I took a call from a woman this morning who felt she had put off preparing for far too long and had a foreboding feeling that if she didn’t do something right away, it may be too late. She felt like the perfect storm of potential catastrophic events was quickly forming and it wouldn’t be long before she would need to rely on her food storage. Indeed, these are feelings and emotions that an ever increasing number of people are experiencing and I hear these concerns from individuals across the country almost every day.
Fear can indeed be a great motivator but it can also be emotionally very taxing. If an initial burst of fear is required to move us forward in properly preparing, then one might consider it a good thing. But sitting in a rocking chair on your porch with a shotgun across your lap as you wait for the end to come is NOT a good use of that initial fear and concern. By committing to steady, regular activities focused around properly preparing for the future, the day will come sooner than you think where you will experience a peace of mind knowing that if something happened and you were not able to go to the grocery store for an extended period of time, your family would be provided for.
It is my personal belief that this fear, or sense of sudden urgency, is a very natural outgrowth of the awakening to our awful situation. As we come to more fully understand the true nature of the world we live in, and how fragile it actually is, the urge to prepare grows strong and hot. As we first begin to see our unpreparedness, we are overcome with our vulnerability and may panic in our attempts to get ready as quickly as possible. Consider the story of “The Farm Hand Who Could Sleep When the Wind Blew”.
There once was a farmer looking for a young man to help out at the farm. There were several young men who interviewed for the job and as far as the farmer could tell, they were about equally well qualified. He then asked each of them one final question, “Tell me,” he would say, “why should I hire you above the others?”
Of all of the applicants and their replies, there was one that was really different. One young man said, “Because I can sleep when the wind blows.” At first, the farmer thought it was just strange. The more he thought, the more he was intrigued and mystified by the response. So he figured, well I will give this young man a chance, and hired him.
Weeks went by and the farmer was pretty happy with the young man’s work. He still wondered sometimes what the young man had meant by his strange reply, but he never got around to asking about it. Then one night the farmer was awakened in the middle of the night with a phone call from a neighbor. “There’s a big storm coming in with lots of wind, maybe a tornado. Better get ready for it.” was the quick message.
Indeed as the farmer went to the door and looked out, he found that the wind was strong and rising, and rain had started. He quickly ran and tried to awaken the young man to help him get everything ready for the blow. Try as he might, the young man couldn’t be stirred. Muttering to himself about what a stupid thing he had done in hiring a lazy boy who wouldn’t wake up when he really needed him, the farmer went out to the farm.
He went out to tie down the hay but discovered that the hay was already tied down securely. Next, he went to the barn and the corrals. Everywhere he looked, everything had already been prepared. After a time of just wandering around the farm, learning that there was nothing that needed to be done at the last minute, because it had all been done (prepared) before, the farmer returned to his house, but instead of muttering, he actually found himself singing praises of this young man. He had realized, to his great joy, that the reason the young man could sleep when the wind blew was because before he went to bed each and every night he had already prepared for the very worst.
And so the farmer followed the example of the young man since everything was already prepared, he undressed and was soon fast asleep, with a huge smile of peace on his face. This young man had nothing to fear and was not stricken with panic at the onset of the storm because he was fully prepared. He had put forth the necessary time and effort to secure everything well in advance so he could rest the night through with little concern for the howling winds outside.
This story reminds me of how I felt years ago when a small earthquake hit our community in the middle of the night. It was 1:30 AM on a Monday morning when I was awakened by the house shaking and the sound of dishes rattling in the kitchen. The earthquake registered only 3.5 on the Richter Scale but the epicenter was fairly close to my house so it definitely got my attention. I remember jumping out of bed and looking out the window to see what was going on. There was a creepy sound and the wind was howling, perfect had it been Halloween but not too comforting that night. After things calmed down and I got back in bed, this great peace of mind came over me. You see, I was very well prepared with food storage and all the accompanying preparedness items and I knew that if that earthquake had been the big one, I was prepared and even though it would be a very scary event, my family would not go without. That peace of mind is priceless!
For those who are feeling overwhelmed with the task of becoming prepared, or for those who are concerned that they simply cannot accomplish the tasks laid out before them to become prepared for the events to come, please remember that this new day is a gift, giving you at least one more day to take some form of action to move you and your loved ones closer to being prepared.
