Month: November 2016

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New Acquisitions

I have been continuing to fill my pantry as I do my normal grocery shopping.  I’ve also picked up some bulk items from Costco and from the online retailer, Boxed.

bananachip

The way my son loves banana chips, I can probably recoup the cost of the dehydrator in record time! 😉

As I build my pantry and gather recipes using LTS ingredients to test, I have felt the lack of the ability to dry and vacuum seal my own foods.  So I took advantage of the online Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and ordered an Excalibur dehydrator as well as a Food Saver with mason jar attachments while finishing most of my Christmas shopping. Merry Christmas to me!

I also got a few more products to test from Emergency Essentials and Thrive Life, including a couple of pantry cans of freeze dried meat products.

This period from Thanksgiving to New Years is an excellent time for me to test pantry recipes and judge the robustness of the pantry as it is now.  I hate crowded stores.  I do almost all my non-food shopping online as it is.  I don’t like the mall.  And I hate circling the parking lot trying to find a place to park.  Even in non holiday shopping times, I typically go to the grocery store right after they open or shortly before they close to avoid busy times.  But in this 6 week period, no time of day is safe.  The past couple of years, the hubby has done almost all the grocery shopping in this holiday season.

I do plan to have him pick up dairy products and eggs.  I also continue to get a winter CSA box with some produce, although I’ve dropped it to twice a month as the variety is limited in these months.  We mostly get root crops and winter squashes, more than my family can eat in a week, and these items keep well.  For meat, I will mostly be using freezer stores.   The dairy, eggs, and meat are items that I could produce from my pantry, but those items are so expensive in their LTS states (by comparison to fresh) that aside from the small sized pantry cans that I purchased to test recipes, I would prefer to use fresh / frozen ingredients now, since they are accessible.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

thanksgivingBeen a bit busy to post, with the holiday preparations.  I am hosting the family this year.  Not a HUGE gathering, but there are 7 adults, 2 just barely teens, and 4 kids.  This strains my seating arrangements since the 2 13 year olds and the oldest “kid” do not want to sit at anything called the “kids table”.  =)

I tried to pare things down, but some how “we have to have that!” kept rearing its ugly head.  I’m sure its way too much food and I will probably be kicking myself when I have to find a way to fit leftovers in the fridge.

In the spirit of developing new skills – I baked some cookies, and learned to make royal icing, and then decorated them with a flooding technique.  I just don’t bake much, and while this particular recipe and technique isn’t something a person would waste their time on in an emergency or TEOTWOWKI situation (I think this must have taken me about 4 hours to make the dough, frosting, bake, cool, and frost in stages), I do want to be more comfortable and less resentful of baking.

thankscookies

As you can see, mine don’t look professional like the ones on the left, and could have been tidier (I think I needed a smaller piping tip for my edging, but I used the smallest I had on hand), but overall, I was pleased with my first attempt at “flooding” cookies, especially since I don’t have any experience with ANY kind of cookie decorating =)

Ironically, these cookies would be very easy to make using all food storage ingredients.  And they taste just like pumpkin pie too.  I think the family will appreciate them.

 

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And Speaking of Waxing

agedredwax_largeI have been doing research on waxing cheese for long term storage.  From what I can gather from sources online, the best temperature for storing cheese in this fashion is between 40-55 degrees.  My pantry was being used as a wine storage cupboard by the previous tenants, so they installed insulation on all the walls, and it stays cooler than the rest of the house, but it doesn’t stay that cool.  Still, even at higher temperatures, waxing cheese is supposed to increase shelf life to 6 months to a year.

Every few months, Safeway has a “Just for U” deal on their store brand of cheese.  I don’t usually buy it; we like our Tillamook, but its such a bargain price (typically 99 cents for 8 ounces) that I usually buy my limit and we I use it in shredded applications, tacos, on scrambled eggs, topping a casserole.  It would be no great hardship to lose a block of this cheap cheese, so the next time the deal strikes, I am going to try my hand at waxing cheese.

