Guest Article by NRP & Blue, June 3rd, 2021.

Thank GOODNESS NRP, we’re finally getting to the good part, sheeeeeesh it took long enough.

*****One note before I begin this debacle, I want you all to go look at Connie’s Weekly and Monthly Challenges on Food and all…… She has laid out some very good information. I will NOT disagree with her methods one bit….. That said I’m a little different, as most have realized, and I’m going to approach this a little differently *****

Before we get started on Food (Yeah I know, you don’t need to say it) I promise this will be the last time I mention this in this series of Articles.

Water:
Yeppers good ole Water, you ain’t got water you’re going to be mostly done in 3 days, and I hate to use this kind of language here, but here goes, Dead in 3-5 days without Water or Fluids. Tis ‘Just the Facts Jack’.
One must have around 1 gallon of water/fluids per day, yeah you can go for a day maybe two without, but you sure as heck better get back on the band-wagon very shortly after that.
I don’t particularly care how you store Water, but personally, I keep a few of those 24 packs of bottled water from Safeway on hand, right now they are on sale for $2.49 a 24 pack, minimum purchase 5.

Lastly, how ya going to Wash, Clean, and Flush the Toilet without a good supply of Water?
Check your Water Bill; I just did, 1000-2000 per month without the Garden. So me and Ole Blue use on average around 50 gallons a day. Y-all got a good source of “Junk-Water” for all those things you use water for now?

Just something to think on.

PS: Big city where I’m close to (30 miles from here) just declared “Stage 1 Drought Alert”; and it’s not even June yet. Going to get real Western real soon here folks.

 

How many know what this is???

Yeppers, there sits your empty Grocery Cart just sitting there waiting to get something tossed into it.

So what are YOU going to put into your Deep Pantry?
Do you have that Food List going?

Are you expecting little old NRP and/or Ole Blue to tell you exactly what you need to have?
My Friends that just isn’t going to happen: not in this series of Articles anyways.

Now I can hear you complaining…
“But, But, But, you said this is on how to “Build A Deep Pantry”, yeppers I sure did.
BUT, guess what, there are tens of thousands of sites on the Web that will tell you that you MUST have this or that in your Deep Pantry, or your going to die in a week after TSHTF. Heck, even the Mormons have their list, remember that list, that could be a good place to start, or maybe not.

Seriously me telling you what to get with a “List” of ‘Stuff’, wellllllll, THAT’S just not my job, and to be honest it’s not their job either. Most of them are trying to sell you stuff in one way or another.

BUT, what I am going to do is tell you what “I” would store for ME and Ole Blue.
Fair enough?

I just want to reiterate; this is what “I” would/do have in “My” Deep Pantry, I am in NO WAY saying you should follow my actions. I will tell you that with what I have, I feel I’m good to go for a fair amount of time.

 

Beans and Rice:

Ahhhhhh ‘Come-On-Man’; did you seriously think I was going to start out with anything besides Beans and Rice? HAHAHA….. Keep your Sense of humor here; we have a LONG ways to go, Ok?

Beans:
I probably eat Beans 3 times a week; I cook up a cup or two in the old Crock-Pot and eat a serving with a meal till they are gone, usually 3 days. So what am I going to put on my ‘List’ for one year’s food?
Easy Math, 1 cup is about 1/2 pound, times 52 = 26 pounds of Beans. Well, that was mighty darn easy huh???? BUT, I’m going to double that, Just Cause.

So, I can get good old Pinto Beans at Sam’s Club for right at $7.86 per 12 pounds; So let’s go with 48 pounds for now. A whopping $31.44 plus tax; now that’s for a YEAR’S worth of Beans; Hummmmm Get the Idea?
I personally like Anasazi Beans I get from Adobe Milling, good stuff, 1000s times better than Pinto Beans. A 40-pound sack cost me $42.00, I’m going that way.

Rice:
I’m not such a big fan of Rice, BUT, it’s an essential IMHO, so let’s go with a Pound a week, about the same as Beans, Also I like Jasmine Rice, a little more cost, but I’m the one eating this stuff.
Back to Sam’s Club I go, 25 pounds of Yucko Rice is $9.25 per 25 pounds, Jasmine Rice is $15.96, I’ll get two sacks of that ‘Good Stuff’, for $31.98, and now I set for Rice for a very long time. BTW, 50 pounds of Rice is a LOT of Rice.

