Advice for Emergency Food Supply?

MREs will do for maximum convenience and portability for the short-term (no more than 30-90 days). The complete MRE packs come with a lot of redundant stuff that takes up space and you have to pay for (knives, forks, condiments, bottle opener, maybe even a food warmer). Might be cheaper to buy boxes of individual entree pouches. Shelf life can be mediocre (about 2-3 years) before nutrition degrades. It would be more suitable for travel than home food storage, unless you're only interested in short term better-than-nothing emergency food for a week or two. But this won't work for a year supply because the nutritional and caloric imbalances in MREs will either leave you fat or malnourished in the end.

The survival food tablets and bars are more a last resort survival option and after a week you would become quite sick of eating it to the point of gagging. Those are better suited for your bug-out bag because they are so portable. Those plus a medical kit, toiletries, multi-tool, flashlight and batteries, identification, change of clothes, and cash make for a basic bug-out bag.

For a year supply, dehydrated foods in #10 cans is the most popular solution. Or I should say the only solution unless you're Mormon. Not portable, but does have good shelf life and variety. http://www.alpinesurvival.com/one-year- … upply.html  Shelf life is maximum twenty years under ideal conditions. Cost approximates $2.5 per day. Don't forget water storage or filtration systems if you're serious about this. Also consider the possibility that you'll never end up needing to use any of it, and think of whether the food would still be good enough to consume when you've realized that it no longer needs to be stored for survival purposes.

I'm not really into the head-for-the-hills survivalism but did research this stuff during the pre-Y2K years. What makes sense to me is  prudent preparation that covers the bases without demanding emotional investment and mental preoccupation, that does not detract from one's current rhythm of life and balance of attitude, that can be done quickly and efficiently and then put out of mind until the need arises to make use of it. Letting fearful obsession with survival displace other positive life activities to the point of becoming a lifestyle in itself is spiritually retrogressive and invites the very thing feared.

What I'm aiming for is to get it done and out of the way so I don't have to worry or think about it. Thanks for the advice. I'm glad I won't have to get the MREs. Those are freaking expensive. The cans look like the best option available. I'll for sure need a filtration system and water storage if I go through with this. I'll have the food storage, the water supply and water filtration system, and the bug out bag.

Once this is accomplished, I can go on with my life. I'll go back to school, either for an electrical engineering degree, or maybe I'll pursue plumbing and air conditioner/heater installation certification. I will work, exercise, stretch mind and body, meditate, and find whatever it is that makes me happy.

Lol... Good thinking! I've seriously been thinking about getting a bow and some arrows or a crossbow. It'd be a fun little hobby practicing my aim in the woods, while at the same time I could use it to hunt deer if I ever needed to.

This isn't involving food, but just items and possessions.  Realizing that death is the constant removal of that which is no longer needed, i am getting rid of most of my items, day by day.  I don't want to own a whole bunch of stuff, and the less i own, the less baggage i have and more fluid my life can become.  LoL.  I didn't buy any gifts and am getting rid of that which i don't want.

Works for me.