by Natan Paine
If you unexpectedly lost access to your power and water due to a storm or other disaster, how would you cope? Would you be forced to buy the last remaining items from a local grocery store's shelves, or would you have a pre-planned supply of food and water? You could likely be without power and water for days, or weeks, if the disaster is major. If you have a standard supply of canned goods, your supply will likely be depleted in less than seven days. If the storm is severe, it may take emergency relief crews weeks to completely restore utilities to the affected area.Should this occur, it is vital to be self-sustaining throughout the outage.
Food and water are primary necessities to staying afloat both during and post-disaster. Supplies of both can be stored over time. Water can be bought in cans with a 30-year shelf-life, or collected and placed in storage tanks at your own pace. Food, though, must be purchased with your personal daily needs in mind. As anything can happen throughout the course of a disaster, it is important to anticipate all possible outcomes and to prepare accordingly.
Basic food items are key to creating an effective emergency supply. It is suggested to begin with items such as grains, sugar, salt, powdered milk, and beans. Though it is not necessary to purchase the entire supply at one time, the goal should be to amass enough food for a full year.
Could you actually manage to eat just grains and beans for a year's time? Freeze food provides you with varied options.
With packs intended to last from just a few weeks to a year, dried food is a viable addition to any exigency supply.
Packs are generally comprised of cans or pouches of emergency food. While some packages contain entrees or breakfast options, emergency kits can also include fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy selections.
The cooking of any freeze food requires rehydration, whether it comes in a can or a pouch. To cook a dried pouch or can, combine the food with water, and after about 10 minutes you can eat. If you wish to combine several freeze emergency items into a single meal, rehydrate each pouch or can, and subsequently cook all of the items together.
The air-tight packaging of emergency food allows it to have a shelf-life of 5-25 years.Despite the air-tight packaging, the storage conditions of emergency food are still vital. Excessive exposure to light or dampness will eventually decompose freeze-dried items.
To save yourself from discovering that your freeze-dried supply has decomposed during a time of crisis, make a point of fashioning a proper storage space in your home.
The space, such as a basement or cellar, should be free from moisture and light, and kept between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrain from burying dried cans or pouches underground, and do not allow them to share storage space with chemicals of any kind. It is important to have long term food storage.
