We have been using Lock & Lock food storage containers back in the states for quite some time now, ever since my sister-in-law brought some over from Korea as gifts about four years ago this summer. They are such wonderful creations! I have negelected to mention them up until now, probably because of my focus on emergency food storage for the most part. But, what about the everyday practical application of storing food in the refrigerator? Or dry goods in the pantry? The freezer, even.

Lock & Lock is the perfect food storage container solution. Why? Because these food storage containers have four latches (one per side) with a silicon seal. This makes for some serious security, making them airtight and eliminating spills in the event of ever dropping them. The tabs/latches on the sides snap firmly into place quite easily, and they unsnap just as easily. But they won’t just “give up their insides” when you drop them. That takes more inent. The Lock & Lock food storage containers are 100% air, moisture, liquid, and odor tight. I like the fact that I can store food in them for nearly twice as long as I could with other containers. Another thing that I like is that they are so versatile, and we can put them in the fridge, the freezer, or even the dishwasher to clean them with no worries at all. They also make reheating food in the microwave a snap.

When it comes to storing these food storage containers, you can stack them one inside another inside another… they come in all different sizes for different applications. And when they are filled with food, you can stack them on top of each other to conserve space.

I found out that these food storage containers have been around since 1998 and as of this month are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. No wonder they have been called the best food storage containers on the market. My wife uses them to make Kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage and spicy fermented radish). I use them mostly for leftovers. In the past I have not been much of a leftover person, because the look, smell, and texture of the food that is usually stored in the fridge with other methods turns me off. But when my wife puts the leftovers in the Lock & Lock food storage containers, game on! I’m all over it. It is still very fresh tasting for days afterward.

Move over Tupperware and Rubbermaid, you guys are ”has-beens”.  Make way for Lock & Lock. I doubt you’ll ever buy anything else once you get your hands on these innovations!

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Emergency food storage is not about fear mongering or scare tactics. It’s about emergency preparedness. You are preparing in advance so chaos and scarcity won’t ensue should a real emergency occur. But, these are the days wherein things that are right are called wrong, things that are wrong are called right, and the political spin doctors are working overtime. No wonder emergency food storage may be seen by some (who hang on every word of the mainstream media) as being “extreme”. When you live in a country that has a deficit of over $14 trillion, has over $75 trillion in unfunded liabilities, whose real unemployment is over 20 percent (Shadowstats.com), and where gold is over $1,200 denominated in the country’s currency, how would anybody with a little horse sense construe having some emergency food storage as being extreme? Unless they just don’t interpret the above figures as extreme!?

Common sense has become a very uncommon commodity. When bills more than a thousand pages long that are not even read have passage through Congress even considered, this is a huge red flag, and should give rise to concern and action on the part of individuals for protection. What more important action could we take to preserve our lives and freedoms than to protect ourselves from gross departure of our sacred constitutional principles by being self reliant and obtaining for ourselves and our families an emergency food storage supply to take car of our survival needs, and to secure our financial situation with constitutional money (gold and silver)? Common sense dictates: if you don’t take care of yourself, why should anyone else? What’s more – the future is uncertain – to beware and to prepare is nothing else if not logical.

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One of the reasons for storing emergency food is that food not only sustains us nutritionally, it is also great “normalizer” and an excellent balancing factor in the face of hardship. In the aftermath of an emergency if you are not cut off from a food source, your mind and spirit can be at least buoyed up and your power to endure enhanced. Think about it– people just tend to be in a better mood and more emotionally balanced when they have food in their bellies. I know a few people who when they get hungry are rather grumpy! Multiply that by a factor of 10 or more if you are hungry and despairing in the aftermath of a disaster. The tears would come a lot more easily. On the other hand, with food, the situation becomes more manageable. There is something about being satiated and our appetites being fed that counts a lot in “cooling our jets.”

Some think since our civilized society is so advanced that we would be able to weather any kind of emergency without disruption. Ask the Hurricane Katrina survivors if that’s true or not. It’s more close to NOT when it comes to hoping that Big Brother (Uncle Sam) is going to meet our every rescuing need. The government is woefully unable to fill such big shoes on such a wide scale. And we shouldn’t wait around expecting them to. Darwin had a few things right with his Theory of Evolution and Survival of the Fittest. In the case of having emergency food, you will be the “fittest” of a great number of people if you have it. There will be no regrets. Even if it only ever brought you peace of mind, emergency food would have done its job in my way of thinking.

