Top Ten Things To Stock...

Hmmm...Ok, this popped up on my homeschool blog instead of here.  Guess I had too many windows opened up trying to move things around.

This is from the Self Reliant Moms forum...good starter list.

Ten Items to stock up in your pantry plus Water storage by FEMA and the Mormon food storage system.  We are not endorsing the Mormon's religious beliefs but recognition of their ways of storage is helpful to our cause.

FOOD STORAGE CALCULATOR:  http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm

Here is a good list to start your 3 Month Supply List: http://everydayfoodstorage.net/handouts/pantry.pdf

Many of us will have to stock up little by little, so start small and try to gradually have enough for a 3 month supply.  In the end, you should have enough to last you and your family an entire year.  This is just to help you get started, every family has individual needs, so to help you calculate your food storage needs, please refer to the Food Storage Calculator above.   

1. 25 lbs flour
2. 25 lbs cornmeal
3. 25 lbs sugar
4. 25 lbs rice
5. 25 lbs dry beans
6. 5 boxes dry milk
7. 5 boxes tea, coffee, kool aid, etc.
8. 5 boxes pasta
9. Powdered eggs if no chickens
10. Medications for everyone in the family.  Prescriptions can now be bought in 3 month supplies at Walmart and Sears.

Other items you can stock up on are MREs (military meals ready to eat), freeze dried foods and other bulk foods will last up to 20-30 years.  We offer links on the left-hand side of the main page for online stores to purchase these goods.  You can also search for freeze dried and MREs to find the best deal.  The links we have may not have the best deal and you may be able to find others if you do a search.

Make sure you have personal products.  Sometimes we do not think of this, but soap, shampoo and conditioner, diapers, and baby wipes are great for a quick clean up.  In our Health Solutions, we offer patterns for diapers, feminine pads, etc. that will be helpful if we are in need of them.

The Mormon Ways of Bulk Storage is a good place to being with your storage questions and gives you a great start.  You begin by buying the foods you use the most to the least.

Drinking water storage by Provident Living Home

Water Storage by FEMA:

Water

• How Much Water do I Need?
• How Should I Store Water?
• If You are Preparing Your Own Containers of Water
• Filling Water Containers

How Much Water do I Need?

You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.
Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:

• Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.
• Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water.
• Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed.
• A medical emergency might require additional water.

How Should I Store Water?

To prepare safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it.
Observe the expiration or “use by” date.

If You are Preparing Your Own Containers of Water

It is recommended you purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage. Before filling with water, thoroughly clean the containers with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Follow directions below on filling the container with water.
If you choose to use your own storage containers, choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy.
If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps
Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap.Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

Filling Water Containers

Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water. Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.