food saver

36 Lessons Learned From Testing a 72-Hour Kit

June 11, 2020 / 77 Comments

Over the last two months, on two separate occasions, I had the opportunity to test my 72-hour kit.  Yes, these tests were intentional. Testing a 72 Hour Kit…Why? My background is one of preparedness.  In the military, we made casualty response plans, then tested those plans.  We called them “drills.”  Now, in my post-military life, I’m CERT-trained, and FEMA IS-22 certified and both deal extensively with emergency response and preparation. I’ve noticed many web sites that promote preparedness do not …

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16 Unusual Survival Preps to Have in Your Bug Out Bag

May 28, 2020 / 12 Comments

I sometimes roll my eyes at lists of “must-have” preps because they’re pretty much all the same: Paracord — check Multitool — check Flashlight — check Tell me something different! Something innovative! Something creative that is useful but out of the ordinary! Well, I took on this challenge myself and scoped out this list of 16 unusual survival preps for your bug out bag, your vehicle emergency kit, or even to stash in your home’s pile of preps. A few …

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Storing cookie ingredients.

A Short Guide To The Proper Storage of Cookie Ingredients

May 28, 2020 / 10 Comments

If the #1 rule to purchasing a home is, “Location, Location, Location,” then the #1 rule of food storage is, “rotation, rotation, rotation.” I mention it because some thirty-year-old brown sugar and chocolate chips recently came into my possession, and it probably would have been good if it had been rotated out a few decades ago, but no one gave a thought to storing cookie ingredients. Because I am an intrepid prepper, and also slightly reckless, I decided to make …

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20+ Foods that must be re-packaged for long-term storage and how to repackage them

December 28, 2020 / 132 Comments

As a follow-up to my blog post about which foods you shouldn’t plan on storing long-term, here’s a list of foods typically found at grocery stores that can be stored but must be repackaged. I go into much greater detail with food storage in my book, but here’s what you need to know about repackaging food. Keep in mind, that by repackaging these foods you will also be protecting them from oxygen, pests, and humidity, three of the five enemies …

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VIDEO: How to store dry foods in canning jars

May 21, 2020 / 39 Comments

There’s a whole slew of things that I want included in my food storage pantry, but many of them don’t lend themselves well to the canning process (chocolate!), can’t be dehydrated (walnuts!), or aren’t a great candidate for the classic 5-gallon bucket (sunflower seeds!). Packing these foods in canning jars and then using a vacuum sealer, such as a Food Saver, to store them long-term is super easy. Here’s what you’ll need: A vacuum sealer. I use the Food Saver …

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