Food and Water Preps

Thanks to Dan over at The Daily Prep

a question he raised about food and water storage, reminded me that I had an unfinished video of my food preps to publish, so I have put it together and here it is!!!

Living in an apartment doesn't mean you don't have room to store food and water! by being creative there is always some where to place a few items.

In my case it was under my bed!

Why store food?

Well the most important thing we all need is Shelter/Water/and Food, and something most people take for granted that they can always just pop down the store and get what they need.

I must admit a lot of people think you have lost the plot when you mention you have 6 months to a year of food, but I always say is it crazy that you insure your car against an accident?

You can live without a car, you cant live without food or water....

So take some insurance out for your self and family by having some basic food storage.

Look at Greece right now with all the financial problems, one of the major problems people are suffering is food and medicine shortages. And not just because people haven't the money, there is also a supply deficit.

Reasons to Have food storage?

Financial Crisis

Loss of Job

Natural disaster Storm/Earthquake/Flood

Pandemic and self isolation

Crop failure

Petrol/Gas shortage cut supply to stores

As an Investment.

Any number of reasons could cut off the food supply and you dont want to be standing in long lines waiting for handouts when a few changes now can not only protect you but save you money.

How to Start Food Storage?

"Eat what you store, Store what you eat"

That is the golden rule start off by buying extra cans and packets of what you already use.

Start by listing everything you purchase for your regular meals and expand from that.

Once you get started look for your items on sale, I normally purchase a single item every 1/2 months when its discounted, sometimes as much as 50% off, then I buy 2/3 months worth at a time and use them weekly as I need them.

That's your financial investment and gain right there, nothing wrong in making a 40/50% return on what you are going to spend anyway!

Where to Store Food?

I use under my bed as storage and surprising if you organize it well there is enough space for a years food for 2 people, and I always put purchased food in from one side of bed and take out from the other side giving me somewhat of a rotation system.

I tend to move the line along on laundry days and flip up the mattress to make it easier, but this could also be made easier with a simple wood frame to roll cans along, but i find its not a problem.

I also use a sharpie to put month and year on each item when i purchase!

Under the bed!

Water Storage?

Its also a good idea to have some water stored in case of loss of water supply.

again this can be caused by many unforeseen circumstances. On average you will need about 2 liters per person per day for cooking drinking ect.

I keep 2 liter Juice bottles filled with water in my bathroom and have managed to store about 6 weeks supply, covered with towels behind a laundry basket.

Another item we keep is empty wine casket bags, after enjoying the contents we wash them out and store them flat. each one holds 2 LTs and we must have a 100 of them in a closet, we could easily feel them in a few hours if needed in emergency, there's also a plastic sheet to line the bath tub, to create another source of water storage.

2 Liter juice bottles

Wine bags used as back up water storage, also ideal to keep in bug out bags / camping bags

Storage Dates?

This is one of the areas most people don't get!

The food suppliers don't want you to keep food they want you to buy more!

don't fall in to this trap, a "Best before date" is only a guide to when the flavor may start deteriorating this is not an expiry date! Most cans are perfectly fine for 4/5 years.

Now a "use by date" is an actual guide to when the food must be consumed, this is normally on perishable fresher items like meats/ Dairy ect and shouldn't be kept beyond that date.

As long as an item is stored in a cool dry place and has no damage to the packaging or can, then it is normally safe to eat. This is only a guide and (DISCLAIMER) always check with the manufacturer on storage dates.


Find Food Storage items in your area


Sterilite 19608006 41-Quart Underbed Box, White Lid with See-Through Base, 6-Pack

Well I hope that inspires everybody to think about having some sort of food and water backup, and again thanks to Dan for bringing up such an important topic.

http://thedailyprep.com/

Dehydrator

I purchased a Dehydrator, have wanted one for ages, as after reading up i think its a more preferred way to store dried food.
I was most interested in drying corn, carrots and strawberries which I loaded up on my 5 trays.
It went all night a total of 12 hours and its amazing how small it looks after its dried, the best of it is that all the nutrients are still there .
After drying some stuff I couldn't wait to try it, The Strawberries are like leathery to taste but flavor is awesome.
next a bowl of soup dropped the peas and carrots back into it and after about 3 mins you have perfectly good tasting veg,
Will be adding to my stored items with this new found skill, its a must have, smaller more compact packets and no additives.
Oh I forgot to mention I also got a vaccume sealer and bags to pack and store the things i dry.
Great resource for Dehydrating http://www.dehydrate2store.com/
and of course I got the Dehydrator and the vaccume sealer from my favorite place ebay.com

2 Trays of Strawberries 

Carrots, Corn and strawberries 

My 5 Tray Dehydrator

Vaccume sealed Strawberries

Aquaponics System Update

Finally got my aquaponics system up and running.
it was quiet a lot harder than i was expecting to get it right, but at the end I should have keep to the golden rule KISS " keep it simple stupid"
TIPS!
Dont use cheap plastic storage containers, they shatter very easy at the bottom
Dont make the grow beds to shallow,  22cm high is ideal for small system, I used 2x 35LTR
Get a good strong Tank for the bottom and get it colored to keep out light, I used a large patio flower container 105LTR
use 1/2 inch (13mm) and 3/4 inch (19mm) garden irrigation hose and fittings is more practical and cheaper than plumbing fittings on such a small system
use 2LTR soda bottle as filter grates around bell siphon
I made my bell siphon with  60mm pipe, and silicone a piece of 1" on top to make handling easier
make sure you allow about 2" gap above overflow pipe and inside top of siphon.

anyway heres a few pictures, I will publish my video soon.
I am now going to regulate the PH of water ect before adding some fish

Small pump and filter, I use this to filter the tank and pump to my green wall hanging garden, available from  $17.85 from Hong Kong on ebay! (Click Link)

Air stone, I am using 2 of these,available from ebay each $6.50 Free shipping from Hong Kong (Click Link)

Air Pump with back up batteries for power outage, available from ebay $29 including postage from Hong Kong (Click link)

Expanded Clay pebbles, (You can use gravel ) but I prefer these clay pebbles they are so much easier to work with, purchased in Australia from ebay 50 LTRs $22 (Click Link)

This is all the plumbing I needed!

13mm irrigation pipe, 2 x 13mm Flow control taps, 1 x 13mm T joiner, 2x 13mm End caps, 13mm tube, small pond pump (350Ltrs per hour)

2x 19mm tank fitting, 2x 19mm tank fitting extenders, 2x pieces of 20mm tube, 2x 19mm Corner connectors, 2x  60mm plastic pipe, 2 x 60mm end covers, 2x 2LTR soda bottle, 2x 35LTR plastic containers (Grow beds) and ix 105Ltr garden grow box ( Fish Tank)

My fittings I got online from Ebay in australia but are readily available in Bunnings, Home Depot ect

Bell siphon = 60mm wide x 165mm long, cut out groves either side to allow water into siphon and a hole just above to break cycle, allow about 2" from top of overflow pipe to top of inside of bell, the overflow height should be about 2" lower than the layer of clay pebbles.

my tank set up and including my green wall garden

some plants in place with netting at end for cucumbers

looking down from above

their is no need to sprinkle the water like this you can just have a pipe feeding in, just a personal choice

my green wall filled with clay pebbles and strawberry plants gives me additional grow beds by using vertical space.

My set up with fish tank underneath

I purchased the Aquaponics made easy DVD from Murray Hallam, $33 plus shipping this is very good look into aquaponics and recommended set ups