Iron Rations on the cheap

What exactly are Iron Rations? They are typically an emergency
food supply kept for situation when normal food will be unavailable
for a limited time. Generally they a food stuffs that have a long
shelf life and do not require refrigeration and require little if
any preparation.

Some examples of Iron Rations are:

Beef jerky
Most persevered sausages such as summer sausages or the
more common "snack"sausages like Slim Jims.
Canned meats like Spam, corned beef, tuna and deviled ham.
Dried vegetables and fruits
Most nuts (No, not your rarely seen family members and friends.)
Various hard cheeses and even some modern processed cheeses.
Rice
Noodles and pastas in general
Chocolate
Hard candies
Granola and cereal bars. This could include Power Bars.
Hard baked breads such as crackers, bread sticks, and old
fashioned hard tack*.

* Hard Tack is basically just plain flour and water and maybe
a little salt that has been formed into large cracker sized squares
and baked long enough to remove the water leaving it very hard
and dry. Normally it was soaked in water to soften it before eating.
Soldiers have at times referred to hard tack as "toothbreakers"
for good reason.

A lot of people tend to make the mistake of thinking that they
need to worry about suffering the effects of malnutrition when
considering emergency foodsupplies. You have to take into account
that Iron Rations are not meant to be used for long periods of time.
As a general rule, Iron Rations should provide enough food for roughly
72 hours. This can be stretched an extra 24 or 48 hours if the situation
dictates it.


Here we have an example of a days worth of emergency food.

The food you see above is a not final list of what you need,
just my personal preference. All together what you see above
will provide roughly 2000 calories for one person for one day.
While it may not be the ideal food it will keep you moving and
can be eaten a little at time to ensure that you have energy all
day. My own "Iron Rations" are based loosely on the old military
K Rations.

Now lets look at it group by group...


Meat, beans, and nuts

Meat, beans, and nuts provide both basic protein and needed
fat to your diet or so they told me in school. Canned meats
and beans will generally be good for at least a year after they
are purchased but I would recommend rotating older cans out
about every six months to ensure that your supplies are as
fresh as possible. Nuts can be a little trickier though, always check
the packaging to ensure they will edible at least three to six months
from the day you buy them. Some will store better than others, so
take your time when selecting them.


Breakfast is served.

Granola and cereal grain bars can make for a quick breakfast
or light snacks though the day so make sure you keep a few
close to hand. I prefer the crunchy granola bars because they
can be broken up into a cup of hot water with a small pack of
raisins to make a quick oatmeal for a hot breakfast.


One of mankind's oldest dried fruits

A few snack sized boxes of raisins can provide more nutrients
than you might think. Additionally you may want to consider
other dried fruits like dehydrated apples or prunes for a little
variety. Though it has been my experience that dehydrated
apples will have a less than desirable flavor unless you dry
them at home.


They aren't hard tack but they'll last a surprising length of time in storage

Plain saltines and snack crackers will last a long time and
generally can be eaten as is or added to soups and stews to
thicken them. The snack crackers pictured above are cheddar
cheese with peanut butter I was looking over their nutritional
info and was surprised to find that the peanut butter variety
had a few more calories than the cheese variety. The idea here
is to pack as many calories into as small an area as is possible,
so avoid low cal anything.


A quick and simple way to produce a hot meal.

While they are not essential, ramen noodles can offer you
the option of a hot meal that takes only a minimum of fuss
to prepare. After you have eaten cold food for a couple of
days even a bowl or large cup of hot noodles be a morale
boost.


Tea has a long shelf life and can make boiled water taste a lot better.

Boiled water as a rule is tasteless. Tea, bullion cubes, or instant
coffee can make it a lot more palatable. The bullion cubes can
also be used to make a quick broth that can have beef jerky, rice,
or ramen noodles added to it. The peppermint disks are a good
source of condensed sugar for adding to tea and they can be used
for a quick boost of energy by themselves.


They're not essential but they will make bland food more palatable

Condiments aren't an essential but you might want to consider
a few packs of ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, or hot sauce to
add some extra flavor to your emergency food.




Reference Material:
First World War.com - Encyclopedia
Trench Food
Vivres de Réserve -- France's Iron Ration in World War 1
K-ration - Wikipedia

~Fin~

The four F's: Food, Firearms, Faith and Friends

Among survivalist there are two primary variations on basics
The four B's or The four G's.

Beans, Bullets, Bullion and Bible.

Or

Grub, Guns, Gold and God.

Either way it is pretty much the same basic idea in being prepared.

Beans/Grub: Food by any other name.

Bullets/Guns: A means of self defense and a way to hunt.

Bullion/Gold: One of humankind's oldest forms of money.

Bible/God: Faith that things will return some semblance of normalcy.

Well I have been thinking about that idea for quite a long
time now. The more I think about it the more I realize that
Gold in any form probably isn't the ideal thing to have around.
It is expensive to acquire even in the best of times and it's value
isn't set in stone except when everyone agrees on it having a set
"value". Other than that all it does is takes up space that could
be used for extra food or ammunition for a firearm. There will
always be someone that wants it but given the choice, I'd prefer
something a bit more valuable.

So I came up with my own version; The four F's.

The four F's: Food, Firearms, Faith and Friends

Food: One of the most basic of human needs. Preferably
non-perishable foods that can be stored for an indefinite time.
Dried beans, peas, whole grains that can be ground for flour or
meal. There are lots of foods like this you can squirrel away for
long term storage.

Firearms: I won't make a list of firearms as everyone has
their own preferences in weapons but I will suggest this, at
least one handgun, rifle, and shotgun for every member of
your family that is capable of safely handling them. I would
also recommend some non-firearm weapons that are relatively
easy to use and require no special or hard to find ammunitions.
Such as bows and arrow, hunting spears, and other "primitive"
weapons.