You have the whole world at your feet right now at this moment. Yes, times are hard, but you have access to more food right now than you could ever consume in a lifetime. How sad would it be if you didn’t at least begin to obtain emergency food that could sustain you for a few week’s time? I dare say your WalMart is full of food enough for everybody right now, but in event of a major societal disruption (human caused or natural) it wouldn’t matter. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built his ark. He was seen as a kook, but this shouldn’t bother you as much as your will to live should carry you forward to life sustaining emergency food accumulation.

Your emergency food supply can be very, very simple. Start out with a goal of a couple of weeks of emergency food. You can expand as resources allow. What is emergency food exactly? Emergency food may be nothing different from what you already eat on a daily basis. To make things simple it can be canned foods and items that require only easy preparation. You may also want to acquire some dehydrated and freeze dried emergency food selections. These two food choice types usually require only water and a heat source for reconstitution and they take very little time and effort to make ready for consumption. They also have the added benefit of storing for 5-plus years in many cases. A lot of people choose to add freeze dried and dehydrated foods to their emergency food storage pantry because they may not want to maintain/rotate them. They use them as an insurance policy. Whatever emergency food you should decide to gather, the important thing is that you get a start, even if it is slow and steady. Don’t be embarrassed or think you are under-doing it if it is only a can or a package at a time. Slow and steady wins the race!

Food is one of the main expenses of a family budget. If you can accumulate enough emergency food for both the short term and the long term (one year), you can weather many of life’s storms. If you should become financially strapped, such as a layoff, income loss due to physical illness that disables you for a time, etc., wouldn’t it make sense to have prepared in advance with emergency food “insurance”? You pay for health insurance and life insurance, why not look at food in the same light? Emergency food can in many different ways be your saving grace.

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Food Storage Survival Seeds

Sometimes when you are going about your ambitious task of obtaining a full one year food storage supply you are so involved that you can’t see the forest for the trees.  Of course, almost anything edible and nonperishable that you put in your food storage will be of benefit to you, but there are some things that get overlooked.  I’m not suggesting that you aren’t smarter than a whip or not thinking hard, it’s just that you may not be thinking outside of the “food storage box”.  Remember the whole purpose for having food storage items under your stewardship is so that you can sustain yourself for varying periods of time from the short term to the longer term.

What better idea for a long term food storage solution that food storage seeds (better known as survival seeds)?  Food storage seeds are a perfect addition to your food storage supplies because they can sustain you indefinitely with nutritious garden produce (and how much of that do you have in your food storage room?  It doesn’t store very well.)!  I say indefinitely because the smartest idea for securing food storage seeds for you and yours is to make certain they are heirloom seeds.  These survival seeds are not genetically modified and are unpatented.  Because they haven’t been modified genetically (this means they are not hybrid), you can plant the seeds that come from your first harvest, your second harvest, your third harvest… you get the idea.  These food storage seeds are called survival seeds because you can dry out the seeds from your harvest and plant them the following year.  That’s the disadvantage of a hybrid seed.  You can’t do that with a hybrid seeds because it is essentially sterile.  Sure, hybrid seeds might sometimes be BMT (bigger, meatier, tastier), but what’s more healthy for you and more prolific in the long run?  Science hasn’t even proven whether GMO (genetically modified) foods are even healthy for you or what the long term side effects may be.  Messing with nature is a crap shoot at best and a disaster at worst.

You can buy food storage seeds, set them, and forget them.  Of course, you are not counting on Doomsday or hoping for it to happen.  You just want to be prepared for come what may.  There are a variety of the most healthful heirloom seeds available—almost anything you can think of.  For a very reasonable price you can obtain enough seeds to plant a full acre!  And remember, this food storage seed investment pays big dividends in fresh garden fruits and vegetables year after year!  You would be well advised to get some seeds for food storage and some to “practice” with for the next growing season.  See if they don’t taste even better than the hybrid because they are natural.  If you are a gardener it’s a no-brainer.  Gardeners are always looking for and wanting to try new things with their green thumbs.  And think what food storage seeds (heirlooms) could be worth someday if there were food shortages as has been predicted.  It’s an investment and a safety precaution.  And just a smart choice for your health, too!

