Food & Barter

Suggested food amount per adult for one year:

- Rice is 180 kg
- Sugar or Honey is 30kg
- Iodized Salt is 4.5kg
- Legumes (Dry Beans) is 36kg
- Instant Non-Fat Dry-Milk Powder is 27kg
- Cooking Oil is 10 liters (shelf-life of 2 years)
- Water (2 weeks) 14 gallons or 53 liters

Label your food items with the date you purchased it. Rotate as many items as you can by using your food storage twice a week. This will allow complete rotation of a year's supply every 3 years.

Be sure the dry milk you are buying has been fortified with Vitamins A and D. Buy your dried milk in containers of a size that makes sense for the level of consumption. Once opened, powdered milk has a short shelf-life (1-month) before undesirable changes occurs. If buy large packages and do not use much at one time, repackage into smaller containers.

Dry milk products are especially sensitive to storage conditions, particularly temperature and light. Vitamins A and D are photo-sensitive and will break down rapidly if exposed to light. The area where your dry milk is stored should be kept as cool as possible.

Store non-food items: medicine, toiletries, soap, cleaning supplies, paper products, laundry detergent.


Barter Trade

Sarajevo War Survivor: "After a while, even gold can lose its luster. No luxury in war like toilet paper. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. Many would trade a much needed meal for just a little bit of soap or toothpaste."

Investment Advice:

- Invest in things you will be able to trade for things you will need

- Think of consumer necessities that require high technology and have a long shelf-life

- Suggestions to get started: condoms, razor blades, cigarettes and medicine

- Rechargeable batteries (and solar chargers) are sure to become a prized item

- Toiletries, such as good soap/shampoo, will be luxury items

- Salt (becomes critical in the absence of processed foods)

- Pepper (It was used as a substitute currency amongst the poor Europe for centuries. Many times, the price of pepper per-ounce went higher than gold.)

Every month, buy an extra bar of soap, roll of toilet paper, 3 big boxes of strike-anywhere matches. Every 3 months, buy a package of disposable razors, multi-vitamins (jar of 133), tube of toothpaste, toothbrush, and a box of 10 large plastic garbage bags.