Hello Fellow Canadians!

Hi Sherry welcome to the forum. I've got four kids and know how hard it is to keep ahead of their eating the shelves bare. I try to keep my food preps organized by keeping like with like. All the canned vegetables next to each other, sauces together, that kind of thing but when I get really busy I get behind on that and bags of food just get put on the floor rather than put away properly. I try to spend some time every couple of weeks to clean it up. I've had a lot of success with using cardboard boxes rather than buying plastic containers since I'd rather spend the money on food to gather up those smaller items like batteries or bandaids. I built my own rotating can racks using this tutorial http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/16/build-your-own-can-rotating-rack/ I used a glue gun rather than white glue I just had to be quick to get the cardboard piece on before the glue hardened. I think I made them about two years ago and they are holding up just fine. It's easy to get caught up in all the fancy stuff to organize your food and I drool over it all but it also costs a fair bit and I try to be as thrifty as possible.

Foxglove

My name is Sherry!
New to prepping, but doing so with an urgency, where ever I can. Much easier since I work from home now! I am a single mom with small children and trying to provide, support, and prep. I think I am the only one in my family circle that is prepping. But I am getting stock and pretty happy about that! I need tops on getting organized with my stash! I am thinking bins for certain things, like batteries, toiletries, toilet papers, canning (so it wouldnt break) and then there is food stuff.

So much to do, so little time!

Sherry

Hi Sherry, It's wonderful that another Canadian found their way here. What caught my eye about your post is "but doing so with an urgency". There is something in the air or the energy isn't there. I'm kind of a newbie on here also, but I'm so happy to be able to speak my mind and post about what I know, or about what I need from others on here. We're not ALONE!!

Hi Sherry,

Nice to meet some other female preppers (no offense guys).

I've been feeling it too. Every so often I get panicky about things - I've been feeling it the last few weeks - I am freaking out about our food stores, rations. I hope it's just because it's winter.... but I have a feeling something is coming.

Anyway, stocking up on canned goods, toilet paper and pasta anyway. Besides, when they go on sale you may as well grab them.

Anyone noticing how expensive groceries are these days? $6 for a pound of butter? Are you kidding me?

Welcome aboard Sherry.

Hi All,
So glad I found this site! I'm new to prepping and like you LindaB I to have been feeling a little panicky! With 3 kids at home and a husband that thinks I'm a little nuts to be worried. Ive started storing water and food. I'm concerned on how to store it. multi bags of flour what to put it in to keep it fresh? or do I have to put it in anything? freeze dryed or dehydrated? living on Vancouver Island, where to find this stuff? Any and all info is muchly appreciated. Just want to look after my family and gleening as much info as I can looks like a good place to start.
Thanks for sharing 🙂

Kind of hijacking the thread but yes it's definitely great to see some other women on this board! I can still get butter for $3.65 a pound and it's been at that price for awhile.

Beanhead; you can put the flour into the freezer for a few days to kill any bug eggs if you're worried about that. I store wheat kernels for long term but just regular flour I don't repackage but I use it up fairly quickly. Lots of people will use mylar bags & oxygen absorbers to store food for long term, if you check out youtube there are a bunch of videos showing how to do this. I live on the mainland so I don't know of any resources on V. Island but I get my short term food storage from the sales at grocery stores, I just buy a much larger quantity. Begin by concentrating on your 3 month short term and then bring in some more long term items like wheat, beans etc when your budget allows. Sometimes I cringe at the cost of the grocery bill (I've got four boys 11-16 in age so you can just imagine!) but I'm sure glad when I've got tuna that I paid 80 cents and can wait for it to go on sale again at that price because I bought so much.

Foxglove

Welcome beanhead,

Don't panic, breath.

Good for you, that you got started storing water and food. As you probably know, our biggest concern here is that we are in a megaquake zone. Sorry to sound tough, but with 3 kids, your husband really needs to get with the program.

Common knowledge is that you will need, at least, one gallon of water for each person per day. So if you want 2 weeks of emergency water you will need 5 gallons times 14 equals 70 gallons. Or 70 gallons times 4 equals approx. 280 litres. This will give you time to find another water source.

