Chapter 1 – Preparation

 

Things To Consider Before You Start Stockpiling

Any SHTF stockpile must start with the basics.  Common-sense dictates that nobody can survive for long without access to food and water.  Good prepping is always informed by the practical application of good common-sense.  For this reason, you should start your SHTF stockpile by first concentrating on ensuring you have access to food and water. 

 

The obvious course of action is to go out and start stocking up on the most important food stuffs.  There is something deeply rewarding about hoarding food.  There is a basic instinct behind it because food is a fundamental human need.   It feels reassuring. By storing food and ensuring you and your family can access it in the worst possible situation we are taking steps to protect ourselves from future uncertainty.

 

 

Although this is certainly necessary, it is very important that before you do this, you carefully prepare your food store.  Stocking up with items is the easy part.  What is crucial is ensuring they are going to be stored in the right place, in the right order so that they provide nutrition for your family for the longest possible time.  Many preppers have wasted valuable time and resources by stocking up with the right items, but storing them in such a way that they will be useless in the emergency they are preparing for. 

 

Before you start stockpiling food, as yourself a few questions to ensure you are going about it in the correct way. 

 

Once you have a clear answer to these questions it will help you to prepare you stockpile more efficiently and effectively. 

 

Have A Plan For How To Use Your Stockpile

It is vital to have a plan for how you are going to use your food store before you start to stockpile it.   The plan comes first then the stockpiling. 

 

Serious preppers take the time to develop a thorough plan of how to use the food and water they stockpile.  The plan should be long-term and clearly divided into phases and must set out how you intend to use your resources.  Stockpiled resources become effective resources when they are used in a timely and organized manner. 

 

 

Of the utmost importance is knowing exactly how long your resources are going to last.   This takes careful planning, awareness of your needs and some trail and error.  You will also need to be keenly aware of the expiration dates of you food you stockpile as this will dictate how you use your store.

 

Next, you need to consider the way that your food will actually be used once the SHTF.  Inexperienced preppers make the mistake of stockpiling food that, when the SHTF, they are actually not able to eat.

 

 

It is vital to be aware that your stockpile of food is not simply a matter of storing as much content as possible.  All your stockpile items, including foods, are tools for you to use when the SHTF.  Like any tool, what matter is that you know how to use it.  And when the SHTF, you need to use it under pressure. 

 

Being able to use your stockpile as a tool for survival is much easier if you divide it into phases of use.  Experienced preppers organize their food stockpiles for the short, medium and long-term use. 

 

 

This division allows you to organize your stockpile more efficiently.  As a general guide, you should expect your short-term stockpile to supply you with food and water in the first six months after the SHTF.  Your medium-term supply should supply you for up to about a year after the SHTF.  The idea of the long-term is supply is to keep you and your family going indefinitely.  

 

ITEM #1 - INVENTORY FILES & NOTEBOOKS

Bookkeeping may not be the first things you think about when you think about prepping, and it may not be to every survivalist's liking. But it is essential to know what you have at any moment in time and, more importantly, what you have left. Keeping an accurate inventory is about acquiring the habit, and it is best to start this before the SHTF.  The most useful inventories include things like the exact quantities of items, any instructions for use, storage dates, and, of course, expiration date. You can also make a record directly on the items in your food store with a permanent marker, though this can create a problem if you hope to reuse containers. 

 

If you do start the habit straight away, the inventory will start build up a record of the food your family uses – what type, how much and when – this can be invaluable information for planning items to stockpile in  the future and show you exactly how long your food stockpile is likely to last. 

 

Remember, it is no good relying on computer programs to do this digitally – all this information will be lost in the event of a power outage.  Instead, there are now a number of companies that supply inventory lists with the standard SHTF stockpile items already printed on.  However, you may prefer blank lists to be adapted to your own requirements.

 

While we are talking about old-fashioned writing with a paper and pencil, make a point of stockpiling some small notebooks.  In an emergency you will find they are essential for making lists, leaving notes or messages or giving instructions.  And make sure you do have pencils not pens.  Pens will only run out when you really need them.

 

Your food stockpile is a tool designed to keep you alive, not only for the first six months after SHTF, but well into the future.  It can only do this if, firstly, it is part of your wider survival plan, secondly, the place you choose to keep your stockpile is appropriate and, lastly, if you maintain it.  Your food stockpile will look after you, if you first look after it.