No matter what our level of preparedness, fear, and panic are not necessary if we are striving to put procrastination behind us and are wise in the use of our time and resources, for we have this promise from the Lord, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear”.
To take this a step further, it saddens me that there are so many who struggle to enjoy their lives after having “awakened” to the need to quickly prepare. When the events of the last days seem closer than we imagined, it’s difficult not to become preoccupied with the future. While it will become easier to “not fear” for ourselves as we become more prepared, we can still feel saddened for our loved ones who are not prepared. Such emotional preoccupation can quickly become overwhelming if we’re not careful. I encourage each and every one of us to prepare like the world will end tomorrow, but plan and live our lives as though the time is yet far away. If we can successfully find the balance between these two activities, we will each find comfort and peace in the days to come, regardless of what happens around us.
Protein is the most expensive part of your food storage. At the same time, it’s an important addition to keep you and your family healthy. While true freeze-dried meat is the best base for your protein storage, some people use TVP to supplement their protein.
What is TVP?
TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein. It’s made from soy flour after the soybean oil is extracted. It’s a protein substitute that is high in fiber and natural protein. It easily absorbs flavor and retains the flavor with cooking.
Benefits of TVP
TVP is something that you’ve probably had many times throughout your life. Schools and fast food restaurants use it to supplement meat. You’ve probably had it in tacos, hamburgers, sloppy joes, and casseroles. Whether you use it alone or you use it to extend meat, it’s a great product to have on hand. Benefits include:
Affordability – Soy protein is significantly less expensive than meat.
Flavor– It can be flavored with meat juices or another seasoning to taste just like meat.
Ease – While TVP needs to be cooked, it doesn’t need to reach a safe temperature, so it’s easy to use in an emergency.
Meat Substitute– TVP is perfect for those on a kosher or vegetarian diet.
Drawbacks of TVP
TVP is not meat at all. Alone, you can definitely tell the difference between the two. Other drawbacks include:
Lower Protein – While TVP has naturally occurring protein, it has less than half of its meat counterpart. It is actually not a complete protein, lacking two essential amino acids; cysteine, and methionine.
Higher Sodium– Because TVP needs to be flavored, it generally has a high sodium content.
Soy– TVP is soy protein. If you are on a soy restricted diet, you will not want to use TVP to supplement your protein storage.
When you buy long-term food storage, you want to be confident that you are getting products that will last for a long time. How do you know how long your food is good? Here are some tips to remember when storing food.
Shelf Life
Shelf life refers to how long an unopened package of food is safe and retains its nutrients. Dehydrated foods generally have a shorter shelf life than freeze-dried foods. Freeze-dried foods, if stored in the right environment, can be stored safely for up to 30 years UNOPENED.
Ideal Storage
Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods should be stored in a cool, dry, dark environment. The ideal storage temperature is 50 degrees F. A basement storage room away from moisture and windows perfect. Since homes are not usually built with food storage in mind, look for closets, under beds and other areas that do not butt up against the edge of a house. Warmer, lighter environments can reduce the shelf life of food storage.
Avoid great temperature variations. Storing at a constant temperature is ideal for shelf life.
Bulging/Sucked In/Damaged Cans
Safe food generally is in cans that are perfectly intact. If you see cans that are bulging or sucked in, the safety of the food is compromised and should be thrown away immediately.
Damaged/dented cans can let air into them through microholes. Once a can has been dented, it should be treated as an already-opened can.
Open Cans
Once a can of freeze-dried food is open, the food is safe to eat for 6-12 months. Since most cans contain up to 40 servings of food, it’s unlikely that you’ll eat it in one sitting. Store in a cool, dark, dry place with the lid on tightly for best results. You may like to keep opened cans in the refrigerator, but it isn’t necessary.
If you’re new to the food storage game, you might be wondering why so many emergency prepping companies choose to freeze-dry instead of dehydration for many products. Looking at the process for both preservation methods will help you understand the benefits and drawbacks to both.
The Process
Dehydration- Dehydrating food is a relatively easy process that can be done from home. Dehydrators simply circulate hot, dry air across the food removing much of the water (usually between 90-95%) Dehydrating is ideal for grains and legumes.