Lots of info out there on how to do it, and some of it contradictory (one site says only heat the wax just so its melted enough for dipping to avoid overheating the cheese because drawing out the fat will prevent a good seal.  Another says to get the cheese wax up to 200 degree since most germs are killed at 180), so more research for me.

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Pinecone Firestarters

I found these on somethingturquoise.com a while back. They were intended to be wedding favors (which is why they each have a tag), but I thought how lovely these would be in a basket on the hearth, and since they don’t seem that difficult to make, I wouldn’t feel too badly using them as they are intended to be, as firestarters.  Pretty and practical sounds like a win to me.  Of course my fire place hasn’t been used in a decade and we have no fire wood, and I need to get my husband on board here since I have no clue how to go about making sure my chimney is clean and safe and functional, but that’s another issue altogether.

pinecone

Her tutorial has tons of pictures and lots of tips. It’s a lot to scroll through and I have the basic idea, so I am just getting the streamlined version down here for easy reference.

Waxed Pinecone Firestarters

2 lb. Soy wax flakes
Pinecones
Candle fragrance oil
Candle dye blocks, chopped into small pieces
Wired candle wicking
Wooden spoon
Large heat proof container
Frying pan / pot
Wax paper
Scissors
Cute tags and twine

Use the heat proof container (such as a glass bowl or large measuring cup) and the frying pan to create a double boiler. Melt the wax slowly over the boiling water, stirring with the wooden spoon. Add color block pieces to the melted wax. Add candle fragrance oil if desired. Pinecones will dip best if the wax is cooled down to 130-140 degrees. This will take 20-30 minutes, but depending on the size of your container, it could take more or less time. Set up your dipping station, protecting your surface with waxed paper or aluminum foil. While waiting for them to cool, wick your pinecones. Use about 12 inches per cone (unless your cones are especially large or small). Fold in half and tie a loop knot in the center of the wick. Hold the loop at the top of the cone and wrap the wicks around the cone, each in the opposite direction. Tuck the ends into the pinecone. When wax has cooled to temperature, hold each cone by the loop and submerge into the hot wax, allowing extra wax to strain off the cone. Set aside on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat for remaining cones. One the first coat is done, the pinecones need to set for about 15 minutes. When dry, break off any extra wax “feet” on the bottom of the cone and set aside to re-melt with your wax later. Each cone should be dipped 2-4 times; it depends on how you want them to look. You will have to re-melt your wax after the second dipping. When pinecones have enough coats, dip the wick loop.

  • If you dip the pinecones while the wax is too hot it will take forever to build the wax coat
  • If you dip too cold you can get lumps in your wax and uneven areas, plus it’s hard to do
  • If your wax gets too hard, re-melt it
  • Strain as much wax off each pinecone as you can
  • Let your pinecones dry for at least 15 minutes in between each dip
  • Use your spoon to help you submerge the pinecones
  • Let them dry on waxed paper
  • Dip each pinecone 2-4 times
  • If the wax on your pinecone looks dull, it means it was dipped in cool wax
  • To get a shiny look on your last coat, use hotter wax
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Pantry Friendly Meals, I do not think this means what you think it means.

Oh the internet.  Such a wealth of information, and sometimes, oh so useless.  Seeking out good recipes using long term pantry stores is a veritable minefield of annoyances.  It’s amazing what some people consider a “pantry meal”.  I do a search for some variation of “pantry friendly meals” or “disaster meals” or “emergency food recipes”, and it’s just an overload of mostly unhelpful information.  Lots of pages without actual recipes, many pages of recipes that you can make with food bank boxes (and most of them have a staple set for each client that includes some fresh foods), and a whole lot of nonsense.

