I was recently asked to review an upcoming book by Kurt Schlicter called American Warlord (sorry – no spoilers here) and it got me thinking again about food storage.
And he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it.
Genesis 41:48
This is usually where everyone argues about freeze-dried versus dehydrated, canned goods, or how many “years of food” to store. First, “years” is a weird way to think about food. Calories is a better way, as is nutrients. Trading protein for salt is not a long term solution.
If I build a stockpile of food, it isn’t exactly portable and I can’t run with it if I am forced to evacuate. I will leave that behind, presumably for whoever comes along and finds it. That is “no bueno”. Even if all my food is portable in size, I can’t carry enough for more than a couple of weeks realistically.
Most people severely unjder-estimate caloric needs in a survival situation. In any crisis, whether it’s a hurricane or a complete collapse of society, you will be spending more calories than you are used to, increasing your caloric need. Most people plan to live on REDUCED calories, when the truth is they will be spending and thus needing more calories as they transition from a comfortable modern life to a foot-mobile one.
When I bring this up in our patrolling classes, there is always some tough guy saying “for a three day patrol, I just won’t carry any food.” OK, tough guy, but on days 2 and 3, you won’t be thinking as clearly and won’t be as alert or physically capable of fighting after even mild exertion. Carry food, always.
Rather than trying to stockpile food, work on your ability to produce fresh, unprocessed foods. Learn how to grow things. Look, if AOC can do it, YOU certainly can. Plant seeds, water and weed, and you will reap a harvest. Over plant – they won’t all survive and if they do, you’ll have extra food, OH DARN. Learn what plants, berries, and mushrooms in your area are edible.
The next thing to learn is how to hunt and fish. Fresh, unprocessed protein will help with all sorts of ailments.
A little known fact is how “Salisbury Steak” came to be a thing. During the Civil War, both armies survived by foraging, which meant mostly vegetables. Union soldiers became sickly and casualty rates from illness skyrocketed. Union Army Dr. Salisbury began prescribing a diet of “minced beef & water (gravy)” to sick soldiers. They bounced back quickly and Salisbury Steak became a common medical treatment. However, once pharmaceuticals came around, Big Pharma put an end to Salisbury Steak as a medical treatment.
Learning to hunt game will improve your fieldcraft and shooting skills. Learning archery is fun and it gives you a silent option. I also enjoy using a slingshot, because inside, I’m just a 12 year old boy.
Fishing is the same way. Nearly every body of water has some type of fish (except the aptly-named Dead Sea). A good rule of thumb is that if you see ducks on it, there are fish. Note: I said ducks, not geese. Geese are dumb creatures who stand around everywhere for no reason. Learn to fish and carry a break-down fishing pole.
Learning about traps and snares, as well as fish traps and trot lines can help you produce protein passively. You set them up, and just check them periodically. If you don’t check them, you may be feeding the local predators (both 4 and 2 legged).
When learning to hunt and fish, don’t neglect learning to skin and clean game. During one of our Winter Survival classes last year, we had an impromptu deer processing class and the students loved learning this new skill. We allow anyone who wants to learn to come to the meat processing room here at Camp Ponderosa during deer and elk season and observe the absolute master of meat processing, Yogi (our camp butcher), at work. He’s a great instructor and leaves zero waste on any animal. He’ll be teaching at Mountain Readiness West here at Camp Ponderosa.
Now that I mention it, join us July 24-26 here at Camp Ponderosa is gorgeous Swan Lake, Montana for Mountain Readiness West. There will be intructors, vendors, and classes on all types of preparedness, homesteading, and combat arts topics. You can camp right here in my yard.
As far as stored food, start with 14 days of “portable” food (mountain house-type, canned, SPAM singles, Tuna, etc). After that, develop a storage system for enough food to keep you fed through one growing season. Remember, you can never store enough food to feed you permanently. Rotate your stock and pay attention to expiration dates. While most expiration dates mean absolutely nothing as long as the container is sealed, they are still a good guide.
As far Schlicter’s book, American Warlord: I recommend it. It’s the tale of a common man thrust not only into a survival situation, but also a leadership position and the lessons he learns along the way can help you.
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