Wilderness Survival-4
Back to the pack with which to head for higher ground as they say. We have pretty much packed everything but food. Food can be one of the trickiest things to pack. First, let me say that my pack is always ready to go. That means that any food that I keep in the pack needs to be long lasting and oblivious to the weather. It has to be able to stand one hundred degree heat as well as thirty degrees below zero. I keep my pack in my pop-up camping trailer. That way if I am already set up in a camp and that becomes dangerous, I can bug out directly from there. This is why I keep all non-perishable food. Those of you who keep your packs in the house or somewhere else where the weather will not hurt it may want to include different food than I have in mine.
This pack is one of the few places that I would recommend MREs or at least some type of freeze dried camping food. I actually have two of each in my pack, two packages of MREs and two packages of commercial freeze dried camping food. These are long lasting, last resort types of food. I feel that nowadays there are so many items in the grocery store that are dried and need only to be heated or water added that the need for the more expensive freeze dried food is unnecessary. Think of things you enjoy eating now. There are dried soups, boxed pasta meals, and many more types of food. I will say right here and now, anything that I purchase in a grocery store is usually repackaged. The reason for this is that I like to have everything vacuum sealed so that bugs do not get into the food and the food stays fresh longer. Another thing that I do is to dehydrate as much of my own food as possible. I currently own two dehydrators; one is solar, which I prefer using but the other is electric so that if the weather is not conducive to solar dehydration I can still make food. I do many fruits such as apples, peaches, pineapple and many more. I also do tomatoes and some other vegetables. I make jerky and vacuum pack that also. I make up trail mix that can be used as a light lunch. I have camped many times and had a couple of good sized sticks of jerky and some of my trail mix and found it to be an excellent lunch.
One of the reasons that I prefer to purchase items from the grocery store is that I can purchase things that I enjoy eating. That way you can take things out of the pack and rotate your food. Most items will last from two to five years. Check everything you buy and list it in a place where you will remember to use it up and put in new. That is the reason that I put freeze dried camping food and MREs in the pack; they last the longest, at least five years. I really do not know how long my vacuum packed food will last. I tend to use some of it when we go camping, even in the camper, and then replacing it when we get home.
I am not going to go into specific items for the pack. Everyone has their preferences as far as food goes and can make out their own list. Make up a two week menu and then begin to put that into the pack. Be sure to include things like instant orange juice powder, coffee, tea and other things to use to flavor water that may not taste too good. Also take salt and pepper and possibly other flavorings.
Some of you may want to know how I came up with the two week supply. First of all, it is about all that is recommended to carry in a backpack. Secondly, a two week supply of food should last a person well over six weeks. I once did a five week camping trip (combination of van and backpacking) which I began with a two week supply of food. As part of the trip was van camping I felt I could find a store if I ran out of food. By gathering wild plants and fishing, I came home with food to spare from my two week supply. This was after five weeks on the road. The time of the year was from the last week in April to the last week of May. I camped in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota so you know that the weather was not the most conducive to food gathering. Next week I will see if there is anything I feel I missed and we will perhaps build a personal first aid kit.
And now for the medical kit. First it think we should put in a bottle of water purification tablets. This is one of two or three bottles of these that I think one should have. Next some Tylenol extra strength, rapid release capsules. They can also be of the generic type as long as they are the equivalent of the Tylenol. A bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bottle of peroxide are next. Add a good pair of surgical quality scissors and we will be done for this week.
See you soon for more survival tips.
This pack is one of the few places that I would recommend MREs or at least some type of freeze dried camping food. I actually have two of each in my pack, two packages of MREs and two packages of commercial freeze dried camping food. These are long lasting, last resort types of food. I feel that nowadays there are so many items in the grocery store that are dried and need only to be heated or water added that the need for the more expensive freeze dried food is unnecessary. Think of things you enjoy eating now. There are dried soups, boxed pasta meals, and many more types of food. I will say right here and now, anything that I purchase in a grocery store is usually repackaged. The reason for this is that I like to have everything vacuum sealed so that bugs do not get into the food and the food stays fresh longer. Another thing that I do is to dehydrate as much of my own food as possible. I currently own two dehydrators; one is solar, which I prefer using but the other is electric so that if the weather is not conducive to solar dehydration I can still make food. I do many fruits such as apples, peaches, pineapple and many more. I also do tomatoes and some other vegetables. I make jerky and vacuum pack that also. I make up trail mix that can be used as a light lunch. I have camped many times and had a couple of good sized sticks of jerky and some of my trail mix and found it to be an excellent lunch.
One of the reasons that I prefer to purchase items from the grocery store is that I can purchase things that I enjoy eating. That way you can take things out of the pack and rotate your food. Most items will last from two to five years. Check everything you buy and list it in a place where you will remember to use it up and put in new. That is the reason that I put freeze dried camping food and MREs in the pack; they last the longest, at least five years. I really do not know how long my vacuum packed food will last. I tend to use some of it when we go camping, even in the camper, and then replacing it when we get home.
I am not going to go into specific items for the pack. Everyone has their preferences as far as food goes and can make out their own list. Make up a two week menu and then begin to put that into the pack. Be sure to include things like instant orange juice powder, coffee, tea and other things to use to flavor water that may not taste too good. Also take salt and pepper and possibly other flavorings.
Some of you may want to know how I came up with the two week supply. First of all, it is about all that is recommended to carry in a backpack. Secondly, a two week supply of food should last a person well over six weeks. I once did a five week camping trip (combination of van and backpacking) which I began with a two week supply of food. As part of the trip was van camping I felt I could find a store if I ran out of food. By gathering wild plants and fishing, I came home with food to spare from my two week supply. This was after five weeks on the road. The time of the year was from the last week in April to the last week of May. I camped in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota so you know that the weather was not the most conducive to food gathering. Next week I will see if there is anything I feel I missed and we will perhaps build a personal first aid kit.
And now for the medical kit. First it think we should put in a bottle of water purification tablets. This is one of two or three bottles of these that I think one should have. Next some Tylenol extra strength, rapid release capsules. They can also be of the generic type as long as they are the equivalent of the Tylenol. A bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bottle of peroxide are next. Add a good pair of surgical quality scissors and we will be done for this week.
See you soon for more survival tips.
posted by Knifeman | 8:46 PM
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