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There is a wealth of knowledge about emergency preparedness in books, videos, classes, conferences, government sponsored organizations, private organizations, and other media outlets. The trick is to find the simplest, most straightforward basics of emergency preparedness in one place. What is needed is a family preparedness handbook that is extremely well organized, informative, and user-friendly. What is available is exactly that! James Talmage Stevens, author of Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook has recently revised his emergency preparedness book with 260 additional pages of new information, charts, tables, and recipes. James’s mantra is “keep it super simple”. So, although James’s wildly popular, best emergency preparedness book on the market is packed with so much information– everything from food storage to fuel storage to financial preparedness to the organization of critical documents to self reliant living to supplementation, and emergency action plans, James’s best emergency preparedness book (over 760,000 copies sold, and in its 11th addition!)– sticks to its title, mission, and purpose of Making the Best of Basics. Quite frankly, the best of anything is basic and easy to understand, especially in the case of emergency preparedness! If emergency preparedness is made to be too complicated an issue, it is abandoned by most people (and causes a whole lot more deaths!). Indeed, James understands this principle because his creation of the best emergency preparedness book available takes a reader from kindergarten to college in regards to family preparedness.

A quick glance through the Table of Contents of Making the Best of Basics should convince the reader that James really is serious about his “basic” premise– to keep things simple! Among his chapter headings you will find the likes of “Basics of Whole Wheat Cookery”, “Basics of Honey Use”, “Basics or In-Home Drying– Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables”, “Basics of Dairy Products from Powdered Milk”, “Basics of Battling Stress”, “Basics of Supplementation”, and on and on– everything is basically basic! The recipes are even basic (I’m game for that!). That’s why I’m tooting James Talmage Steven’s horn for him, and calling it the best emergency preparedness book, because he lays it all out– all of the important emergency preparedness considerations and information is covered a baby step at a time. You have lists of the necessaries, and you can take on emergency preparedness with confidence by utilizing his charts, checklists, and tables. You can photocopy the checklists and use his emergency preparedness handbook as a workbook, becoming an active participant, much like you are taking a class, but at your own leisure (but don’t wait too long!). Not only that, but James is a storyteller. He illustrates practical application of what he teaches through his fun little parables and makes it easier and less laborious reading material. Just be careful that you not enjoy the best emergency preparedness book out there so much so that you don’t get around to doing anything but reading it! Prepare to flourish, not flounder!

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If you have come this far in your emergency preparedness efforts in regards to your food storage, you are ready to move on to what James and others call “creature comforts.” After all, when we have fulfilled the bottom level of Maslow’s Pyramid (being able to survive with adequate amounts of food, water, and shelter), it’s human nature to want to move up his Pyramid, eventually leading to more fulfillment and self-actualization. The reason we speak of the “creature comforts” in a discussion related to food storage is because quite often those things that will offer you comfort in lean times are also stored in the same place or near to your food storage room. The best reason food storage and other creature comforts are stored together or in close proximity is because you will want to have these items together for easy access should you have to “bug out”, or even just for convenience sake. Of course, some people hesitate to “put all their eggs in one basket,” so it is fine to disburse you food storage about the house, but don’t be so scattered that you forget where the 72 hour kit is vs. the dehydrated food vs. the canned food, wheat, rice, etc., etc.

The creature comforts that go beyond food storage are first and foremost what you would use in a prolonged state of disarray or chaotic conditions following the original emergency state of conditions. Think hygiene. Things like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes should all be added to your food storage supply after you have the basics needed to live on for one year food wise. Other things like diapers and feminine napkins should not be overlooked. Deodorants and combs/brushes would also be useful. The types of things that you use every day and rarely need to think much about, but that you would really miss being a part of everyday life, are the things you need to make a list of and put in your food storage room. Warehouse membership clubs are perfect for buying in bulk like this to save money. Both men and women will probably want some disposable razors and shaving cream.

