coloradohermit
Veteran Member
Hope all's well with you and yours Kathy. Missing the ongoing saga, but waiting patiently.
Food Bug Out Thirty Day Menu/Scenario
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
Hermantribe
Veteran Member
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
That is a good thought. It is also a reminder that mice cannot chew thru glass and RV's are not impervious to mice.
That recipe looks delicious, but holy COW, is it gonna be expensive! Cashews and almonds and real maple syrup! Real luxury stuff there! And the amounts of the nuts in there?! Wow...
Since we have our own syrup and I have a bunch of almonds I vacuum packed a few years back, I think I'll try it, but I'm going to reduce the amounts of the nuts to make it a little more practical economically.
Summerthyme
Since we have our own syrup and I have a bunch of almonds I vacuum packed a few years back, I think I'll try it, but I'm going to reduce the amounts of the nuts to make it a little more practical economically.
Summerthyme
Hermantribe
Veteran Member
The nuts and coconut costs about $5 total in the bulk section at Winco. My evil plan is to get the kids used to this, and start making other varieties with less sugar. Next up is blueberry coconut granola bars and pumpkin granola with cranberries and pumpkin seeds in it. I also sneak in some ground flax seed. What they don't know won't hurt them :-) I also just made my own pumpkin pie spice from the bulk section. 1 part each cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves and allspice and 2 parts nutmeg. Total cost about $2 for a small jar that costs $5.41 in the spice aisle.
Thanks for keeping the thread going. Been running back and forth to BOL, home, and my parents trying to get too much done in too little time. My parents' internet connection is little better than dial up. Ugh. Our connection at the BOL is better but lately problematical as the only service in the area seems to be experiencing "growing pains". That's meant only limited internet access, mostly from my phone or tablet. Anyway, here is the next part. Might be able to get another one up tonight depending on connectivity.
------------------------------------------
Part 16
The Cook wasn’t hauling water but she wasn’t just going to sit around doing nothing either while waiting for the others to return. It isn’t that she was afraid of being alone, it is how being alone in the circumstances she currently found herself feels. The worry of whether their supplies would run out is very real to her. The thought of not being able to feed her family is one of her worst nightmares. Try telling two teenage boys the cupboards are bare.
No. She couldn’t give into that kind of downward spiral because where it would take her was into a land of uselessness. She decided to look around their camp area and see if she could put into use some of the skills she’d been acquiring while taking foraging classes and reading books on the subject.
It turned into an exercise in frustration. The only thing she could say with absolute certainty that she recognized was plaintain. The problem was it was growing where they’d had The Bucket and was now useless because of how the bucket had gotten dumped over in that location. She could have gone further into the woods but she had promised the Captain that she’d stay in their area. She’d known that - after practicing in her yard and a couple of local parks - foraging wasn’t nearly as easy as some people made it out to be but it was still disappointing.
She was scraping mud off of her shoes when she heard an engine and was startled to see a heavy duty pick up truck full of wood pull into the section. A ranger stepped out of the cab and grabbed a clipboard while a couple more jumped down from the bed. The one with the clipboard asked where everyone was.
Keeping her distance the Cook answered, “Getting water.”
The ranger scribbled something on the clipboard and then nodded to the two other men with him. The ranger explained, “Tomorrow another front is going to move through bringing with it some rain and right behind that there is going to be a cold snap. Night time temps may dip into the upper 30s at this elevation. This is a week’s supply of wood and all there is available. Conserve it and try and not get wet. Another truck is right behind us; they’re distributing food boxes.”
And after throwing five logs and two strapped together bundles of split wood at each vehicle the rangers pulled out. The cook had no sooner moved the bundles of split wood behind the vehicle that the predicted second truck pulled in. This one had two things the other truck didn’t … an enclosed bed and several armed rangers riding shotgun.
The Cook stood stock still waiting to see what they wanted. A ranger approached her, looked at an electronic tablet, and the asked, “The others are collecting water?”
“Uh … yes.” She didn’t bother asking how he knew that when he used a stylus to check something off on the tablet and she realized they must be keeping tabs on everyone.
