What's the Difference?

Many people ask me:  What's the difference between Grocery Store, Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried foods?  Here's the answer:

GROCERY STORE:

Fresh tastes great!  And when you cook it yourself you know what's going into it.  But unless you purchase your fresh foods from a local farmer's market, most grocery store foods are picked early and ripens during shipping.  This results in decreased nutritional value compared to foods picked at peak ripeness.


DEHYDRATED:

Dehydrated foods are processed by heating the food to a level that the moisture will evaporate.  The heating process breaks down nutrients, changes the color, flavor, shape and texture of the food.  Because dehydration doesn't take out the moisture entirely, they have a shelf life of about 5-10 years.  Dehydrated fruits do contain fiber, some vitamins and minerals, but many companies add sulfur and sugar to enhance flavor and shelf life. 


FREEZE-DRIED:

Freeze-dried foods are flash-frozen, a process that drops temperatures immediately; then in a vacuum chamber, 98% of the moisture is removed.   These foods are picked at peak ripeness, so they also have a higher nutritional content than those picked early.  Because they are frozen rather than heated, when water is replaced, these foods maintain their shape, color, flavor and nutrients.   Also, because 98% of the moisture content is removed, freeze-dried foods have a much longer shelf-life, usually up to 25 years.  No flavors, additives or sugars are added to freeze-dried food.  You are eating quality all-natural food -- and it TASTES GREAT!

See for yourself!   Both are samples of Green Beans:  

Dehydrated on the left; Freeze-Dried on the right.

What's in YOUR PANTRY?

A few years ago, the Washington D.C. metro area was haunted by a man who was driving from town to town killing people at random.  These innocent victims were just doing the everyday things like filling up their cars at gas stations, waiting for the bus, coming out of the store from shopping at Wal-mart and Home Depot.

With 9-11 still fresh in their minds, the panic that plagued the people in this area was surreal.  I know, because I lived there.  My husband had filled up his car at the same gas station that someone had been shot and killed the very next day.  It was as if people were being hunted.  No one knew when or where this person would hit next.  News reporters began giving lessons on how to avoid sniper attack.  In public, people were always looking over their shoulders, hiding next to the gas pumps "just in case", walking in zig-zag, indirect lines to their car in the parking lot.

Eventually, many people stayed home entirely just to avoid the possibility that they could be the next victim.  No one wanted to admit it, but there was a lot of panic going on.  During that time, I too wouldn't go anywhere unless I absolutely HAD to.  This included the grocery store -- thankfully, we had a good enough supply of food in our pantry that this wasn't really an issue for us.

It occurred to me, that we never can fully predict what will keep us from having access to food.  It might be as simple as an illness or a car needing to be repaired that would keep you home for a few days.  But when emergencies come up that prevent you from buying food at the store for weeks (weather, electricity, transportation strike or other food shortages to name a few), it's ALWAYS wise to have several meals on the shelf that could be made without a trip to the store.  In fact, the recommendation is to have about 3 months' "regular" food (that you typically eat, canned or packaged) available at any time.

ELECTRICITY

I opened my windows tonight and was reminded of the ongoing fires nearby.  The news reported today, that a fire, 4 hours north of us, could disrupt our electricity if smoke were to get in-between the lines.  If that isn't enough, I learned a few years back, that a forest fire in northern California could put us out of electricity, two states away.  I hadn't realized the far-reaching effects of forest fires.  Just because there isn't one nearby doesn't mean it won't affect your comfort at home.

In place of electricity, there are a lot of "wind-up/crank" and Solar-powered items available.  Solar power is available YEAR ROUND (well, in most places)--and it's FREE (the solar part)! Here are a few things I'm really excited about

1. Solar-powered Battery Charger 
2. And on my wish list, this beautiful SUN OVEN!!! (it's even on sale) 
3. Click here to see more solar-powered tools (I just get so excited about these things!)

So for those of us who run the A/C night and day, electricity is truly cherished.  What would I do in the event of a power outage?

First, I would turn OFF and unplug my computers (yes, my computers come first) to prevent any damage when the electricity comes back on.

If the electricity didn't return within a few minutes, I would begin taking precautions to preserve the current temperature (see the first 3 things on the list below) -- and if it were off for hours I would continue down the list:

Solar Sun Oven

In the summer months:

• close curtains/shades
• close windows (during the heat of the day), open when cooler at night
• DO NOT open the freezer, and open fridge as little as possible.  If meat starts to thaw, consider cooking it.  If it reaches refrigerator temperatures, either cook it immediately or toss it out. 
• go swimming (lowers body temperature)
• go shopping (seriously -- if the outage is limited to a neighborhood, the stores on the other side of town will still be air-conditioned
• Take a drive with the A/C running in the car
• take a cool bath or shower (unless your water flow is disrupted by electrical outage).
• Limit movement -- there's a reason siestas are in the middle of the day
• If it's windy, get outside under the shade with a spritz bottle or wet towel
• remember that most phones require electricity to charge and use (we keep an older phone that doesn't require an electrical outlet, for situations like this).
• How do you plan to prepare your food?  Most recently we used our outdoor grill, which was great because it didn't heat up our house.
• Don't forget to keep flashlights/batteries accessible (don't run propane lanterns indoors).  Growing up we used oil lanterns in an electrical outage -- whatever your preference is.
• If your body gets too warm for too long, you will get heat exhaustion and eventually heat stroke.  Stay out of the sun, drink plenty of water and stay cool.
• You can probably come up with some more of your own, please feel free to share!

