Costco Emergency Food Bucket

[vt_shooter]

"...shelf life of up to 25 years ..."

Who are these people that think people are concerned about the longest it might keep as opposed to what's the minimum time it will keep? I suppose the same people that write ads saying " ... save up to 50% ...".

 

[tops]

Heck, I might get one and try it, just because I hate going to the grocery store. I ain't fussy about what I eat. When my wife got sick and I had to start buying the groceries the only thing I knew to buy was bread, bologna, and tomato soup, eggs, coffee, and tea...what else was there?

Peanut butter and jelly. Larry

 

[Bald1]

Are there really people here who are concerned about high sodium and sugar or gluten during an emergency? It’s an emergency. The goal is to get through it anyway possible. Maybe a Zombie Apocalypse would be a good thing. Help us all shed those last 10 lbs we’re trying to loose.

 

[ladder13]

But, but, gold.

 

[Bald1]

I have Gold Dot ammo and Gold Tip broadheads. Good enough

 

[Golddollar]

Are there really people here who are concerned about high sodium and sugar or gluten during an emergency? It’s an emergency. The goal is to get through it anyway possible.

You're absolutely right. With our combined medical issues, my brother and I would want to keep from compounding the emergency.

 

[johngalt]

honey lasts forever

 

[Smoke]

Are there really people here who are concerned about high sodium and sugar or gluten during an emergency? It’s an emergency. The goal is to get through it anyway possible. Maybe a Zombie Apocalypse would be a good thing. Help us all shed those last 10 lbs we’re trying to loose.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Type 2 Diabetic on this forum.

 

[Grayfox]

The problem with these sort of kits is that the food is either dried or dehydrated. Ya gotta have water to eat it.
In a real emergency, potable water may be very scarce and you may need it for drinking rather than cooking.
That's why I prefer food you can eat straight out of the package. Canned vegetables, soup, canned meat, etc.
132 dried meals are useless if you ain't got enough water.

 

[Greyman50]

FWIW, carefully read what type of “ meals” are in buckets like this. Mountain House has been around a long time and ones I/ we ate/ tested were Very Good. Those in RVN remember LRRP rations which were same, same as most freeze dried meals. Freeze dried meals are for mobil get aways where one can carry Enough water to prep. them. Suggest one look on a survival forum for suggestions and real life use. Regular grocery store canned goods are fine if “ staying put”. Most of these freeze dried foods require heat to prep. There are some “ survival meals that have the self heating packets included but not sure what their shelf life is.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Mountain House food is excellent and has a long shelf life, but it’s not cheap.
I see at my local REI a 2 serving bag of their Beef Stew is $11.50.
Extra Regular food is an excellent suggestion, I have some.
Also have a small amount of freeze dried.
And some Good Old MREs.
And the Training Meal, the MRE little Brother.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I'm good.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The problem with these sort of kits is that the food is either dried or dehydrated. Ya gotta have water to eat it.
In a real emergency, potable water may be very scarce and you may need it for drinking rather than cooking.

Every BOB, Get home pack, and pantry need a couple of things.
1) a .2 micron water filter that is good for 3 gallons a day per person.
2) a pack of coffee filters to make the water filter last longer.
*) You'll need buckets for hauling and large pots for storage

A 1000-gallon system makes 333 days' worth, divided by the number of people using it. Bathing and Laundry water isn't included in that 3 gallons a day!

Ivan

My second son was into ultralight back packing, until his 40's. He and I had many discussions on water treatment. His solution was a Ultraviolet light pen to kill microbes one quart canteen at a time. Yes, it is small and light weight, but the corpses' are still in the water with other fine debris. Chems, UV light and boiling all leave "stuff" in the water. Charcoal filters catch the chems and "stuff". So you need a long term two stage system. That takes time and equipment (equipment=$ & weight)

 

[Smoke]

When I'm in the backcountry I carry a Sawyer Mini Filter. This is the company's description.

