Prepping « Robin Writes

Big announcement: I now have enough pasta for three months!

Just kidding, but not really; I mean, I have enough pasta, thanks to that 67-cent sale last week, but it’s not really a big announcement. The death of our freezer, however, is a pretty big deal.

Seems like it happened yesterday. There was a trail of water on the floor this morning, and since we’ve had trouble with that outlet before, but none since the replacement, we plugged the freezer in another spot and waiting. Well, the poor thing is trying to turn on, but alas, no luck.

So, we’re in the market for another freezer, at some point, but in the meantime . . .

I’m drying out the green beans, hoping to be able to re-freeze them, but the kale and leeks are a loss. There were a few packages of meat and a forgotten frozen lunch-thingy, and few unidentifiable containers—all tossed.

Looks like I’ll be making a couple jars of strawberry preserves, and cherry, and some cranberry relish. I’d already had tomato sauce and granola on my list for today, so I’ll be heading into the kitchen soon for the rest of the day.

You know that whole procrastination thing? Yeah, I’m bad. The good thing about the freezer issue is that now I HAVE to get back to my food prep list. I moved some stuff around in the inside cabinets this morning, and took a couple boxes of saved and washed containers to the garage. Now I need to do inventory. A necessary evil, or we’ll truly end up eating nothing but pasta . . .

Last week I talked about breakfast—let’s do lunch!

What do you normally eat for lunch? A frozen lunch? Deli? Go out? Leftovers? None of these things will be available when SHTF. Think about it.

Even leftovers, usually my own choice, are going to be almost non-existent because you’ll have no power and no refrigeration. Or will you?

You could build a coldhouse, use a spring or a cave—there are solutions to short-term fresh food storage. As long as you like to eat cold food. I mean, cold food that should be served hot. I’ve said it before, you might have to get used to not having things the way you prefer, but let’s try to minimize the discomfort.

I’ve mentioned bread, and baking, but if you’re planning on sandwiches, what can you use as the filler? Peanut butter, or other nut butters, are good choices—plenty of protein and fats which, yes, you’ll need. You’ll be eating less, remember? And of course, you can make your own preserves and jellies. I just started canning this summer, and guess what—it’s pretty darn easy! Doesn’t take a lot of time, either.

You can even make your own peanut butter, if you can stand the noise—just dump some peanuts, or other nuts—into your food processor.

Of course, in the winter especially, you can build a fire and cook your lunches, just like dinner. Remember, though, a fire should only be as large as you need it. Chopping and stacking wood is hard work, and when SHTF, firewood will be at a premium.

You can’t ignore that ol’ food pyramid, just because the world has gone crazy, so stock up on protein sources—you can make your own jerky—and fruits and veggies. Don’t forget carbs, either. Really, making things from scratch is so much better for you, and not as difficult as you might think.

Dehydrating has two advantages: food preservation and minimal storage. I’ve done fruits, several kinds, some of which I use in granola, and potatoes. You know those Betty Crocker potato dishes, the kind in the box with cheese powder? Yep, my dried potatoes look just like those. Took about 6 or 7 hours—but you do have to cook them a bit first or they’ll turn black. Ick.

The point is that, however you preserve food, make sure it’s something you like and that will be full of nutrition. Three meals, snacks, however you prepare them, you want to use the least amount of food possible to maintain your strength—both physical and mental.

There are so many choices when it comes to SHTF regarding bugging out or staying in place. It’s hard to know what to do, and it will be harder when SHTF actually happens, because you, and everyone else, will be in crisis mode.

What? You thought you’d be perfectly calm and collected? Probably not. See, it’s one thing to talk about it and to prep for it, but it’s something entirely different when it happens—because it hasn’t yet happened, and few people have that experience; even fewer have the experience of complete collapse.

However, if you prep, you’ll be better off than most. Think about it.

So now it comes down to do you stay or do you go?

If you’re staying, you’re pretty well set, right? Food, water, ammo, defensive measures, heat sources, etc. Unless, of course, it’s impossible to stay because of fires, looting, rioting, and so forth. Only YOU can make the distinction, the decision.

But if you go, you’ll probably have to decide that pretty quickly. People will be in panic mode, some hunkering down at home and waiting to get supplies, some heading out and creating more traffic and confusion and congestion than rush hour.

Our plan is to wait and see—to a point. As you know, things around here may be getting crazy in the next few weeks. Crazier. If things start spreading south and west, we’ll be watching. If it’s more of the usual, and pretty well contained, we’ll be okay; if panic starts, we’re outta here.

Of course, the big question, if you decide to leave, is where are you going? You need a plan, and a route, and a means of transportation. And, of course, a destination.

I don’t recommend crashing at a friend’s house, or even that of a relative. We’ve talked about this. You likely won’t be let in, unless you can bring something to the table—food, ammo, skills—and maybe not even then.

Some folks are lucky enough to have a place to go, one of their very own, that has been ready and waiting. Awesome—go there.

The important thing is to get out of the city and out of suburbia. Why? Because more people equals more chaos. More mayhem. More danger. And fewer supplies. And that decision to go or stay needs to be made quickly, before these things escalate.

So where do you go?

The less population, the better. Avoid homes and anywhere near buildings and what is clearly private property—you don’t want to get shot. Study maps. Learn the lay of the land within a reasonable driving distance, or further out if necessary. Look at satellite images to determine where people live, bodies of water, and so forth.

Don’t forget public land—private is dicier, but remember that some of these people may not be able to actually get to their property or perhaps even live in another state. It’s good to check out as much information as you can find.

Parks, particularly county, can be a good spot for a temporary relocation. Sure, others may think of it, but not as many as you might imagine. One thing that will hold up their decision is the “permission” factor. We’re all conditioned to make camping reservations, go in or out at certain times of the year or times of day. Forget all that. When SHTF, no one’s going to care. Or even be around to enforce it.

Look, make your call—stay or go—and then have a planned route and a planned location. Even two or three locations, just in case. And definitely several routes, the less traveled under normal conditions, the better. Again, study those maps.