Survival Tip #1

1. Stock water and nonperishable food

How much water do you have in your house right now if your municipal water supply (or electric well pump) is interrupted? You need to stock an emergency water supply, but (and this is your water contingency) you also need the means to get more water when that runs out. Locate nearby water sources, preferably running water such as springs and creeks, and get a good filter. The Big Berkey system is the one I use. You can literally put pesticide-contaminated pond water into the system and drink the output. It will filter up to 3.5 gallons per hour, plenty for a large family, and it’s available from the SNO Store through Amazon — it’s one of the first things I bought when I began serious survival planning for my family. That was ten years ago, and we’re still using ours.

Consider switching permanently to an off-grid water supply. Municipal water systems can become contaminated with sewage or are sometimes treated with toxic levels of chlorine. Drinking that stuff year after year has got to be bad for you. Test your well or spring. Install a slow sand filtration system if you need to.

Now as to the food. It amazes me how many people have only enough food to last a couple of days, and no way to salvage what’s in their refrigerator and freezer if they lose power. How much should you store?  You need to think of this as a two-stage process.

1. Immediate, life-saving food. This would be simply what’s needed to keep you alive and functional. You need to keep your body fueled so you can improve your situation. This is the minimal amount of food you keep in the car in case you get stranded, or in your everyday carry bag in case you can’t get home that evening. Energy is the real issue here, not a healthy balanced diet. Think calories. Power bars. Meat sticks. Peanut-butter crackers. Canned beef stew (be sure your multi-tool has a can opener). Yes, I’m talking about those processed foods full of nasty preservatives and who-knows-what-else. But we’re concerned about survival. Contingency: store two can openers in separate locations, e.g. your everyday carry bag and your vehicle.

2. Long-term sustenance. Here we are more concerned with maintaining (1) morale and (2) long-term health and physical performance. In the stress of an emergency situation, your body must be supplied with rich, well-balanced, naturally wholesome foods in order to fend off illness. This requires more intricate planning, so here we go.

The US department of agriculture estimates that the average American eats just less than 5 lbs. of food per day. This is the processed weight, which means that if you eat a pound of soup, the water in the soup counts as part of the five-pound total for the day. Thus, you wouldn’t need five pounds of dry beans per person per day. You’ll need about five pounds of food as it weighs when it is served. To really drill down and get this right you’ll need to determine this based on, yes, practice. However, remember that I said you should get something in place right away, even if it’s not the perfect plan. You can improve it once you’ve covered the bases.

Food supplies should be comprised of canned and dry goods. Variety is not important if you’re concerned strictly with surviving, but it’s critical for morale. I think of it as the difference between thriving and merely surviving. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cave with a bunch of people eating nothing but beans and rice for several weeks!

We have a good stock of beans and rice stored in sealed buckets, but we also have pasta, canned tomatoes, canned salmon, tuna, and mackerel. The salmon and mackerel are important because they are fatty fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and the tuna is just a tasty, protein-rich nutritious treat. Contrary to the propaganda you’ve heard for the last thirty years, a diet rich in the right fats is good for health and keeping your weight down. Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, fatty vegetables like avocados and olives, non-homogenized dairy products (e.g. raw milk), and extra-virgin oils like olive and coconut oils are actually good for you.

We also have pickled vegetables — beets, turnips, onions, and cucumbers. Pickled vegetables will keep longer without refrigeration after opening the container. Canned and pickled items should provide enough dietary salt to keep you in good shape, but you should store salt for seasoning and food preservation (e.g. jerky).

Keep canning supplies on hand. If the power goes off for an extended period, you’ll need to cook and can the contents of your freezer. Properly canned meat will keep for years.

So now the question you’ve been wondering — how many days should you plan for? If your main concern is occasional power outages or flooding that would temporarily block your access to a grocery store, consider a 3 to 5-day supply. If you want to prepare for self-sufficiency through the entire winter and until your spring garden begins to produce, then depending on your climate you should plan for 3 to 6 months. It’s up to you.

Contingencies: Store 20% more than you think you need; prepare a backup stash of food and water in a second secure location such as an outbuilding, a cave, or even a friendly neighbor’s house (with permission!).

Proceed to Survival Tip #2