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The other thing that you can do is buy a case or two of canned butter once every three years. Canned butter is available from Best Prices Storable Foods and from Ready Made Resources.

Be very selective about the fats and oils that you store. Some that you buy from your local supermarket are borderline rancid and unhealthy even when “freshly made.” I prefer olive oil over corn oil. I also prefer storing canned butter over Crisco-type shortening or canned lard. For those who do prefer shortening, its shelf life can be extended by repacking it in mason-type canning jars. Some brands of lard are still packed in all-metal cans, which provides a longer shelf life. Look in the ethnic-foods section of your grocery store for cans marked Manteca, which is Spanish for “lard.”

Keep in mind, too, that a diet that has too much lean meat can lead to severe digestive problems and even malnutrition. If you plan to depend heavily on wild game or livestock that you raise, then be sure to include some bulk fiber in your diet. To provide this fiber, you must either sprout it, grow it in your garden, or store it. Don’t overlook this aspect of preparing your survival larder.

Supplements and Short-Term Emergency Foods

MREs

At a fixed-site retreat, prepacked meals (such as MRE and Meal, Alternative Regionally Customized [MARC] rations) don’t make much sense. But when you’re operating in the field, they save time, obviate the need to carry a stove and cooking utensils, and reduce the noise, odor, and light signatures of a campsite. I recommend the retort-packaged Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) as a supplement to a well-rounded food-storage program. Because they are fairly compact and lightweight, and require no cooking, they are ideal to pack in your G.O.O.D backpack or BOB.

My old friend who has a SurvivalBlog profile under the pseudonym Mr. Tango had a round of correspondence with the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, in Natick, Massachusetts, on the potential storage life of MREs. Like all other storage foods, MREs must be stored at low temperature to maximize their shelf life. The data that they sent him was surprising. Here is the gist of it:

The figures above are based on date of pack, rather than inspection date.

MREs near the end of their shelf life are considered safe to eat if:

1. They are palatable to the taste.

2. They do not show any signs of spoilage (such as swelled pouches).

3. They have been stored at moderate temperatures (70F or below). Not enough data has yet been collected on storage below 60 degrees F. However, projections are that the 130-month figure will be extended.

Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example: storage at 100 degrees F for 11 months and then moved to 70F, you would lose 1/2 of the 70F storage life.

Avoid fluctuating temperatures in and out of freezing level.

The above-cited figures are for palatability, not nutritive value. Most of the fat, carbohydrates, and protein will still be available in MREs, even after many years of storage, but the vitamins will not. Plan accordingly.

Because MREs and other emergency foods are relatively high in bulk and low in fiber, I highly recommend also storing a fiber supplement with each case of MREs.

Energy Bars

Commercially made “energy bars,” “emergency-ration bars,” and “sports bars” can provide a useful adjunct to a storage-food program. Nutritionally, energy bars alone are inadequate. But they do make a useful supplement to your food-storage program, both to provide variety and flavor in a bland diet and to serve as a very compact short-term food supply for your G.O.O.D. kit.

These bars can easily be packed in Ziploc bags (or better yet, vacuum-packed with a Tilia FoodSaver) and stored in a chest freezer. This will greatly extend their shelf life, especially in hot climates. Just don’t forget to pin a prominent note on your G.O.O.D. rucksack, reminding you to retrieve them from the freezer before you head out the door.