We are almost done with our 72-hour kits!! Two more weeks to go! This week, get something that you can actually cook your food in. Now, I'm not much of a camper, so I consulted Mountain Man for his recommendations.
One important thing to consider is weight. Dutch ovens are perfect for camping, but they are often extremely heavy. Mountain Man suggested the Classic 10-inch Dutch Oven from Amazon (listed on the right hand column of our blog page). He's taken this one backpacking before and says it's not too heavy to carry. It is a bit on the small side, but he said you could easily feed a small family with it.
If the meals in your kits require only boiling water, Mountain Man says that you can even just bring along an empty #10 can and use that. Just put it on your camp stove and boil away! This is a really easy option, and cheap. And speaking of camp stoves... they can be confusing. I know we talked about getting them a few weeks ago, but in case you didn't yet, Mountain Man also recommended one to us. I've linked to it in the right column of the blog for you to check out (right under the dutch oven link). Of course, all these items can be bought other places besides Amazon, but we're just trying to make it as convenient as possible for you! Plus, you can read their customer reviews, which is something I always find helpful before I buy something, no matter where I'm going to buy it from.
I know these items seem expensive. However, you DO need something to cook your food in. Figure out what your family needs, and get it. Uncooked Ramen and oatmeal don't taste all that great. Additionally, a hot cooked meal on a cold day could really be the difference between a miserable experience and a pleasant (or, at least a tolerable) one.
This week for your three-month supply, buy something you need! Look over your list of planned meals and try to find an ingredient on sale that is missing from your supply. You know the drill: buy something (or two) for your food storage every time you visit the grocery store.
Finally, we're still gathering oats this month for our longer-term storage. How are you coming along with that?
We have a GREAT week planned! With Valentine's Day coming up and all, we're going to share the love by having an awesome giveaway, so come back for that! And Friday, of course, is a delicious food storage recipe, which you won't want to miss.
4 comments:
Thanks for all of the great info!
just FYI Walmart.com has childrens sleeping bags for $10 for princess and $14.88 for cars. i also just got backpacks for my girls at walmart. they were $10, princess and have the handle so they could also pull them.
Do you have a first aid kit on your list? I must have missed it.
One thing to remember if you use this cookpot and stove combination is that you should improvise or purchase a support for the dutch oven. The Raptor stove is designed for use with light weight backpacking cookware. It will not safely support the weight of the oven and the food contents in my opinion. They are both good products individually and can be used together as well, but the weight of the pot must be supported. I would recommend researching the Dakota Fire Hole. This will work with a dutch oven with legs in a pinch if your stove malfunctions or you run out of fuel. www.survivaltopics.com has a good post about the dakota fire hole. His site is more a wilderness site but lots of good stuff.
Also once this kit is assembled after about two months of storage make a weekend to only use the items inside it and see how they work out. IF something happens, that isn't the time to realize that the item didn't work as advertised. You do have a decent 72hr kit going but it can always be better or tweeked.
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