I apologize if this is posted in the wrong forum, I am a newbie! I have been reading all kinds of info and watching all kinds of videos to help me get on my way to a food storage back up. Here is my question though. So your storing up food and supplies for when SHTF, when power supply will go to name one thing, so what do you do with all your stored goods if you live in a very hot climate? Won't everything spoil? Appreciate all answers.
If you don't have backup power, then you use Storage Methods that require NO Power.... Smoked, Salted, Canned, etc... and you have a "Cool Room" Root Cellar, Pantry, Basement, to store your Preps in.
Thanks for getting back to me. I live in a top floor condo in a high heat location. I don't really have any "cool" rooms, other than when we have the a/c going or its winter. What is the max temp that stored food, canning, salted, smoked can handle?
As I live n the bush of Alaska... that is not my area of expertise.... I am sure some other Monkeys will be along shortly to give some Good Solid answers to that question.....
smoked, canned, salted, brined, or dried meats would stay. Being in the location that you are you need to keep rotating out your rations quickly as in the type of environment that you have described most of your preps will not last very long. However, if you went more towards MRE's, dry foods, cereals, grains, etc. You might be in better shape.
Thank you. I guess the next thing I need to look into is some independent way of keeping a room cool, via solar energy, powering a portable cooling unit and other things.
You can do some cost effective upgrades to any room in your home, no matter the geographic location and reduce the temperature. You can convert a closet or a spare bedroom into a pantry. First, insulation is essential. Radiant barriers work excellent on windows and to line a closet, and they cost very little for the area of coverage. http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...=10053&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&langId=-1&storeId=10051 Fill in those pesky gaps really well, too. http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...=10053&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&langId=-1&storeId=10051 A more serious alteration would be to use foam board to ensure great insulation properties, this is optional in some cases. http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...=10053&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&langId=-1&storeId=10051 You can affix the materials already shown with staples or glue. You can also run a dryer to vent kit to draft-in some cooler air from outside. You could rig a fan to draw in the air in the evening and close it off during the day. I would choose the eastern-most side of the house/apartment if possible because this generally remains the coolest since it receives the least sunlight. Use a bug screen and do not plug in an electric fan and place it outside unless it is rated for exterior use...just saying. A good SHTF option is to find a 12V fan and some kind of small battery/solar setup. As has already been mentioned, try to primarily store MRE's and dry foods (grains, rice, beans) along with your water and dehydrated/freeze dried foods. The heat will not cause these to break down as much as other stored items, but --like everything, the cooler it can be kept, the better. The general rule of thumb is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler to be safe for the expected life span. Other ways to keep your stored items cool if you are handy, rig up an air exchange system (similar to what has already been mentioned) only place dampened pads (must allow air to pass through) inside the conduit/duct. This method of cooling is known as evaporative cooling, and it is quite effective in low humidity, hot areas. To test out this type of cooling, just take a wet cloth and twirl it in your hands quickly for a minute. The water in the cloth will be cooled. This is one of the principles behind evaporative cooling. If you live in a high humidity, hot area...you won't benefit as much because of the relative humidity --but you can still use fans and force the humid air into cooler areas before cycling it back into the warm regions of the home. Some power-free methods out west include tunnels under the dwelling with vents in the floors which naturally draws in cooler air on its own. Some cooling towers are designed with basins of water inside to draw air over the water and through the home to cool it.
Thank you so much, that is a lot of awesome info. I live in Texas, so as you can imagine it gets pretty hot. I am going to read up on all of those things you mentioned.
Also, if you choose to make a cooled closet, it might be best to invest a few dollars in a good thermometer. Just imagine what $5.00 could do for you. No longer will you have to open the door to see if it is cool inside, just pop that thermometer through and you are good to go. No lost time and no loss of cool air inside. Remember, it's not much use to just insulate a closet or room without ventilating.
As an FYI, they have pulled primitively canned foods out of burial vaults in ancient tombs and those 3-400 yr old foods were still edible and had vitamin content intact. If you store canned foods and dry foods, I think you'll be alright. We have an article around here somewhere that talks about the actual edible like of modern canned goods being in the hundreds of years. http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/gim-shelf-life-of-all-foods-repost-from-old-gim.15783/ http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/shelf-life-and-food-storage-information.4123/
S101, you're in a bit of a pickle as to your location. When the SHTF, you and the other preppers need to go to.... "The Winchester"..... Seriously though, dry canned foods - rice, beans, grains - can store a good long time. Canned goods are good too. Once you're in a situation f having no AC, you will be using those prep foods. And likely getting ready to move away from the cities. They won't be safe. Be sure to have some water stored, and the means of getting, storing and filtering/purifying more.
Glad you are interested in preps and keeping them edible. Would encourage you to get off that top floor and into a home w/basement. An apartment is a horrible place to defend or operate from. When the power fails you will cook in the summer and freeze in the winter. In a home you can build a fire or have Propane back up. I know we have to "crawl before we can walk" --just encouraging you for future plans. Best to you.
Yeah we have talked about that. Not in a position at the moment to move but we definitely know it is a concern. We are trying to do what we can for now. If we win the lotto it would definitely be our no:1 thing to do. Here's hoping!