I suggest that you have a tiered strategy for food, super easy for the initial days of the emergency, easy cook for a few weeks after, and if it looks like you have to settle in for 'the long emergency', then dig into your scratch-cooking recipes. (baking bread, etc.)

Assuming you're still with me on this megaquake thing, have shovels, pry bars, dust masks, safety glasses, work gloves, work boots available. One or two fire extinguishers. Rope.

But I've digressed, you are interested in how to store your food. To tell you the truth I am not a shining example of perfect storage. I was all into the mylar bags and oxygen absorbers at the beginning of my prepping, but they are not easy to come by. They are a good idea if you are prepping for long term, real long term, I just haven't got there, yet. But if you rotate your flour and ground grains on a regular basis you will be fine until the time you want to try the mylar bag route. My food preps are in #2 buckets that I rescued from the recycle bin at work (a small hotel with restaurant). Many people says that they have gone to bakeries and asked for buckets.

Because we are in the quake zone, I suggest you put your supplies (that aren't in buckets) in rubbermaid roughneck totes. They stack well and are economical.

I have chosen the dehydrated food route. It's lighter in weight, I can do it at home, no glass jars are involved (also no slaving over a hot stove. lol.) I started out with a hand-me down dehydrator but so wanted an Excalibur. I got one at Triangle Health Products down here in Victoria. But to tell you the truth, a $35 one from XS Cargo would do. Experience has shown me that the fancy brand name one still requires rotating the trays, so the noisy fan isn't such a great feature. It has a much higher wattage, so if you wanted to run one from a battery and inverter it would take more energy. Just my perspective.

Well, it's getting late, I gotta work tomorrow. Hope this helps.
DD

Welcome, I am new to the board as well, sounds like you have a plan in regards to the storage bins, just adding a little bit each week adds up quite quickly, I agree that its nice to see some ladies are active in the group.

hhmmpf,, girls

Welcome fellow Prepper PERSON!
Nice to have you on board 😀

Thanks Foxglove and Vanislemom for the info. Went out and found some large buckets from a resturant. ( great Idea!) What is this XS Cargo you speak of, no such animal in Nanaimo lol. I'm really kinda thinking long term storage as well. when the quake hits ferries sure wont be running for awhile. so no supplies will be getting over. The dehydrator is going to be near future purchace. Great to have you all here!

Hi, beanhead,

Where is XS Cargo? Good question, I wasn't thinking, just drinking and posting. *hic* http://www.shopxscargo.com/store_locator/
This flyer is out of date, but I'm sure they stock this item on a regular basis: http://boxingday.redflagdeals.com/index.php/flyers/image_full/1834/

Canadian Tire has a nice looking one for $60: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/2/Appliances/SpecialtyAppliances/PRD~0430656P/Dehydrator+with+Thermo+On%2BOff+Switch.jsp?locale=en

I got my Excalibur (4 tray) at Triangle Healing Products down here in Victoria, near Can. Tire and across the street from the Lifestyles Market on Douglas Street. http://www.trianglehealingproducts.com/shop/subcategory2.asp?storeID=332EF5F0B0334C5BBF194DCC24E96119&category=Appliances&category_id=17002&subcategory=Dehydrators&subcategory_id=17519
As I've mentioned it is great, but, now I feel expensive and more than I really needed. Will have to dehydrate a LOT of food to make it pay for itself. But that's just me. However, I would say to anyone wanting one, stick with the 4 tray, unless you planning to go commercial.

The ones from XS Cargo and Can. Tire do not have fans and are much lower wattage, so in a shtf world you could easily run it from a battery, solar charger, and inverter. (Although an abandoned car, that probably ran out of gas, makes a good dehydrator on a hot summer day. Adjust the windows to get the right temp and cross breeze.)

Hi Sherry & Beanhead,
I am Iz, a newb too.
Nice to know I am not the only one 🙂

Now, looking at those links I wanna get me a dehydrator! lol I use my oven and some days it is temperamental! To not have any goof ups when drying would be so nice.

Hi Sherry 🙂 I'm in a similar scenario as you: single Mom, working from home, prepping when I can, only one in my family doing so. I also feel that urgency and have felt it for the last 2 years. It sure is getting stronger though! I'm new to prepping (just the last year or so) and new to the board here as well. Welcome!