# How Long Will Your Food Supplies Last You?



## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

I don't mean their storage time - I mean if the SHTF today, and you had to start using your food stores, how long would you have with it? I'm trying to figure out how much to store (the more the better obviously). I'm starting with a 1 year supply, but am thinking about going with as much as 5 years supply. Thoughts?


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

We sell dehydrated food , so we have a couple pallets on hand at all times for the business! I consider our stock part of my preps! Might last a couple years if we bug in! If we bug out and are on the move, were going to need alot of calories which requires a lot of food!


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Just my wife and I, 1 year, but when you start adding unexpected people , that equation starts to change, 3 people = 9 months, 4 people = 6 months, and so one, mostly these unexpected people would be family members that at present believe nothing can possibly happen, they think we are a little crazy at present, but when shtf , that attitude will change. We have family members than have an entitlement attitude, haven't figured out how to deal with that yet.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Long term food is a prep that we are working on.  We always have a bit extra on hand so the first goal was a month, then two. Current goal is a year. but we will move the goal post again once we reach it.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I would imagine most food stores will very as time passes. People will die or leave, more will show up. You do plan on hunting, fishing and scavenging as time allows, right. Three meals a day, or one as supplies start to get rationed. The point being is you will never have enough and how long can you make it last??


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

it should ALWAYS be an open question .... your stored supplies should be only be considered a supplement and bulward to your long term self sufficiency plan .... you need to go into survival mode immediately and kick your plan into operation when a serious SHTF hits .... biggest problem is determining the longevity of the current SHTF - will it deepen? - will it compound with other SHTFs to go even more serious? - will an outside complication like confiscation occur? .....

the recession hit 8 years ago - looks like it taking another hit on the economy - anyone planning on a 10 year storage plan?


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

How long will my food supplies last?

Long enough for some scenarios, not long enough for others. Trying to decide what is most likely to happen is the hard part. I've resigned myself to failing in this task, there is no way to prep for total armageddon, for example.


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## Slippy's-Attorney (Sep 23, 2015)

Depending on the event, we plan to go to a brunch/dinner 2 meal a day plan with a very very light breakfast of bread/water/coffee

I base off of meals (and calories per meal)... we should be ok for 1 year and then we will have garden expanded

I recommend 1 year to everybody I talked to ...that gives you a chance to get in a garden... 

we are working enough for times, time, and half a time


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

The longer you can survive by yourself, the less you have to interact with others. 1 year will be far longer than the majority of folks. 5 years would give you plenty of extra to give or trade.


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## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

My estimation...

With over 200 5 gallon buckets full of goods, perhaps 40-50 cases dehydrated foods & several hundred pounds of
cans & canning jars full......what? Maybe 3-4 years? It's just an estimate. But I know that I have over 500 lbs.
of raw red winter wheat, 200 lbs of dry milk,,,after a while you can't really keep an accurate tally! I didn't even
count my many cases of MRE's!

I'm good with what I have...in fact I am considering...for now...not buying much (if any) more foods. I'm also
running out of ROOM!

Grim


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Depending upon the degree of social breakdown, even with ample stores, one might consider foraging if the opportunity presented itself, so long as it isn't creating a hardship for someone else, I personally wouldn't steal from someone intentionally. It would just make your own supplies last longer.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

We have all the supplies for us " wife & I " and my dog for 18 months ,, working on making it a 24 month supply .


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Based on family only, five years.
Not much fancy food, basic staples.
None of us are big eaters either.
This projection does not include the plan of growing things such as potatoes, or hunting small game.
All stores will outlive me.
There is enough guns and ammo to protect it all to last a long long time, far beyond my lifetime.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

For our group 1 month of easy to prepare "meals" with an additional 7 months of more basic food per person has always been the goal and we have been there for a while.

Since then variety has been added (spices, honey, ect) and enough food to carry an additional person for the 8 month goal. This is the point where we've now said enough is enough. We live in farm country with the neighbors all having cows, goats, ect along with fields of corn and wheat. If I lived in a city and thought I could "bug in" I'd suggest a bit more food than we keep but even in the city I'd consider 5 yrs worth to be excessive.


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

slightly off topic from the OP, but FoolAmI mentioned adding Honey to his prepps, knowing honey can last thousands of years, what about bee pollen? anyone have that in their food supplies? we have pails of it, and go through it quickly, I never put much thought into how long it would last!?!?

1-2 yrs refrigerated, 6 months at room temp, then begins to lose potency! interesting! wonder if it could get canned, or if that would also kill potency! if its losing nutritional value, then whats the point i suppose! I should try freeze drying it! might report back on this one at a later time!


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## mooosie (Mar 26, 2016)

I'll be eating a lot of deer, turkey,squirrel ,rabbit ,pigs and fish!


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

mooosie said:


> I'll be eating a lot of deer, turkey,squirrel ,rabbit ,pigs and fish!