Solar Battery Charger

In the winter months:

• Have enough wood to fuel a fire (depending on where you life will determine how much wood you would stock up)
• Have plenty of blankets and winter gear available -- layer it on as needed: cotton first, then goose-down, fleece or wool, etc. then something to break the wind on the outside.
• Keep doors & windows closed.
• Open shades during the day to let sunlight warm up the room (vice versa at night).
• Keep everyone in one room, doors closed.
• Share a bed.
• Put towels under door jams and in leaky windows sills 
• Everywhere you look there is insulation (seat cushions can be taken apart to stuff clothing, etc.)  Use your imagination.
• Be sure not to get so hot that you sweat, which will cause your body to cool very fast.  This can cause hypothermia & shock.

WATER

Just some thoughts as we head full blast into summer.  Did you know that the minimum suggested amount of water you should have stored for two weeks is 14 gallons per person? If you live in a hot, dry climate you'll need to store more.  A typical person needs about 1/2-gal of water per day for drinking alone.

This is just eating/drinking water -- add bathing/laundry water on top of that and you'll need a whole lot more. 

Here's a visual of how much water you'll need:  4 of these equals 2 weeks of water for 1 person.

A few years back we a bought a 55 gal., 30 gal. & 20 gal. barrel.  They came in handy last winter when our pipes froze.  They take up a large amount of space in our garage, but we put a large board over them and use it as another (lightweight) shelf.   We also have some 5 gal. barrels that can be lifted into the car (excellent for campouts, day trips, or in case of an emergency).   Think how well my 100+ gallons of water would fit in the garage if I had these water bricks (each holds 3.5 gal & stackable!)

A few more suggestions:  Rotate water every 6 months.  Be sure to use the heavy duty food grade blue barrels that allow minimal light to enter (bacterial growth thrives on light).  Don't use the milk jugs or the large bottled water containers you buy from the grocery store -- THEY WILL CRACK.  For non-drinking water (ie. laundry), store water in an empty laundry detergent container.

For more details on HOW to store water, go to the FEMA website:

Click below to see examples of containters & filters sold by Shelf Reliance:

Water filter & container products

You can search for all products at: myfamilythrives.shelfreliance.com/home/

FIRE!

With everything that has been transpiring the last few months in the weather and around the world, I can't help but think about what might have been going through the minds of people as they were experiencing their disaster.  I wonder what I would have done in their shoes.

My First experience with an emergency (that I can remember), was when I was about 10 years old.  It was a typical fire season -- warm summer day, smoky sky, the smell of burning forest -- but when the ash started falling, we knew it might be a little different.  That afternoon we heard the knock on the door and listened to the man who worked for the Forest Service tell us that we were to evacuate in one hour.

I remember the rush when my parents handed me the basket-woven duffel bag with "mexico" embroidered on it.   They said to pack the things that I couldn't live without.  At age 10 I really didn't have any irreplaceables -- in fact, I think I loaded it with clothes,  a journal and a radio.  But the invaluable lesson I learned as a 10 yr. old was that nothing is permanent.  The things we own can be ripped away from us and all we are left with are the memories and the lessons learned.  Life as I knew it could disappear in the blink of an eye.  This one experience was ingrained in my mind and has been the motive for my interest in wanting to be prepared when disaster strikes.

Now If I were to have one hour to pack, I wonder what I would reach for first?  Thankfully I have the basics (clothes, sanitation, food, first aid, etc.) ready to go so that I could hopefully have an extra moment to grab some sentimental belongings (now copies of those sentimentals are on an external hard drive).   But if not, I know our needs would be met for a few days at least.
 
What would you reach for first?  What could you/couldn't you live without?  Here's a fun challenge:  Find an unused backpack, fill it with what you think you will need to live for 3 days -- then go test it out.  If you already have a 72-hr emergency kit, then what are you waiting for?

Getting Started!!

Being prepared for any emergency or crisis can be overwhelming if you're just getting started -- and when the next crisis or disaster comes, the time for preparedness is over.  If you're not sure where to start or what to do next, pick an item below and focus on it for a week or a month, until you feel adequately prepared in that field.


DO YOU HAVE:

• Home & Vehicle First Aid Kits?
• 3-months worth of income in Savings?
• Credit card, vehicle, and other debt paid off?
• An emergency escape Plan? (from the house, city, etc.)
• A list of Emergency Contact Names & Numbers
• 3-day Emergency Kit (ready to take with you if you have to leave)?
• 3-month Food Supply (shelf food you regularly eat)?
• Long-term Food Supply (6-12 months or more) stored in a cool place?
• Tools and other household items (shovel, garbage bags, bleach, etc.) in the event you can't get to the store.
• 2-weeks worth of water (minimum 1 gal. per person per day)?

DO YOU KNOW:

• Which disasters are likely to occur in your area and how to prepare for them?
• Who your family "contact person" is (in the event of a disaster)?
• Where you will meet family members should you become separated?
• How to treat for Shock? (emotional and physical)
• Basic First Aid?
• How to communicate with out of town Family Members?
• How to protect yourself from the elements (heat/cold)?
• How to prepare food without electricity?

This is just a list to get you started -- feel free to add topics of your own.  I'll be visiting these topics over the next several weeks.