Result 1 of my search.  7 days of fast, pantry friendly meals.  The grocery list follows:

Fresh Produce – Pears – Apples – Salad greens/lettuce – Avocados – Grapefruit – Limes – Tomatoes – Carrots – Celery – Cucumbers – Onions – Garlic

Fridge – Parmesan – Cheddar cheese – Blue cheese – Fontina cheese – Turkey bacon – Ham or prosciutto – Eggs – Mayo – Hummus – Butter

Freezer – Peas – Spinach

 

 Pantry/Staples – Marinated artichokes – Sun-dried tomatoes – Olive oil – Vinegar – Balsamic salad dressing – Tomato soup/squash soup – Canned/jarred salsa – Walnuts – Raisins – Black beans – Dried pasta – Canned tuna

Spices – Curry powder – Dried oregano – Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)

Breads – Whole wheat tortilla – Whole wheat bread – Whole wheat pita

As many fresh, frozen, and refrigerated products as anything you would store or could make from your stores.  Next search, first hit, a whole blog on Pantry Friendly Cooking.  First recipe calls for mac and cheese with fresh cheese using a pressure cooker.   Next recipe is a little better, if not so practical.  Personalized chocolate Easter eggs.  You of course need the mold, and tubed frosting, and 3/4 cup butter (canned butter is so expensive, and I am not sure butter powder would work in candies), but at least all the ingredients are from the pantry.  The next recipe I see again calls for a pressure cooker, and includes a head of garlic, 3 bell peppers, a couple onions, chicken breast (raw), fresh asparagus, fresh shrimp, mussels, and lemons.  Because it happens to use rice, canned tomatoes and canned chickpeas, its pantry friendly?

Clearly, my definition of a pantry meal is a little different.  And its not just these two sites.  9 out of 10 that I have looked at are like this.  The 10th either is selling a book with actual LTS recipes, or is a list of foods to have on hand without actual giving recipes other than maybe “oatmeal for breakfast, tuna with crackers for lunch, rice and beans for dinner”.

So I picked up a few second hand books.  Apocalypse Chow (be warned, the Robertsons have published at least 3 different disaster meal cookbooks, and there are many repeats between them), Simple Recipes using Food Storage, and 100-Day Pantry.  I read some others via Kindle Unlimited.  I’m not linking those; they were almost all universally bad.  Poorly edited, clearly not self created recipes, but regurgitating things they found online.  People looking to make a few bucks, not credible cookbook authors.  Oddly, almost all of them have high reviews.  You’ll find 1 or 2 low reviews, usually with the same complaints I voice.  They must be creating false accounts, or getting family and friends to buoy the reviews.  I can’t account for it otherwise!  The one exception for me was “Dinner is in the Jar“.  This book provided an excellent walk through on how to make mason jar meals using a vacuum sealer, from long term storage foods, along with add-ons (most of which are also available as pantry staples, like ground beef, or cooked cubed chicken).  The author also provides a method for making these meals using mylar bags instead of mason jars.

At any rate, those 4 I linked do provide what I would consider “Pantry Meals”.  I can’t say they universally appeal to me.  I am not a fan of processed foods.  For a short term disaster, I suppose that is one thing, but I can not see feeding my family endless days of canned soups, spaghetti-os, chiles, et all.  And I am not buying cream of mushroom/chicken/celery soup.  I don’t care how ubiquitous it is in easy pantry meals.  It’s repulsive.  I want to be able to cook mostly as I do now – meals made from whole foods, not pre-processed items.  Of course, this will be more expensive but well, it is what it is.

At any rate, I have been collecting recipes that will work for my family from these sources, although they come in different degrees of pantry-usingness.  I have been labeling them as “Pantry Friendly”, which is almost all long term storage items, but might include 1-2 things that you would have on hand during a short term emergency, or if you had a root cellar (such as garlic), and LTS Recipes, which are those that can be made entirely from pantry stores, including freeze dried or dehydrated items.   Many of the recipes that I use now can be converted as well; I just have to figure out how to use dehydrated garlic and onion and such in place of the fresh versions.