Freeze-Dry- Freeze-drying is a more complicated process. In systems that have only recently become available to households, foods are placed on sheets in chambers where they are frozen to -40 degrees F. At this point the freeze-dryer creates a vacuum around the food and then warms it. As it’s warmed the ice turns to vapor and evaporates. Freeze-drying removes up to 99% of water. Freeze-drying is ideal for meats, fruits, and vegetables. Most freeze-drying is done commercially, but recently at-home freeze-dryers have become available.
Shelf Life
Moisture causes food to decompose and grow bacteria. The less moisture in your food storage, the better.
Dehydration – Grains and legumes are ideal to dehydrate because of their low moisture content. However, meats, fruits, and vegetables will retain up to 5% of their naturally high moisture, making it less than ideal for long-term storage (but great for short-term preservation).
Freeze-Dry– Because freeze-drying takes 98-99% of moisture out of meats, fruits, and vegetables, it is the ideal long-term storage option.
Nutrition
Dehydration – The dehydration process can break down several key vitamins and minerals.
Freeze-Dry – The freeze-drying process actually is conducive to retaining all vitamins and minerals except for Vitamin C.
Reconstitution
Dehydration – Rehydrating dehydrated food typically requires boiled water, which can be time-consuming. However, some foods (jerky, fruit leather, etc.) do not need reconstitution. (Note- Meats should be precooked before dehydrating.)
Freeze-Dry – Rehydrating freeze-dried food only requires water, hot or cold. Like dehydration, freeze-dried meats should be precooked. However, fruits and vegetables can be freeze-dried fresh. Once water is added, it just takes a few minutes for the food to be reconstituted.
Cost
Typically, because of the easier process, dehydrated food costs less than freeze-dried food. However, don’t compare pound per pound because freeze-dried food is significantly lighter than dehydrated due to the water content.
Texture/Taste
Both foods will retain the original taste. Freeze-dried foods will be softer and airier, simply because there isn’t any moisture in the food.
You have your food and water storage, but have you considered how important sanitation and hygiene will be in the event of an emergency? Improper hygiene can cause an infectious disease outbreak, escalating emergency situations. Here are some tips for creating your family’s sanitation/hygiene plan.
Bathroom Activity
Take a few days to see how many times your family uses the toilet in one day. See how many diapers are used. Note how quickly you go through bar or gel soap. This information will determine the supplies you need to keep on hand. Items you’ll need to help you with bathroom sanitation:
Bathing
It’s a good idea to designate some of your water storage for bathing and hygiene. Whether you want to use a separate container or calculate your water needs with the storage you already have, remember that water for hygiene is an important item to have on hand. Here are some items to keep for bathing storage:
Cleaning
You will want to have a good amount of cleaning supplies on hand. A disinfected house will help prevent the spread of disease. Important items to keep on hand:
First Aid
Part of good hygiene is a thorough first aid plan. Besides a complete first aid kit, anti-diarrhea medicine and cold/cough medicines are important for preventing the spread of family disease. Also, a set of dust/particulate respirator masks can help keep the rest of the family disease free when an outbreak happens.
Misc
Be ready to hand wash clothes, dish rags, etc. If your washing machine is out of commission or uses too much water, a wash basin will be a great asset. Keep liquid or powder detergent on hand so you can hand wash without having to break open small pods. Also, if you have space, you might want to store a drying rack.
Unthinkable emergencies can happen at any time to anybody. These can already be high-stress situations. However, if you have a family with small children, it can be even more stressful. There are, however, ways to prepare now to minimize the stress later. Here are a few ideas to help your family be better prepared for an emergency.
Create and practice specific plans–
Your family needs to have plans for every possible emergency. Recognize possible emergencies for your area and adjust accordingly.
Emergency Packs
Each child should have an emergency pack next to his/her bed to grab and go. That pack does not need to be a heavy, complete pack. Have some food and water, a change of clothes, a flashlight, 2-way walkie/talkie radios, and small toys in that pack. Parents’ packs can be more inclusive.
Also, for emergencies while your child is at school, designate a pocket in your child’s backpack for emergency items. Insert a water pouch, a few granola bars, emergency blanket, and a picture of your family with a little note on the back.
Teach Through Recreation
Family camping trips are not only fun, but they can help teach your children important survival skills. Teach your children fire-starting techniques, how to build emergency shelters, which plants are edible, etc. These activities don’t need to be in the name of emergency preparedness. If you make them fun, your children will learn important skills without even knowing it.
