Food Storage for Emergencies

If you are wondering if I know something it up … there is always something up.

If it isn’t hurricane season where we all panic and nothing happens (until it does), there are earthquakes, 1,000 year storms happening globally, wars – yeah I know I am sitting pretty in Cabo but it leads to – what happens on the other side of the planet can and does effect everyone else.  Financial hardship happens.  So please do not think I am insane (redhead so of course that always comes into question) when I strongly urge you to take personal responsibility and ensure you have what you need if you suddenly had any kind of crisis.

The suggested list below is compiled from several sites I wished I’d have bookmarked to give proper credit to, along with some items I wished I’d thought of and learned my lesson two years ago.

So, I don’t know about where you live, but stocking up on items necessary for any emergency presuming you will stay put and not need to leave can be tricky.  Will you be able to cook? Yeah, that is an issue… this is a sample from a work in progress list we’ve been compiling.  Oh how I wish I could stock up on canned Ravioli’s.  Seriously.

Obviously it looks different at the original source CLICK ME  and look for the Food Storage Planner file.  It was made so that it could be downloaded to a desktop or laptop and as you shop, you enter what you’ve purchased and it does the math for you.  Pretty nifty, I think.  But some people (like me) prefer to be able to have a list they can print out and use a pencil with an eraser, so there is a sheet in the excel workbook just for us! Below is just a sample as all household needs will very as is availability to where you live.

Don’t go rolling your eyes at some of the obvious things like toothpaste and deodorant! I should add … contact lens wearers, ensure you also have emergency backups.  TRUST ME. Speaking from experience.

Truth be told, I still do not have 99% of what is on this list.  I thought I had amble supply of some things, but realized due to improper storage, many things have spoiled. Kinda ticked off at myself because I do own a Food Saver and have bags … my bad.

So … the list seems extreme.  Family of 4 for 2 weeks, I know.  Especially some of the items.  I am going to add diapers to my personal list and hope I remember to buy them because you just never know – you may need to barter with a neighbor and just “be” a neighbor.  You know?   If you have children, pets or others that you are a care giver to, you know what you need.

Besides water and personal hygiene products, you mostly need to worry about protein – protein before carbs.

If you have slowly been adding to your hurricane season shopping list all summer, then your only true last minute worries should we see a storm this year, is getting some fresh fruits, veggies and meats etc., and hope you didn’t need anything below. Right?

Babbling but wait – there’s more!  At the end of the season, since you will need to rotate out items you aren’t consuming to keep your supply fresh, donate it. I won’t sway you to who.  Okay, shutting up now without proof reading before some one thinks I’ve gone lost my mind.

Separate list for First Aid includes items like mosquito repellant CLICK ME for that list.

Still babbling!  In the link to the original source for the mostly non-perishable food storage list, there are many other files I haven’t opened in a while, but should contain lists for things like flashlights, batteries, important things we forget about. Like duct tape.  True story:  When I lost a primary window, we used a tarp and duct tape in an attempt to keep the mosquitos out … it would have worked had we also remembered those mosquito repellant coils. (simple internet search will show you what those are)