LTS Asian Chicken Soup

1 (10- to 15-oz.) can chicken
I (15-oz.) can carrots
1 (15-oz.) can bean sprouts
1 (6-oz.) can mushrooms
1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
2 oz. fine noodles (3 oz. Ramen noodles are okay)
1 T. onion flakes
1 tsp. garlic flakes
½ tsp. ground ginger
3-4 T. soy sauce
scant 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Do not drain the vegetables. Combine all ingredients and simmer until noodles are soft. Ramen noodles are not labeled for two years’ storage, so rotate them more often.

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Note to Myself

This is from Cooking with My Food Storage.  Very clear steps on how to use a vacuum sealer with a mason jar; not just for meals in a jar, but in general when I start dehydrating foods myself.  I also need to find the tip on how to do this with smaller jars inside a larger jar if you don’t have a jar sealer that fits smaller sizes and record that here for my reference as well.

A reminder about the basics of how to make a meal in a jar.

How to make a Meal-in-a-Jar:   Two Methodsjar-sealer

Method 1:  Use a Food Saver to Seal the Jars

Step 1:  In a clean, dry quart jar, layer ingredients. Shake the powder down into the jar if needed.

Step 2:  Place the lid on the jar.  Don’t add the ring.

Step 3:  Attach one end of the hose to the accessory port and the other end to the jar sealer.  Place the jar sealer over the jar.

Step 4:  Turn on your food saver and remove the oxygen from the jar.

Step 5: Remove the jar sealer (it is easier to unhook the hose from the jar sealer first), add label and ring, store in a cool dry place.

Method 2:  Use Oxygen Absorbers

Step 1:  In a clean, dry quart jar, layer ingredients. Shake the powder down into the jar if needed.

Step 2:  Wipe the top of the jar with a paper towel to remove any powder.

Step 3:  Top with a 300 cc oxygen absorber. Seal tightly.

Step 4:  The lid should seal within a few hours.  Add label.  Store in a cool, dry place.

 

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LTS, beans, and you

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Do you know why after soaking beans overnight you are instructed to drain, rinse well, and then use fresh water to cook the beans?  I was told we do it because it reduces flatulence, old wives wisdom and all that.  And actually it does, but the real reason to do it is to prevent illness.

Legumes and grains contain a type of protein called lectin.  Lectins can be toxic.  Lectins are also responsible for the gas inducing responses we can have to the magical fruit that is beans.  Soaking the beans draws out some of these toxins, so we need to discard the soaking water, rinse well, and start with fresh for cooking to reduce our exposure to the lectins.  The cooking process destroys most of what is left in the legume.

Now, there are different kinds of them, and they vary in how ill they can make you.  In fact almost all foods have some lectins, and some lectins are beneficial.  Different people also respond to the same lectins in different ways.  Beacuse we don’t digest lectins, we often produce antibodies to them. Almost everyone has antibodies to some dietary lectins in their body. This means our responses vary. However, some legumes, such as red kidney beans, are so full of toxic to humans lectins that they should not be eaten unless properly, thoroughly cooked.  (Red kidney beans are not suitable for sprouting!).

The temptation of post-SHTF bean cooking is to reduce water usage.  I’ve even seen advice to just cook  it in that water.  Don’t do it!  Modern packaged beans don’t need nearly the sorting and cleaning; you are unlikely to find rocks and dirt, but it’s still not good to ingest!  Find another way to use that water.  Use it for flushing, or if it’s the right season, water your garden with it.  I actually wonder if this might repel certain animals from nibbling at your plants – it’s thought that plants developed lectins to deter animals from eating their seeds and animals can smell the lectins.  That’s just speculation on my part though.

Keep in mind that it’s not just dried beans that can make you ill.  Some types of grains and legumes can be eaten raw (like a sugar snap pea, pod and all) but others (like a runner bean, can eat pod, but pod and contents needs to be fully cooked, or a mature fava, discard pod, peel inner bean and fully cook) need to be cooked to be safely edible.  If you don’t know for sure that your produce is safe to eat raw, err on the side of caution and cook it.

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Enemies of food storage

img_0044Light:  Exposure to light can cause degradation of taste, appearance and nutritional quality of food. Fat soluble vitamins and proteins are most likely to be affected by light. Store your food in opaque containers.

