Our world has become one of specialization. In the last century or so ever since credit has been made so plentiful and readily available, businesses have sprung up that can provide a person with everything he or she wants and more. Not having to do everything ourselves now, because there is surely some business segment that can do it for us cheaper and in a more timely manner than we could do it ourselves (usually), we have gradually forgotten or possibly never even learned some of the most basic survival skills. Being so specialized ourselves has not only afforded us the capability to become in demand to employers, but also to have room for more leisurely activities, since only having to get really good at a particular skill or skill set makes it so that we can have more money to spend on other things that the other “specializers” have to offer.

So now, in the name of convenience, efficiency, and leisure, we are lulled into a certain sense of security, and it becomes a “hardship” on us to have to even consider food and water storage. There are various and sundry distractions to keep us from having to deal with such a basic need that is at present provided for us in every way, shape and form imaginable. Besides that, why would the way things are now ever change, and we be somehow “thrown back” to yesteryear when members of society had to rely more fully on our own resources to feed themselves?

Thinking things will not change is very analogous to thinking that nothing bad could happen to me. It is very common to the human psyche. Disaster is always a distant thought, and one that doesn’t seem very pertinent to our present reality. It’s a bit like death. We know it is a possibility, but we don’t normally ruminate upon it, because that could hamper our progress. But we should not completely ignore it, either. And the heartache that follows misfortune of almost every kind is never worth the effort and/or resources that were not spent preparing and possibly preventing catastrophes, or at least preventing the worsening aftereffects. This is precisely why future possible disasters and catastrophic scenarios should be payed attention to — because they can happen. Not because they will necessarily, but that the value of being prepared for an event that would trigger the need for food storage and water storage is greater by far than the value of our time or money that could be spent elsewhere. Doesn’t the value of survival surpass any of our leisure activities and the value of other material things? Ironically, we need to survive to enjoy those things.

Food storage will help us to survive. It looks more and more likely all of the time that it will be needed at some point in our lifetimes. Events in our society that we could not have even imagined happening have already transpired. Truth is stranger than fiction. Food storage could become more valuable than anything tangible that you possess.

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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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It’s also that time of year when folks get thinking (or should be, at least) about how thankful they are for all of the many wonderful people in their lives and how favorable their circumstances are (even if not very favorable, someone always has it worse, right?). One thing that I am thankful for is my parents. I’m glad that they had enough sway and influence in my life to help me understand the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was helped to appreciate the good things in life and to steer clear of the bad. Sometimes things do get ugly, but I was taught, “This too shall pass.”

So when we pause to appreciate what we are thankful for, we often realize that it’s people, pets, places and experiences. Not so much things. Okay, you might have a favorite blankie, or you may just be glad in your heart for the cocoa bean that eventually makes its way into the chocolate Kisses that you stow away for special indulgences. But, you do realize that life is more precious than these “things”, and you are grateful for your life with all of its intricacies, even its ups and downs and downright bungee-cord-free-falls.

Whenever you lose something or someone, then you realize that you wish to keep what you’ve got, and you start to hold on a little bit tighter to life as you know it. You realize what little control you have over some parts of your life, and you try to exert as much influence over the remaining portion. Knowing that there are some things that you can do, in fact some things that you may be neglecting to do, you are well-advised to make some course corrections so that you can live more responsibly and fulfill your life’s mission.

I could be mistaken, but I think it is part of mine and everybody else’s mission to help fellow travelers on the road of life. A couple of nights ago, I came out of the grocery store with my family and heard a familiar click, click, click. I knew someone had a dead battery. Someone else had a dead battery a few days ago (namely, me), and I was graciously helped to know where to connect the jumper cables even though my car’s battery is situated in the storage space in the tail end of the car. I was glad to offer a hand to this stranger. A pair of jumper cables I had at the ready and I was glad to be able to use them. I thought how that experience was better than the ice cream cone I had just eaten with my kids in the store. And my daughter said, “Dad, that was really nice!” She’s almost 6 and I want her to do these types of things as a habit (of course, she may choose other types of things, to be on the safe side).

