Was wondering if anyone know of a place in ocean county area that sells stuff like the freeze dried food, SOS Food bars, etc. looking at putting together a small bug out bag and get some stuff stored away after Sandy and no power for 12 days want to have some stuff set aside just in case something like that happens again.

I know the West Marine store(s) in Brick by Sport Authority sells the "Survival Rations". I do believe they are 2,500 calorie wafers and bars.

I think the Army/Navy store in Seaside sells MREs. Nice people and the owner is on here.

 

Your best bet is to have a stock of canned food. Its cheap, stores easily, and lasts crazy long. You can also buy it anywhere. Plus you can rotate it in every few years. Google "tactical bacon".

 

Downside is a lot of them require cooking, but you can always start a fire if necessary.

If budget isn't a factor, why don't you just grab one of those 72 hour wise food buckets. eBay also have MRE's, try to get a good deal, usually free shipping and get some eBay bucks in return. My wife coupons and always gets good deals on can foods, tuna, soup etc. I'm Asian so naturally I have a stash of spam (my wife hates it, she tried to donate them when I was at work once.)

I think the Army/Navy store in Seaside sells MREs. Nice people and the owner is on here.

 

Your best bet is to have a stock of canned food. Its cheap, stores easily, and lasts crazy long. You can also buy it anywhere. Plus you can rotate it in every few years. Google "tactical bacon".

 

Downside is a lot of them require cooking, but you can always start a fire if necessary.

Cooking is not so much of a problem,in the aftermath of Sandy we were able to prepare meals cheaply and easily with a one burner gas stove that is widely used in Asian restaurants to prepare Hot Pots table side. It's efficient,burns clean,stores flat in it's own case and the best part regularly retails for less than $15.00, 3 gas canisters go for about $5.00 and both are available at just about any Asian grocery.

After Sandy they were pretty much sold out but I keep a spare and lots of canisters on hand.

Try

 

http://www.survivalequipmentnj.com/

 

Frank is a 2a supporter. And in NJ.

For long-term storage food, try here:

www.freezedryguy.com

bag as in you are mobile.. or sitting in your house...

 

I like soup with meat for sitting in your house... peanut butter... stuff that has good protein and will last for a long time..

the problem with bugging out......'specially here in nj..........if something makes you want to bug......you can dam well bet that the other half million people around you want to bug too. in this instance, you'd be leaving the relative safety of your easily secured home, and placing yourself into the open, in a nearly unsecurable position.

the problem with bugging out......'specially here in nj..........if something makes you want to bug......you can dam well bet that the other half million people around you want to bug too. in this instance, you'd be leaving the relative safety of your easily secured home, and placing yourself into the open, in a nearly unsecurable position.

 

Probably need a "Get Home Bag" more.

the problem with bugging out......'specially here in nj..........if something makes you want to bug......you can dam well bet that the other half million people around you want to bug too. in this instance, you'd be leaving the relative safety of your easily secured home, and placing yourself into the open, in a nearly unsecurable position.

 

NJ is a really diverse area... there are extreme urban elements.. and there are pretty rural areas as well... so I think the best plan of action would really depend on where you are... if there is ever massive civil unrest in a given region.. like that of Katrina... where looting and violence may be a concern... if you are in an urban area it may be best to get out, and get out the lease convenient most indirect way possible.. since all the other routes will likely be congested and dangerous... if you live in the middle of nowhere rural NJ.. you may be better just to hang tight... so what the "event" is and your current location would likely play a big role in your best course of action..

I am in the middle of suburbia and bugging in makes more sene at least until the roads clear up. I plan on raiding the UPS and fedex warehoures in the area and survive on undelivered Harry and David shipments.

If you're storing for long, long term survival, it becomes complicated.

 

If you just want to survive the next "normal disaster" a well stocked pantry with canned foods, pastas, rice, and lots of bottled water works fine.

 

We just keep lots of food that stores well on our pantry shelves. We cook and eat from the emergency supply every night and just re-stock when we get groceries every week. We decided to do this a couple of years ago when a bad storm went through South Jersey and we lost power for a few days. We were fine but learned that we just weren't prepared. We could survive 3 weeks now in luxury and probably more than a month if we were careful. We built up our supply slowly - a few extra things every time we went shopping

 

No MRE's, no oxygen absorbers, no special storage containers - just the stuff we normally eat but more of it.

 

I used to work with a Mormon woman and got to know her pretty well. Her pantry was the size of a big walk in closet and was stocked like a grocery store. Apparently the Mormons believe they should have a year's worth of food on hand. They had it down to a science. She never grocery shopped to eat. She fed the family from the pantry and shopped to re-stock the pantry.

