providing charity during a pandemic and not getting sick, Jim talked about putting food out where others could get it and then retreating to keep a safe distance between you and other people to keep your family from getting infected. While reading this article, I had an epiphany.

Instead of handing out some rice, wheat, oats or a can of spam, I could concoct a “meal”, a Home-Made Meal (Almost) Ready to Eat (HMMARE?).  My first HMMARE idea was to dump 1 cup of rice, a chicken bouillon cube, ¼ cup of chicken TVP and a ¼ cup of dehydrated peas into a Ziploc sandwich bag. It would be easy, just add three cups of water and boil, viola, a decent meal!

I joyously told my wife about my great new idea. “Yuck,” she said, “we can do better than that!” So she sent me back to the drawing board (although these days ‘the drawing board’ looks more like a Google search engine than an architect’s table). I scoured the internet endlessly until finally I came across a web site where a woman had thoughts similar to mine, and had made what she called “365 meals”. She had taken the reserves that she already had on hand and combined them with a project that her church group had done in years past. They made “Soup in a Jar” meals to give as gifts during the holiday season. She adapted this idea and thought that if she could make 365 meals then she would KNOW that at least she had one decent meal a day for her family for an entire year.

This idea set my mind racing. My wife and I sat down and worked out a plan. We had several criteria that we wanted our meals to meet.

  • They had to be in a sturdy container (We live in earthquake country, so no glass containers for us.)
  • They need to be complete. You could add to them, but the recipe shouldn’t require any extra ingredients.
  • They needed to be simple – so that our children could make them, in case the adults were incapacitated.
  • They needed to be good tasting, hearty and nutritious.
  • They needed to be capable of long term storage.
  • And, If possible they needed to use the supplies of food stuffs we already had on hand.

We quickly worked out what we could do to make this a better option for our family. We learned from the (now extinct) 365 meals web page that the host had used the recipe book “Gifts in a Jar: One Dish Meals”. I turned to Amazon.com and discovered there were several books in the Gifts in a Jar series, and we purchased the ones that looked most applicable (like: Gifts From a Jar: Soups, Chilis & More). We wanted to start simply with items we already had on hand, and make a few meals in our kitchen. The first recipe we made was chicken soup. The recipe called for making a soup “stock” and adding fresh carrots, celery and chicken pieces. We adapted it with dehydrated carrots, celery and chicken TVP and more water than the recipe called for to rehydrate the vegetables. (TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein; it is a cheap and long term solution for dehydrated protein in meals. Real dehydrated chicken is also available on the market, but at 5 times the cost. Although Textured Vegetable Protein sounds unappetizing at first glance, chances are, you’ve had it without even knowing it. Bacon Bits are TVP!) [JWR Adds: I don’t recommend stocking storage foods that are heavy in TVP, because of the potential health consequences. Too much soy can be a bad thing.]

Now that we’d settled on a test-recipe, we had to figure out how, exactly, we were going to store them. We had a “Food Saver” vacuum sealer and that seemed like a good solution. Take out all the air and the meal should last a good long time right? So we gathered all the ingredients, had our children help with the assembly and made our first batch. The recipe said that the meal would feed 4 to 6 people and we had a family of six-two adults and four growing children, so we decided to double the recipe. Each meal was about the size of a 3lb. chub of hamburger (10” long x 8” in circumference). We made the meals until we ran out of ingredients, which yielded about 15 meals. After they were vacu-sealed we then set about to find another meal to make-we were on a roll!

