Re: Stockpiling
Hi Roxy
Stockpiling isn't the right word really imho as it kind of implies a last minute panic storing of foodstuffs without any real understanding of what will be required.
I have for the past 4-5 years built up a long term food storage area in my garage, which used to be used faithfully for my car every night, but no longer.
I rotate the items in there regularly.
I have enough food to last me probably 3 months minimum but crucially I have all the other things that will be needed in a crisis situation.
This is nothing to do with BrExit BTW. This is plain prudence and understanding that we are inevitably heading towards a financial collapse and degrees of civil unrest which will likely see distribution lines cut off. It is also in recognition that the UK will soon enough get its share of large earthquakes and or hurricanes which may damage infrastructure and cut off water supplies and electricity.
Only a fool would fail to make some sort of contingency plan for these kind of eventualities in today's world imho.
If the water supplies are cut off I will be fine. I have an excellent water filter device that can take dirty pond water and turn it into clear, pure drinking water. I also know how to make drinking water potable (drinkable) using sunlight, or using bleach and how to make a water still or water evaporator.
Anyone who doesn't have some form of water filter is imho, very foolish.
My food store has significant quantities of dry pasta in multiple forms, rice, pulses etc.
I have lots of grains, predominantly wheat, spelt and rye with which I will be able to make my own flours and thus good healthy breads for a long time. Also millet, buckwheat and amaranth. I have both an electric and manual grain mill to make the flour.
I have plenty of tins and jars of chopped tomatoes and passata to use as the base for chilli or pasta dishes. I have tins of red kidney beans, butter beans and other nutritious things. I have a great many packets of spices and dry herbs.
I have significant quantities of organic oat groats (oat grains) which my machine will flake into porridge oats. I will use cartons of Almond Milk in place of regular milk.
I have plenty of tea and coffee, life comforts that would be quickly missed if they ran out.
I have plenty of bags of dried fruits, including dates, apricots, cranberries, raisins and currents which I can incorporate into either homemade muesli (with the oats) or homemade granola or to put in batches of muffins.
I have bags of nuts including flaked almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and walnuts. Again to go in muesli or granola.
I have plenty of tins of honey and treacle which last indefinitely. I can use those to bake cakes with for an energy boost. I have large bags of dark sugars like muscavdo and golden caster etc for the same purpose.
I have a large covered barbeque in my shed to cook on if required and charcoal briquettes or wood. I have outdoor pots and pans to cook with. I could bake my sourdough breads in there in a deep cooking pot (Dutch Oven).
I have the special jars needed to make fermented vegetables and often make sauerkraut which is hugely nutritious. This allows me to take whatever vegetables I can find and preserve them for many weeks.
I have a gas stove kettle to boil water with on the BBQ should the electricity and gas utilities go off.
I have a large rain water butt in the garden that collects water constantly. I can put that through my water filter as my water source.
I have a large deep chest freezer which I keep stocked and rotated with a wide selection of meats from a very good farm shop. I have lots of chicken breasts, pork loin chops, lamb shoulder joints, beef steaks, sausages, venison steaks, packets of mince (to make chillis and Bolognese) and bags of stewing meats (mutton, shin beef etc).
I realise if the electricity fails that I will be working through that meat store in the first instance. I would look to get hold of a portable generator to be able to keep the freezer going.
I also have a dehydrator machine which could also be run from a generator or solar power. I can use this to dry meats and fruits and vegetables for long term food storage. It makes fabulous beef jerky.
Probably got a few other things to boot that I can't remember just now. Lots of jars of jam and chutneys for example that last years. Large store of toilet rolls and kitchen paper.
A prime issue in disaster scenarios will be protecting what you have. I live on a reasonable sized estate where we all know each other. We would all band together and help each other out. We could certainly operate a neighbourhood watch patrol schedule constantly.
All in all I take this stuff seriously.
Being prepared for disasters of any kind is not a case of running to the store and throwing what ever you can lay your hands on at the last minute in a panic. Everyone else will be doing the same and the shops will run dry in hours. It has happened before.
The point is the disaster can happen tomorrow and I won't have to do anything. I already have my food store and have been rotating it and using it for years. That peace of mind is worth a lot in the panic of a disaster.
I would recommend that everyone keeps some kind of store for long term food storage to last them at least 1 month, preferably longer, and some form of water purification is absolutely vital. Without it you're gonna die pretty quickly.