If you live off-the-grid, the loss of power might not seem catastrophic to you. However, for the rest of the people out there, having no electricity will drastically lower their life’s quality or even worse. Regardless of one’s condition, the following are the foods to hoard.
We have to consider that the majority of our needs require power and we are lost without it. You should at least be able to hoard the right foods to increase your chances of survival when the world plunges into darkness.
And if you know a thing or two about preparedness and about the dangers we face today, you should acknowledge the fact that a power grid failure is the most realistic threat that we could ever meet.
The fact that a power grid is due to happen is not the scariest thing. What worries me the most is the fact that many people are laughing at the thought of power grid failure. They prefer to keep living in their soap bubble, in denial. When the bubble bursts people will get desperate, and the rush for hoarding supplies will begin.
Events that can cause a power grid failure:
- A terrorist attack is the highest threat right now, and it’s the most certain one
- A cybernetic attack can shut down the power grid and knowing that China and Russia have some of the best hackers (the attacks on the NYSE were just a small example)
- Natural disaster (in 2013, the Haiyan typhoon left cities from the Philippines without power for 2-3 months, labeling Tacloban as a dead city and making the area look like a war zone, despite the relief efforts)
- Solar eruption (NASA keeps warning us that the sun is registering an increase in solar flares, but no one seems to be listening)
What will happen when the grid goes down?
People will start with foods to hoard and medication a day or two after the outage. Other unaffected locations may try to assist the people affected by the power outage. However, there may not be enough to go around.
The first wave
These will be in denial, the ones that think they can ride it off with what they got and with what the government will provide. They will be the first wave of casualties and this because, by the time they wake up and realize what is happening, all the supplies will be gone. For them, it will be too late to grab something. In the last minute of desperation, they will turn to loot and violence to survive.
The second wave
This wave gathers last minute hoarders. These are the people that are smarter than the first ones, they have increased chances of survival.
However, without additional supplies and knowledge, it’s just a matter of time until their luck runs out. You’ve probably seen this type of people every time a local disaster or any other event was happening in your area. They are the late “shoppers” buying everything they can.
Even during the last minutes, they will stockpile on everything they can get their hands on. I know that it’s improper calling them shoppers because nothing will work without power and they won’t be able to buy supplies. However, it wouldn’t be fair calling all of them “looters.”
By this point, most emergency services, medical facilities, and government agencies will feel unable to cope up with the demand for food, shelter, medicine, and other basic needs.
The third wave
These are the preppers. Based on their knowledge and supplies they have the best chance to outlast a power grid failure. It won’t be easy for them either because, without a proper method of self-sustainability, they will turn on each other. Supplies will run out eventually, and most of the preppers will turn to scavenge and other last resort options.
Guns and ammo are common topics for most survivalists. Many of them are hoarding ammo like there’s no tomorrow, hoping to use it for protection or other business. They should concentrate on foods to hoard because they can’t eat bullets.
The final wave.
The elite, all-powerful people that think money will save them. These are the ones that have their personal bunker, a 2-3 year food supply and everything that you might think of. The problem with these so-called preppers is that most of them don’t even know how to make the best use of their supplies.
They don’t even understand what a life of restrictions is and they already think they got it all figured out. They are the most significant threat to themselves, and they don’t need exterior factors to decrease their chances of survival.
When selecting foods to hoard for a power grid failure keep in mind the following:
- Food that needs refrigeration should be out of the question; no power means your freezer will not work
- Most meals are not packed for long-term storage, an exception being canned foods
- One should choose foods that provide maximum nutritional value for the minimum size
- Don’t store snack foods for long periods of time; they have no value for your pantry
Here are the best foods to hoard:
Distilled and sparkling water
Yes, water is not food, but it’s an important item that should be on top of your list. You should consider storing club soda in your pantry because it lasts for an indefinite period. It helps to relieve constipation, and it will make the kids happy. You can add various ingredients to it and give it a sweet flavor. It will successfully replace the soda that kids like.
Related reading: Harvesting rainwater
How much water you should stockpile is up to you and depends on the storage space you have. You should have at least enough water to last you and your family for not less than three days. If your household has four people, you should have 20 gallons of water (4X5) for a day and 60 gallons for three days.
Besides stockpiling water, preppers should have an excellent plan to get more, either by filtering the water they can scavenge/gather or by producing water on their own.
Tea, Coffee, and Bouillon
Drinking tea is a healthy habit that has been around for more than 6,000 years and for a good reason. Besides having to boil water to make it, hence getting rid of bacteria, tea is also one of the quickest ways to help one dehydrate in an emergency situation. Coffee and caffeinated tea provide an additional boost of energy and it helps to keep you alert.
Other types of tea have a calming and soothing effect. Not to mention that many other teas have healing effects and their proprieties will prove useful during a time of need. Bouillon cubes are also a good choice because they are made up of compressed stock. Combined with hardtack, it can become a suitable meal replacement when nothing else is available. Don’t forget about these foods to hoard for harsh times.
Canned and dehydrated meats
The best and tastiest source of protein for a prepper is meat. Most of us can’t even go a day without having a nice portion of it. Meat can provide up to 90% of the sustenance needed to survive, and this makes it a perfect food to be stockpiled. While some prefer canned meat, some preppers are making their own jerky or pemmican for a long time survival.
Recommended reading: How to make Pemmican and How to make Jerky.
Maybe you too should learn how to make it. When it comes to canned meats, tuna, salmon, and mackerel should be on your list because they are rich in omega 3 oils. When it comes to foods to hoard, meat is a must have in your pantry.
You should make sure you have enough of it. However, if you are vegetarian, you can stockpile on canned or dehydrated mushrooms, as they are also an essential source of protein.
