Food:(One of my favorite topics) - Basically, we store what we eat and eat what we store. I tend to purchase staples(rolled oats, flour, etc) in the large packages favored by big box stores. I am not compulsive enough to keep a detailed inventory, but I am confident we could do three - four weeks living off of what is in stock on a normal basis

I do lay in a supply of canned foods of various varieties, especially meat stews and veggies. Those tend to keep quite well if stored out of sunlight and at reasonable temps. I do keep a quantity of freeze dried meals on hand for backpacking trips and the like, where weight is critical.

I know many people rely of FD for emergency use, but I wonder where will they get the necessary water to rehydrate their goodies? FD stuff, light weight and delicious as it is, is most useful in locations where water is plentiful. If you have to pack rehydration water, you haven't gained a thing. Hence, my reliance on canned goods (water is included and the price is right!). Many grocery store products (dried potatoes, dried milk, mac and cheese, etc) are quite suitable for light weight situations and are reasonably priced, as well. i have a lot of that stuff as well.

I also keep on hand a plentiful supply of wrapper foods - candy bar size snacks with better nutrition than the usual candy bar. These are great when you are moving fast and don't want to stop and prepare a meal. Just shuck the wrapper and chow down...

The best of these is something called a Tanka Bar, produced on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It is a bar comprised of buffalo meat and fruit (cranberries, I think). It is tasty, nutritious (70 grams of protein), but rather expensive. It keeps forever. I have eaten bars nine years past their "sell by" date and they were fine. Made in America, from native American animals, by Native Americans!! There are a lot of "tear open and eat" products like this on the market, but I haven't found anything else that is really any better than the fig newton bars available in any grocery store.

I don't worry too much about 'sell by" dates. I believe the producers only guarantee full flavor and taste; edibility will extend far into the future. Aging Clif bars, for example, are a bit dry, but still as tasty (?) as ever....

This season Mrs. Hikermor and I have begun growing more of our food in small plots around our house and that is turning out very well. We added tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and sunflowers to our existing orange and avocado trees and our black berry bush. While hardly something you could count on in many disasters, I feel we can grow more of our own food and experience superior nutrition real cheap. I am a huge fan of our home grown broccoli, something I never would have predicted....