1 month boxes

[junmist]

like the idea will see if I can do the same but think I will have to start on weekly ones and grow

[Reservior]

Seamus, I read this thread last night and wanted to comment but I do a late night shift on a Monday night which is closely followed by an early shift on a Tuesday which allows me about 5 hours sleep on a Monday night I started to respond but it was eating into my 5 hours so abandoned the reply.

My major question was the weight and size of your boxes, but you have just covered that. Still pretty weighty though? I agree it's manageable but 30-40 kilos isn't comfortable.

The other thing I was going to ask is what have you prepared in the way of cooking/heating your food, if you were heading out by car or in a covert bug in scenario?

[seamus1979]

Seamus, I read this thread last night and wanted to comment but I do a late night shift on a Monday night which is closely followed by an early shift on a Tuesday which allows me about 5 hours sleep on a Monday night I started to respond but it was eating into my 5 hours so abandoned the reply.

My major question was the weight and size of your boxes, but you have just covered that. Still pretty weighty though? I agree it's manageable but 30-40 kilos isn't comfortable.

The other thing I was going to ask is what have you prepared in the way of cooking/heating your food, if you were heading out by car or in a covert bug in scenario?

i keep a kelly kettle in both me and my partners bob. i also keep a jetboil in my car kit.
in my cupboard i also keep a standard briefcase gas cooking system with about 12 bottles of gas (cheap and cheerful from sports direct)
i know 40 kilos is mildly heavy but the aim was for it never to be carried any sort of distance.
for single people or bigger families just alter it to what you feel comfortable.
the whole idea i had was you could visually work out pretty quickly how much you have in regards to stores and also if you need to get out of dodge quick you can just pick a box up and know how much gear you have rather than trying to pack things up from your shelves.

also i think were all pretty similar and it was so much fun packing the boxes trying to work out a months worth of food.
we love compiling lists so its just fun.
the reason i chose a month was i started with centrum vitamins for the family which comes in one month tubs.

[Theoracle]

Great idea and very prudent, I've been reading some interesting articles by economists saying put whatever spare money you have into food, with the dollar starting to wobble, inflation (I know it's come down today supposedly...but really??) is set to spiral due to the usa's QE, may not happen but read up on fiat currencies, makes for an intriguing eye opener to the potential storm brewing.

[Reservior]

This isn't criticism, at all!

Do think you might be over prepped (food wise) vs your ability to heat/cook what you have stored?

I love my Kelly Kettle but, whilst you can cook on it it's not easy and I just regard mine as a really efficient water boiler for not drinks and dehydrated food (noodles etc).

The jet boil system looks great, I don't have one but I've used a friends and they are impressive but I wouldn't want to rely on one when cooking for 3. You could of course cook/heat for individuals in turn, your child comes first presumably and then a domestic between yourself and the wife ?

Those cans for the briefcase system have about 45 mins worth of juice in them and you have 12, that's not a huge amount, given the amount you have to cook over the time you have prepared for?

As I said, not a criticism at at all, I don't want to appear to ridicule or be any way negative about your achievements so far.

[seamus1979]

my next investment will be a dutch oven set up i think. its either that or another crossbow!

[maxilaura]

would love to do the monthly box system, but am still working on the bug out bags. I do have some stuff put away that can go into the monthly boxes though.

[PreppingPingu]

A neat idea. I think if I were to do this I would probably start on a weekly case first and would gear towards staying put so I would ensure I have packets of yeast and flour in each week box too. Especially with the cost of grains on the rise. Do like this idea!

[ro2935]

Great idea, but as you are also thinking the boxes as grab and go I would add some tin foil, plastic food bags and garbage bags, plastic wrap, a basic first aid kit, a sewng kit consisting of a couple of reels of thread sewing needles and safety pins and a few spare buttons, some glue, TP and sanitary ware for all, such as toothpaste toothbrushes brush and hair comb soap shampoo tampons/sanitary towels & deodrant condoms. Facial masks and plastic/latex gloves.
If you put the kits into a plastic bag, each month you use a box set the kit aside ready for putting into the next box you make up [recycle].
Do you have pets? If so have you got extra food, blanket, bowls set aside for them.

[seamus1979]

sorry i didnt mention i keep tin foil and rubble sacks in the boxes.
i should have thought about toothpaste and such, thanks for the reminder.
i do keep hospital ppe in the boxes i.e. face masks and gloves
the idea behind the boxes is to compliment the family bobs
i keep stuff like sewing kits and the usual in those
i think im gonna have to get myself a bigger cooking system i think
perhaps a dutch oven set up
i can build myself a rocket stove with bricks and use normal pots and pans at home?
what would people recommend as a large family cooking system?