At this time of year, I can unabashedly and without reservation say that even though things are not the most important, when the things in question are tools to help preserve the lives and health of us and those around us, they are indeed worthwhile, especially to give as gifts at Christmastime. Sure this is a sales pitch, but as far as Christmas gifts go, would you rather give something that would be trendy and useful to your loved ones for a short time only, or something that could have a much more far-reaching effect? As unexciting as it sounds, what if you gave them a water barrel? They could store the elixir of life! What about an Amber Alert GPS? They could track their precious children and not go through the heartache that the parents you’ve heard of go through when their child is abducted! How about a 72 Hour Kit? A car emergency kit? They could potentially avoid needless suffering in the event of a disaster or an unfortunate breaking down of their car. Food Storage? Boring! Well it wouldn’t be so boring if they lost their job, or needed it to sustain them in a time of clear and present danger. How about non- genetically modified seeds that could be collected from produce and replanted each and every year? And what about a book, an all time bestseller to teach them about all of these things to get their family prepared? By now, the light should be beaming!

Have you changed a life today? Will you for Christmas?

Exit stage North, where all of these things will be waiting for your perusal at the top of the website (across buttons), and on the right, under Food Storage and Preparedness.

Related Posts:

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So bring him on out, how ’bout this James!?

I’m going to Keep It Super Simple!

At almost any level of preparedness you will need to establish your survival priorities.

In almost every instance, they are shelter, water, fire, and food––in that order.

1. The most important survival priority is shelter. You need to be protected from the elements–– sun, wind, cold, rain, and in some cases, animals and even insects. All of us are particularly susceptible to the effects of cold, wind, and rain. We could die in a matter of minutes to hours depending on the temperature. Once hypothermia sets in the vital organs begin to shut down. The brain is first––and is most critical to staying alive. When shelter is resolved––and sometimes it may not be a critical situation––you can then begin to resolve the next issues.

2. Water is your second survival priority. Water makes up 75% of the human body and needs to be constantly replenished. Once you have fulfilled your needs for shelter, all effort is concentrated on finding, gathering, and treating water. Having some stored water on hand in case of an emergency situation makes good sense.

3. Fire is your next priority. It provides warmth and light, the ability to cook your food and a way to treat your water. But fire also warms the human heart and goes a long way to making you feel more secure.

4. Food is the last of your four basic needs. You won’t starve to death if you don’t get three square meals every day––you probably don’t now! Food encompasses everything from plants, animals, traps, weapons, learning to hunt and gather, cooking and storage. In preparing for an emergency situation, I do advocate storing food. It is only prudent that you have food on hand. Everybody eats!

It’s as simple as that!

Til next time…

James Talmage Stevens

Author:  Making the Best of Basics–Family Preparedness Handbook

Blogger: FamilyPreparednessGuide.com

Internet Radio: BlogTalkRadio.com/family (Saturdays, 1:00 PM CST)

Coaching website: beprepared101.com

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Fold your arms and try to be ever so quiet that you can hear a pin drop, because I am about to introduce you to my down-to-earth friend, James Talmage Stevens, infamous author of Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook.  He has sold over 760,000 copies of this Bad Boy (you know how good means bad and bad means good sometimes?), and he is going to school us in food storage preparedness.  Why?  Because I asked him to, because he is the real deal, because he is cool!

So everybody please give it up for James (clapping and more clapping)!

JAMES:

I’m going to Keep It Super Simple!

Food is life––no food, eventually, no life! Perhaps that’s the main reason all disaster and emergency preparedness has at its core the emphasis on foodstuff: food, food storage, food preparation, and food processing and utilization equipment.