That will work for awhile, but in short ,game will be harder to come by as time goes on, everybody else will be doing the same thing.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

Based on a two meals a day kind of plan, right now if it was just my wife and I (we don't have any kids yet) we're probably good for maybe a month and a half, possible two. If we were to load everything up and head to her parents house, we would add to what they have, there would obviously be other people to consider. We probably keep about 2 weeks worth of food on hand in normal groceries anyway so we'd probably start eating that before getting into the "emergency food."


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## Plumbum (Feb 1, 2016)

It was about 6 weeks ago a made the desicion to take prepping beyond just guns and ammo, in that time I have expanded the familys (four of us) food supplie form less then 2 weeks to about 3 month. The goal is a 1y supply for the family so we can have some transion to having to grow/hunt/fish for a living. I do feel alot more secure now knowing we atleast have some food stored away if SHTF.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

One year ish working on 2


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

jro1 said:


> slightly off topic from the OP, but FoolAmI mentioned adding Honey to his prepps, knowing honey can last thousands of years, what about bee pollen? anyone have that in their food supplies?


I've been told that freeze dried bee pollen keeps most of it's nutrients for many years but I don't keep any. Several neighbors have hives and often are giving honey away. It things got bad I could probably trade for some fresh bee pollen and more honey.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

rstanek said:


> That will work for awhile, but in short ,game will be harder to come by as time goes on, everybody else will be doing the same thing.


Agreed. I've got 8-12 deer on my property most evenings (I go out most nights with a flashlight and shine across the fields) but if things get bad I may get a few of them before they are thinned out by the townsfolk but they will be hunted out fairly fast. Fortunately even if the electric grid went down I can maintain both my refrigerator and chest freezer for years with the solar system.


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

I have maybe a month or two. Slowly working on it. Prepping can get expensive, and when you po folk, it makes it harder.


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

well.. considering we have a dozen or so grain bins full of wheat, peas, lentils at any given time, not sure the bushel-calorie ratio, but supplemented with a garden and wild edibles such as cattails and dandelions and earthworms, it's a hard question to put a number on. if I get my moose tag this fall.. there will be some jerky for sure!!


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## SittingElf (Feb 9, 2016)

18 months to feed my family of three and two parents-in-law with current non-perishable stock.

Indefinite in reality once we convert to planting, with four growing cycles/year in SouthEastern Florida, and supplemented by small game.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

homegrownrose said:


> I don't mean their storage time - I mean if the SHTF today, and you had to start using your food stores, how long would you have with it? I'm trying to figure out how much to store (the more the better obviously). I'm starting with a 1 year supply, but am thinking about going with as much as 5 years supply. Thoughts?


My thought would be to make very good friends with your local farmer/rancher.

That sonsabitch knows how to plow, irrigate, rotate crops, and has seeds on hand.

When the fuel stops flowing the land can still be worked it will just take more manual labor.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I have reached my initial goal of 1 year. Now shooting at two. Given my location ( city ) I may be forced to relocate, but 2 years supply allows me flexibility in planning.


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## mooosie (Mar 26, 2016)

Rstanek yea eventually , I am fortunate in that I have land and am busy growing deer and other game! Also I would not hesitate to protect my property from trespassers hunting or fishing


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

I would store as much as you can for how ever long you can store for. I have limited space so I'll be out hunting, eating bugs, foraging, working for others with more...Do what you able to do within reason.


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## Hillbilly (Mar 29, 2016)

Illini Warrior is right on the mark......stockpiled food should only be considered a supplemental/temporary means of eating.....what's just as important (if not more) is that folks need to focus on is how to grow/gather/hunt their own food. Heirloom seeds should be a must for any prepper's supply. Learn canning and other food preservation as well as how to field dress a fresh kill......


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I am curious for those of you that are mentioning your garden, do you have the things you need to preserve the yields?

Canning jars, lids (remember they are not reusable), spices, sugar, vinegar, salt etc and of course how are you planning on heating your boiling water and your pressure canner? How will you run your dehydrator if you have little or no power?

I am concerned that people are not actually prepared in this area. So you are going to make jam and preserve your fruit, it takes a LOT of sugar to do that. If you are planning on using your propane like you do now, do you realize how much propane it takes to do a few days of canning? Do you have a back stock of pickling spices if you plan on making pickles? Or better yet, do you have the seeds to grow the spices you are going to need/want?


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## Hillbilly (Mar 29, 2016)

Auntie said:


> I am curious for those of you that are mentioning your garden, do you have the things you need to preserve the yields?
> 
> Canning jars, lids (remember they are not reusable), spices, sugar, vinegar, salt etc and of course how are you planning on heating your boiling water and your pressure canner? How will you run your dehydrator if you have little or no power?
> 
> I am concerned that people are not actually prepared in this area. So you are going to make jam and preserve your fruit, it takes a LOT of sugar to do that. If you are planning on using your propane like you do now, do you realize how much propane it takes to do a few days of canning? Do you have a back stock of pickling spices if you plan on making pickles? Or better yet, do you have the seeds to grow the spices you are going to need/want?