Temperature: Improper temperature for storage causes nutrient loss and degrades the texture of food. Essentially, food that’s too hot begins to cook and decay, and food that’s too cold begins preserving. Between 40-70 F is best, and in general closer to the cooler side is desirable. The storage life of most food products is cut in half for every increase of 18 degrees Fahrenheit. In a garage or attic, temperature may fluctuate between too hot and  too cold because these places usually don’t have insulation or controlled heat  and air conditioning.  Consider both temperature and consistency of temperature when choosing a LTS location.

Humidity / Moisture:  Too much moisture promotes an atmosphere where microorganisms can grow and chemical reaction in foods causing deterioration that ultimately can sicken us.  Mold in your food is no bueno. Some foods stored in a root cellar situation need a certain amount of humidity, but it’s typically in a specific range. Root cellaring is typically storing food for weeks or months too, and not years.

Pests: Insects and rodents can ruin your LTS if they manage to invade.  Sometimes grains can have an undetectable insect infestation that will eventually become apparent, which is why some people freeze grains and flours before storing.  Others include diatomaceous earth in their packaging, which deters pests, but doesn’t harm humans.  Rodents can be very persistent. If they’re hungry enough, they will get through even the strongest packaging. That’s why you should invest in some 5-gallon food grade buckets for your food and consider traps or repellents in your LTS area.

Oxygen / Air:  The presence of oxygen allows bacteria, microorganisms and pests to thrive and survive in your food.  In addition, many nutrients oxidize in an oxygen rich environment. Over time, oxygen changes the appearance, flavor, and texture of food. When fats oxidize they become rancid.

Time: It marches on, and everything gets old and loses taste, texture, nutrition, or even becomes inedible.  Rotating your food storage is important unless you are talking about very long storage foods (25+ year stuff that you buy, store and “forget”).

Human Nibblers: Kids seeking snacks.  Husbands seeking snacks.  While neither is likely to get into a bucket of lentils, no pack of granola bars is safe in my house.  I have to admit to being guilting of popping open a can of Thrive freeze dried yougurt bits; and those things, my friends, are not cheap!  If possible, store foods that tempt your human nibblers out of sight, repackaged to camouflage them.

Improper Packaging & Improper Handling: The issue here is that doing either thing can compromise your food and allow one of the other threats to your food storage to get a foothold and start degrading your supplies.  A small crack in your bucket, storing food with too many or too few oxygen absorbers, using non food grade containers that leech chemicals into your food – just a few things you might inadvertently do rendering all your effort and money moot.

Storing food is insurance; do it right.

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72 Hour Kit / Bug Out Bag

bigstock-illustration-of-a-family-carry-61565363-e1442937903271In the event of a disaster that prevents you from being able to “bug in” and shelter at home, it is important to have a good grab and go solution ready. We cannot and should not rely on the government or relief agencies to meet our immediate needs following a disaster. They will have limited resources and limited staff (estimates say at least 40% of emergency and health care staff do not report for duty in a true SHTF emergency. They may not be able to get there. They may choose to stay with their family).

So what is the smart thing to do? Prepare to look out for yourself and your family with food, water, clothing, temporary shelter, and medical supplies for at least 72 hours. (Of course, after that, you had better have a way to supply your basic needs when the gear in your bag is gone!)

72-hour-kitHow do you create a good 72 hour kit / Bug Out Bag? Each member of the family should have their own backpack. It is crucial that children feel safe during a time of crisis and nothing will help them feel secure more than having their own things. Purchase a good pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily. Everyone should carry their own basic supplies such as medications, some food and water, an ID card and glow stick and mylar blanket.

For myself and my family, this is what I have decided on including. It’s subject to change. I did not include survival items to get us beyond 72 hours. I did not include a way to cook food, a mess kit, or survival tools that I don’t know how to use yet. My goal with this kit is to enable us to survive and get to an alternate location with better resources than what we can carry.