Though food is important, the need for shelter from the elements is primordial, and water is a close 2^nd priority, leaving food a distant 4th priority after fire. This prioritization is based on immediacy of action necessary to preserve life, since you could die quickly of exposure to extreme cold or hot weather without appropriate shelter. Once protected from the elements––which problem may be obviated by existing mild climatic conditions where the disaster/emergency occurs––clean water then becomes your next immediate need, because the body needs water for its processes to operate effectively.

Then you’ll need fire––to cook your food, boil your water, wash your body, and clean your clothing.

And fourth, food, on the other hand, though ultimately necessary, has a longer downward slope on its death causative curve. People have gone for extremely long periods of time without food, and can subsist for many weeks—if not months––with occasional snacks.

Let me correct a statement made in a previous blog post: “A lot of folks may end up storing food in their garage.” If you currently store any food or potable water in your garage––or even thinking about it–– save your time, take your money, flush it down  your toilet––it’s going to save you the time to shop, carry, stack, and worry––it’s the same result! Food is life––store it where you live. If you live in air-conditioned comfort, then so should your stored food! Make no compromises on the protection of your food reserves.

There is a cardinal rule (Trekkies would call it the Prime Directive) that states:

Store what you eat;

Eat what you store.

Use it or lose it!

Following that little bit of wisdom will make your food storage more valuable than money—or gold! Sit down with the family, work together to determine:

1. What foods are essential to the family’s diet and survival; and
2. What foods would be nice to have that you like–but can’t normally afford.

Then, budget for category 1 items. Determine what you need to eliminate in your current budget so you can acquire an amount of provisions for your immediate plan of safety and security. This is where you face the reality of wants over needs.

These are the marks of true family leadership: the end goal justifies the means required to achieve it.

It’s as simple as that!

James Talmage Stevens

Pat here again: James’s book is THE master plan when it comes to being prepared.  Prepared with everything and anything.  It will not dissapoint.  You can get your copy by going to the top of my blog and clicking on “Emergency Preparedness All-Time Bestseller”.   Best preparedness book ever!

 Thanks, James, for adding value and spreading good will wherever ye be.  Give it up one more time for James (Honor System because I can’t hear anything you do)!:

Author:  Making the Best of Basics–Family Preparedness Handbook

Blogger: FamilyPreparednessGuide.com

Internet Radio: blogtalkradio.com/James-Talmage-Steven  (Saturdays, 1:00 PM CDST)

Coaching website: beprepared101.com

Preparedness Provider listings: PreparednessYellowPages.com and

                                                            PreparednessMarketPlace.com

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Today I was treated to a wonderful demonstration of a Somoan islander tradition as my friend, Eni, who is native to this beautiful paradise revealed how they make fire. Fire to them represents life. Eni explained to me that where there is fire, life flourishes. He also quips that the men are the cooks in his part of Polynesia, and the women… well, you can watch and find out. Eni does a masterful job in the following video of making short work out of creating an ember and then transforming it into a flame. I am so excited– Eni has offered to teach me more important survival methods in the near future! I will trade acupuncture treatments in exchange for his tutorings of the valuable knowledge he has gleaned from his elders. Watch for great things to come from this honorable man. I can’t wait for his instruction on how to build traps to snare wild boars. He has done this and will show us how to as well. Hold on tight; to be continued…

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It may be as simple as bringing it to someone’s attention.  You may decide to relate an experience when being prepared with a beefed-up emergency food storage supply worked to your advantage.  It may also be as easy as pointing out how having a good stock of foodstuffs comes in handy.  If a neighbor ever finds himself or herself in a situation where a certain ingredient is needed for a recipe, and they come to borrow it from you, you happen to have it stockpiled.  They become a ready listener to an idea that may be news to them.

