Do you already have a food storage/emergency preparedness (FS/EP) program?  If so, are you just kicking back and relaxing...or are you thinking ahead to the NEXT set of improvements to your FS/EP program??  

It is always a great investment to update your emergency preparedness//food storage program, stores and supplies.  Here's a few suggestions for doing so:

• Have you rotated your water storage within the last year? 
• Do you need to replace any food storage items that you've been tapping into this summer? 
• How about taking an hour or two to check all of the purchase and/or expiration dates on your food items, and ditching the old stuff? 
• Or, perhaps there is a way to donate items just approaching their expiration dates to a local homeless shelter. 
• How about looking over all of your food storage, and throwing away anything with potential signs of damage to the packaging, and especially anything that might indicate impurities in the food itself?
• If you've got dented cans....USE THEM CAREFULLY!!  There is a chance that a dented can's seals has been compromised.  If you see the slightest sign of leakage or bulging don't take the chance, ditch it!   However, if you just dropped the can and made the dent yourself...you'r probably okay to use it relatively soon...but do so carefully, and with lots of sniff checks. 
• Do you have any cans that are bulging???  DEFINITELY THROW THEM AWAY!!!  Don't risk food poisoning or botulism!!
• Examine your boxed goods/flours/etc. for signs of weevils or other insects.  Some of these can be sifted out, of course...but think about it...do you really want weevil droppings mixed in with your flour?  Maybe those ought to be ditched, too.
• If you store long-term grains and legumes, such as wheat, beans, peas or rice, double-check those expiration dates, too.   
•  Plus, do a good "sniff test" of any open storage buckets--once opened, the grains in such buckets can go bad much more quickly than a sealed bucket.
• Look through your freezer sections and/or chest freezer:  ditch the stuff with serious freezer burn, you probably won't find it appetizing when cooked, anyway.  
  Throw out anything you feel is too old, and move anything approaching its expiration dates up to the top of the freezer, and make plans to use it as soon as possible.

Now, how about recommitting yourself to another year of not just maintaining your food storage, emergency preparedness and survival gear/supplies...but improving them!!

• Every single trip to the grocery store, try to buy at least a few extra items for your food storage.
• Keep an eye on bulk or case lot sales...and when a good one comes up, buy a LOT of the items on sale. 
• Search the internet and sign up for some good food storage/emergency preparedness newsletters or blogs (we'd love it, of course, if you would sign up for this one and recommend it to your friends and family! 
• You can also sign up for our email newsletter at the RockyMtnHomeSolutions eBay Store). 
• Look for those "golden nugget" tips that can be implemented cheaply and easily, but will make a huge difference in your food storage program!

After you've cleared out the undesirable stuff, and started rebuilding your food stocks, let's spend some time thinking about how you could improve your food storage/emergency preparedness situation:

• How about having a plumber install a tap near your primary water storage supplies...makes it a lot easier to refill those water barrels!!  We installed one for about $95 total, and it was well worth the price to not have to run hoses from the bathroom to our water storage barrels.
• Do you need to add an emergency cooking capability to your storage plans?
• You can have the best food storage in the world...and if you can't cook it, it isn't going to do you a whole lot of good.
• What's your plan if the gas & electric are off for the long-term?
• Do you need...can you afford?...an emergency generator?  (Remember, you probably also will want to pay for a hook-up directly into your house's electrical system, too.)
• How about a heating source for your living areas? 
• Last December, we lost electrical power at our home due to an honest-to-goodness blizzard.  Power was off for only 45 minutes...but during that time, neither our gas furnace nor our gas fireplace would operate...because they need electricity to operate the valves and safety overrides!!!! 
• And of course, the electric stove/range was inoperable.
• Fortunately, we had a portable heater with adequate fuel.  The power came back on quickly, but we weren't too worried about it either way.
• How about buying some waterproof matches, or maybe a flint & steel set (or maybe both!!)?
• Or, to add some fun and save some money...schedule a "family night" where you can make and test fire starters.
• For example, you can take simple cotton balls and saturate them in Petroleum Jelly...these make excellent fire starters.  However, store them very carefully, in strong plastic containers in a COOL place, away from any possible flames.  About every two years, use them up and replace with new ones. 
• Do you need to buy some water purifiers/filters to supplement your storage? 
• Many of us live in very arid climates.  Don't count on the water coming out of your tap to always be there!! 
• When you do buy a water purifier/filter...don't skimp.  Should your life ever have to depend on a simple water purifier, you'll want to know you've got a good one.  Invest in a high-quality product from a manufacturer with a proven history of dependability and reliability. 
• Water purifiers/filters come in may different styles, sizes and intended uses. 
• We recommend buying at least a couple of the smaller, but higher-quality types (such as the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter, VARIO, HIKER PRO and HIKER, all available at our eBay Store) designed for backpacking and hiking...so that if you ever have to "grab and go," you can take your filter with you. 
• Always, always, ALWAYS remember, that you can last a lot longer without food than you can without water...so plan accordingly!! 