 

Other "survival" things we did: I rewired the circuit to the heater (oil fired - no natural gas lines around here) to be plug connected and the same for my well pump (no city water either). I can unplug them and plug them into my portable emergency generator. - I keep three 5-gal gas cans filled at all times and rotate them through my lawn mower just like we rotate the food supply. I also have a "spare" propane tank for the bar-b-q grill and I fill the empty one when I put the full one on the grill.

 

In an emergency, I've got several days of food, water, shelter, and heat, limited electric, and a grill to cook on - luxury. I've probably got a month of the true necessities - food and water. Preparedness probably cost me a thousand dollars - maybe a little more but it took us several months to get everything together.

Costco sells the 72 hour buckets.

heres a good forum http://www.survivalistboards.com/index.php

 

lots of good info there

maintainceguy has it right.

 

This is NJ. If SHTF, you're going to either go to some shelter like a lot of people were forced into during Sandy, or you're going to stay into your house. Having a good food supply is necessary. Push comes to shove, I can always start a fire in my driveway and use that to cook most things.

 

For me, if my house becomes uninhabitable, I am going to go elseware. Shelter, family, etc. Otherwise I'm staying home.

 

When it comes to "bugging out" to the wilderness or whatever, what will force you to do that? Unless it's Red Dawn or society breaks down into complete anarchy it's pretty useless. Even then, EVERYONE will be heading to the hills and destroying the place. I reccomend you read "World War Z".

the year before irene came through, the storm that came, caused my area to be without electricity for 3 days. what i did thzt time was to run my house off of a 5500w generator. i killed it at night, and brought it inside though.

irene only killed my electricity for 1 day....for that day, i had gone in my basement, turned off the main breaker, so my house was disconnected from the grid, and i then backfed the house through an outlet in my garage. this powered half of my house, including my oil heater, which also heats my hot water.

 

a note on irene. when she was predicted to hit cape may, myself, and a fellow civil air patrol member had to drive down there, to remove/secure our assets on the airport. the traffic coming OUT of there was horrendous. the gas stations looked like 1979 all over again. we didn't come out by the main roads heading to rt55, but rather we went around, and hit the gsp.

maintainceguy has it right.

 

This is NJ. If SHTF, you're going to either go to some shelter like a lot of people were forced into during Sandy, or you're going to stay into your house. Having a good food supply is necessary. Push comes to shove, I can always start a fire in my driveway and use that to cook most things.

 

For me, if my house becomes uninhabitable, I am going to go elseware. Shelter, family, etc. Otherwise I'm staying home.

 

When it comes to "bugging out" to the wilderness or whatever, what will force you to do that? Unless it's Red Dawn or society breaks down into complete anarchy it's pretty useless. Even then, EVERYONE will be heading to the hills and destroying the place. I reccomend you read "World War Z".

 

Isnt all our fantasies to be Red Dawn and not be the ones that die.

Good advice here, I also believe in being more prepared to "bug in".

Currently I Have a portable generator w/ about 20 gallons of gas in the shed at the ready. I rotate the gas and use stabilizer... I have my outside grill hooked up to nat gas and i also plan on purchasing a NG conversion for the generator (they run about $250 and are well worth it IMO)

I have a few cases of bottled water. Not enough right now, but the bottles of water are also something you need to rotate and i need to replenish a lot that has been used over the last year...

I just purchased additional shelving for the basement and plan on using it as additional pantry space since the one in our kitchen was full. Just plan on buying lots of canned stuff and peanut butter and constantly rotating and replenishing.

Food, water, shelter, safety.

Thats what its all about...

the year before irene came through, the storm that came, caused my area to be without electricity for 3 days. what i did thzt time was to run my house off of a 5500w generator. i killed it at night, and brought it inside though.

irene only killed my electricity for 1 day....for that day, i had gone in my basement, turned off the main breaker, so my house was disconnected from the grid, and i then backfed the house through an outlet in my garage. this powered half of my house, including my oil heater, which also heats my hot water.

 

a note on irene. when she was predicted to hit cape may, myself, and a fellow civil air patrol member had to drive down there, to remove/secure our assets on the airport. the traffic coming OUT of there was horrendous. the gas stations looked like 1979 all over again. we didn't come out by the main roads heading to rt55, but rather we went around, and hit the gsp.

 

Is this a DIY backfeed? If not, is this something a contractor had to do? I looked into it before and it's supposedly dangerous blah blah blah.