Bug-out bag, 72-hour kit, emergency pack. Whatever you want to call it, you shouldn’t ignore the importance of having one. While you’d like to fit your whole emergency storage in it, you’re limited to space and weight. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you build the perfect 72-hour kit. Items are listed in order of importance in each category.
Food & Water
The first component of a good 72-hour kit is sustenance. You’ll need food and water to stay alive.
Water- Pouched water or water bottles for 3 days. You need to pack a minimum of 40 ounces of water. If there is room in your pack when you finish packing, add as much as will fit.
Food- There are 3 basic sources of food that would work in a 72-hour kit. Any of these would work, but they each have different pros and cons.
Warmth & Shelter
Once the basics of food and water are taken care of, you’re going to want to move on to the need for warmth and shelter. (Or cooling)
Light/Communication
First Aid
A basic first aid kit is essential in a good emergency pack. Essentials include:
Tools
Sanitation
Make sure you have a sturdy backpack to carry what you need. For families with small children, it might be a good idea to add small toys, playing cards, candy, etc.
2017 brought a slew of natural disasters; fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. They hit back-to-back, adding a feeling of unease to most of us. Even those of us who were perfectly prepared assessed our situation to see how we needed to adjust. Here is what we learned. 
Emergency Packs
Many people are prepared for long-term emergencies. That is imperative. However, it’s also important to be prepared to get out at a moment’s notice. Good 72 hour kits need to be kept updated and ready at all times. Here are some tips to keep your emergency packs ready.
1- Check emergency packs every 6 months. A good time to remember this is when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
2- Have a mixture of MREs, freeze-dried foods, & calorie bars. Calorie bars are the priority, but a mixture of the 3 types of food can help sustain you for a few days.
3- Keep your emergency packs close to you. It’s a good idea to have your packs at home and in your car.
Be Creative in Your Preparedness
A customer affected by the flooding in Southeast Texas was grateful to have a heavy-duty blow-up boat on hand. That item went from recreational to necessary when her neighborhood was flooded. She was able to take supplies to neighbors in need. She assessed her needs afterward and determined she’d also like waterproof waders and/or wetsuits if her area was ever flooded again. She was also grateful for baby wet wipes that the whole family used for bathing. Look around and assess the possible natural disasters and think creatively about what might be helpful.
Prepare During Good Times
Preparedness companies stocked out of many items during and after the hurricanes. Shipping companies had trouble getting orders to disaster-hit areas. In fact, in 2017, MREs became very difficult to get because FEMA and the US military required extensive supplies, leaving retail distributors without inventory. Once a storm is in the forecast, it might be too late to get your preparedness items.
*Set a monthly budget and stock up along the way so you aren’t scrambling when the disaster comes.
Water, Water, Water
Floods, earthquakes, fires, and any other disaster can completely wipe out a safe water supply. It’s a good idea to have several types of emergency water sources. Here are some ideas:
1) Pouch water in emergency packs– Pouched water is easily transportable and can be packed in bags fairly easily.
2) Disposable water bottles– Grocery store water bottles can be stored easily and are also easy to transport. They are easy to stock up on and easy to store. Just try to store in a cool, dark place because the BPA in the plastic can leach out into the water when they are too hot. Anoter alternative to plastic is canned water.
3) Long-term storage containers– A large water container with water preserver and a siphon is a great idea to have on hand. 90 gallons will last 1 person 3 months if used for drinking, washing, and cooking. Start with 1 container and add more throughout the year to ensure your family has clean water.
Be Ready to Evacuate
Evacuating an area is tricky business. You don’t want to evacuate and disrupt your life if it’s not necessary, but you also don’t want to wait too long. Leaving when the masses evacuate can be just as dangerous as staying in harm’s way. Here are some tips to consider when evacuating:
1- Keep all cars gassed and ready. Some people never let their cars’ gas tanks dip below 1/2 full. Traffic and gridlock can drain gas tanks quickly.
2- If possible, leave early. Booking a hotel on the outside of town can give you the flexibility to go to work and function for a day or two when you’re not sure what is going on, but can also help you be outside of the worst parts of traffic if you do need to evacuate.
3- Again, make sure you have emergency packs in your car.
