An Uncomplicated Approach to Preparing Your Long Term Food Storage By Bill R.

Long term food storage sounds good when you say it fast; but what does it really mean? I imagine you get the food storage part, but what about the long term part? I place a time line on food storage, you've got different situations, with different time tables.

For example: If a hurricane or devastating tornado hit unexpectedly, you've got a few days to a couple of weeks before things get back to semi normal. Now I understand your power will be out (for way to long) and gas and ice will become hard to find. But over all you can skimp by on the extra food in the pantry and the food from the fridge that didn't spoil.

That to me is not an event you store long term food for. Long term food storage is for an event lasting longer than one month. I figure with the food in the pantry and the cold food I have I'll be good for one month. This food will take more preparation than my long term food and will have more clean up too. During my first month I'll be able to find regular gas for the generator sparingly, which will keep my cold food longer. After the regular gas is gone I'll have enough charcoal/gas for the grill and enough cooking wood for the rest of the first month's food.

The food you store for long term should be easy to prepare with little to no clean up. That is why I'm a firm believer in freeze dried food. It's a no cook, no prep, precooked meal that you add water to. A real meal with out having to cook and with out having to use your stored water for clean up. One thing to watch out for with these freeze dried meals is that you want real freeze dried meat not what they call tvp (textured vegetable protein). Another thing to keep in mind is you want at least 2000 calories per person per day.

For long term food storage, you should store freeze dried food. It's by far the easiest most uncomplicated approach I've found. Along with food, water also needs to be stored for future use. They say to store one gallon per person per day to eat and drink and one gallon for hygiene. If it's feasible, I suggest two gallons a day for consumption and one for hygiene, three gallons per day per person. Better to have too much than not enough.

Best uncomplicated approach!