Faith: Always have faith in yourself and what you know.
Also have faith that whatever the current circumstances are
things will get better. I won't go into particulars because
everyone has their own idea of who or what God is.

Friends: Friends are the one thing that are more valuable
than any precious metal humans have ever dug out of the
ground and will be with you a lot longer. A few good friends
will be able to help you when everything has pretty much
gone to Hell.

~Fin~

Some basic survival tools and equipment for everyday carry

Here are a few basic tools and equipment everyone should have on their person
for emergencies. A lot of stuff on this list might seem common sense but there are
a few items you might not normally think you would need to carry everyday.


Looks like a lot of stuff at first glance...

1. A pocket knife.


A Swiss Army Knife


Ok, this, to me anyway, is about as basic a tool as you can have. From opening
mail to cutting an apple and everything in between. Whether it is a simple Barlow,
a three blade Stockman, a Swiss Army Knife, or one of the high end custom jobs
a pocket knife will do quite a bit.

2. A flashlight (or torch depending on your preference in terminology).


An LED flashlight, very small and easy to carry

At one time this might not have been something that could be convenient to
have on your person but in the age of LED flashlights and high quality Mini Mag
lights, one can easily be carried in a pocket and forgotten about until needed.
At first the idea of carrying a flashlight during the day time might sound absurd
until you stop to think about all of those little dark niches we encounter daily.

Note: Remember to check the batteries regularly.

3. A way to create fire.


A common disposable butane cigarette lighter

You might be thinking, I work in an office in the city or I don't smoke! Fire was one
of humanity's first tools and hasn't gone out of fashion yet. Whether it's a Bic, a
small box of matches, a magnifying glass, or flint and steel it never hurts to have
some way to make fire on hand. Personally, I prefer to have at least two ways
to make fire, something like disposable lighter as my primary and good old fashioned
strike anywhere matches as a back up. Ever try lighting a candle by force will?

Note: If you carry a butane lighter, remember to keep it close to your body during
the winter otherwise the gas will get too cold to expand. Or if you are at higher
altitudes, strongly consider focusing on matches or non gas lighters as higher
altitudes will cause gas lighters to lose their fuel.

4. A few basic first aid supplies.


A small first aid kit plus a very basic sewing kit tucked in it

Note: I am not a doctor and unless you are trained don't try things you are
uncertain about.

You can pick up a simple personal first aid kit at most dollar stores for a buck.
Personally I prefer more than the few band aids and antiseptic wipes that are
the common fare in these little kits. So I would recommend adding a few other
items. My own list is relatively short, A few band aids for minor cuts and scrapes,
a few alcohol prep pads for cleaning wounds, a couple of smaller size (2" x 2")
gauze pads for bigger cuts, enough Tylenol and antihistamines for a full 24 hours,
and finally a small packet of antibiotic ointment.

If you have any medical conditions that require regular medicine, you'll probably
want to have a 24 hour supply of them around in case you can't get home for
a day or so.

Another Note: This list is my personal choice. You should always tailor your own
kit to meet your own needs and level of knowledge and training.

5. A small bottle or flask of water.


A stainless steel hip flask filled with water

Most of us never give a drink of water a second thought in the age of being able to
get water from a faucet at will. Until we find ourselves away from home and realize
where we are has no water readily available. Personally, I prefer an eight (8) ounce
stainless hip flask since it can be heated directly to boil suspect water.

6. A small amount of non-perishable food.


A roll of hard candy

A few pieces of hard candy or a small package of nuts or sunflower seeds might not seem like an ideal source of food and they aren't. However, the boost they can give
you and your morale is surprising when there is no real food handy. Like everything
else in this article though, you should tailor you food to reflect your own preferences
and personal needs.

7. Pen and paper.


A small notebook and ink pen

A simple pen and note pad can come in handy more often than you might believe.
Jotting down a sudden idea, writing a message to leave for people that may
searching for you, or drawing a map to help you orient yourself. And it does
provide a handy source of tinder for fire starting.

8. A length of sturdy string or cord.


This is about seven yards of nylon twine

I've always found a bit of cordage to a handy thing at the weirdest times. Tying up
unexpectedly large bundles of loose items like more mail than you were counting on
at the Post Office (I had this happen once.). Or temporarily replacing a broken shoe
string. How much? i would suggest at least fifteen (15) feet (about five (5) meters).

9. A handkerchief or bandanna.


Just a plain good old fashioned bandanna

Aside from their normal uses they can come in handy as a way to make a simple
water filter or as an impromptu dust mask. And they can come in handy for as
a way to control bleeding when you don't have the luxury of having an ER within
immediate reach.

Odds and ends to consider


A "disposable" plastic poncho (left) and an emergency blanket (right)

There are quite a few other small items you can add here and there depending on
the circumstances. You might consider an abridged sewing kit. a couple of pre-threaded
needles with black and white thread and a few safety pins to patch a small tear or
reattach a button. This can easily be stashed in your first aid kit.

During the warmer months you might want to consider adding a few salt tablets
or a couple of packs of salt from a restaurant to help replace what you lose through
sweating. Heat cramps and heatstroke ain't no fun at all.

During the colder months an mylar emergency blanket or a "disposable" plastic poncho
can keep you relatively warm and dry and are both fairly cheap and take up little room.

In the end these are only my suggestions for things you might want to have with you
whenever you leave home. It's up to the individual to decide what they think will help
them in a tight spot. I know at first glance this article might not seem like a great
revelation to some but I wrote this for people who have just started thinking about
what really are the basics to being prepared for minor and even major emergencies.