For your bug out bag, Mountain house is decent stuff. I think you can buy it on line for a bit less and get a beter selection though. For your home, I really suggest that you follow a method called "store what you eat and eat what you store"...your family will thank you and your budget will thank you. Once you have about a 3 month supply, you can start adding longer term stuff.

In Pm you sent you bought some good stuff. Your on the right track. The way you are doing it by just jumping in there with both feet trying to learn as fast as you can and going right out and getting your bob together is good as far as your mess kit that you bought a army surplus 1 qt canteen in pouch with canteen cup fits right in cuts down on weight and room you take up for all $8 at army surplus just be sure to bleach it keep up the good work

Herbalpagan wrote:For your bug out bag, Mountain house is decent stuff. I think you can buy it on line for a bit less and get a beter selection though. For your home, I really suggest that you follow a method called "store what you eat and eat what you store"...your family will thank you and your budget will thank you. Once you have about a 3 month supply, you can start adding longer term stuff.

My problem with "store what you eat and eat what you store", is we eat mostly fresh foods.

Sarge wrote: "My problem with "store what you eat and eat what you store" is we eat mostly fresh foods."

LOL

That's Mrs Bid's main complaint too.
O.K. if youve got a decent veggie garden, though that's not always possible for some folk.

Seeds for gardening,
heirloomseeds.com
seedsavers.org

lumpy39us wrote:Seeds for gardening,
heirloomseeds.com
seedsavers.org

Thats good too, also look in to canning (Maybe someone can write up a HOW TO on canning?)
Dehydrating food.

MOST IMPORTANT !! I remember you said you never really camped or anything much, LEARN how to use the things you bought. Just cause you got alot of neat new things does not mean it is going to help you if you do not know how to use them.

As for LONG TERM storage foods like MH= Mountain House, Life boat rations, MRE's etc...
I would definitely look around and read some about them and maybe even try some one day.

Water is very important always remember this as well..

As a side note on MRE's. I have 2 different storage styles. First is in my "gotta run" bag, I open all the MRE's up and put only the important food in saving weight. Second is the bug in/carrying on ATV or truck bag which I leave them complete since weight really isn't an issue. If your not used to carrying a pack try hauling a 30lb pack around the house for a few hrs, your be thinking about how to shave off ounces rather quickly. I keep my packs all at 30lbs, backpacking, hunting or just on a day trip simply so I stay accustomed to the weight. I've learned what I need and don't need. On a typical backpack trip a 30lb pack will keep me in good shape for about 5 days, if I didn't eat 3 meals and supplemented with game I could probably make that last at worst 15 days.

I have an update on preparations items I have recently purchased is Gerber utlity pack, Galil assault rifle, springfield xd, and just odds and ends for bob like medical kit and surplus socks and desert boots like the army uses

Good start.....keep it up. Spend a bit at a time, it will come. Remember- the most important thing is knowledge.

let me know about that galil its rally a modified AK I ve heard good and bad things about it. Looks like you are really gettin on the ball good job. Sarge said it best knowledge is everthing. You can have all the equipment in the world but you got to know how to put it to use. I am pulling for ya we are all in this together