Emergency Preparedness
Some areas experience natural disasters more than others. Be it an earthquake, a hurricane, or a large snow storm, a natural disaster can attack an area and essentially leave it devastated for several weeks. During this time, what would you and your family do? Would you have enough food and supplies to live for at least a week or more?
Most households, however, seldom have more than a week's worth of food available. Coupled with any natural disaster is a loss of power and other resources many take for granted. No matter if you're in an area prone to natural disasters or one that seldom sees a snow storm, you should always be prepared.
Emergency preparedness often begins with preparing a food kit for yourself and your family. The kit should contain a few weeks' worth of food and supplies. Buying everything at once isn't the best procedure for creating an emergency preparedness kit, however, and building up a stash over time is encouraged. The basics, in this case, include grains, beans, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, and seeds, in amounts to last for a year. Additionally, using grains often involves having a grain mill on hand.This shouldn't be your full supply for emergency preparedness, however, and individuals and families are encouraged to purchase kits of dehydrated food by manufacturers Mountain House and Alpine Aire. Such kits contain a combination of basic ingredients, such as freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, and meats, and prepared meals. Following the kits' meal suggestions often allows an individual to live off 1000 to 1800 calories per day. The freeze dried and dehydrated contents from the kits, additionally, can be mixed in with your grains, beans, and other emergency items.
Longevity is often a concern with emergency preparedness, especially as many food items have a limited shelf life. This can vary, however, as certain foods may last longer than others or may be exposed to oxygen, moisture, heat, and light. Older food, either from kits or basic items, may also experience moderate deterioration over time, although most kits state that the food won't last past a certain point. This, however, may be 15 years down the line, which is the case for many Mountain House foods.
Most foods in emergency preparedness kits are kept in #10 cans, which are airtight until opened. The amount in these cans measures about a gallon and is more than a basic meal. In general, the cans should be kept in a cool and dark environment. The food, on the other hand, should stay inside the container. This can be achieved by using food bags to store the food inside the can, by using a commercial re-sealer, or freezing the leftover food. In all cases, the dehydrated food can last up to a year when still kept in a dark, cool, and airtight environment.
