Today’s Back to Survival School Lesson – Get an Emergency Food Stockpile

Many of our children and grandchildren are heading back to school. There’s no reason why we can’t as well. But for us, it’s survival school.

You’re never too old to learn. Especially about acquiring an emergency food stockpile. Basically, there are two ways to do it.

One is to go the quick and easy route. Purchase a ready-made solution of good-tasting, nutritious, and long-lasting food with great variety.

The other option is turning this into a do-it-yourself project. Handle the logistics yourself and build your supply over time.

For Lesson 1, let’s take a look at the advantages of both.

Done for you

There are many advantages to acquiring a stockpile of healthy food with a long shelf life. First is saving time. Do your research and make your decision.

If you were to put together your own emergency food supply? The number of hours you would have to spend would be rather daunting.

A second advantage is variety. None of us knows how long a crisis might last. A starving person would be willing to eat the same thing repeatedly to stay alive.

But there’s no reason why you and your family should do that. A premade food supply will include many different options.

A third advantage is taste. A premade supply will take taste into consideration. But you’d have to stockpile wisely to ensure you’re including all the non-perishable food your family will enjoy eating.

A fourth advantage is nutrition. Important nutrients are built into a premade stockpile of food. But you will have to read labels carefully to put your own supply together. Otherwise, your family won’t have everything they need to stay healthy during a crisis.

A fifth advantage is shelf life. Nearly all the moisture is removed from a premade emergency food supply. That’s thanks to dehydration and freeze-drying techniques. They ensure your food will last a long time.  

Chances are, most of the food you stockpile for a crisis will not last nearly that long. Even if it’s loaded with preservatives. That means keeping an eye on expiration dates. And rotating food regularly.

A sixth advantage is packaging. With a premade supply, the food should be protected in space-age Mylar pouches. They keep out heat, light, air, and moisture. Plus critters that may wander around your storage area.

Do it yourself

One advantage to assembling your own stockpile of food may be cost. You can watch for sales and stock up on necessary items when you see them offered at lower prices.

Shop sales, use coupons, and buy in bulk. Choose discount stories and watch for online deals. Select store brands rather than name brands. You know the drill.

But the downside here is this. These foods will usually only last a fraction of the time dehydrated and freeze-dried foods will. So, you’ll have to keep buying them and rotating them out.

After 5, 10, or 15 years, you will have spent much more than had you purchased a ready-made solution.

The DIY strategy does offer the advantage of choice. Everything you put into your DIY survival food stockpile will be items you know your family will enjoy. You can customize your supply with items your family likes and avoid items they don’t.

A third DIY advantage could be family involvement. The purchase of a premade emergency food supply usually involves little more than some research. And then pushing a button on a computer screen.

The DIY solution allows the entire family to participate in making selections. As well as purchasing and storing the food. And keeping an eye on expiration dates and rotating items out.

Conclusion

A ready-made solution has many advantages over the DIY method. Including saving you time and effort.

Plus ensuring you get the variety of nutrients you need. And saving the money you’d have to spend on special equipment and preservation methods.

You will also benefit from rigorous safety and quality control measures that go into compiling a survival food kit. You can even get specialized products. Like gluten-free and low-sodium items.

Regardless of whether you choose a ready-made solution to stockpiling food for an emergency or do it yourself, you can go at your own pace.

Are you on a budget like most of us? Work on putting together a 72-hour supply for each household member. Then take a break. Next, extend your food supplies to a week.

Your next goal should be a month. Then three months and then a year. As previously mentioned, we don’t know how long a crisis will last.

What we do know is that extreme weather is getting more frequent and more intense. Add to that a volatile election season. Plus civil unrest and natural disasters. That’s a recipe for supply chain problems, food shortages, and rising prices.

Only you can determine which solution is best for you and your family. But if you decide to go the ready-made solution, we at 4Patriots have you covered.