Check, check and check...my propane supply will only be used for food prep....I bought used propane tanks long ago from a warehouse that uses them on forklifts.....dehydrator will be ran on solar and an inverter.....I bought canning supplies, sugar, pectin and all of that stuff long ago and put it inside vacuumed and sealed buckets.....not sure how long all of that other stuff lasts, like yeast, but I have it nonetheless.....


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

tatler makes reusable lids... and lots of canning can be done in water bath or pressure cookers. canning/preserving has been around longer than electricity.... luckily god provides an outdoor freezer here 6-8 months out of the year.... after that underground ice boxes can be made with ice from ponds and sawdust.. mostly people just need to revert to a little pioneer ingenuity...


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

I don't need to make pickles or jam to survive..... I just need the calories from the vegetables and fruits. surviving may require monotonous meals... think a lot of potatoes and beans....


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> tatler makes reusable lids... and lots of canning can be done in water bath or pressure cookers. canning/preserving has been around longer than electricity.... luckily god provides an outdoor freezer here 6-8 months out of the year.... after that underground ice boxes can be made with ice from ponds and sawdust.. mostly people just need to revert to a little pioneer ingenuity...


We are lucky in some ways that we get snow and ice. However, not everyone lives in a climate that has all 4 seasons. Not everyone has a wood burning stove. When I suggested to a friend in Florida that she gets one she thought I had lost my mind. Then I explained that she could use it for cooking and canning. She is now looking for one.


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

Hillbilly said:


> Check, check and check...my propane supply will only be used for food prep....I bought used propane tanks long ago from a warehouse that uses them on forklifts.....dehydrator will be ran on solar and an inverter.....I bought canning supplies, sugar, pectin and all of that stuff long ago and put it inside vacuumed and sealed buckets.....not sure how long all of that other stuff lasts, like yeast, but I have it nonetheless.....


research how to make the things you may need..... yeast? think armpits.. print off the information.. read little house on the prairie... why waste propane for canning when you can boil water over a wood fire? smoke/dry meat... think primitive.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> I don't need to make pickles or jam to survive..... I just need the calories from the vegetables and fruits. surviving may require monotonous meals... think a lot of potatoes and beans....


No you don't need it to survive. Isn't being prepared about more than just surviving?


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## Hillbilly (Mar 29, 2016)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> research how to make the things you may need..... yeast? think armpits.. print off the information.. read little house on the prairie... why waste propane for canning when you can boil water over a wood fire? smoke/dry meat... think primitive.


The supplies are supplemental and aide in adapting to a more pioneer way of life.....there will be trial and errors.....my supplies are not meant to be permanent....going from modern to a more primitive way of living will be a shock to my family or most folks....the supplies are kind of like weening them off convenience.....


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

My backups have backups. .
Just need more room.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Besides, like everybody else, I'm headed to Aunties house.......
Seriously thou Auntie, would love to swing by this summer.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

What is bringing you to CO?


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## Hillbilly (Mar 29, 2016)

Auntie said:


> No you don't need it to survive. Isn't being prepared about more than just surviving?


Absolutely!!! Food is a psychological comfort that most folks just don't realize and take for granted....for example: I've purchased cases of Jolly Ranchers and other hard candies....some may laugh at me....but if you're eating beans and rice day after day (we won't be but most people will be), most people just don't realize the psychological boost that a simple piece of candy or a jelly sandwich will give them........


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

Auntie said:


> No you don't need it to survive. Isn't being prepared about more than just surviving?


difference between surviving and thriving... you can stockpile food.. but if it runs out or goes bad, are you going to pickle the cucumber to survive? or just eat it? surviving is just that! surviving, eat worms, ants, whatever gives you more calories than your body burns... chew your leg off to get out of a trap!!... whatever it takes. bottom line.. spices are nice.. but not required!


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

I get your point Auntie... and yes, I am prepared as much as can be for me for now.. but the question was how long my food can last, that all depends on what is considered food... how long will my preps last should be the question, heirloom seeds are expected to reproduce annually.. weather or disease can change that.. I guess the right answer is, as long as I can find wood to burn..


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## homegrownrose (Mar 24, 2016)

We are definitely ready for long-term replenishing as much as we can be. We have a survival seed bank with heirloom, organic, non-gmo seeds of a wide variety and live in an area that grows things very well about 9-10 months out of the year. I was pricing a pallet of various canning jars/lids today and that is going to be my next big buy for prepping since we are coming upon the canning season shortly and I found 2 new inexpensive organic produce suppliers. I have a pressure canner as well.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Auntie said:


> What is bringing you to CO?


Just to escape the NM heat, probably July .


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