Guidelines For, and Questions from beginning Preppers

I receive quite a few questions from people in all stages of prepping.  Many of these are from beginning preppers.  These questions are valuable to me; they help me to understand what you need.  The whole reason I write this blog is to share information and help people prepare.  Every time I receive a question, I figure that for everyone that writes there are many others who have the same question.  So keep sending your questions and ideas and I will keep trying to answer them.  Understand that sometimes your answer may be delayed while I do research or check with others who are more knowledgeable than I am.  This is good it helps me to learn.

Here is an example of a couple of emails I received yesterday.

First, thank you for your willingness to help those of us with questions.  My husband and I are just getting into prepping and I am so overwhelmed with information.  First, can you provide me with a list of what and how much to buy for 2 people for 1 year?  Thus far I have bought 40 lbs of white rice and 15 lbs of various dried beans and stored them in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers.  How long can canned food last, past the expiration date?  What about dried spices?

Can you provide me with the facts on water storage?  We are going to buy a 55-gallon BPA-free water container, but how long can store-bought bottled water last?

What is a gamma lid and is worth the money if I am storing the food in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers?

Thank you again for your help.

Now, this is a pretty general question, typical of what I get from beginning preppers.  Now I am not going to be able to answer every facet of it.  However, I can suggest some places for them to look that will save them time and effort.

The following are some previous articles that I have written that address their questions.

• 12 Common Prepping Mistakes Made by Beginners
• Water 
• Gamma Lids

In addition, I am going to be a bit self-serving and suggest that they purchase a copy of my book Emergency Preparedness and More from Amazon.  This addresses many of these areas and more.

A second question I received was about the Wonder Boxes Wonder box / ovens and Why You Need One

I am wondering what the most efficient material for insulation would be that I could simply buy off the shelf.

My wife suggests that you purchase some inexpensive cotton-polyester pillows, there are quite cheap.  You will probably want to put a pillowcase on them to help keep them clean.  You will need 3 to 5 pillows depending on the size of your wonder box.

Here is a third question.

“Your website is absolutely wonderful and a wealth of information.  I just finished reading your article on not to purchase freeze-dried food from China.  I am looking to purchase some freeze-dried food that is non-GMO, organic, lower in sodium, and just healthy.  I am still a novice but have learned more.  Someone just informed me that no company can claim non-GMO unless they spend millions to confirm this.  So, it seems there is much dishonestly out there.  I am looking to purchase the healthiest and tastiest fruit, veggies, and chicken out there.  Any advice or recommendations you could offer would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your time”.

This is a hard question, so I went to the best source I know for an answer.  I talked to the FreezeDryGuy who I have known for 40 years and who has always been honest and straightforward with me.  He says that they currently are carrying a line of food that he believes is GMO-free. In addition, I would suggest that you consider buying Mountain House foods, while they are not GMO-free they are good quality, and try to avoid Chinese products.  They are about the oldest of the long-term food storage companies and have a great track record for their foods standing the test of time.  I have eaten their food that was over 40 years old and it was still good.  Most freeze-dried foods will be high in sodium, but I do not consider this a problem, since you may have less salt in your overall diet. FreezeDryGuy carries both lines of food.

Everyone has questions, especially beginning preppers and I believe that the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. so send in your questions and I will try and answer them for you.

Howard