[Moroco Mole]

So based on my real life situation, and a situation many of us have went thru. What have we learned. Well Covid quarantine became survive for 2 weeks with what was in my house and within 20 feet of it. Many have been thru this and can be very much an essential part of this discussion.

This could also be brought about as a need to lay low, not just forced quarantine.
We. I have learned that I should Have exercised my mind for readiness more. I also discovered some comforts are nesesary to keep normalcy and sanity.
Like coffee, a deck of cards reading material and a Bible. Friends I could depend on to check up on me, without me contacting them was the greatest asset.

So here is a little mental exercise.
If right now you had a situation, where you could not leave the direct area of your home for 2 weeks, what would you wish you had, or had more of
?

For me it was coffee, soup, fever reducers, and decongestants. If not for a little care package run from my church, I would have been a lot worse.

 

[rugrat]

We are pretty well stocked if need be. The only things we might be short of would be over the counter medications, alcohol, milk and bread (since bread and milk have very short expiration dates). Other than that we are very good on MREs, freezed dried foods, bottled water, first aid supplies, fuel of several different kinds, firearms and plenty of ammo for each.

 

[Jack Ryan]

MREs are a waste of money here. Short of zombie nukes I don't think they are ever going to get used.

 

[rugrat]

MREs are a waste of money here. Short of zombie nukes I don't think they are ever going to get used.

We get hit by so many hurricanes each year that they definitely are usefull here even if they are not usefull where you are! They get used here often! MREs are not a waste of money in our location!

 

[Moroco Mole]

We were hit right after Thanksgiving, so kitchen itself was bare.As we had bought just the right size turkey.
I found the MRE's were convenient. Was glad to have them, but we're hard to eat and keep down when sick. And the coffee in those is awful. Realized that a good stock of coffee, tea, soup, chicken broth and beef broth is also nesesary. Lucky someone brought me some soup.

You good fellows disagreeing is a good example as to why we need the have this discussion. Each one of this needs to take time to look around and figure things on a personal need basis. If I am going to be cut off for a week or a month what am I going to be missing? It may not be the same for everybody.
I personally did not realize that while held up with my family, I needed 4 cups of tea or coffee a day to keep from taking on the role of Johney in the Shining. LOL

 

[Jaison]

Mole, bro, going shopping now.

Coffee first on list.

If electricity isn’t an issue, I’d like more DVDs. Have seen all the ones on the shelf many times. Other than that, pretty well stocked.

Good, timely post, by the way, buddy.

 

[Stickman]

I've got a months worth of everything in the pantry or freezer. It might be necessary to forgo the sour cream on the tacos after a couple of weeks though.

 

[Moroco Mole]

I've got a months worth of everything in the pantry or freezer. It might be necessary to forgo the sour cream on the tacos after a couple of weeks though.

Of course you Alaskans are a different breed. For you guys it is not preping, stocking up and rotating stock is just every day stuff.

 

[blaster]

I deal with hurricanes every year so I am always stocked up.

 

[Junction15]

I have to almost agree with Jack Ryan that MRE's are further down on my list. I have a few. No one here likes them (except me). So I guess that the fact they keep for so long, and that they aren't likely to get gobbled up quickly is sort of a plus. They will certainly be the last get consumed. Although there is the convenience of being self contained.

But we do have a freezer and a half of frozen food. Meats and veggies. There is a 25# bag of flour in one freezer (keeps the little bugs - whatever they are - out of it.) Plenty of coffee, Plenty of stuff on the shelves. And plenty of dog food - can't forget them.

I could probably occupy myself pretty well with projects, reloading - shooting out the back window. Just using Excel and other programs can eat up lot of my time.
Unless I am too sick to leave the house, I will spend time outside. I'll just "understand" quarantine as meaning my entire property.

 

[Stickman]

I've got some MREs, they are an easy way to meet the state food requirement in light airplane survival kits.

Personally, I pretty much hate them.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Mine are all in the same box I bought them in. Some of the guys I know eat them enough to make a trip now and then to buy them by the case. I just look at that box and think "5 year old TV dinners". Honestly, I've never opened one.

 

[theGrizzFan]

Milk and salad stuff.
Longer than 2 weeks I'd be trying to talk some good friends into coming over to help with security.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I started doing some security stuff last January and been keeping that more in mind with everything I've done since as to "How will this affect that if I do it this way or that." A little at a time can add up pretty nice after a while and with out much of any one even noticing it is changing or the reasoning behind it.

Kind of the way the Chinese are taking over the rest of the world. A little at a time in all the soft spots.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

My wife is a petite person, but we drink the 12 cup coffee pot dry everyday, and if I drink more than half I am in trouble. We have ran out of coffee and it is a big deal. And when you are sick you do not want to have to go out and surely you do not want to expose family or friends. Just yesterday, I learned of the 4th person that I have known for years died of the covid, age 61, 66, 68 and 72. None of them had any series disease and were active guys, so if you or family get it you want to be stocked up for the long haul as you surely know.

We have medical issues at my house, so we are always overstocked on meds, 2-3 months on the prescription stuff thanks to doctors who write the scripts and lots of over the counter stuff. We are stocked to supply family if need be.

When stocking up for the Covid possible shut down last Feb and March we added lots of canned soups and vegetables and canned fruit. What I noticed is that lots of the soups were pretty thin on meat. So we added canned meats which can even make chicken noodle tolerable. I have probably 150 pounds of venison in the freezers so as long as there is electricity I have a long term supply of natural meat. I recently went on 3 hunting trips and ate Dinty Moore a couple times per day,LOL. It is not good cold but that was my choice. We have a single case of MREs, they will be the last we eat. They are also pretty portable if we had to evacate for some reason.

Another thing that can help break the boring food routine is making sure you have pancake batter and peanut butter and even honey which can feed that sweet tooth. I added some powdered peanut butter recently based on a comment on G and G. It is chocolate flavored and can be eaten or added as protein to lots of dishes, cereal or whatever. Powdered milk should be in every pantry. Not great but it has lots of uses and can save a trip to the store when ice is on the ground or your are sick.

We got bored with hamburger helper long ago, but it makes for a cheap base for venison burger and seems to last for years and it is cheap.

Good reminder that we all need that extra stuff so if we cannot or should not go out, we have it. We also keep about 10 gallons of fresh gasoline for the generators. We had a storm a few years ago where the 3 local gas stations near us lost power, so they could not pump gas. Not a big deal for city people but if you are out a ways it can matter. And you can lose power when you are sick. We even top all our cars of when they get to half tank. And of course we hoard ammo and glad we did. Now that the ammo crunch is on I shoot lots of 22 instead of 9 and 45 and such. I also recommend everyone buy several 22s and hoard ammo when it comes back. I have found 3 bricks in the last 2 months at fair prices, which I just shoot a hundred or so at a time. I also shoot suppressed so if I am bored and can shoot with the 22s or even pellet and BB guns. Those 6 thousand round packages last a long long time.

Thanks for reminding us all as these things will be happening more and more. I do not understand why just have experienced more storms and power outages, internet and land lines out and then all the shortages of everything, so hording is not evil anymore it is just common sense. And of course, there is no such thing as having too many batteries on hand.

Be well and thanks again for reminding us to stay vigilant.

 

[ncnascarlady]

We're well stocked up here just in case. The pantry is full and I just added the holiday baking supplies, most of which I can convert to basic needs if I have to. As long as I've got flour and yeast, I can bake breads. Flour and eggs equal fresh pasta. Basic plain tomato sauce is a good base for pasta or pizza sauce, catsup, soup and if push comes to shove tomato juice. I have assorted stocks...including restaurant style condensed bases and homemade "ice cubes" in the freezer.

The freezer is stuffed with meat and vegetables, Velveeta and butter. I've even got a couple of cartons of beaten eggs in there. They're nasty as scrambled eggs but good for baking in a pinch. Powdered milk is something I refuse to use, but I do have shelf stable cartons in the pantry. We don't use much milk, so the cartons are fine. Between the tried and true, the over 200 cookbooks in my collection and being able to just toss something together, food boredom will take a while to set in.

What I don't have is a lot of quick lunch options but I always cook enough for another meal or 2 so there're always leftovers. 😀

We've got cards and board games, loads of books, batteries, led lanterns, oil lamps and oil, and candles. Heck, I've even got a spool of wick cord so I can melt stubs and make more candles if I want to. Hubby and I both have craft projects and heaven knows I've got enough fabric to keep me busy for a while...lol And believe me, I've got enough yard work, plans and projects to keep us busy as long as being outside is an option.

 

[Mindy up North]

I am finally stocked up to where I was before the move here. It took a while, but much of the delay was getting the storage areas set up properly. I have enough fish and game packing multiple chest freezers full...enough to carry me a long while. I have another freezer full of butter, cream (think🍦lol), milk and frozen veggies I packed from the garden. Lots of jars of processed game, salmon, fruits and veggies too. I have already talked about my stash of sugar flour(s) and yeasts. As far as other household goods, those are plenty too. The only time I really need to go shopping is to replenish what I use just to keep items rotated. I have a lot of my items stored in different out-buildings just in case there is a fire or some other disaster -- so all won't lost.

 

[Moroco Mole]

Thanks for all your replies.Thus far. You have added a lot of food for thought to this thread. I think that one thing I have taken from you all, along with me own experiance, is that everyone's needs are slightly different.
Prep lists and books are nice. But looking around and taking stock will do you a lot more good then any book.

 

[MosinRuger]

paper towels. TP. Coffee!! I finally found my go to coffee that i absolutely love, so I found a "case" of it on amazon. much cheaper than buying multiple individual bags. its got 6 normal sized bags in a box. I suggest doing something similar. I also have a un opened plastic jar thing of maxwell house or folgers, dont remember which one as its tucked away in the back of a cabinet, that is the emergency back up supply! ill never drink it until i run out of the good stuff.

I also threw back a couple of bottles of wine, both red and white, and some cheap vodka, rum and whiskey. If it gets bad enough i can either drink it, or trade/ sell it. or you know, make "fireworks out of it!"

the freezer has more frozen meat that it used to, and i have lot more cans than before, veggies, chilli, soups, milk etc.

This hasn't happened due to covid restrictions, but I also have planned for a interruption in city water and electricity. Unfortunately, at this stage in life, I am totally dependent on the city supply of water and juice. Electric i can do without. water, not so much.

so, i buy water jugs from the store to make my coffee, once they are empty they get filled with the hose and stashed in the storage area. probably got 25 gallons or so right now. this can be boiled and used for consumption, cooking or drinking. or can be used for hygiene. bathing, flushing toilets, dishes etc. most of you probably know, if there is a sign of water going out, fill up the toilets and sinks before it does.

since things like beans and rice are great long term survival foods, i have a good bit of that, thing is that requires water to eat.

 

[runfiverun]

if you could come up with a way to get my wife to shut up, 2 weeks would be no problem.
seriously, i go more than 2 weeks without even putting shoes on in the winter time now, doing it because of a virus would just make me walk around in a blanket or build a fire.

i might run out of smokes, but generally keep a couple of cartons on hand so a month wouldn't matter really.
[and i'm sure i could get someone around here to throw a carton out their window as they drove by the place if necessary]

i keep dried milk on hand, plus generally have 90 to 120 days worth of food.
so really the only thing i'd probably have to ration is the soda i drink, and i'd maybe have to make some bread.
14 days? yeah no problem.