The key to food stoage

[Lowdown3]

Not so much here, but other places I see people asking questions for extended periods of time on food storage. Often times you look back and see that they have been on X forums for 4-5 years or more and asked similar just getting started type questions many years prior.

The biggest key to food storage is simply doing it.

Wait and research the "right way" and you still have nothing.

Yes there are some really STUPID ways to try and do it- buying a bunch of frozen food (obviously), buying 700 lbs. of stuff your allergic to, etc.

Outside of that, it's really just about GETTING STARTED.

If it's too "overwhelming" (I've actually been told that before by newbies) to pack buckets, than start somewhere else. Don't spend six months "researching" bucket packing, start some where else.

Here is the key to survival purchasing and planning-

ACTION leads itself to further ACTION.

The rock, once rolling, easily rolls further downhill. The rock that is never tipped over enough to begin rolling, is still sitting there years from now not doing anything.

Many survivalists are still "sitting there years later" not doing anything.

If getting started means buying a couple months of wet packed grocery store canned food, SO BE IT.

When you are not moving, you have to look at ANY movement as a victory and a means for FURTHER MOVEMENT.

Paleo this, gluten free that, free ranged quinoa, all natural cell phone (LOL) - JUST GET STARTED.

Reading isn't going to feed your family.
Bookmarks on a computer aren't going to feed your family.
"Research" isn't going to feed your family.
"Lists" aren't going to feed your family.

Only your ACTIONS will feed your family.

[Templar]

We are currently in the process of rotating/inspecting our food stores. To date, the biggest suprise is vegetable oil, packed in 2004, still good, both taste-wise, and appearance-wise. Home-canned teabags/sugar packets and instant coffee in a #10 can with O2 absorbers showed NO signs of being 6 years old... We opened a #10 can of JRH dried apple slices, purchased in 1999, and found them GTG, and were made into a delicious pie...

The point is, eat what you store, and rotate! Don't be afraid to use your stores, and , in fact, incorporate them into the menu plan at home. F/D and dried veggies and meats make hellacious soups in a crock pot...

[tech]

Excellent observation, LD! Unfortunately, it is not limited to food storage, but also security, alt energy, firearms, or physical conditioning.

I can understand not wanting to rush into an aspect without due diligence, but as you stated action MUST be taken to accomplish anything.

[maypo59]

It does seem that many suffer from "research deadlock".. I will see questions like, "What's the best knife", or "best knife for "X" situation" and since they get no consensus, they lock up.. weeks later, or months, you see the same question, by the same user name, on another board.. so you know they have not found "the one", or more importantly, have not bought one, and instead of at this point being able to say this "X" is the suxors, or the sweetest "X" ever.. they are continuing to not have "X".. still wanting someone else to tell them what the best "X" is, when we all know any "X" is better than no "X"..

I have some friends struggling right now (last year or so) to buy the exact, right, perfect, handgun. It's painful, yet oddly amusing, to watch/listen to.

[hidden_waldo]

What I see happening is, "someone" will hear one comment about X product on how good X product is from a "friend". The "someone" will ask for opinions about X product to people on the internet and when the answer doesn't mach the friend, the OP gets offended.

There is a big difference of: being validated, learning, seeing if someone aligns with your ideals and just disagreeing with people that don't hold your opinion.

Its pretty easy to see how the conversation is going to go when the first OP response comes in.

[RobertJ]

Opened a Mylar bag of elbow pasta yesterday... Guess I didn't freeze soon enough... it was buggy, larva hatched but dead. this was packed in 2012 and sealed with a iron. looks like it lost some of its seal maybe that's why? The lesson I learned is do the whole process at one time, don't get sidetracked. Have all components ready Mylar, O2 absorbent, Buckets, Liquid Nitrogen or space in the freezer. Then go buy fresh rice,beans,etc. and set a Saturday aside to do nothing but food stores. I still find myself getting lazy and not following my own rules. One example last summer I found 25# bags of rice on sale at wally world. I purchased brought home and stuck in closet. I was lazy forgot about them and found them under a pile. Yup Buggy but Wonder mutt is eating it now. I would eat in TEOTWAKI but don't have to now. I just need to learn to follow my own advise / rules.

Sorry for long