Some people even put games in with their food storage. Books could work, too. Got a Rubik’s Cube? People need an escape, especially during times of duress. So, add some cards or simple toys that don’t need batteries for the children. Hard candies that store well are an excellent addition to food storage.

It really boils down to what you use, both for food storage and for the “beyond” part (creature comforts). Of course, it would be nice for everybody to have some items used only in emergencies, much as rescue workers have on hand the “Jaws of Life.” But beyond those few things that are only for emergencies, have those things on hand that can as much as possible make it seem as though it is “life as usual.” Put them beside your food storage, and go to your food storage convenience store often to rotate the stock.

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Our civilization is quite advanced, making it even that much more important to prepare for any number of things that could go awry, and calling upon the use of something as simple as food storage. See, when any system gets so far advanced and inclined towards such high levels of technological specialization in so many varied facets, it becomes increasingly more susceptible to a breakdown or interruption, because when just one part of the whole becomes dysfunctional it creates a domino effect throughout. Just as happened with the housing market. And to make an analogy most can appreciate, how helpless do you feel when your car gadgetry malfunctions? When you car windows won’t roll up nor down with just the click of a button, do you sometimes long for the manual window-roller-uppers?

Although not caused by a defect in the normal “man”-aged workings of society, we can see how a “change” in the status quo will cause mass chaos, as witnessed by a series of big hurricanes a few years back. What happens? Many basic essentials are the first to fly off the store shelves, and this surely includes food. Food storage, water storage, 72 hour kits, and other emergency supplies collected far in advance could prevent this mad rush to a grocery store—only to find that crowds of people made it there before you did, leaving very little left of the significant items for you to purchase. Remember, this is not an apocalyptic event, just nature taking its course. Recall also the pictures on television those people who waited until the last minute before evacuating and being stranded on freeways for hours at a time because of overtaxed capacity. If you are going to get out of Dodge, do it before everyone else decides to!

In his book, “Making the Best of Basics,” author James Talmage Stevens speaks of an in-home food storage convenience store. Aside from disastrous situations, how nice would it be to never “run out” of an ingredient needed for a recipe, not having to run to the neighbors for an item to complete the mix? What if you should forget that you have no more diapers in the home and your baby has a bout of diarrhea? Even if the store is close, it’s nice to have a backup supply.

We have learned in recent years that the unexpected can and does happen. “Nobody saw it coming!” was the common refrain in response to the economic crisis. In times of volatility and uncertainty, could there be a trucker’s strike, or exceedingly high gas prices that cause a disruption in the supply chain delivering food to the marketplace? This and many other unforeseen scenarios could happen, thus bringing to the forefront the need for food storage and emergency supplies. With the advanced JIT (Just-In-Time) concept of inventories, it is said that grocery store shelves could be emptied in 3 days or less. But, if you have an in-home food storage convenience store as part of your wise and prudent emergency preparedness efforts, you’re not among those who panic. We’re not talking about Armageddon or the Apocalypse here. We’re just talking about good, old-fashioned common sense.

Food really can go missing from grocery storage shelves as attested to by even recent articles found here and here. Got food storage?

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Okay. As far as similarities, both types of food are great for long-term storage and are almost identical as far as shelf life (about 25 years). Also, both need to be kept in similar temperature, humidity, and oxygen conditions.

However, the similarities between the two types of food end there. From that point on, there are three major differences between freeze-dried food and dehydrated food:

First of all, I want to make it very clear that my species did not climb to the top of the food chain so that we could become vegetarians. I like meat. Maybe you do, too. So for me, I need to have meat that tastes good in my home food storage. Well, the meat, as you will see, is very, very different between the dehydrated and freeze-dried types of food storage.

See, dehydrated food doesn’t have any seasoning or additional ingredients added to it when it is made. In fact, most dehydrated foods are just a single ingredient and that’s it. Whether it is fruit or meat, it is just that one item. This is a huge problem for a meat-eater like me because what this means is that a dehydrated piece of meat is just that. A piece of meat. Nothing added to make it taste good or to make it enjoyable. Therefore, if you want any seasoning or anything like that, you need to add it in later.

