Emergency food, long-term storage for lazy people like me

[Brooke]

Having a large supply of complicated goods that I need to eat from and rotate in fresher stuff isn't for me.  I tried that once and didn't keep up with it after a while.

What I needed was to have 2000 cal/day of complete protein available that lasts nearly forever, is easy to store, and is cheap.

So, what I ended up doing is making 5 gallon buckets of rice and beans.  A bucket will last about 20-30 years and is 25 days worth of 2000 cal/day.  Rice and beans together make a complete protein, so you can live off of it for a long time.

I got 5 gallon buckets and lids (about $5 per bucket+lid),
5 gallon mylar bags (about $1 each),
2000 cc oxygen absorbers (about $1 each),
a mylar bag heat-seal tool ($100 "Hotjaws", although you can use a household iron with a little more hassle),
25 and 50 lb bags of long-grain white rice (about $20 per 50 lbs)
25 and 50 lb bags of pinto beans (about $30 per 50 lbs)
A mylar bag in a bucket holds about 33-35 lbs worth of rice or beans

The total cost of a bucket worth is about $28.  So, for $28, you get about 25 days worth of food at 2000 cal/day.  Not bad.  And it lasts for decades (so I can do it once and not worry about it thereafter), and buckets store easily.

Here's how you do it.
Put the mylar bag in the bucket.
Fill with rice or beans but leave a couple of inches spare room at the top for the excess mylar bag.
Label the bucket (while you still can see what's in it), including with date.
Heat seal the bag shut except for about 4 inches on one side.
Put a 2000 cc oxygen absorber in.
Push out the excess air.
Seal the remaining 4 inches.
Wait a day and notice that the bag now looks the same as if it were vacuum sealed (unless there is a leak).
Hammer on the lid.

Do a bucket for every person-month you want your stores to cover, and you don't have to deal with it again (except for if an emergency happens, of course).

If folks are interested in particular items, I just bought buckets from Home Depot and got the rest from Amazon:
5 gal mylar bags, such as these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077CSRXQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
2000 cc oxygen absorber packets, such as these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FRZ45K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
A nice mylar bag heat sealer, such as this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HO30TE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Rice and beans (whatever type of bean you like -- I got pinto, but navy beans are good choice, too).  Get multiples of 25 or 50 lb bags at Cash and Carry (or from Costco, Sam's Club, or maybe Walmart).

Then, as I live in an area with abundant fresh water around, I got a filter instead of storing water (as storing water is a pain).
This water filter (that will take out organics, metals, bacteria, and most viruses):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWIWX8G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01

By the way, oxygen absorbers don't keep once you open the pack.  So, set up your mylar bags you are doing so that they are all sealed except for the last 4 inches.  Then open your package of oxygen absorbers, pull out the number you need, push out excess air, and reseal the oxygen absorber package with your heat sealer.  Then put the oxygen absorbers into your mylar bags, push out excess air, and seal the remaining 4 inches on each bag.

For sealing with the Hotjaws, you set it to "high" and press it firmly together on the bag for a count of 5 Mississippi.

People can seal mylar bags with home irons.  That's a cheaper device than the Hotjaws, but takes a bit more technique to get a good seal.

[Brooke]

If you want to use a similar technique to store salt or sugar, I don't put in the oxygen absorber.

Salt and sugar have an indefinite shelf life if they don't get wet.  So, sealing in a mylar bag should be sufficient.

Also, if you do put in an oxygen absorber, they can turn into a rock-like mass that you need to chisel hunks off and regrind to make it granulated.

[CASHEW]

livin in the woods there aint such thing as emergency's! Aint got no prepper shack!

[BaldEagl]

Sounds like  pretty boring diet.

[MrKrabs]

Sounds like  pretty boring diet.

But you can do a lot with both of those items.

Heck you can grind down the rice and make bread :|

[BaldEagl]

Heck you can grind down the rice and make bread :|

I suppose if you're not an admittedly lazy person.

[Aspen]

Simple and effective, sounds good.  Some canned peaches and canned meat would be a good supplement and help avoid going insane only eating rice and beans. 

[PR3D4TOR]

Just rice and beans is not enough to keep someone fully nourished. You need fruits and vegetables for other vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients.

[HL117]

SPAM

Canned = 2-5 year shelf life

[Brooke]

Sounds like  pretty boring diet.

Yes, but keep in mind that its main purpose is to avoid starvation if there were an emergency and to do that at a minimum of work and money.

Also, supplementing it with some cans of various items, like Aspen suggests, is the way to go.

[Brooke]

Just rice and beans is not enough to keep someone fully nourished. You need fruits and vegetables for other vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients.

Beans have an assortment of vitamins and minerals, but -- yep, if you were going to be on your emergency food for more than several months, you would probably want supplemental cans of things and, for extra assurance, multivitamins.

[Brooke]

SPAM

Canned = 2-5 year shelf life

 

[FLS]

If you're really lazy just put up a sign that says "Free Food".

When people come to your house eat them.

Sign ain't lying. 

[Nefarious]

Good read Brooke.

[ink]

If you're really lazy just put up a sign that says "Free Food".

When people come to your house eat them.

Sign ain't lying. 

 

that is so bad....