A Great Back Pack. Not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough to add all your personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris. Your pack should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and should be supported from the waist when it is carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will also allow you to separate items and organize your kit enabling you to find things quickly. Considering purchasing a backpack that is a bright color which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard, during grab-and-go conditions.

This isn’t a time to scrimp; be open to spending a little bit more to make sure that you get what is comfortable. Here in the PDX area, REI is a more expensive store, but have competent staff on hand to help you find the best backpack for your needs. If you have an outdoors outfitter in your area, I strongly recommend looking for your pack and advice there. Go ahead and observe OpSec. They don’t need to know any more than that you plan to do some off the grid hiking for a long weekend. Of course, if finances do not allow, ANY 72 hour kit is better than nothing.

Basics. Each family member should have an ID card with some basic identification and medical information. Include contact information for yourselves as well as for family doctors, dentists, etc. Laminate this for durability. Parents should carry a copy of their children’s cards as well.

Each kit should have several family photos. You should include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.

Include extra sets of keys for any place you might need to access while on the move. Fumbling around, looking for the summer cabin key is not what you want to do in an emergency.

Maps of local area. Compass. Possibly binoculars. Useful information. One page sheets of information; right now, that includes identification of edible local plants (to supplement what I am learning to help me be CERTAIN), ways to make shelter from 8×8 tarp.

Food. This food should be light, and edible without added water, if possible. This is not the place to worry about processed foods. Consider MREs, high calorie energy bars, and possibly foods marketed towards backpackers and hikers (but again, avoid “just add water” meals if you can). Avoid jerky, nuts or other very salty items that will increase your thirst. Canned items are too heavy. Look for foods with a long shelf life – five years (or more). You can plan to rotate these items, but if you fail to rotate your supplies you will end up spending more money on food you throw away than you would have by spending a bit more to get the best items to start. One less thing to have to do for several years, if the food is rated longer. Don’t forget any utensils that you might need. I think disposable plastic might be best. You’ll need several sets, but will you have the water and ability to properly cleanse a metal set? Neither my husband or myself drink coffee, but I may consider a metal cup and some kind of hot drink packets, such as cocoa or cider; a warm drink, a change from plain water could be very comforting.

Water. This is going to be heavy, no way around that. Purchase pouched water that has a five year shelf life. First, that will allow you to “ignore” the BoB, and give you less to do every 6 months (as above). Plus, plastic water bottles do degrade over time and while the water itself won’t go bad, the bottles can develop leaks. Personal water filters such as a lifestraw or berkey water bottle may make a good addition. I plan to include a UV SteriPEN in my bags.

Light / Heat. A flashlight, glowstick, matches, Firestarter(s) and/ or lighter. Be aware that open flame might not be safe in some areas (ruptured gas lines, or so on). If you choose a flashlight, include the batteries OUTSIDE of your flashlight. Put them in a ziplock bag and carry them separate from the flashlight. Batteries can rust, leak, “explode” and ruin your flashlight. I think I will also tuck in a 9 hour candle in each bag.

Multi-Function Tool or pocket knife. These will provide everything from can openers to knife blade, pliers, saw blades and screw drivers. A must-have tool! When you purchase a multi-function tool look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.

Emergency AM/FM radio. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power or both. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands as most emergency broadcast information will be on the AM band but it may only be the FM station that survived the disaster. A moderately priced Sangean MMR-88 is a weather and alert radio. It can be charged with build in solar panel or handcrank, includes a flashlight, a siren, and can charge USB devices such as phones. Right now, this is my emergency radio of choice, not just for my 72 hour kit, but for my home as well.

First Aid. A small selection of emergency first aid items is a smart thing to include, even for the children’s’ packs (Avoid medications in the kids’ bags). Consider supplementing a basic store-bought kit with QuikClot. Sunscreen. N95 mask. Moleskin.

