Trigger Mike Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I like to read all the post about how to get ready for zombies etc, but one thing I do not see is how to keep regrigerated food or already cooked food from spoiling. Let's assume it all goes to seed tonight, we all have uncooked meat, milk, juice etc in the fridge and freezer. It would be a shame to lose it all the first day. One solution I have is I have frozen some water in wine bottles, and plastic juice bottles etc. I figure they can thaw while keeping food cold to give me time to cook and eat it as needed. I have a coleman camp stove in case gas and electricity are both gone and my grill is useless. I also have charcoal on hand for a real grill. Suppose the air is contaminated with a dirty nuke from a terrorist, no going outside to the grill then. Still the frozen water will only keep so long in a good cooler or the freezer without power. Dry ice packs may prolong their stay. An electric cooler that plugs into your car cigerette lighter would help, but after a while it will drain the battery so you need to waste gas keeping the battery charged to keep the food cold. You could always use your wife's car as she just stays home anyway and should be full of gas(we hope). Save the truck gas for leaving town if you have to. Once the water thaws, drink it first and save the other water for last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I like to read all the post about how to get ready for zombies etc, but one thing I do not see is how to keep regrigerated food or already cooked food from spoiling. Let's assume it all goes to seed tonight, we all have uncooked meat, milk, juice etc in the fridge and freezer. It would be a shame to lose it all the first day. One solution I have is I have frozen some water in wine bottles, and plastic juice bottles etc. I figure they can thaw while keeping food cold to give me time to cook and eat it as needed. I have a coleman camp stove in case gas and electricity are both gone and my grill is useless. I also have charcoal on hand for a real grill. Suppose the air is contaminated with a dirty nuke from a terrorist, no going outside to the grill then. Still the frozen water will only keep so long in a good cooler or the freezer without power. Dry ice packs may prolong their stay. An electric cooler that plugs into your car cigerette lighter would help, but after a while it will drain the battery so you need to waste gas keeping the battery charged to keep the food cold. You could always use your wife's car as she just stays home anyway and should be full of gas(we hope). Save the truck gas for leaving town if you have to. Once the water thaws, drink it first and save the other water for last. Well, I have a generator that could run the fridge for a while, but you know, the neighbors would hear it, and they'd start coming over to my house for supper, so it'd all disappear. Basically, I tend to think that frozen stuff in the freezer may last through a period when supplies for them may be hard to come by for a time, but not when everything has gone to he** and the electricity is out. I'd tend to stock water, long-term canned good fruits/veg's/meats, and dried foods that can last a long time like crackers, died fruits, pasta, etc. It's easy to stock foods that will last a year or so, I think, or longer, depending. I think water may be harder to get and keep, because we need so much of it, more than food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apache Hawk 60642 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I have got far more MRE's than I can eat. And if push comes to shove, der's plenty of strays around here to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Phil Peeno #50923 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Frozen water jugs is a staple for my hunting trips. 1/2 milk jugs, 2 litter coke and empty bottles of jack are great container for frozen water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack Saddle Slim, SASS #73122 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Frozen water jugs are definitely the way to go. Before we got our big generator, we had a power outage for one full week. We had several jugs full of ice out in the deep freeze, so I figured if my great-grandma could keep her food fresh with an "ice box," so could I. It sure did the trick. As the ice melted, we would drink the water and grab another jug of ice from the freezer and stick it in the fridge. We were surprised how long things stay frozen in the deep freeze if you refrain from opening the lid a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashpowder Hal Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Well, I have a generator that could run the fridge for a while, but you know, the neighbors would hear it, and they'd start coming over to my house for supper, so it'd all disappear. Basically, I tend to think that frozen stuff in the freezer may last through a period when supplies for them may be hard to come by for a time, but not when everything has gone to he** and the electricity is out. I'd tend to stock water, long-term canned good fruits/veg's/meats, and dried foods that can last a long time like crackers, died fruits, pasta, etc. It's easy to stock foods that will last a year or so, I think, or longer, depending. I think water may be harder to get and keep, because we need so much of it, more than food. Most canned foods are "edible" far past their expiration date, they just start losing nutritional value. Freeze dried #10 cans can last 10 - 25 years. You can vacuum pack rice & beans, put them in 5 gal buckets and they last many years too. Attach a cistern to your roof down-spouts to catch water (then filter before