Ok cool, I have the very first two items for my Deep Pantry, what is the second thing I’m going to do when I get them back home?
Hint:
First: I’m going to package them for long-term storage, see previous Articles. Beans and Rice go into Food Grade Buckets with a stick of Wriggles Spearmint Gum Or a Bay Leaf, your choice.
Second: I’m going to enter these items into my Inventory, so I know whats in there 6 months from now and I can cycle things out…..

Dog Food:
Yes, I’m going to provide for my “Best Friend’ next, or shortly thereafter.
Now, most will think I’m absolutely NUTS, not going to argue with that, BUT, Ole Blue does a heck of a lot more than just sleeping and snoring, HE is a part of my team He’s one heck of a Watch Dog, nobody gets past him guaranteed, he also knows people, let me tell you, Blue don’t like someone, there is a 99.999% reason why not.

So yes I’m going to put up at least two months’ worth of Dog Food at least.
Wet Food (caned) runs around $16 for a 24 pack, so let’s say $32
Dry is a LOT cheaper, a 50 pound sack is what; maybe $25 or somewhere around there.

Sugar and Salt:

Salt is Cheap 4 pounds for a Buck.47 get a few boxes, and Sugar, 25 pounds for $13.68 a sack, get a few, this stuff will last for decades.

While we’re here let’s talk Flour. Now Everyone will tell ya to store Hard Red Wheat Berries, and yes they also will store for Decades. BUT, do you have a Grinder? One that works WITHOUT power? Ever hand-grind 25 pounds of Hard Wheat Berries? I will tell ya, it’s a heck of a workout.

So, I’m going to store Flour, yeppers good old Red Rose Flour. I get a 20 pound sack for right 10 bucks. BTW 20 pounds of Flour is a LOT of flour. So for me, I’m going to pick up 5 sacks and Bucket them up, got enough flour for a few days for sure. BTW, do not store Self-Rising Flour, it will go ‘flat’ after a few months.

Powdered Milk and Oils:

I’m going to add a few/several bags of Powdered Milk and a mess of Cooking Oil.
A word on Cooking Oils, yes they will go Rancid in time, and I don’t know about you, but I HATE wasting $$$, so how di I keep oil???? Freezer, yeppers that’s right, I put the 1-gallon jugs of Olive Oil and drop (set them) in the bottom of the Freezer, you did Inventory them so you know what you have Right?
How about Moo, a LOT of foods go a LOT better with a glass of milk, and the added benefits are numerous, so I did try a few different ones and came to the conclusion they are all terrible, I mean seriously how hard can it be to put a little Flavor into this stuff???? So add a few cans of Ovaltine or Chocolate to make it drinkable.

Canned Vegetables:

So, how about some Caned Vegetables. Agreed that most are not really so good, BUT, I’m building a Deep Pantry here that’s is to keep me feed JIC TSHTF; So guess what, I’m going to toss in a few cases of Vegetables per month. Better than cooking up and chewing on a Bale of Hay. Right now you can get most (Green Beans, Corn, Peas, and so-on) fairly cheap. I would not wait too much longer though; prices ARE going up, fast.

Ok, so there I go, got a fairly decent start on a Deep Pantry, With that stuff alone Me and Ole Blue can eat for a few days anyways…..
BUT, I’m just getting started, AND I’m going to dig out that Month List here real soon and start making a serious, hardcore, look at what I want in my Deep Pantry.

I sure hope you are starting to get serious about what the world is looking like.
I have gone over many MANY things that could happen, and to be honest with ya, it doesn’t look like things are getting any better.

How’s that Inflation getting, Sorry, but I have not seen the price of Fuel going down, have you? How about Food, Clothing, Medical…… Long List.
Not all Doom and Gloom here, no need to be if you’re ready….. (Notice I did not use that ‘P’ word HAHAHAHA)

PS: ohhhh I almost forgot… Toilet Paper.. What the heck is it with Toilet Paper that people just don’t understand….. Just buy an extra 32 pack and stuff it in the Deep Pantry, that way ya don’t need to get into a HUGE fight over the last few roils at Wally World. OK!!!!!????? IF you can actually get into WW, and yes, there were lines around Sam’s Club last Friday, people can’t even plan ahead for a long three-day weekend without fighting the crowds at Sam’s Club…..
Come-On-Man, we’re smarter than that….. Right?