Bug out bag additions.

 

That Cheese spead stuff that comes in a spray can http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Cheese

Take some crackers and vacuum seal 12 at a time in small bags.

i was told it was dangerous. i was also told to be sure to turn off the main breaker BEFORE even starting the generator up. other than that, it seemed pretty simple. you just need to make a male-male adaptor to plug your generator nito the outlet.

back then, i did it through a 110 outlet, as that was all i could reach. since then i've made a male-male adaptor for the 220 outlat in my garage, but as yet have not had to use it.

 

i would ask an electrician first though......

also....someone mentioned food/water/shelter.........switch those around. water most important. you're dead in 3 days without water. you can live nearly 3 weeks without food, as long as you have water.

maintainceguy has it right.

 

This is NJ. If SHTF, you're going to either go to some shelter like a lot of people were forced into during Sandy, or you're going to stay into your house. Having a good food supply is necessary. Push comes to shove, I can always start a fire in my driveway and use that to cook most things.

 

For me, if my house becomes uninhabitable, I am going to go elseware. Shelter, family, etc. Otherwise I'm staying home.

 

When it comes to "bugging out" to the wilderness or whatever, what will force you to do that? Unless it's Red Dawn or society breaks down into complete anarchy it's pretty useless. Even then, EVERYONE will be heading to the hills and destroying the place. I reccomend you read "World War Z".

 

Exactly. NJ is not a bug out type of state I feel. If serious SHTF, neighborhoods would become there own forts (if they organize) and people would be either locked down in their homes or will become maurading groups going around looking for food and water.

 

I prefer to be locked down with all my firepower/food and home comforts till someone uproots me, or tries to. Heh.

Exactly. NJ is not a bug out type of state I feel. If serious SHTF, neighborhoods would become there own forts (if they organize) and people would be either locked down in their homes or will become maurading groups going around looking for food and water.

 

I prefer to be locked down with all my firepower/food and home comforts till someone uproots me, or tries to. Heh.

 

I have thought of the fort idea, I think my development can be secured with some work, but I also wonder if it would make it more of a target for marauders. Ideally you dont want to be anywhere near a main road.

I have thought of the fort idea, I think my development can be secured with some work, but I also wonder if it would make it more of a target for marauders. Ideally you dont want to be anywhere near a main road.

no it won't. the looter types of marauders will be the element that is already criminal. criminals are generally cowards, and want things quick/easy. they will not go after a defended area. if they do, they will change their minds at the first sign of resistance.

i was told it was dangerous. i was also told to be sure to turn off the main breaker BEFORE even starting the generator up. other than that, it seemed pretty simple. you just need to make a male-male adaptor to plug your generator nito the outlet.

back then, i did it through a 110 outlet, as that was all i could reach. since then i've made a male-male adaptor for the 220 outlat in my garage, but as yet have not had to use it.

 

i would ask an electrician first though......

 

where did you get that male to male adapter? I was looking on amazon and didnt see anything... Would it work if i back-fed into my 220 plug my central air is on?

i made them both. you can buy the ends at home depot. i dunno about central air, as my house doesn't have air.

 

when i fed through the 110, it ran my non-gaming computer, my tv, the heater, fridge, and 2 lights in the house. i felt that was pretty good considering. it was the first time i'd done that, and was scared/paranoid, so i did have fire extinguishers handy. i kept checking the adaptor for heat, and i kept alert for any weird/different smells, and watching for anything flickering.

 

Isnt all our fantasies to be Red Dawn and not be the ones that die.

 

Not a chance.

i made them both. you can buy the ends at home depot. i dunno about central air, as my house doesn't have air.

 

when i fed through the 110, it ran my non-gaming computer, my tv, the heater, fridge, and 2 lights in the house. i felt that was pretty good considering. it was the first time i'd done that, and was scared/paranoid, so i did have fire extinguishers handy. i kept checking the adaptor for heat, and i kept alert for any weird/different smells, and watching for anything flickering.

 

With all due respect.

 

Please don't do this. The chance to burn out any and all electronics and burning your house to the ground are really, really high. The fire can start in your walls and you would not know it until its too late. A simple transfer switch to handle certain important circuits is about $300. I live in a neighborhood that loses power all the time, Irene was 8 days, sandy 15 days. Many fed their panels directly and shut off everything but what they needed. That is dangerous as well, but less so than using a plug to back feed. Talk to an electrician, learn about how the electrical distribution panels in your house work and then sally forth. It's easier than stripping an AR.

 

It is a prepper skill. Learn it.