Our next meal (Untested by our professional taste testing children) was Ham Hock Stew. My wife and I thought it sounded wonderful, but our children disagreed. As before, we altered the recipe to fit our storage needs and made a few. When we were sealing the soups we noticed that the dehydrated carrots that were called for in the recipe were poking through the Food Saver Bags! We were crestfallen-how had our brilliant plan been foiled by a dehydrated vegetable? Just then we remembered that we had recently been gifted with an impulse sealer  and 250 Mylar bags (A member of our church said he bought it, never used it and no one in his family wanted it, so he thought I would put it to good use-boy was he right!). It didn’t draw a vacuum, but we could overcome that by using oxygen absorbers; and the Mylar bags were much thicker than the Food Saver Bags (7 mils instead of 4). I knew that food stored in opaque storage containers kept food longer due to the deteriorating effects of sunlight, and these Mylar bags were sure to keep the sun out.

We decided that the bags were too large (11” x 13”) so we cut them in half length wise and that was a perfect fit. We then transferred most of  the Food Saver pouches to the new Mylar bags. After making 30 or so meals we decided to try one out. Our kids wanted the Chicken Soup but we wanted to know if they would like the ham hock stew…they didn’t like it…..THEY LOVED IT!

Since we had doubled the recipe we expected to have a little left over…boy were we wrong. There was enough to feed Sherman’s Army! We all had our fill, and there was enough left over for me to have lunch the next day, and freeze enough for dinner for our family again! (Guess we really didn’t need to double those recipes after all).

With this success under our belt we expanded, we ended up making about 12 different recipes and a total of 175 or so meals (since we doubled most of them we didn’t need as many). We took this idea to our friends and family and it was an instant success! After a few YouTube videos on the subject (Food Storage Secrets, 365 Meals or Making 365 Meals and others) we have demonstrated this method of food storage for over two years now, including several Church groups who have made upwards of 8,000 meals! (I guess we put that gifted impulse sealer to good use, huh!?) And I have had at least 50 other inquiries from individuals and groups wanting recipes and advice on how to make this work for them.

After having personally been at these 8,000 meal making groups we have learned a few things to make this process fun and inexpensive. Here are the FAQs:

  • The cost of each meal varies due to the ingredients but they average about $4.00 each.
  • An impulse sealer isn’t required but makes it a lot easier. (We still have some Chicken Soup in a Food Saver bags and they are doing well.)
  • You will need to do some conversions to make sure you have the items you will need in bulk. This is the one that I used. But a good way to do it was to see what the FDA label said were in a package (Unit size vs. number in container.)
  • The more hands you have to process the meals the better. It’s easier to make two hundred meals for fifteen families, than fifteen meals for one family.
  • An assembly line makes it all work very easily.
  • It’s hard to tell exactly how long they will store, but most of the dehydrated items purchased say they will store for up to twenty years, and that sounds good to me!
  • You can tailor your meals for your dietary needs and personal tastes (No/low salt, gluten free, etc.)
  • With all your items on hand and with enough helpers you can make about five hundred meals in two hours.
  • Because of their light weight, they ship quite well. They are great for gifts.
  • A 16oz plastic picnic cup with its bottom cut out makes a great funnel/opener for the Mylar bags.
  • Go to the dollar store and buy a few sets of measuring spoons and cups, you’ll need them.
  • All of our now 200ish meals store under our son’s twin size bed.
  • Meals we’ve successfully made: Split Pea Soup, Chicken Soup, Ham Hock Stew, White Rice and Chili, Mac-n-cheese, Black Bean Chili, Pasta Fagioli, and Chicken and Rice.

Our food stores are varied and deep but our TEOTWAWKI 365 meal plan is to have a simple breakfast, of oats or grains, a hearty lunch/supper of our bagged meal, and a dinner of breads and snacks. I know that having one meal a day does not a full food plan make, but to know for sure that you have at least one meal a day for an entire year takes the guess work out of your planning, although the very best benefit is peace of mind.

I’m sharing this food storage concept with SurvivalBlog readers in the hope that it will inspire you to move ahead and get your meals set aside. If  there is enough interest I will be making “Meal Kits” in the future. If you’d like to contact me with questions, to purchase a full list of recipes and instructions for the soups mentioned here, or to purchase emergency preparedness supplies, please visit my web site: FrostCPR.com.