Birthdays, Christmas, and other celebratory occasions lend themselves well to the offering of good gifts. At times it may be more practical to give more functional gifts rather than those of pleasure whose appeal decays quickly.  An example of such a gift-giving event is a wedding.  As a couple first starts out, don’t be embarrassed to ground their blissful romance by an offering of emergency food storage supplies, a first-aid kit, a 72 hour emergency kit, or even a generator if you are feeling “gener”ous.  The couple for a time may be able to generate their own electricity with zero outside influence, but following their first argument they may need a plug-in.  Homemade gifts from the heart mean more, and bottling some peaches for the couple to be put in their newly originated food storage will help them to be motivated to continue on in that direction on their own.  It also may serve as symbolic hopes and well wishes from you that their union progress forward in the face of any adversity with a mostly “peachy” attitude.

For those whose finances are extremely tight, but whose desires for preparedness are in the right place, it is such a lift for them to receive the gift of life-giving emergency food storage supplies when Christmas rolls around.  I’m speaking of the individuals and families who would like to store food on their own accord, but find it difficult to make ends meet, and have only the bare essentials for daily requirements.  What a boost it is for them to receive as a gift food on hand in case of emergency or severe financial straits.

Office parties may often have drawings, prizes, and other giveaways.  Most times these are lighthearted and superficial, though a great gesture in maintaining morale and a strong work ethic.  As a thoughtful alternative, imagine generous rewards for accomplishment or appreciation that are distributed in the form of a 3 month, 6 month, or even 1 year supply of dehydrated or freeze-dried food entrees.  The Employee of the Year may receive the year supply.

Other emergency preparedness items can be given away—everyone to receive at least small favors, even glow sticks or inexpensive flashlights.  Fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, water filters, sleeping bags… all of these items would likely be welcomed and thought of as concern from the administration/H.R./CEO/manager (or whoever was ultimately credited with the idea) for their employees.

These are only a few ideas of events and occasions that merit gift giving of life-sustaining goods.  Family reunions may be another excellent venue.  Jog your creative juices, and show your concern and enthusiasm for the well being of those you care for.  A child going away to college could no doubt benefit from a car emergency kit at the very least.

Give the gift that means “I care” by a generous offering of emergency food storage and other emergency preparedness supplies.

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It’s a pretty basic concept.  But some people choose to ignore it or quite simply forget it.  If your food storage is hidden away in a little-accessed closet, dark basement, or an out-of-reach cupboard there is a tendency for the stored food to be out of sight and out of mind.  Rarely with food storage does absence make the heart grow fonder.  Until and unless its use becomes critical, and it is needed for survival, that is.

The simple fact is that a large percentage of those with food storage don’t rotate it, thus having to dispose of it or feed it to the pigs.  And you didn’t pay thousands of dollars for food to feed to swine.  Try as you may with the conventional method of storing canned food, even putting a date on the canned goods and organizing them in a nice and orderly fashion, does that ensure any better that you’re going to eat the food this time around as you promised yourself?  Or does it just let you know the exact date when you need to make your next visit to the dump or the pig sty?  Sure, you had a burst of energy and good intentions by getting a marker out and lining the cans up with military-style precision, but these inanimate objects won’t salute your efforts, and you may find that you are no closer to your goal of consuming the canned goods on schedule as you’d hoped.

At any rate, there is no method that is 100% foolproof.  Canned goods will never jump out of your closet to track you down and aggressively persuade you their innards are losing their freshness and their time has come to be consumed.  But if you take a principled approached, you can increase your odds tremendously of getting the food from where it is stored initially to its ultimate intended destination—a.k.a. the great recesses of your twisting intestines.

Human nature is keen to procrastinate until it is everlastingly too late.  Fortunately, despite our busy lives, we have available ready access to technologies that can greatly enhance our lives and help us have an almost built-in method for success.  Much like an employer can automatically withdraw a specifically assigned dollar amount to be deposited into a 401(k), you can also nearly automate the food storage rotation process.  The genius lies in requiring a thoughtful commitment once only!  You decide to incorporate a food storage rotation system, and you’re set on autopilot.  There is no hard work involved.