Click to see water storage/purification products from Rocky Mountain Home Solutions !!

PURE WATER = SURVIVAL!!!!

Continuing the same theme of looking for ways to improve, not just maintain your food storage & emergency preparedness program:

• Do you need to repair or replace any of your storage shelves??  Build or buy some additional units?  Do something to simplify and ease your food rotation burdens, making it more automatic and faster? 
• Check out our Cansolidator, Harvest, Pantry (all by ShelfReliance) and other storage solutions at Rocky Mountain Home Solutions!
• How about adding a First Aid Kit??  How about a large family one, and smaller ones for the 72-hour kits?
• This may seem obvious to some...but do you have a MANUAL can opener stashed with your canned goods???  It should be a good, sturdy one, that will last for a while with daily use.  Spend the extra few books to get a good, it is worth the money!!!
• How about adding a survival-oriented pocket knife, folding knife or multi-plier/multi-tool, or two, to your 72-hour kits? 
• Yes, you probably have several good knives hanging around the house somewhere, or perhaps in the camping gear hanging in the garage. 
  The key question is:  will you be able to find them in a true "grab-and-go" emergency situation? 
• Plus, you need to understand the difference between a "pocket knife" or  "folding knife," and true "survival knife" or multi-plier/multi-tool.
• It's kind of like...the difference between doing all of your home improvement chores with just a hammer...versus a whole tool set.
• Choose one that is less likely to rust if left in your "go kit"/72-hour kit for long periods, such as the Gerber Gator series, available on our eBay Store.)
• Is the peace of mind worth the cost of having a complete 72-hour kit ready to go? 
• Let's be honest...most of us aren't as good at organizing and maintaining these as we should be!!
• If this article inspires you to do NOTHING ELSE...at least ensure your 72-hour kit/"grab-and-go kit" is fully stocked and ready to go!
• Doing something to improve your home's security?
• Some folks don't think of this as food storage...maybe as emergency preparedness or survival. 
• But, if you stop and think about it...if you've got a bunch of food storage...and your neighbors know about...you might want to take some reasonable steps to ensure that your food supply and other emergency gear will be reasonably protected.
• And, please, understand our viewpoint:  in an emergency, we will be glad to share our food with others, even if they haven't done all they should have to prepare for a day of need.  However, we feel no obligation to cooperate with those who would steal our food, or take it by force!!

However you choose to "spruce-up" your food storage/emergency preparedness program, good luck, and may you never have to actually use your food storage/emergency preparedness items in a time of need. 

But, if you must use those supplies, we hope you will have as much as you need, whenever you need it! 

One final note:  if you have food storage/emergency preparedness advice, ideas or experiences of your own to share, we’d love to hear about them, and share them with other blog readers and customers--contact us via eBay and we'll share email addresses from there.

About the authors:  Jim & Lisa live in Colorado and maintain a full year's supply of food storage.  They’re glad to send pictures of how they've creatively solved food storage challenges in a home with limited storage space.  Contact us via eBay or at rockymtnhome@comcast.net! 

 Please check out our evaluated/tested and recommended EP/FS solutions at Rocky Mountain Home Solutions!

Copyright July 2008 by Rocky Mountain Home Solutions/Jim & Lisa Rodgers

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