She heard the other men say, “One adult male.” Then a box was tossed at the pile of wood by Rambo’s truck. “One adult male. One adult female.” Two boxes were tossed at the pile of wood of the other couple’s car.
The ranger in front of her with the tablet kept making notes then turned to her. “One adult male, one adult female, two adolescent males. Correct?”
The Cook nodded and said, “Yes Sir.”
The men in the truck set the boxes down for her rather than tossing them at her which she was grateful for as she wasn’t sure she could have kept a look of irritation off of her face. The ranger then said, “I’ll tell you the same thing as the others are being told down at the water station. This is it for at least a week so you’ll need to make it last. If during that time you opt to try and get space in temporary housing you’ll need to turn over the remainder. You already heard about the weather forecast?” The Cook nodded. “Good. None of you noted that you had special dietary needs.”
“No, there’s none for us.”
“Good, records are correct then. Makes it easier on everyone. Now the only difference between the boxes for you and the ones for the kids is the adult boxes have instant coffee packets in them and the kids’ have hot chocolate. You also get this box of milk.”
“Powdered or shelf stable?”
The ranger blinked like he hadn’t expected the question then answered, “Shelf stable. Now a word of warning. We’ve already heard that people are starting to barter their wood and meals. Don’t. It is counterproductive and against the rules. Get caught doing it and you lose the remainder of your supplies and you are cut from the resupply list. Understand? Until the next distribution day there is no more. Also, keep all belongings secured at all times. We’ve gotten several reports of items going missing at night – or even in broad daylight. We don’t have the time or manpower to play detective.”
“When is the next …”
The ranger interrupted her to answer, “Not to be rude but … when you see us you see us and until then …” He shrugged but added, “My suggestion is to do what you can to conserve everything you have. There are plans to move people around but I can’t tell you when or even if it will actually happen. And just so you know, they aren’t kidding about unaccompanied minors getting detained; we’ve already got an entire fenced off area of them now and most of them aren’t teenagers, and those are just the ones that haven’t already been shipped out.”
Before the Cook could even begin to form a question about that particular bit of news the ranger had climbed into the truck and all of them had left. She quickly started to move the boxes into the vehicle when she stopped and groaned. Their weight told her what they were. Prepared meals that were basically the same thing as an MRE. There were sixteen per case. At three meals per day that was not going to last a week for most people, it would if they only ate two meals per day. The Cook wondered how many people would think about that or if they’d simply assume there was more where that came from.
As far as the Cook was concerned this stuff was going to go at the end of the line for their rations. Except for the milk which would be easier to drink or use than the powdered stuff that she had in her food locker. It would also save water. When she opened the case she had another thought. They really weren’t as bad as she thought they were going to be.
They weren’t great and some of the main entrée choices really needed to be heated to be palatable but overall they really weren’t as terrible as she thought they were going to be. She still decided to save what she could out of them for later so long as she could still get by with what they already had stored. The boys might actually be ok for a bit eating what amounted to lunch junk but the Captain would need more, especially if it was going to get cold.
With that in mind she decided to quickly boil some water to rehydrate a lunch of Cherry Chicken Couscous. She thought for a moment of using the nifty little can stove that Backseat passenger #1 had made but didn’t want to run the risk of something going wrong while she was by herself. Instead she pulled out a fuel tab boiled the required amount of water and then poured it into all of the other ingredients and set it to “cook” in her seat in the vehicle.
Day 6
L: Cherry Chicken Couscous (http://www.trailcooking.com/fbc/cherry-chicken-couscous/ )
------------------------------------------
Part 16
The Cook wasn’t hauling water but she wasn’t just going to sit around doing nothing either while waiting for the others to return. It isn’t that she was afraid of being alone, it is how being alone in the circumstances she currently found herself feels. The worry of whether their supplies would run out is very real to her. The thought of not being able to feed her family is one of her worst nightmares. Try telling two teenage boys the cupboards are bare.
No. She couldn’t give into that kind of downward spiral because where it would take her was into a land of uselessness. She decided to look around their camp area and see if she could put into use some of the skills she’d been acquiring while taking foraging classes and reading books on the subject.
It turned into an exercise in frustration. The only thing she could say with absolute certainty that she recognized was plaintain. The problem was it was growing where they’d had The Bucket and was now useless because of how the bucket had gotten dumped over in that location. She could have gone further into the woods but she had promised the Captain that she’d stay in their area. She’d known that - after practicing in her yard and a couple of local parks - foraging wasn’t nearly as easy as some people made it out to be but it was still disappointing.
She was scraping mud off of her shoes when she heard an engine and was startled to see a heavy duty pick up truck full of wood pull into the section. A ranger stepped out of the cab and grabbed a clipboard while a couple more jumped down from the bed. The one with the clipboard asked where everyone was.
Keeping her distance the Cook answered, “Getting water.”
The ranger scribbled something on the clipboard and then nodded to the two other men with him. The ranger explained, “Tomorrow another front is going to move through bringing with it some rain and right behind that there is going to be a cold snap. Night time temps may dip into the upper 30s at this elevation. This is a week’s supply of wood and all there is available. Conserve it and try and not get wet. Another truck is right behind us; they’re distributing food boxes.”
And after throwing five logs and two strapped together bundles of split wood at each vehicle the rangers pulled out. The cook had no sooner moved the bundles of split wood behind the vehicle that the predicted second truck pulled in. This one had two things the other truck didn’t … an enclosed bed and several armed rangers riding shotgun.
The Cook stood stock still waiting to see what they wanted. A ranger approached her, looked at an electronic tablet, and the asked, “The others are collecting water?”
“Uh … yes.” She didn’t bother asking how he knew that when he used a stylus to check something off on the tablet and she realized they must be keeping tabs on everyone.
She heard the other men say, “One adult male.” Then a box was tossed at the pile of wood by Rambo’s truck. “One adult male. One adult female.” Two boxes were tossed at the pile of wood of the other couple’s car.
The ranger in front of her with the tablet kept making notes then turned to her. “One adult male, one adult female, two adolescent males. Correct?”
The Cook nodded and said, “Yes Sir.”
The men in the truck set the boxes down for her rather than tossing them at her which she was grateful for as she wasn’t sure she could have kept a look of irritation off of her face. The ranger then said, “I’ll tell you the same thing as the others are being told down at the water station. This is it for at least a week so you’ll need to make it last. If during that time you opt to try and get space in temporary housing you’ll need to turn over the remainder. You already heard about the weather forecast?” The Cook nodded. “Good. None of you noted that you had special dietary needs.”
“No, there’s none for us.”
“Good, records are correct then. Makes it easier on everyone. Now the only difference between the boxes for you and the ones for the kids is the adult boxes have instant coffee packets in them and the kids’ have hot chocolate. You also get this box of milk.”
“Powdered or shelf stable?”
The ranger blinked like he hadn’t expected the question then answered, “Shelf stable. Now a word of warning. We’ve already heard that people are starting to barter their wood and meals. Don’t. It is counterproductive and against the rules. Get caught doing it and you lose the remainder of your supplies and you are cut from the resupply list. Understand? Until the next distribution day there is no more. Also, keep all belongings secured at all times. We’ve gotten several reports of items going missing at night – or even in broad daylight. We don’t have the time or manpower to play detective.”
“When is the next …”
The ranger interrupted her to answer, “Not to be rude but … when you see us you see us and until then …” He shrugged but added, “My suggestion is to do what you can to conserve everything you have. There are plans to move people around but I can’t tell you when or even if it will actually happen. And just so you know, they aren’t kidding about unaccompanied minors getting detained; we’ve already got an entire fenced off area of them now and most of them aren’t teenagers, and those are just the ones that haven’t already been shipped out.”
Before the Cook could even begin to form a question about that particular bit of news the ranger had climbed into the truck and all of them had left. She quickly started to move the boxes into the vehicle when she stopped and groaned. Their weight told her what they were. Prepared meals that were basically the same thing as an MRE. There were sixteen per case. At three meals per day that was not going to last a week for most people, it would if they only ate two meals per day. The Cook wondered how many people would think about that or if they’d simply assume there was more where that came from.
