I am considering a scenario where the food supply is cut off for 6 months to a year due to some catastrophe. Specificallly the realignment of the earth on its axis. I know some people (or maybe many) may think this to be a ridiculous thing to anticipate. But I have my reasons.

I am looking at storing a food supply for 6 months to a year. I see there are some pre-made food supplies available like at yellowstonetrading.com but they can get quite pricey $1000+. I am also considering buying food in bulk like white rice. I am unsure how long those foods would last and how to store them etc. Feels like there is a whole expertise here.

Anyone here have a large stored supply of food? Any advice for someone trying to create one? (Stay away from pre-made ones etc.)

Also keeping a supply of water would seem a very good idea. I know it would be easy to lose electricity. I am wondering if running water is just as vulnerable? Can you just fill containers with tap water and expect it to stay good indefinately?

I will appreciate any responses.

MindsEye

Oh boy. This kind of scenario is what's called on this board TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) and it's supposedly off topic. However, yes, dry grains in sealed containers will keep pretty well, there are places that sell what you want, and water needs to be rotated every 6 months or preserved with chlorine, and/or purified at the time of use. Yes, if the earth's rotation stops, your running water will probably also stop. There will probably be some pretty amazing climate changes too. And one side of the earth will be in perpetual daylight whlie the other side will be perpetually dark. If you think you may end up on the dark side, you'll want lighting equipment too.

Do you mean the axis of rotation or the magnetic pole?

The axis of rotation changing suddenly is rather unlikely, since it violates the law of physics- specifically conservation of angular momentum. Don't worry about it.

The magnetic pole can certainly change, and scientists aren't exactly sure how quickly it happens. I think there was a Scientific American article recently that went over it, but I don't remember the timeframe they were talking about. I think the isogonic lines start going all higgledy piggledy first, so we'll have plenty of warning that it's going to happen.

You might want to check some websites from the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon).

About 15 years ago, one of my friends father was an elder in the LDS church and they had a years supply of food stored. I don't remember all the details on the why's and how's.

Maybe this can get you started. Google search - Mormon food storage

--Chris

Saunterer is absolutely correct. If you have any friends who are Mormons, they will have alot of experience in this area from alot of folks doing it for quite awhile now. That's your best bet.

Greg
(not a Mormon, but I have known a few)

Try beprepared.com if I got it right Emergency Essentials
in Orem they have info on this area

Lee

Agreed. But I can think of a few situations where "a years supply of food" would still be a good thing to have.

First, every additional person you add shortens that year. So 1 year for one is (roughly) 6 months for 2. Add a few neighbors and your inlaws who were visiting when the Event occured, and now it's suddenly not so excessive.

Second, it doesn't take total collapse to make that year's supply pay off. If our food or water supplies are attacked, I'd fall back to my stored supplies and wait the Bad Guys out. A "Washington Sniper" scenario, but with food instead of bullets. Remember the Tylenol poisonings? You don't have to render all food and water unfit for consumption... you just have make people scared to eat and drink it.

Of course, I don't have anywhere near that much, and probably won't. But after thinking about it for a few minutes, I don't think it's all that unreasonable.

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Yes, if the earth's rotation stops, your running water will probably also stop.
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If the earth's rotation stops I believe we lose gravity, in which case that food store won't help much. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Actually, gravity is determined by the mass of the Earth, not its rotation. So we're safe there. But there would indeed be some pretty dramatic climate changes! But short of some collision with a huge interplanetary body, the earth's rotation is going to continue uninterrupted for quite a long time. Don't worry about it.
On the other hand, a shift from a north magnetic pole to a south magnetic pole is considered likely to occur sometime in the next 10,000 years. Important to plan for long-term as a species but not worth worrying about for us as individuals.
Regards, Vince

I read somewhere( an I will be damned if I can remember where) that the major ice ages correspond with the magnetic shift. I do believe that the last ice age was... 15,000 years ago? Does that mean we are over due for a shift?

Stored foods are good, as are seed goods. Lay in some non-hybrid grains, veggies and such and rotate them out every year. Basicly, get seeds for this year, use half of them, collect seeds from what you grow and lay it in for next year. Plant half of that next year, possibly with some new seed stock mixed in, and repeat. With good storage, things like alfalfa, mung beans and other 'sprouters' can last for 10 years. Grains are about 7 years. Fruit seeds, like apples and such are variable, and remember that you can grow a tree from a seed, but with todays graftings, it willnot be the same.

There are some fish that can be 'stored' in egg form for up to 3 years in a dehydtated form. Based on Desert dwellers, these are hybrids that could get you protien in a hurry(as far as animal growth goes). Only tackle that one if you are ready to invest in the tanks or pond.

Water is always a problem. If you are already in an arid area, store lots. If you can, build a cistern that can catch rain water and remember to clean/treat/boil anything you are unsure of.

My 2cents, so far.

Rena