FIFO (first in, first out), an accounting concept for inventory valuation, suggests that the first item added to inventory is also the first item to be removed.  In a food storage rotation system this creates a perpetual motion of replacing the later-dated products in the “loop” with ever-newer ones, never allowing any individual item to become outdated or risk obsolescence.  An example of an efficient FIFO food rotation system is that which can be found in Wal-Mart on the soup aisle.  Once a can of soup is removed from the shelf system, another one rolls gracefully into the much-coveted front spot, awaiting its turn to be the next one chosen, pridefully on display.

As long as there is a steady flow of usage (store what you will eat), the food will not go bad, and the food will be on-demand and maintain its freshness.  And remember to put your food storage rotation system where it is accessible.  Gosh… really!  Place your food storage rotation system within reasonable reach, and avoid damage to your rotator cuff system.  Once you implement a food storage rotation system, you’ll never again do it manually.

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You’re not going to want to hear this, but you can go for a relatively long period of time without food if you have to. Water is your main concern (besides air). You can go 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks or longer without food. Believe it or not, these are generally accepted averages, and one of the biggest determinants is the will to survive.

Next to water food is definitely important, even if for nothing more than comfort, mental stamina, and good old moral support. And yes, indeed your body depends upon food as its fuel, and utilizes the energy provided by food to carry out its basic functions.

Have you ever wondered which foods are the best to have in a survival scenario? Is there a certain “recipe” for survival success that calls for carbs, proteins, and fats in particular ratios, or is one favored over any other? The final answer, my game show-watching friends, is it depends… upon the length of time the disaster extends, the climate, how much available water there is, etc.

A review of the components that supply the body its energy needs and the succession in which they get depleted is in order. If your stores of food have been reduced to nil, and you have not eaten for an extended period of time, your body will burn up stored energy. First to go are the carbohydrates, then the fats, and then the body feeds off itself—that is, the protein from muscle tissue is cannibalized.

Simple sugars and simple carbohydrates will provide your body with fast energy. Their rate of metabolism happens rather quickly. But have you ever gorged yourself with sugary foods and simple carbohydrates and experienced the ensuing “sugar crash” (‘fess up)? When you do this, your pancreas releases a huge amount of insulin to regulate the amount of sugar levels in your blood. You then swing the opposite direction towards hypoglycemia (the crash). Too much of this can overtax the pancreas and cause diabetes. But reduced carbohydrates intake depletes muscle glycogen stores, which decreases your endurance. So—what gives? You’ve got to better balance your diet in a survival situation with complex carbohydrates, which provide energy to the body more slowly.

Protein also helps the body to stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing the crash. The point is to balance things out. You just may need a burst of energy that the simple sugars and simple carbohydrates provide, but you can combine it with some protein to moderate the after effects. And that protein can come in the form of creepy crawlies if need be. Insects are from between 60-85% protein (beef is only 20%). Avoid those that are brightly colored (there’s a reason), are spiny, sting/bite, or give off a stink.

A caution in consuming too much protein in a survival situation—the metabolism of protein depletes the body’s water sources, so it may be best to limit your consumption of protein in hot climates (unless you have plenty of water). Disparately, the metabolism of carbs and fats contribute to the stores of water in the body.

Fats are used by the body for energy, growth, and hormone synthesis. Each gram of fat is 9 calories, so fat “weighs in” as the clear winner of being the most energy efficient. It also metabolizes the slowest. The body stores fat for use when it needs more energy. The phrase “fat and happy” applies well to a survival situation because that extra buffer can be drawn upon. A “skinny Minnie” is sort of out of luck in this contest.

To sum things up, it’s best to eat right based upon your energy needs for any given situation, and to balance things out by good food combining so you get the best energy boost and endurance synergy possible. The military makes a wonderful product to help its soldiers with energy and endurance called the HOOAH! Soldier Fuel Energy Bar. If it’s good enough for a soldier in combat, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?

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