Here's everything you need to know about food and water and how they fit into your prepping plans. (h/t to TheSimplePrepper.com)
Having a well-stocked refrigerator, freezer and pantry is a blessing in the best and worst of times. It can help you weather any crisis without worrying about how to feed yourself and your family.
Ideally, your emergency stockpile should have nutritious foods that fuel your body so you can easily handle key survival tasks. As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs and tastes. Familiar foods are important as they lift morale and give a feeling of security in times of stress. Include foods that you and your family will enjoy and that are also high in calories and nutrients. Foods that require no refrigeration or cooking are the best items to store.
Family members with special diets and allergies will need particular attention, as will babies and the elderly. Nursing mothers may also need liquid formula in case they are unable to nurse. Don't forget to store dry pet food for your pets.
Following a disaster, clean drinking water might not be available. Your regular water source might be cut off or worse, become contaminated. Humans can only live for a few days without water, which is why it's important to build a supply of clean drinking water that will meet your family's needs during an emergency.
A good rule of thumb is to store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation purposes. Tweak this depending on you and your family members' physical condition. Naturally, an active person would drink much more water than someone who hardly exercises.
Improperly stored foods will go bad quickly, even if they're supposed to be non-perishable or shelf-stable. Here are some tips for stockpiling food:
As a prepper, you should have a minimum of two weeks' worth of food on hand at all times. Since canned foods will make up the majority of your stockpile, make sure you have a manual can opener.
When it comes to water, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
If your supplies run low, don't ration water. Drink what you need today and just try to find more for tomorrow. Don't forget to include a water filter in your stockpile in case you need to haul water. (Related: How to make your own homemade water filter.)
Having food and water on hand will increase your chance of survival when SHTF. Follow the tips above when preparing your food and water stockpile. Make sure to rotate your supplies to avoid spoilage.
Learn more about stockpiling food and water for survival at Preparedness.news.
Sources include: