# Freezer Food During Extended Power Outage



## PrepperForums (Nov 21, 2014)

What would you do with all the food in your freezer during an extended power outage?

The obvious solution is to have a generator, but what if you don't have one or it fails?

_Credit: Topic provided by: @Auntie_


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

coolers with ice , cook it and have a block party , fix the generator have a backup generator .


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

After a few days you have the great cook off to try and extend the edible life of the food so you can consume it. Now if its winter and temperatures remain below freezing, animal proof containers outside will work. Or in an in unheated Barn/shed provided temperatures stay low enough.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I have three generators supplying 115/220 VAC.

If winter here, just put the food in one of the animal proof comm shelters.

I does get cold as hell here.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Here is an interesting tip for telling power outage while you are away. Put a plastic cup of water in the freezer and after it freezes but a marble or a quarter on top.... you can tell (sort of) how long the power was out by how far the item goes down into the ice.... if it is still on top your food should be good, if it is at the bottom good chance that everything thawed and refroze


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Even if it happened late in the afternoon I wouldn't open the freezer door until the next morning. Keeping the door closed will enable the freezer to last longer. Someone told me even ice cream would last 8 hours in a sealed freezer that was off. 

The next morning between 5-9 depending on what time the power went off, I'd open it up and start preparing what food items I could. Cooked food is going to be safe to eat even cold for 2-5 days depending on what it is where as it would spoil if it waited in the freezer much longer. I'd use a bbq if I had too since the power would be out and if I didn't have a bbq I'd start an open fire and cook over the flame. (don't try this on a boat)

If the freezer was full and the food would last longer then the safe time for it to spoil I'd share with some neighbors. Ideally I'd get something in return like a can of this or that - but even good will in a crisis is worth a lot.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Fill every unused space in the freezer with ice. Will extend defrost time.

If you live in the north and have a pond consider an old fashioned ice/milk house.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Cover your freezer chest with quilts/cardboard/bubble wrap to increase insulation factor and extend cold time.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Well, if you don't have a generator, the obvious solution is to.......... _buy one_.

I have a 8500w genny, plus a 4000w inverter in the truck.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

You do state extended outage, so if the whole house natural gas generator were to die, and the smaller gas powered one failed to start or ran out of fuel, I'd go into full SHTF mode & start making ice with my ARB 50qt freezer that would be powered by my Humless/Lion Energy 1500 watt solar generator (don't know why they are called generators). The solar generator has a 50 amp hour battery & the freezer can maintain sub freezing temps in 90 degree heat & only draw 1.35 amps per hour, so it could run for almost a day & a half without a recharge. I can put additional panels on it if it were to be rather cloudy. The new Humless model has a 100 amp hour battery & I plan on getting one of those next year.

I'd use the ice to keep the stuff in my multiple freezers cold. Some folks think I take this prepping too seriously.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm in the process of changing out our "freezer" storage even as we speak.

This fall, . . . as soon as I can get to it, . . . every bit of the "long term stored food" in the freezer is going into glass jars, . . . canned as much as possible. 

Once that is done, . . . the freezer will no longer be a liability, . . . only short term storage items will be in there, . . . and should I lose all of it, . . . no big deal.

I've got 3 pressure canners, . . . and plan on putting them to use this fall and winter, . . . just as soon as I get a couple other more important things taken care of.

If the SHTF even right now, . . . I could come awful close to not losing anything, . . . as I would be canning like there is no tomorrow.

I would be somewhat bleary eyed when it is done, . . . but I think I could do it. 

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

dwight55 said:


> I'm in the process of changing out our "freezer" storage even as we speak.
> 
> This fall, . . . as soon as I can get to it, . . . every bit of the "long term stored food" in the freezer is going into glass jars, . . . canned as much as possible.
> 
> Once that is done, . . . the freezer will no longer be a liability, . . . only short term storage items will be in there, . . . and should I lose all of it, . . . no big deal.


Dwight, I'm with you 1000%. Last year we had a chest freezer go out & didn't notice it until too late. I decided right then & there to no longer freeze all our goods from the gardens & orchards. This year we started canning everything. I started with my peaches. I assumed once pressure canned, they would not taste as good as from the freezer. I was wrong. They are marvelous & now no longer have to worry about the freezers going out. Like you, what is in there could be lost & no huge deal. Actually, am now using the chest freezers for my stored garden seed, which will tremendously extend their life and if the power were to go out, no big deal. Wouldn't hurt the seed one bit.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I try to fill all the extra space in our freezer with plastic bottles of water, in a power outage this will keep the cold stuff cold much longer, plus the fuller a freezer the better, you can take a couple gallons of ice and put into the fridge, and I put some ice blocks in my beer cooler.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

For roughly $1500 you could build a small solar system that would reliably run that freezer for years. My 1st solar system ran my 10 cu/ft freezer just fine with a little power to spare.


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## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

dwight55 said:


> I'm in the process of changing out our "freezer" storage even as we speak.
> 
> This fall, . . . as soon as I can get to it, . . . every bit of the "long term stored food" in the freezer is going into glass jars, . . . canned as much as possible.


For meat, pressure can. I want to start doing that too.

For vegetables have you thought about dehydrating? Very easy, stores in small mylar bags which takes up very little space and weighs practically nothing. They also rehydrate very well, unlike meat, and you don't have to buy canning jars. It is especially easy for store bought frozen veggies, just open the bag and dump them in the dehydrator.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> I'm in the process of changing out our "freezer" storage even as we speak.
> 
> This fall, . . . as soon as I can get to it, . . . every bit of the "long term stored food" in the freezer is going into glass jars, . . . canned as much as possible.
> 
> ...


I'd need to up my canning supplies, and/or clean up all the free/tag sale jars I have stashed away. That's a lot of large canner loads!!!

I hate cleaning out cruddy canning jars.........


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Got a question for all of you prepper canners out there. If SHTF and there is no power for the stove you can on what are you going to use to heat the jars?... just a thought.

When is the last time that anybody here tried to heat 3 gallons and hold an even temperature/pressure for 30 minutes without their kitchen stove. I guess I could probably do it with some practice on my wood stove but.... hardly anybody here has a good wood stove and it's harder than it looks. A modern home with a woodstove (like mine) still needs a good way to raise and lower the 30 lb pot of water to maintain an even temperature.

Since it's still pretty warm during canning season (early fall) I guess an outdoor fire with a tripod to hang the kettle from would be the way to go. Back in the day they had wood or coal burning stoves which they could make some adjustments to the temperature on by modifying the flue passages.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

John Galt said:


> Got a question for all of you prepper canners out there. If SHTF and there is no power for the stove you can on what are you going to use to heat the jars?... just a thought.
> 
> When is the last time that anybody here tried to heat 3 gallons and hold an even temperature/pressure for 30 minutes without their kitchen stove. I guess I could probably do it with some practice on my wood stove but.... hardly anybody here has a good wood stove and it's harder than it looks. A modern home with a woodstove (like mine) still needs a good way to raise and lower the 30 lb pot of water to maintain an even temperature.
> 
> Since it's still pretty warm during canning season (early fall) I guess an outdoor fire with a tripod to hang the kettle from would be the way to go. Back in the day they had wood or coal burning stoves which they could make some adjustments to the temperature on by modifying the flue passages.


Actually, . . . with a properly made "hole in the ground", . . . some pipe or other steel bars for grates, . . . you can very easily emulate a stove, . . . all you have to do is keep someone near the pressure cookers to watch over them. AND keep feeding the fire. Quite honestly, . . . it is a whole lot easier than most folks would think it is. My aunt used to can quarts and 1/2 gallon jars of darn near everything, . . . and as often as not, it was out in the yard with the big black kettle.

I have two guage style and one "rocker". I'd use the rocker as much as possible, . . . cause I don't have to eyeball it all the time, . . . can do other things while my ears listen for changes.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> Actually, . . . with a properly made "hole in the ground", . . . some pipe or other steel bars for grates, . . . you can very easily emulate a stove, . . . all you have to do is keep someone near the pressure cookers to watch over them. AND keep feeding the fire. Quite honestly, . . . it is a whole lot easier than most folks would think it is. My aunt used to can quarts and 1/2 gallon jars of darn near everything, . . . and as often as not, it was out in the yard with the big black kettle.
> 
> I have two guage style and one "rocker". I'd use the rocker as much as possible, . . . cause I don't have to eyeball it all the time, . . . can do other things while my ears listen for changes.
> 
> ...


I'll second the rocker/whistler pressure canners. All mine are from 4- 22- qt ,are USA made mirromatics. Have extra gaskets, gigglers, and vents.

Good to have 2-3 canners, when one is cooling, another can be canning, while you are loading the third.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

John Galt said:


> Got a question for all of you prepper canners out there. If SHTF and there is no power for the stove you can on what are you going to use to heat the jars?... just a thought.
> 
> When is the last time that anybody here tried to heat 3 gallons and hold an even temperature/pressure for 30 minutes without their kitchen stove. I guess I could probably do it with some practice on my wood stove but.... hardly anybody here has a good wood stove and it's harder than it looks. A modern home with a woodstove (like mine) still needs a good way to raise and lower the 30 lb pot of water to maintain an even temperature.
> 
> Since it's still pretty warm during canning season (early fall) I guess an outdoor fire with a tripod to hang the kettle from would be the way to go. Back in the day they had wood or coal burning stoves which they could make some adjustments to the temperature on by modifying the flue passages.


I have several rocket stoves but have yet to try pressure canning on them as I am concerned if I could regulate the temp properly. It is important the canner weight jiggles just right... not too often & not too far apart. One of my rocket stoves is the EcoZoom Versa, which can work with charcoal & I recently purchased a Volcano Grills 3-Fuel Portable Camping Stove, which can run on propane, wood or charcoal. I have read a review at Simply Canning where the Volcano works great pressure canning using propane and I'm betting it would do well using charcoal or maybe even wood. It seems to have some nice methods of controlling the temp. Actually the Versa does too. I plan on testing both for canning using charcoal.

IMO, a coal fire would be easier to control temp and this would apply with any method of pressure canning over a wood fire. The reviews I have read call for building your fire almost an hour prior to canning, so as to have a nice, deep coal bed. Also read where, if cooking over a grate, a piece of sheet metal can be placed between the fire & the canner to moderate the temp, where you can also add water over the top of the metal to cool the temp down.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

******* said:


> I have several rocket stoves but have yet to try pressure canning on them as I am concerned if I could regulate the temp properly. It is important the canner weight jiggles just right... not too often & not too far apart. One of my rocket stoves is the EcoZoom Versa, which can work with charcoal & I recently purchased a Volcano Grills 3-Fuel Portable Camping Stove, which can run on propane, wood or charcoal. I have read a review at Simply Canning where the Volcano works great pressure canning using propane and I'm betting it would do well using charcoal or maybe even wood. It seems to have some nice methods of controlling the temp. Actually the Versa does too. I plan on testing both for canning using charcoal.
> 
> IMO, a coal fire would be easier to control temp and this would apply with any method of pressure canning over a wood fire. The reviews I have read call for building your fire almost an hour prior to canning, so as to have a nice, deep coal bed. Also read where, if cooking over a grate, a piece of sheet metal can be placed between the fire & the canner to moderate the temp, where you can also add water over the top of the metal to cool the temp down.


Never pour water on or near a canner to cool it down, cool it too much too fast and it will make a vacuum inside, relative to what you are canning, and it will spit out the jars contents, and maybe not seal right due to crap on the jar lids. Better to slowly move canner away from heat source if you can't turn down/regulate heat.

For a wood fire I'd have more heat/coals than I'd need so you can move to more heat if needed or away if too much heat. I think a large metal plate on top of a grill would be in order for outside work. Real thick plate would be more stable regarding temperature fluctuations Also remember when tending any fire when you add more fuel, there may be a lag time before you get more heat, and in fact it may actually cool down a bit in the meantime. If cools to below pressure, you need to start timing again.

This is from a former "Jr. Fireman" who helped grandma cook and can on a wood Glenwood stove many years ago.

So now that we are way off OP subject........


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## Gaffer57 (Jun 20, 2013)

Mad Trapper said:


> Fill every unused space in the freezer with ice. Will extend defrost time.
> 
> If you live in the north and have a pond consider an old fashioned ice/milk house.


Keeping the freezer full also makes it more efficient during normal use. Save plastic containers like water bottles and ice cream buckets and fill them with water (of course leaving a bit of room for expansion). Fill the empty spaces with these. When you need to put in more food just remove the appropriate number of ice containers and set them aside for when it starts getting empty again.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Gaffer57 said:


> Keeping the freezer full also makes it more efficient during normal use. Save plastic containers like water bottles and ice cream buckets and fill them with water (of course leaving a bit of room for expansion). Fill the empty spaces with these. When you need to put in more food just remove the appropriate number of ice containers and set them aside for when it starts getting empty again.


Also, transfer a few to the fridge to keep it cool longer during an outage.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

******* said:


> I have several rocket stoves but have yet to try pressure canning on them as I am concerned if I could regulate the temp properly. It is important the canner weight jiggles just right... not too often & not too far apart. One of my rocket stoves is the EcoZoom Versa, which can work with charcoal & I recently purchased a Volcano Grills 3-Fuel Portable Camping Stove, which can run on propane, wood or charcoal. I have read a review at Simply Canning where the Volcano works great pressure canning using propane and I'm betting it would do well using charcoal or maybe even wood. It seems to have some nice methods of controlling the temp. Actually the Versa does too. I plan on testing both for canning using charcoal.
> 
> IMO, a coal fire would be easier to control temp and this would apply with any method of pressure canning over a wood fire. The reviews I have read call for building your fire almost an hour prior to canning, so as to have a nice, deep coal bed. Also read where, if cooking over a grate, a piece of sheet metal can be placed between the fire & the canner to moderate the temp, where you can also add water over the top of the metal to cool the temp down.


I'm a big fan of canning, but canning outdoors sounds extremely difficult. As you know, it's imperitive that the temperature/pressure remains consistantly where you need it to be. So please let us know how it works for you!

It's wouldn't take me long to get through my freezer food. Over the years we've had enough power outages here to know not to actually count the freezer stuff as food storage. We'd have the freezer food eaten before it had a chance to spoil.


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## Notold63 (Sep 18, 2016)

I have 13 gallon jugs of water in my deep freezer, so if the power goes out they will extend the life of the food plus I will have some extra drinking water when the jugs thaw out.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Annie said:


> I'm a big fan of canning, but canning outdoors sounds extremely difficult. As you know, it's imperitive that the temperature/pressure remains consistantly where you need it to be. So please let us know how it works for you!


Will do. I'm with Mad Trapper, and think the best way to keep the cooker at a steady temp outside, burning wood, would be a thick metal plate. I'm thinking maybe 2' x 3" at a minimum. Think about eating out Japanese, where they cook on that big hibachi grill. It is hot in one spot & gradually cools as you go out. Seems to me the thick medal would stabilize the temp some and if you built the fire under one end, you should be able to slide the pressure cooker to find the sweet spot for the proper temp... and keep sliding depending on if you need a bit more or less heat.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

By using a gin pole a person can raise or lower the pot above the fire to maintain a desired temperature as the fire changes. Doing this with a pressure canner may be a little harder to fabricate a sling that would hold the pot level but it may be the best way over a camp fire.


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## preponadime (Jun 15, 2016)

All of the refriraters abd freezers we use are propane and with a 1000 gallon propane tank we're good


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

******* said:


> You do state extended outage, so if the whole house natural gas generator were to die, and the smaller gas powered one failed to start or ran out of fuel, I'd go into full SHTF mode & start making ice with my ARB 50qt freezer that would be powered by my Humless/Lion Energy 1500 watt solar generator (don't know why they are called generators). The solar generator has a 50 amp hour battery & the freezer can maintain sub freezing temps in 90 degree heat & only draw 1.35 amps per hour, so it could run for almost a day & a half without a recharge. I can put additional panels on it if it were to be rather cloudy. The new Humless model has a 100 amp hour battery & I plan on getting one of those next year.
> 
> I'd use the ice to keep the stuff in my multiple freezers cold. Some folks think I take this prepping too seriously.


I like your post, but a decent sized chest freezer draws about 5 amp hours when it is running, and trust me that is below 90 degrees farenheit where it is stored

But my freezer is 24 CF, maybe yours is a smaller one.

I'm not going towards mine is bigger than yours....


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

John Galt said:


> Got a question for all of you prepper canners out there. If SHTF and there is no power for the stove you can on what are you going to use to heat the jars?... just a thought.
> 
> When is the last time that anybody here tried to heat 3 gallons and hold an even temperature/pressure for 30 minutes without their kitchen stove. I guess I could probably do it with some practice on my wood stove but.... hardly anybody here has a good wood stove and it's harder than it looks. A modern home with a woodstove (like mine) still needs a good way to raise and lower the 30 lb pot of water to maintain an even temperature.
> 
> Since it's still pretty warm during canning season (early fall) I guess an outdoor fire with a tripod to hang the kettle from would be the way to go. Back in the day they had wood or coal burning stoves which they could make some adjustments to the temperature on by modifying the flue passages.


I'm not through the entire post but I had to reply, Simply if you live in Texas you live in Hell. I know that raises a lot of heckles but I've never seen a perfect example. 120 degrees in the summer, and millions of acres in drought. Here in Montana we get a month or 2 around 90 degrees and still get snow somewhere in the state every month of the year.

And that being said after I dis'd your state, the moon shiners could keep a temperature between 170 and 200 degrees over a camp fire (the difference between boiling water and evaporating alcohol)

Its not a common art anymore but it can be done.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Montana Rancher said:


> I'm not through the entire post but I had to reply, Simply if you live in Texas you live in Hell. I know that raises a lot of heckles but I've never seen a perfect example. 120 degrees in the summer, and millions of acres in drought. Here in Montana we get a month or 2 around 90 degrees and still get snow somewhere in the state every month of the year.
> 
> And that being said after I dis'd your state, the moon shiners could keep a temperature between 170 and 200 degrees over a camp fire (the difference between boiling water and evaporating alcohol)
> 
> Its not a common art anymore but it can be done.


Oh and if I forgot to mention it .....

Montana Sucks and tell your friends.

Nobody in their right mind would want to live through a winter here.

Peace out


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Montana Rancher said:


> I'm not through the entire post but I had to reply, Simply if you live in Texas you live in Hell. I know that raises a lot of heckles but I've never seen a perfect example. 120 degrees in the summer, and millions of acres in drought. Here in Montana we get a month or 2 around 90 degrees and still get snow somewhere in the state every month of the year.
> 
> And that being said after I dis'd your state, the moon shiners could keep a temperature between 170 and 200 degrees over a camp fire (the difference between boiling water and evaporating alcohol)
> 
> Its not a common art anymore but it can be done.


A Watchman, or anyone with any common sense can tell that the Ole' Rancher is a long way from Texas. Won't find 120 degree heat in this State (must be thinking about Arizona huh?) My region of East Texas gets 43 inches of rain annually wit typical highs in the upper 90's during the peak summer months. A rare 102 or so can be felt.



Montana Rancher said:


> Oh and if I forgot to mention it .....
> 
> Montana Sucks and tell your friends.
> 
> ...


Yea, yea, you keep telling us....... Anyway, NE Texas sucks too, tell all your friends to stay away.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

A Watchman said:


> Yea, yea, you keep telling us....... Anyway, NE Texas sucks too, tell all your friends to stay away.


