How Long Before You Go Hungry?

[Nyboy]

Every time there is a snow storm, the supermarkets are mobbed. bread and milk are sold out.If you where trapped in your house how long before you ran out of food? I could most likely go a week, then things would get scarey.

 

[canesisters]

I could easily go a week before I had to start getting "creative". As long as the chickens kept laying, I'd have scrambled eggs.... And - I suppose, as some point - a baked chicken.
I'm more worried about losing power though. No power = no water, no heat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've got a generator that will handle the freezer and refrigerator by themselves or the water heater by itself plus enough fuel for days. I have a propane tank and a line running where I can hook up the grill. I've cooked a lot on an open fire when camping. With what is in my freezer and pantry I could go months, even ignoring fresh eggs. Bread might get tight but I won't go hungry. The biggest problem would be when the gas runs out for he generator.

 

[AMKuska]

Forever?

I've actually thought of this lately. By the time we ran out of food at our house our first crops would be coming in, and of course if I'd gone THAT long without being able to get food you can bet I'd be plowing up the front yard to make good and sure I had plenty of food for next year. Since I live in WA water is easy to come by, the only thing that would suck is if we lost power.

 

[digitS']

The freezers are in the garage. It would depend on the time of year for how long before we're in trouble with them.

Month(s) for the food in the house. Lots of rice, pasta, quite a bit of flour. A shelf full of canned goods but it is the rice and pasta we would be relying on.

We are eating those, at least, once a day. Is there any reason NOT to buy them in bulk?

Steve

 

[digitS']

DD had some choy sum from the greenhouse with us for lunch, yesterday. I said, "You know what this means don't you?"

"What?"

"We will never have to buy food again. Yeah. Going totally off the grid."

Steve

 

[Lavender2]

No supermarketing mobbing here for snowstorms, just another day... might just take longer to get there, or put it off for a day, or go by snowmobile. No really, it's not a panic situation around here for most people.

With power, we could easily go at least a couple of months -with home canned foods and DH's habit of 'stocking up' on everything. Without power, we have wood heat for a while, but without water it would not be pleasant for long. Most winters here we could store the freezer foods in coolers outside for about 3 months.

 

[Smart Red]

At first I thought NYBoy was asking me directly. It's been over two weeks since I've gotten to the grocery store. Milk and bread are gone, but I have powdered milk as a back-up and would make bread today if I don't get to town -- DH is shoveling 4-5 inches of heavy stuff from yesterday, and I heard the plow go by.

I suspect it would be a bit over a month before I lost my ability to be creative and started cooking for content alone. That would give me another month. Power going out and not being able to get to town would probably bring it down to a couple weeks. If needed, I could wrap up the cold foods and drown them in the neighbor's pond for a longer time.

I fear the fins, furs, and feathers will be out of food before I am. I'd have to send DH out hunting.

 

[Just-Moxie]

I have lived out of my freezer before. Not going to the store for any items. It just all depends on how much food you have put up...how many you have to feed, and what their daily calorie requirements would be. Water is another issue. What is it? 1 gallon of water per day, per person?

 

[seedcorn]

In WW3 type, we'd go for a while. Otherwise, couple weeks on milk/eggs. We have enough canned goods for LONG time-too long! Otherwise hunt/fish. Could always make chicken soup from lazy chickens. Then there is always wife's dog.... I'm told dog makes a lovely meal. Kidding, just kidding, he's getting too fat to eat.