On the other hand, freeze-dried food does have seasoning and additional ingredients already added in. So when it comes to meat, seasoning and added ingredients have already been added in! That makes eating meat and other items oh so tasty.

This is the first major difference between the two types of food. Even though dehydrated food can range from everything from rice to pancake mix to Ramen noodles, you need to make sure you have some ingredients to add to them once they are hydrated. Otherwise they are quite insipid and tasteless. Freeze-dried food, on the other hand, contains lots of different ingredients and some fantastic seasonings. So, you just heat it up and eat it and mmmmmmmmmm. Remarkable.

The second big different between the two types of food is that although both freeze-dried food and dehydrated food just need water and heat, the prep time varies greatly. Freeze-dried foods are usually quicker to prepare than dehydrated foods. The times can vary anywhere from as little as 15 minutes to one hour depending on what it is you are cooking, but, as a general rule, the dehydrated food takes longer to prepare than the freeze-dried food. Note: If you have a pressure cooker on hand you can cut the prep time down considerably on both types of food. Pressure cookers will save you a ton of time and energy regardless of which type of home food storage you have.

Finally, the third difference between the two types of food is that freeze-dried food is usually a full meal that contains multiple items. Think “TV Dinner” or even “Meals on Wheels” when you think freeze-dried food. Unlike dehydrated foods, freeze-dried foods are meals that are completely ready to eat once they are heated up and water has been added. Again, dehydrated food is usually just a single ingredient. You will need to mix them with other items or season them or they won’t taste that great.

Now, does this mean freeze-dried food is better than dehydrated food? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Well, actually, yes.

But before you start thinking freeze-dried food is some Bastian of Morality and dehydrated food is one step below plankton pee, it should be noted that dehydrated food takes freeze-dried food behind the woodshed every day of the week when it comes to price. Dehydrated food is way cheaper. Way cheaper. Dehydrated food also usually makes more food than freeze-dried food per serving—again, this adds to the value and price ratio advantage.

So, a quick recap here: Freeze-dried food tastes better, is ready to eat sooner, and has a wider variety of food once prepared. Dehydrated food does not taste as good, takes longer to prepare, and is just that one item when you prepare it. However, dehydrated food is much, much cheaper than freeze-dried food.

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Who doesn’t drive nowadays? Okay, I’m not talking about your infant or toddler. And I’m not talking about your aging parents or grandparents. But most people in our civilized society that have the means (and many can afford at least a beater car) use a car as a means of transportation. Think about how much time you actually spend in your car. It may not be 1/3 of your life like it is with sleeping, but especially if you have any significant commuting to and from work, you spend a lot of time in your car. Do you maintain your car perfectly with every scheduled routine maintenance? If you are like most people, you probably at least make sure the oil gets changed regularly, but what about everything else?

Using the words of a teenager: “So, like, you have this all nice stereo system in your car, and, like, you spent all that money for a cool thing, but, like, you don’t have nothing in case you got– like stuck somewhere?” So what if you are who the teenager is talking about? Oh, well, you have a cell phone, so you are taken care of! Maybe not… Why chance it? Isn’t it nice to know that should you be in a situation you had not expected, that you had the foresight to protect against these types of scenarios? And what about your driving children? Your teenage children drive you crazy, but they also drive a car and you love them. So if there was anything that you could do to ensure their safety you would probably do it, right?

An emergency car kit is a wonderful resource. You have smoke alarms in your home. You probably have a fire extinguisher, too, or should have. But what do you have in the trunk of your car, besides junk? You really should have a lifesaver back there. Come on now, get with the program– have an emergency car kit, at least for the peace of mind. What if you never use it? Well then, Hallelujah! But if you should need it, and you don’t have one, you’ll kick yourself and probably swear, and feel really rotten. But more importantly, you’ll be endangered! Emergency preparedness is not all about doom and gloom. In fact, it is just the opposite. In a sense it’s taking control now of what you can’t control later. Everyone would be on board with this idea if they could see that in their future it would be needed. But being as most of us cannot see the future, we have this thing we call emergency preparedness, and it sets us up for success for the obstacles that life puts in our way instead of failure.

Got Emergency Car Kit?

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