 

Always makes sure your stockpile is cool and dry.  Food should be stored at between 40 and 72 degrees.  As soon as the temperature goes above this, food begins to lose its flavor, appearance and texture.  Keeping your store dry is crucial as any moisture can cause food to spoil.   Moisture builds up on the outside walls and floors, so be wary of storing food directly on the ground or touching exterior walls.   Exposure to light can also damage food's appearance and flavor.  You need to stockpile your food where there are no windows, or where the windows can be blocked. 

 

 

ITEM #2 - AN AIR-CONDITIONER OR DEHUMIDIFIER

The second items has some obvious disadvantages that may make you pause a moment.  They are big and bulky, and, of course, they need electricity.  But despite this, it might just be worth fitting one in your food stockpile, because they serve that most essential of purposes - preventing moisture from accumulating. Food preservation is dependent on keeping your food bacteria-free. Bacteria breeds in water, so if you can prevent moisture from building up, you prevent bacteria.  

 

ITEM #3 - AIR-TIGHT, RESEALABLE CONTAINERS

Food needs to be stored in clearly labeled plastic containers with securely fastened lids. Once you have opened the sealed packets of products such as cookies, sugar, dried fruits, or nuts, then they should be transferred to your air-tight containers. 

 

These air-tight containers are required to prevent both moisture and getting in.  Imagine how you would feel if you have spent months, maybe even years, diligently preparing your food stockpile, but when the SHTF you discover it has been ruined by substandard or inappropriate containers. 

 

 

It is imperative that you protect your food stockpile against the threat of moisture, bacteria, insects and rodents.  You do not want your stockpile to only help your household pests to survive.

 

The right type of container is now both easily available and cheap, so this really shouldn't be a problem.  However, be careful when opening and closing resealable containers.  Moisture is a devious enemy and quick to spot an opportunity, so always seal containers tightly after each use.

 

 

ITEM #4 - FOOD-GRADE BUCKETS

Containers come in all shapes and sizes, but it is worth looking out for food-grade buckets.  They are large, easy to stack and inexpensive.  They can be found in the painting aisles in many large stores and only cost around $4.

 

ITEM #5 - CLEANING PRODUCTS

Moisture is one enemy to keep out your food stockpile, mess is another.  Drops of food, crumbs and spillages can attract rodents, bugs and all manner of pests.  To keep them out, you need to keep the cleaning products that keep your store clean.  You will also need to store cleaning products to ensure your food preparation is as hygienic as possible.  When the SHTF picking up a stomach bug could be a serious business.     

 

The Question Of Quantity

When people begin prepping, the question they inevitably come to ask is, 'how much?'  The quantity of your stockpiled items really depends on the space you have to store them and your available resources.  This guide gives you the top 55 items, but it doesn't dictate how many of these items you will need.  For some of them only one is necessary. 

 

For others, it is clear that possessing more will give you an advantage.  This guide emphasizes the importance of 'prepping smart' – making a robust survival plan, choosing exactly the right items to stockpile, storing them in the right way, etc.  However, the unavoidable fact is that quantity matters - the more you are able to stockpile the better position you put yourself in.

 

When choosing a location for your stockpile this means that size also matters.  A bigger space will enable you to stockpile more of each item.  An unlimited space for our stockpile would be wonderful, but every stockpile is going to be constrained by the physical space available. Always try to make the most of the space you have available through effective organization and efficient storage. 

 

 

Tailor Your Stockpile To The Needs Of Your Family

The items recommended here for your food stockpile have been chosen because they represent the longest-lasting, most nutrient rich foods available.  However, it is worth bearing this in mind – your food stockpile will be used to keep your family alive for the weeks, months and possibly years after SHTF.  

 

The food in this list has been shown to provide the carbs, protein and vitamins you need to survive.  But food is not only about nutrition.  A stockpile of food will be something that makes your family feel confident and secure in a world where chaos and disruption may be the norm.  Is there really any point stockpiling huge quantities of food that you know your family doesn't like?  You must stockpile those things that will be of most use to you. 

 

 

Here are a few other considerations to take into account once you start stockpiling. 

