Hi! So FINALLY, my mother has agreed to buy a list of food (and other stuff) that would cause 3 people to survive in relative comfort for 1 month.

This would be in the case of natural disaster, quarantine from the flu, a lengthy power outage, ummm the highways getting closed and no food coming..... Stuff like that. Or to the extreme, a nuclear scenario. But in that case I think we are pretty much screwed.... anyhow.


So: What food and other supplies should go on this list, for three adults, for one month?


I am a little stumped myself; where do we buy this from? Organic/not? How do you know if something is shelf stable?


Thank you VERY much in advance! Any help or ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Staple items are highly recommended: flour, sugar, salt, beans, cornmeal, powdered milk and powdered eggs. Canned tuna, peanut butter if you normally eat those sort of things.

What kind of budget is she allowing herself? There are a lot of places in Utah that sell bulk food items but you'll pay an exorbitant fee in shipping. All of the above mentioned items can be purchased at Wal-Mart.

Budget, I think, is not too big an issue. Or rather, if it is simply 1 month worth of stuff we normally eat, and will eat via rotation, and that it is OK being stored...... the price is worth it. So not that much not sure how much that is $wise, though.

Dry grains (rice, oats, wheat, etc.), legumes (beans of all sorts, peanuts). Stuff that keeps for over a month, for sure. Don't forget water for drinking. Buy some gallon jugs of it, and rotate it (that is, use the oldest, and replace each gallon without delay). Lots of water. For 3 people for a month, that's 90 days worth of water, or over 20 gallons. Don't assume the water will be working, or that it will remain drinkable during an emergency. Water is more important than food. You could last a week without food; but not without water.

Dried fruits, dried meats, can be good. Nuts, but easy on the salt. You do need some salt, but we tend to get too much most of the time. Canned items, of course.

You might need to consider whether your ability to cook would be affected. Does your stove work when there is no electricity? If it's gas, how likely is it that the gas supply would be disrupted? Consider using a portable grill or cooker of some sort, complete with its own fuel supply.

Do the best you can. Even if you can only get a couple weeks worth of supplies together, it's better than nothing at all.

Alright! thank you, all three of you!

Due to our common camping trips, we have a water purifier a carbon- and ceramic-filter pump. Also have an alcohol stove, so shall be also stocking up on that *adds to list*

chiron613 - thanks for the heads up on H2O!

Lots of great suggestions posted here, especially the dried beans, rice, oats, flour dried milk, etc.

One thing that's cheap, you can't live without, and because only a little is needed from time to time is fat. You can buy a few cans of lard, and while we don't normally eat much, it will come in real handy in providing additional calories, as well as a means of cooking some items.

Salt. We can't live without salt. We get some in our foods, but we can't count on that for very long. After several months without sufficient salt, you'll gradually grow weak and die.

The things you really need are relatively cheap, they store well, and they will keep you from starving.

I also hold very strongly with honey and sorghum. Multiple uses, multiple needs will be filled by these two items.

Spices.

O.k. not a necessity, but put some thought into stocking them, nonetheless.

Some years ago, I worked as a counselor for an at-risk/adjudicated youth program. The rotations were 2weeks on/off, in the "wilderness" (desert in the winter, mtns. in the summer). I decided ONCE to go out with student rations. It basically consisted of:

Lentils, barley, rice, dried beans, tuna, dried vegetables, raisins, brown sugar, honey, powdered milk, a hunk of cheese, salt pork or bacon, and oatmeal.

I forgot the spices.

To be honest, not only was I the queen *b* because I didn't have my morning coffee but also, I think I lost over 10 pounds during that rotation from lack of eating! The food was so boring I eventually just lost my appetite.



[edit on 12-10-2009 by LadySkadi]

Ok, first of all 30 days is not enough.Talk Mom into 90 days and maybe you will make it. The most important thing is fresh drinking water. Try to find a clean 55 Gal drum to put it in. That may be difficult so go to Home Depot and buy 6- 5 gal orange plastic buckets with lids. Use one of the buckets as an emergency toilet by buying a 3-ft.long piece of 3 to 4 inch round from pipe insulation. Fill the other five plastic buckets with clean drinking water and put a table spoon of bleach in each bucket and seal the lid down tight.
for the Toilet-Put a 8 gal, plastic bag in the plastic bucket and pin it down with the foam insulation. now put two cups of any kind of semi-clean water in the buck along with a 1/2 cup of bleach. Buy extra toilet paper. Change out the plastic bag every couple of days and bury it in your yard or throw it in the dumpster if you can get away with it....food, count on no electricity so things for sandwiches like Manwich mix in can, beenie weenies, spam, tuna, canned chicken, Pork & Beans, Lots of peanut butter and jelly,honey , what ever you like on a sandwich. Now go to Harbor Freight and by an Inverter that can be hooked up to you car battery and vola you have instant 110 volts at 1500-2000watts. This is to run you bread maker and small appliances. If you have a small refrigerator you buy some weenie and lunch meat to keep in it. Remember sodas or coffee have caffine in it and it will deplete the water in your body so lay off of it.
You should have a bread maker so you can make your own bread for the sandwiches. You will not be able to buy bread or milk or anything in that category. Buy extra bread making kits for sourdough, white , wheat, or what ever you like. They will store inside the house for about 18 mo.

This is going to be a sandwich survival mode weather you like it or not.
Make sure you have extra meds on hand just in case. buy some anti-virals herbs like, Larrea Tridentata-Oil of Oreganol, Graviols, Hydrogen peroxcide 35% food grade. cut it to 1/2 or 17% and 10 drops in a glass of water will stop the stomach flu or any kind of flu. Colloidal Silver is also good.

Beans are good if you have a camping stove to cook them on-remember to soak them over night so they will cook easier. There will be no phone service ,TV, or computers. Buy powerful waki=talkies to keep in touch with family near by. buy a c b radio for long distance and buy a Ham radio for the best all around communication device.

You will not receive any help from the Police or the Fire dept. so just look around you and determine what you will need if a fire breaks out or a burglar breaks in. If you plan for the worst then you will not be surprised by what happens. If you do not plan for the worst then you may have problems you could have avoided with a little better planning.

Just remember.Clean drinking water is #-1..........you can not live with out it. I am not going got go into thyroid pills for Nuke attack or what type weapon you should have you can finds those things on other posting.
Good Luck. good planning is what survival is all about. KMG

Just to add that if you're going to add beans to your list (and you really should) remember to eat them with a grain type of food. Beans are an incomplete protein and whilst your body can create the missing proteins it is very energy intensive. Eating beans with a grain will provide a complete protein, this is why rice and beans is a popular dish in many cultures.

I know some people don't like dried beans but honestly if you have access to water and a fire then you're fine. Remember the water is going to be boiled so you don't have to worry about disease or infection.