Emergency Food Storage

Plannning for Emergency Food Storage Requirements

In the event of an emergency it is always important to know how you could manage in terms of food storage, food supply and food consumption. If people reduce the amount of physical exertion that they output, then generally physically healthy people can survive on half their usual food intake for an extended period and in some cases without any food at all for many days. Food, unlike water, is actually able to be rationed safely, except in the case of young children and pregnant women.

If you are concerned that there might well be an emergency of some sort then you don't need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare any kind of emergency food supply. There are in fact many foods on your cupboard shelves that you can use such as canned foods, dry mixes and other staples like dried fruits, dried meats and dried cheese and crackers. In fact, familiar foods are important because if you are in an emergency situation familiar foods can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress. Canned foods in particular won't require cooking, water or special preparation - you can just eat them as they are.

Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supply for two weeks without any chance of receiving more supplies, you should prepare a supply that will last that long so that you don't suffer the stress and inconvenience of having to find other food in what might be an environment where it is difficult to move from place to place.

The most cost and time efficient way to develop a two-week long emergency food stockpile is to increase the amount of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves. You can do this by grabbing one extra of certain items when you see them on special at the grocery store. Remember to rotate your supply once or twice a year so that the food you have in your stock pile still has a valid shelf life.

When storing your foods you should try to keep all canned foods in a dry place where the temperature is moderately cool--not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and not below freezing. To protect boxed foods from pests and extend their shelf life, store the boxes in tightly closed cans or metal containers inside another well sealed container of some sort. This will give you double protection from optimistic critters.