drinking it. The stuff in your freezer/fridge will only be good about a week. You need Long-Term storage goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodine Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Better learn to smoke meat and dig an ice cellar, cut ice from the pond, creek, lake, whatever your local water source in winter, stack in the ice cellar and cover with straw or sawdust if you have access to it. Build a spring house if you have a spring on your place. Generators eventually run outta fuel, and ice only lasts so long in jugs. A month is about tops, then how ya gonna make more ice? Learn to cure and smoke meats and "canning" meats, fruit and vegetables is the best thing if you're wanting to "prepare" for apocolyptic events though. Grew up on old-school farm with my great grandparents and grandparents, so this was everyday living for them. Also, get yourself some good ready laying hens. Eggs will keep you from starving to death. Bodine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Don't open the fridge and freezer doors, they'll stay cold longer. There is a paper on the FDA website about useability of food that has been in a freezer and thawed and refrozen. It's ok if it only partially thawed. It's not ok if you had it on a kitchen counter to thaw and then want to refreeze it. The Gov't said it, it must be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodine Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Another important item to have is a well-bucket. If there is no power, potable water is gonna be a problem. I have my own well but without electricity the pump don't work. So, I have a home-made well bucket to use in case of long-term outages. I made it from 3" PVC, put a cap on the bottom, bored two 1" holes in the cap with a hole saw, drill a 1/4" hole in the center for a stick of all-thread, cut a circle of rubber inner-tube for a flap inside, made a strap out of some sheet metal for the top with another 1/4" hole for the other end of the all thread (top), got a washer and welded it to the top of the all thread rod. Flap is held down by nuts and washers at the bottom and keeps everything in place. Top strap is screwed to the sides of the 3" PVC centered. It is 30" tall. I have 300' of parachute cord for tying to the washer on top. It operates by removing the well pipe, wire and pump from the case pipe (most are 4" diameter), then drop the well bucket down the tube. When the well bucket hits the water it fills up through the 1" holes in the bottom. Then when you lift it the rubber flap seals the bottom with the weight of the water and you get about 2 1/2 gallons each time you repeat the process. Your hillbilly survival tip of the day. Bodine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickahominy Charlie Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 My house was the "shower point" for all the neighbors during our last hurricane (Ike). They are all on the municipal water district, but my home still has its well. I simply rigged up the generator used for the RV to the pump and viola!...water. The water/electricity was out for 8 days, but we didn't smell bad, at least. The biggest deal was making sure that when the generator wasn't running the water pump (hooked it back up to the RV for air-conditioning -- spelled "Ahhhhhh"), I needed to make sure that I kept prime on the well. Just in case, I had a bunch of "back-up" water in an old plastic trash can (yes, I cleaned it out) to re-prime the well. PITA, but it worked fine. Chick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 I saw an episode on the Outdoor channel's "Best Defense" that said ya got at least a 50 gal. water tank. Drain it and boil the water and ya got enough for awhile anyways. Pretty good idea huh? Rye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 I saw an episode on the Outdoor channel's "Best Defense" that said ya got at least a 50 gal. water tank. Drain it and boil the water and ya got enough for awhile anyways. Pretty good idea huh? Rye why would you have to boil the water in the water tank? It was clean when it came in, unless contaminated by a bio threat or something right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apache Hawk 60642 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Better learn to smoke meat and dig an ice cellar, cut ice from the pond, creek, lake, whatever your local water source in winter, stack in the ice cellar and cover with straw or sawdust if you have access to it. Build a spring house if you have a spring on your place. Generators eventually run outta fuel, and ice only lasts so long in jugs. A month is about tops, then how ya gonna make more ice? Learn to cure and smoke meats and "canning" meats, fruit and vegetables is the best thing if you're wanting to "prepare" for apocolyptic events though. Grew up on old-school farm with my great grandparents and grandparents, so this was everyday living for them. Also, get yourself some good ready laying hens. Eggs will keep you from starving to death. Bodine My Great GrandFather and Mother would do the same things, but I would like to add: Get a milk cow........fresh milk when ya need it. (Never did take a cotton to goat's milk ) Get a horse or mule to plow or ride on. Also good to eat. Get some hogs for bacon and hams. And deer if you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Rose, SASS #45478 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Don't forget salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodine Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Don't forget salt. +1 ..and heirloom veggie seeds. Bodine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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