Oils
When making the lists of foods to hoard when the power is out, you shouldn’t forget about oils. Oil can be used for cooking, but it also has many other uses during an emergency.
Olive oil is an excellent choice because it doesn’t have the chemicals resulted from processing, like other oils. If olive oil is too expensive for you, canola and coconut oil are a great replacement. They are heat stable and won’t go rancid as fast as other oils.
Whole wheat flour and other food items
Wheat is a good item for your pantry because it’s rich in vitamins, fiber, protein, and minerals. You should consider storing wheat flour due to its nutritional value and general usage. Cornmeal flour and potato flour are also an excellent addition to the prepper’s pantry. Also, one should stockpile cereals such as rice, corn, and oats.
Other foods to hoard:
- Oatmeal and oats,
- ready to eat shelf-stable meals (MREs),
- protein bars,
- powdered milk,
- potato flakes,
- pasta,
- crackers,
- salt and spices,
- honey or sugar,
- peanut butter,
- canned veggies, legumes and beans,
- seeds and nuts,
- dry yeast and baking powder.
Related reading: Honey a perfect survival food and much more
Foods for the little ones
If you have kids, you should know how hard it is to please them and what picky eaters they can be. The last thing you want to deal with it during an emergency is a cranky kid. This is why it’s better to be prepared and have in your pantry something that will keep them happy.
Of course, that if you have a baby, you shouldn’t forget about baby formula and ready to eat baby foods. However, you should also consider these foods for the bigger kids: chocolate, cereals, hard candy, tang, canned fruits, jellies, and jams. A parent knows that a happy kid equals a happy life.
Having foods in your pantry that can “spoil” them will be a good thing during a disaster.
Preparedness and survival resources:
Forgotten Lessons of Yesterday (How to get rid of your store-bought dependency)
Bullet Proof Home (Learn how to Safeguard your Home)
Blackout USA (Video about EMP survival and preparedness guide)
Survival MD (Knowledge to survive any medical crisis)
US Water Revolution (A DIY Project to Generate Clean Water Anywhere)
I do not agree with most of what this article posts.
In a real SHTF situation, you want foods that will keep for years without regard to temperatures, humidity or other issues that spoil most foods.. INCLUDING those in cans. The kind of food you actually SHOULD be storing are freeze dried and dehydrated food stuffs needing only water to reconstitute.
In addition, you need to ensure you get a variety that not only includes carbs like potatos, rice and others like vegetables but you also need to make sure you include fruits. ALL of these items can be found in vacuum sealed dehydrated and freeze dried forms and they will last for years and years without any issue compared to any other food stuffs.
Second, storing water is NOT what you should be depending on. While you should have a small immediately supply available, water goes bad which means you have to continually remember to cycle it. What you really should do is have a small amount for immediate use but put all your effort and money into purification of water sources. That way you can use the dirtiest water to the cleanest regardless. AND it is much easier to carry purification tabs, straws or filters than it is to try and haul around or store gallons of water.
While storing something like coffee and tea may sound like a good idea, they are NOT necessary. You should be focusing on those things that will keep you alive. Would you rather have another day of food or a day of coffee when things get low?
Spend your money on tangible things.
Finally, the one last point that so many people seem to ignore is long term food… How are you going to eat AFTER you run out of the stuff you stored?
Some people think they will just run out into the woods and do a little hunting.. WRONG. When the SHTF, you will see MILLIONS of city slickers having the same thought… and in short order game and farm animals will become so rare and scarce many species may never recover. What will you do then?
You see some of us have thought this through (or in some cases like mine, been trained for this stuff in real life). What you need to do is sit down and put a list together by yourself or with your spouse. On that list you should list the absolute needs you and your family MUST have day to day to survive. Once you have that absolute list, then you can make another one that is for really need to have and finally a third one for would be nice to have.
People need to start thinking from a perspective of survival. Not convenience, not taste, not caffiene withdrawal. Survival first and foremost because in a real SHTF situation, there is no way to tell how long it will last nor when it will be before there is any other kind of options available to survive.
Obviously you are not a coffee drinker. Coffee can also be used as a very valuable barter item. No coffee ? No way !
Coffee, alcohol and drugs . . .
I will concur and add to John J’s post
I agree with almost everything that Malakie. The only exception is in reference to stored water. Water does not go bad, it can’t, what else would it turn into? Sealed water can get stale, easily fixed with a little aeration. Water in poorly sealed containers can get contaminated, fixed with boiling or filtration.
One other thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much food you store, it will eventually run out or go bad. Store some seeds to start producing your own food again!
Disagree with both of the remarks. Most people live in cities. What happens when the water and sewer don’t work. Think you can live off freeze dried foods alone? Try it. MRE’s are better but still will bind you up. #1 is water. If you have no available source what good is a filtration system going to do you. Last but not least is Martial Law where the government takes what you have and redistributes it. I suggest you have multiple locations for your food and water supplies.
Good call merle K.
Growing your own food will ultimately make or break you in a long duration hardship. A stock of heirloom (non hybrid) seeds are essential. Hybrid seeds will produce sterile offspring while heirlooms are non hybrid and thus deliver viable offspring. For gardening, there is a system I am looking into called aquaponics, which combines a fish farm with a hydroponic garden. A company called “Portable Farms” has a system which can feed sixteen adults in the area of two forty foot trailers.
From what I have seen, I disagree about the elite and their bunkers. Most have experts on board who do look at long term solutions like gardens and farming. They are well armed and have ex military also on board. They also know organization and leadership is essential. It seems as if every person who mentions the subject is a “expert”. That will be the downfall of many prepper groups. Not lack of food and water and supplies but the inability to get along and coexist. Many will wipe each other out for the very same reason men already destroy each other. Ego and pride.