What Is It?
Having enough food to last you for several days is an excellent way to start preparing for life changes or disasters that may occur. While some people focus more on buying weapons, there are more effective ways to prepare for survival.
Having enough food to last you for several days is one of the most important things you can prepare for. Food is a great source of strength in times of need, especially if you know how to cook!
Most prepper sites suggest keeping a three-month supply of foods at all times. This seems like a large amount, but it’s better to have too much than not enough!
A good place to store your food is in a cool, dry area away from heavy objects that could damage it. Make sure to label it properly so you don’t forget what type of food it is!
Why Have One
Having a first aid kit is pretty standard in America these days. Most people have one that they keep in their vehicle, home, or both.
But what most of those kits do not contain are an adequate number of bandages and disinfectant to make sure your wounds are healed properly!
In fact, many people do not even include rubbing alcohol as a cleaning agent because they think it’s too expensive.
Alcohol can be very inexpensive if you know where to look! There are actually lots of easy ways to get cheap alcohol.
So why not start with buying some simple alcohol and adding more advanced products to your collection as time goes on?
Making sure your wounded body has enough healing agents can help prevent infections and promote faster wound healing. You also want to make sure there are no leftover chemicals from previous uses which could cause health problems.
There are several reasons why having a wide variety of basic first aid supplies is important. Read on to learn more about them!
Size & Location Matter
As we have seen, knowing what supplies to gather is one thing, actually gathering them and having enough of them is another. Having adequate supplies depends on two things: how much you think you will use them and where you expect to store those supplies
Size matters because depending on your goal, more expensive items require larger amounts to meet your self-care needs. For example, buying a large bottle of water can be very cost effective if you are planning on staying at a hotel for several nights or weeks.
Location also makes a difference. If you do not plan on storing this item for long, investing in durable containers that do not need to be opened every time you access the supply may be better than buying shorter term storage such as bags or boxes.
Both size and location matter when it comes to stockpiling supplies. Before shopping, determine how many days you will have to function without these goods and then buy enough to last that length of time!
Start Small
It is very tempting to run out and buy everything you see in stores, but this isn’t a good idea. Sure, it may make you feel better about yourself, but you won’t have anything useful done once you get home!
Before you start buying all of these things, choose one item that seems important to you. Then, go from there by picking up another thing needed after that. Keep doing this until you find your self-sufficiency.
You don’t need a lot of supplies to be prepared. Having just a few items can help ensure your survival in a crisis. Starting small will also help keep your spending under control.
Prepping Your Pantry
When it comes to stocking your home’s most essential pantries, there are two major categories that most experts agree you need to focus on.
One is food, of course – but what kind of food!
The other is drinkware. Sure, you can buy cheap plastic bottles at Wal-Mart or Target, but quality glass containers make better drinking vessels and help preserve the flavor of your beverages.
And while they may be more expensive initially, the long term cost savings will prove well worth it. The Container Store actually has an incredible list of their very popular water bottle options here.
Making sure your family is well stocked with both food and drink is a great way to start towards survival preparation. Both things are important for staying healthy as well as feeling relaxed and comfortable while waiting out the initial chaos of surviving a disaster.
Organization Is Key
For all of you who have already invested in some form of survival equipment, great! Keep buying and organizing so that you know what is where!
For those who are just starting to explore how to survive, or even whether or not it is worth investing in supplies, organization is an important key. How much money you spend really does depend on how organized you are!
There are many ways to organize your emergency food supply, but one of the most effective is by size category. This way, you can more easily match each type of food with its place in the store.
For example, if you buy enough carrots for a week’s meal, they would go into the “carrot” box. So would be enough sweet potatoes for another week, and these two boxes get put away together.
This helps ensure that you do not accidentally forget to grab something you have already got. And since everything is clearly labeled, you will also know at a glance what you have and what you need to get more of!
Another good idea is to group similar items together. For instance, you could pack either a cook book or a baking recipe manual in case someone has a working stove and wants to make sure they know what recipes work.
A general handbook or instructions for doing basic home repairs is helpful as well. These things can always be re-organized later when space allows, especially if you invest in storage containers or baggies with dividers.
Keep It Fresh
With every season comes new trends in foods, clothes, and gear. This is especially true for those investing in food storage and/or survival supplies. Different people have different tastes that they stick to year after year.
That’s why it is very important to keep your stored foods fresh! If you choose poorly when choosing what products to buy, then you will need to purchase more of it later.
You don’t want to invest in expired or dried out goods that could hurt your family’s health long term. Luckily, there are some easy ways to ensure your food stays good for at least a few months.
These tips will help prevent your food from going bad before spring. So, look them out next time you go grocery shopping!
Why Eat Differently During an Emergency?
Changing your diet is one of the best things you can do to prepare for any kind of situation. Luckily, it’s not as difficult as many people make it out to be!
By experimenting with new foods, you will find that your body adjusts and gets use to them. This helps ensure you have enough energy to survive whatever life throws at you.
Luckily, there are several easy ways to begin changing your diet. The easiest way is to start by eating only food that smells good. You can then work from there by adding some more ingredients or taking away others.
There are plenty of great resources available online and through community groups who can help you learn how to cook different dishes. It would even be possible to visit local supermarkets to get ideas.
Overall health benefits of switching off diets include weight loss, improved skin and oral health, reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, and increased levels of antioxidants in the blood. These last two play a huge part in protecting us against oxidative stress which can damage cells and the immune system.
What to Always Keep in Your Pantry
Having enough food is very important, especially if you are a parent or have small children that require regular meals. Luckily, it is not as difficult as some may think!
In fact, there are several items that everyone needs to keep in their pantries at all times. These include: