Wednesday, March 16, 2011

How to Stockpile Food for Survival

It is vital that all people are prepared against potential disaster. It is impossible to know exactly when an emergency might strike, and as such, one should take extensive measures to ensure that he or she knows exactly what to do in any situation. The implications of disaster preparation are numerous, and the process of readying oneself for emergency situations can seem daunting. However, one can best safeguard himself or herself by beginning with the basics. All reputable survival schools will assert that a vital component of disaster preparation is the gathering of a food 'stockpile.' By possessing a store of food for survival, one can ensure that, in the event of a disaster, he or she will have the provisions necessary to sustain himself or herself until further help can arrive.

The first important step in gathering one's stockpile is to ensure that one possesses a well-balanced selection of foods. It may be true that preservative-laden potato chips and snack foods will keep for many months, but if one ever had to actually use his or her food stockpile, these foods would not provide one with the energy and nutrients that his or her body needs. One should therefore ensure that the foods in his or her stockpile represent all of the major nutrients that humans need for survival. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, and quality fats, plus a vast range of vitamins and minerals. Survival schools or a survival blog can be consulted for a complete list of the nutrients that the body requires on a daily basis.

An easy way to ensure that one's food for survival features the necessary nutrients would be to choose foods from a variety of different groups. Although nutrition bars are very useful components of a survival kit, one should not rely entirely on these snacks for his or her emergency sustenance. Excellent additions to a food stockpile would include nuts, dried fruit, jerky, crackers, canned beans and vegetables, and pretzels. One can visit a survival blog for more food ideas.

However, the most vital addition to one's food stockpile would undoubtedly be an ample source of water. After a disaster, one has no way of knowing if clean, fresh water will be available to him or her. Survival schools teach students that water is the basis of human life, and one has little to no chance of survival after a major disaster if one does not have large quantities of water available in his or her food stockpile. A good rule of thumb is to have a case of bottled water ready for each member of one's household. This should be sufficient to keep all members of a family hydrated until further help can arrive.

After gathering all of the necessary components of his or her stockpile, one must store his or her food in a safe place. The storage location should be easily accessible even if the condition of one's home has been affected by the disaster; for instance, if one lives in an area that is easily flooded, then he or she should be sure to store the food stockpile in the upper reaches of a cabinet or shelf so that the food is not ruined. A survival blog based in one's specific region can be useful in determining a good place to keep one's food for survival.

Finally, it is vital that one refreshes the food in his or her stockpile on a regular basis. Many families create a stash of emergency food and then forget about it in the coming years. One must be sure to check the stockpile every six months or so, replacing any expired or spoiled foods in order to ensure optimal health in the case of a disaster.

Visit Desert Publications http://www.desertpublications.net for Guides on Survival since 1960. Find more good books on survival schools.

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