Ideal for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, emergency prep, or traveling abroad, Sawyer's Squeeze Water Filter ensures access to clean water in the backcountry or anywhere in the world. Rated to 0.1 micron absolute filtration, the Squeeze Filter removes 99.99999% of bacteria such as salmonella, cholera, leptospirosis, and e. Coli, and removes 99. 9999% of protozoa such as giardia and cryptosporidium (independent testing laboratory Hydration, LLC.; microbiological report S05-03). The Squeeze Filter also filters out 100% of microplastics.

I have drank filtered water from Cheyenne Creek which is known to have Giardia in it with no ill effects.

At home we filter our city water anyway through our Berkey.

 

[DWalt]

Every time I read a thread like this I'm reminded on a story a friend once told me.

The friend was a Mormon I knew nothing of his religious beliefs at the time so I asked questions and one thing he told me about was the doctrine on having 2 years worth of food and supplies on hand for hard times.

So he told me a story about a friend of his who was unemployed and asked to borrow money for groceries, My friend asked him " Well what about your two year supply?" and the guy responded " But that's for hard times."

My friend said he looked the guy right in the eye and asked "What do you think these are?"

I don't even know if he intended it but I learned the lesson

I once had a Mormon secretary who was really into the 2-year supply thing. She and a group of her Mormon friends frequently got together to can food. Her house had a full basement which was well stocked. Not sure It was a 2-year supply but it was a lot.

Don't forget to stock food supplies for your furry friends.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

So let's see; wife & I plus 4 kids for two years would equal 4380 individual meals! 270 meals (90 days for 1) of dried/long storage food in small pouches, takes 4.5 cubic feet. For 6 people for two years, think 3 cubic yards, for very basic (no meat, milk, or eggs), includes a Kool-aide like drink but no liquids. Can goods in home canning jars would have liquid think 3 to 5 times the volume! Toilet paper alone would be at least a cubic yard! An 8' tall room of 12x15' (think good sized Living Room!) is 53.33 Cubic yards. I don't think you can get that much canned food on shelves in that room!

Now think of a Missile Sub with provisions for the 108 man crew for one year, even freeze dried that's a huge amount of space, regular can goods would take way too much space.

Way back for Y2K I normally had a 90 day supply of food for the winter, but for Y2K I upped it to 6 months. Can goods, dry goods & frozen food. You couldn't walk in the pantry!

A couple of buckets for a two person/two week supply would be great for us aging "Boomers" without kids, but kids and grandkids (for me) add another 13 more mouths to feed. We did a family get away for 3 of 4 kid families with us for 4 days last Easter. The food piles looks like we're opening a Convenient Mart!

Cost and space are a major consideration! Shelf life is consideration #3!

Ivan

 

[smoothshooter]

Are there really people here who are concerned about high sodium and sugar or gluten during an emergency? It’s an emergency. The goal is to get through it anyway possible. Maybe a Zombie Apocalypse would be a good thing. Help us all shed those last 10 lbs we’re trying to loose.

Yes.
Little do they know if you run out of food quickly, it won’t be the sodium and carbs in the MRE’s and emergency meal buckets that will kill you.

 

[smoothshooter]

Back in around 2013 or so I bought three buckets of long lasting dried food. In 2020 I opened one rather than brave the masked hordes at Walmart. I could starve or die from eating that maxed out sodium loaded foul stuff. One serving exceeded my allowance of salt for the day. Want nothing to do with that stuff even if it is still good for another 15 years

Not having anything to eat will kill you in 3 weeks or less.
Eating a little too much sodium will take much longer.
Misplaced priorities?

 

[Krogen]

Not having anything to eat will kill you in 3 weeks or less.
Eating a little too much sodium will take much longer.
Misplaced priorities?

Lack of water will kill you sooner than lack of food. And as you say, high sodium will take even longer.

In a societal breakdown situation, one needs water, a means to defend their turf and themselves, and then food. Pretty simple in concept, not so simple in actual execution.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The Rule of 3's helps you set priorities.

No Hope can kill in 3 months.

No Food can kill in 3 weeks.

NO Water can kill you in 3 days.

No Shelter can kill you in 3 hours.

No Oxygen can kill you in 3 minutes

Not Thinking can kill you in 3 seconds.

Ivan