Hygiene & Sanitation. Camp Soap, toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste, chapstick, hand sanitizer, aloe vera gel or lotion and toilet paper. In my case, I decided to include Wysi Wipes in one pack instead of a roll of TP. These do require adding a small of water to expand, but take up less room than rolls of TP. They are biodegradable and disposable, but CAN be rinsed and re-used. Obviously, I wouldn’t be reusing them if they were used for restroom purposes (!), but when used as an alternative to pre-moistened toilets, facial tissue and paper towels, if water is available, re-using stretches our resources.

Clothing. I’m not talking about stocking up for a weekend at a spa or such. A change of clothes in case what we are wearing becomes too wet to be comfortable or safe. Extra socks. Lightweight work gloves. Hat for protection from sun or rain. A rain jacket / wind breaker. A couple bandanas.

Self-Defense. I am lacking here at the moment. We do not own any firearms. Im likely to be as dangerous to myself as someone else with a combat knife. This is an area of deficiency that I do need to address.

Shelter and Rest. A Mylar Blanket is inexpensive and has several uses. They have both pros and cons, but for the light weight and flexibility in their use, I plan to include at least one in each BoB. If I have space, I would also like to include a more heavy-duty tarp, as the Mylar blankets are subject to tearing as well as a sturdier emergency blanket.

Extras

Mini Sewing Kit

Ziploc or Biohazard Bags – If we are someplace that we cannot safely discard used toilet tissue, etc., bagging them up makes sense.

Paracord and/or Fishing Line. Multitude of uses.

Whistle & Signal Mirror.

Duct Tape. Is there anything it can’t do?

Fozzils “dishes”. These are flat, foldable tableware. The 3 piece set weighs only a few ounces, and can be used as intended, or for perhaps catching some water from rain or a condensation run off.

Cash.

Small Notepad and Pencil.

Lastly, I am considering adding an ultra lightweight backpackers 2 person tent in each adult bag, rather than trying to hunker down under a tarp shelter.

Note: I do have an EDC which includes emergency survival cards, an altoids tin with small handibits (like safety pins, fish hooks a small Firestarter), a credit card Fresnel lens, and such.
Some good advice from Graywolfsurvival on creating a bug out bag:

To Do:

  1. Start with a weight goal limit.
  2. Lay out all the stuff you have in your bug out gear.
  3. Organize everything by its use. Some things will have multiple uses.
  4. List everything in a spreadsheet that you can put a mark on different uses, along with each item’s weight. The categories will depend on exactly what you have and how you want to organize it. Here’s one way to do it:
    • Cargo
    • Cutting
    • Fire
    • Water
    • Shelter/Clothing
    • Food Prep
    • Food Acquisition
    • Signal/Communication
    • Light
    • Medical
    • Navigation
    • Tools/Construction
    • Hygiene
    • Power
    • Offense/Defense
  5. Fill in the missing pieces that you need to make sure you have adequate backups.
  6. Weigh each and every thing you have in your pack.
  7. Look at how far off you are with your weight goal and start removing items.
  8. Go back to #2 above; rinse and repeat.

Having a weight goal really helps you focus on what you really need and what you don’t.

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My pantry finally cleaned out

These first two are before.img_1349 img_1350

These are after I’d pulled out all the things that should be stored elsewhere.

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This is where I am now.  I discovered that I have a lot more processed crap than I thought I did.  I don’t prepare so much processed junk on a daily basis.  Some of it has been in there a long time.  I realize food can be good after the expiration, but I had 10 years past the expiration date on a couple grocery bags full of stuff that is gone now.

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So much more room for storing stuff.  I do store potatoes and onions and fresh fruit and squash and things in a different place.  I may use those carts in the back for that now.  Or I may move them and use that 3’x4′ space forfood grade buckets when I get to that point.

This isn’t all my food on hand.  This is really the storage pantry.  Stuff I use every day is more accessible to the stove.  Baking supplies, cereal, fats and oils, spices and seasonings, unrefrigerated condiments, nut spreads, jams, and honey, breads, along with the root veggies and such I mentioned above are all in cupboards and countertop storage containers for easy access.