The sad part is the Californians who wanted to escape the mess there have come to Texas. The worst part is they want to establish the same failed policies here. smh


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Nobody mentioned smoking your meats.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

View attachment Build_an_Old_Fashioned_Smokehouse_for_Delicious_Meat_1999.pdf
View attachment Building_a_Small_Smokehouse_2010.pdf
View attachment Curing_and_Smoking_Poultry_1999.pdf
View attachment Curing_and_Smoking_Poultry_Meat_2003.pdf
View attachment Plans_for_Several_Types_of_Smokehouse_2010.pdf


Here are some pdf files on smoking meats, smoke houses.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Touche


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Ok, A lot of fun but here is my point

I have 2 REALLY big chest freezers 1 is 20 something cubic feet and the other is 24ish cubic feet 

And I run the off my 48v Solar battery array year long.

So why does this matter... so 1. I have them in an walk space between my house and garage which if you do solar makes a lot of sense.

a. in the summer I get more freekin (can I say freekin?) sun and power than I can use. Even thought the temperature gets often into the 90's .... Did I mention I have a lot of sun

b. In the winter, I'm like, WHERE THE FU#K ARE YOU, and the sun is very often behind a cloud and then there is the overcast skies and the shorter days. 

So my long point is I keep my freezers outside when the temperature is low (currently 18F) when my power intake is low from my solar panels and in the summer, I don't really care as my solar panels go into float mode around 1pm.


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## jdeeregreen (Aug 31, 2016)

How does one store smoked meat for long term? I have four deer cut into steaks,roasts and burger in freezers. Vacuum sealed of course. If the electric went out and we lost the freezers, we would be S.O.L. I have been thinking about smoking some, but not sure how to store smoked meat unless using freezer.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I'd just put it a cooler outside.


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## SGT E (Feb 25, 2015)

My freezer is my survival plan.....start cooking out of it...run a tiny genny ill you cook it all and share it with neighbors for a few days...when it's empty toss it on the curb.....just like the fridge...then quit running the genny!....Pretend your starving just like everyone else.....You have no gas...no water.....be seen carrying water out of the nearest untreated stream.....be seen begging for food.....be seen filthy...unshaven....unkempt and dirty....Play the game 110%...eat peanuts and a few drops of green food dye....or yellow every day after you eat a handfull of peanuts...nobody will doubt you...quit shaving...period! even if you have tons of treated water.

Enjoy the accolades from sharing food

some of your neihbors may even give you a little food if they find it

Pretend you have nothing and cook on propane inside and give nothing to anyone!

Play the game..

The wait then begins....

Pretend to be in pain...weak...just like your unprepared neihbors...

It's you against everyone!


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

90% of the stuff in my freezer is there merely to extend the room-temperature stability of what I have dehydrated and/or vacuum sealed. Meaning, it doesn't _need _to be frozen, I just toss it in the freezer to extend it's viability from, say, 1 year to 4-5 years. The other 10% is either going to be eaten fairly quickly, or doesn't really need to be 'saved' (ice cream, etc).

So even if the freezer dies tonight, 90% of the contents will still be edible and yummy and nutritious even this time next year.


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

Seems like other posters have already mentioned everything I would have for a chest freezer. 1. place jugs of water, not completely full, in freezer as you get room. Got stuff to go in remove water jugs . Keep chest freezer as full as possible. Water in jugs is duel purpose as fresh drinking water. 2. cover with extra blankets/ cardboard 3. Lid closed - keep a written list and keep organized so you can find stuff. Do not stand with lid open looking read list then snatch grab. 4. Run generator at least for couple hours a day after 3rd day of power outage. 5. can/ dehydrate /smoke/ cook and share if it gets to be a longer time and still no power. 6. for a power outage that is just my place I could store it at the local butcher shop. 

I have had power go out for days in the winter with temps below freezing so no issue. Most Summer outages have been less than 24 hours - again no issues just added blankets and did not open . I did have power out for several days in summer one time - fired up the tractor PTO generator for a couple hours on day 3 and day 5 usually of an evening when the wife wanted to watch some tv. I put a 1/2 beef and a hog in the freezer every 18 months or so. 

For a long term situation without my freezer and power I would split a cow among more of my neighbors - have a butchering day only every couple weeks with each family getting a couple cuts to cook that day. Wait and butcher when the weather is cold and naturally freeze or can/ smoke / cook and dehydrate.


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