Survival

Foraging is often touted as a great way to connect with the world, to return to a way of life that sustained humans for countless millennia until the advent of agriculture. And there’s no doubt it can be that. But in a time when uncertainty has crept back into the human equation and we now understand how perilous this whole thing called civilization is, knowing how to forage has taken on new importance.

Foraging can be an extremely useful skill to have in your toolbox if the SHTF for a number of reasons, but primarily because you may not be at home with easy access to your extensive emergency food stockpile when said S*** hits said Fan. In fact your home and your stockpile may be washed away or otherwise obliterated, leaving you in a very tough situation.

But, aside from the fact it could save your life, foraging is a process fraught with potential pitfalls. That’s because if you’re not careful you could wind up eating something you shouldn’t and, well… game, set, match. Below we’re going to provide a list of edible plants you can look for that might tide you over in case of emergency. But before we do that we’re going to go over some foraging basics to help ensure your search for wild edibles has a happy ending. (more…)

Freeze drying of food as we know it has been around for more than a century. The process, also known as lyophilisation, involves freezing an item of food, lowering the pressure inside the freezing chamber, and then removing the resulting ice through the process of sublimation (1).

The taste and quality of the reconstituted item is typically better than that of dehydrated food, due to the freezing process. Some freeze dried foods can last more than 20 years and, if stored properly, retain most of their nutrients during that time.

If events of the past couple of years have convinced you of the practical need to stockpile food freeze drying is one of the best ways to do so. (more…)