 

 

 

ITEM #6 - BASIC FOOD PREPARATION EQUIPMENT

It doesn't matter how much food you manage to store, if you don't have the basic items needed to prepare it.  In a SHTF situation, this means being able to prepare food without mains electricity.  Your basic food preparation equipment should include firewood, charcoal, lighter fuel etc. 

 

BIC lighters are invaluable.  Being able to light a fire is essential and the classic BIC lighter is about the easiest way to do it.  No need to worry about flint or rubbing two sticks together when you have a BIC lighter in your pocket.  Not only that, once the SHTF, lighters and matches will be extremely valuable and easy to trade.

 

You should also have a good stock of candles in all shapes and sizes. Not only will these be helpful in heating food, but they will also provide light (see Chapter 5).

 

ITEM #7 - A PORTABLE STOVE & A DUTCH OVEN

A portable camp stove, with a full supply of gas canisters is a fundamental item for anyone prepping for when the SHTF.  It would be completely crazy not to make sure you have at least one of these items in your stockpile.  A Dutch oven is not an alternative, but something that could be considered to supplement your camp stove.   Dutch ovens are extremely versatile and provide you with the capacity to bake.

 

As with all your food preparation equipment, make sure you know how to operate this it and be certain it is in good working order by using it regularly.

 

ITEM #8 - A HAND MILL

When stockpiling food items for when the SHTF, many preppers choose to store whole grain.  It is understandable, because as well as being high in nutrients and a flexible food, whole grains can be stored for the long-term. Unfortunately, many preppers forget that whole grain wheat needs to be milled.  So be certain that one of the items you stockpile is a hand mill. It needs to be manually-operated, allowing you to grind your flour even when there is no power.  

 

ITEM #9 - MULTI-VITAMINS

As we all know, vitamins are not a food, and they should not be used as a substitute for food, but they are a great item to stockpile.  It is much better to get all your nutrition from naturally occurring foods.  However, when the SHTF that might not be an option.  We know we have to concentrate on stockpiling food that contains protein and carbs in order to keep us going, but that may mean we miss out on certain elements. 

 

It is also likely that after the SHTF it will be much more difficult to get hold of fresh fruit and vegetables which will mean we may need other supplies of vitamin C.  We should also consider the possibility of being without sunlight, either because the sun is blocked, or we are forced to stay inside.  In this case, vitamin D supplements will be necessary.  Remember to also stockpile supplementary calcium, magnesium and zinc.

 

ITEM #10 - SEEDS

Stockpiling seeds is one for those thinking of survival a long time after the SHTF.  This is because we are not storing them to eat but to keep as a seed bank.  If you have access to land or a hothouse these seeds can be used to plant your own crops, when the time is right.

 

ITEM #11 - A DISH PAN

A dish pan is perhaps the ultimate preppers practical item.  It has so many uses and is one of those items you are likely to use every single day in a survival situation.  You can use it in food preparation, but also as a wash basin for hands and face, for washing dishes, clothes and a thousand other things.

 

ITEM #12 - BAGS

You will need to stockpile bags, and all kinds of different bags will come in useful and not just in food preparation.

 

Heavy Duty Trash Bags are a great item.  They are tough enough for a variety of uses and are necessary for waste disposal and sanitation.  The fact they are waterproof is a real advantage.   

 

Your standard cloth grocery tote bags will also come in handy. They are fantastic for holding and carrying all kinds of supplies, and will have all sorts of other uses you can't even imagine until the situation arises. 

 

Ziploc Bags (heavy duty freezer bags witch can be securely fastened) are great for storing your food items.  They can also be used for organizing items and keeping them moisture-free.  You can use them to store first-aid equipment, to keep things clean and even carry water.  

 

Any bag can be more securely fastened by using cable zip ties.  You can also use them to tie together just about anything. 

 

ITEM #13 – ALUMINIUM FOIL

Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil is ideal for wrapping food to keep it fresh.  It is also  fantastic for cooking food on a fire and has a whole range of other great uses.

 

ITEM #14 – CAN OPENER

Imagine you stockpile all the canned food you need to see your family through a SHTF disaster, how would you feel if you found you couldn't open them?  You will need a can opener and it should be a manual one too.  You will probably need more than one.  And you will certainly need to know where they are. 

 

ITEM #15 – PAPER PLATES

When water and electricity become scarce it will be very convenient to know you have a supply of disposable equipment.  A short-term need can be easily met with  paper plates, plastic utensils and disposable drinking cups.