As far as the Cook was concerned this stuff was going to go at the end of the line for their rations. Except for the milk which would be easier to drink or use than the powdered stuff that she had in her food locker. It would also save water. When she opened the case she had another thought. They really weren’t as bad as she thought they were going to be.
They weren’t great and some of the main entrée choices really needed to be heated to be palatable but overall they really weren’t as terrible as she thought they were going to be. She still decided to save what she could out of them for later so long as she could still get by with what they already had stored. The boys might actually be ok for a bit eating what amounted to lunch junk but the Captain would need more, especially if it was going to get cold.
With that in mind she decided to quickly boil some water to rehydrate a lunch of Cherry Chicken Couscous. She thought for a moment of using the nifty little can stove that Backseat passenger #1 had made but didn’t want to run the risk of something going wrong while she was by herself. Instead she pulled out a fuel tab boiled the required amount of water and then poured it into all of the other ingredients and set it to “cook” in her seat in the vehicle.
Day 6
L: Cherry Chicken Couscous (http://www.trailcooking.com/fbc/cherry-chicken-couscous/ )
Yeah, but that's FIVE BUCKS for "six servings"... and I seriously question whether or not they're "real" servings. I know, I'm cheap (actually, just broke, and very used to growing/producing almost everything we eat). Add in the maple syrup, oats and other stuff, and you're at a buck a serving. Yes, it's not terrible for "fast food", but for us, that's expensive (especially since I suspect hubby could eat a quart jar by himself in about 2 days or less!)
Sorry, Kathy, for the thread drift... back to your wonderful story!
Summerthyme
Hermantribe
Veteran Member
The kids haven't realised they can eat like cereal-- it goes on top of yogurt or they grab a handful. I do try to stretch it out a bit, but they are teenagers and need dense nutrition on the run
and yes, Kathy, back to your story
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
I like granola too and also face the demands of a tight budget. I try to buy things on sale and go longer on the cheaper stuff. Raisins and peanuts: sugar and protein.
Hey, I like thread drift and it is actually pretty important in this case. Some of that "bug out" food can be expensive when you have a large family or even a "normal" sized one if you are on a really tight budget. That's one of the reasons that I've always made our own camp food from scratch items when I could ... or our own instant type meals by prepackaging things at home.
Part 17
Rambo and the Odd Couple entered back into camp at a faster trot than when they’d left and made a beeline for the boxes and wood they spotted at their respective vehicles. The Captain and Backseat passengers followed at a more reasonable speed but nevertheless was looking eagerly for what the Cook found out was the main topic of conversation at the water station.
Rambo sauntered over and said, “Guess they only left what they told us.”
The Cook nearly snorted he was so obvious. “I really don’t know but we got one box per person. I’ve been too busy trying to clean up where they basically just threw everything at me and pulled out. Couldn’t even be bothered to use manners. Honestly. It wouldn’t have taken that much more …”
Rambo hurried away and Cook had to turn her back to prevent everyone seeing her fighting a grin. If they thought she was a whiner so be it, kept the “company” to a minimum which under the circumstances didn’t hurt her feelings at all. Instead she told her family quietly, “Go ahead and get in so we can eat. Boys you are going to be squished until I can rearrange things but we were going to have to do that anyway. The rangers mentioned another front is coming through and it is going to bring more wet and some cold this time.”
As soon as they opened the vehicle door she heard three stomachs growl. “Wow, must be some good food in those FEMA things,” Backseat passenger #1 said.
“Hardly,” the Cook groused. “I put better stuff in your school lunches. This is something I threw together from our supplies.”
The Captain, seeing the look on her face asked, “MREs?”
“Not that bad although some might think so. This stuff is … well it isn’t horrible I guess but I can’t see grown people living on it for days on end.” Everyone examined a couple of the meals she pulled out and agreed while it wasn’t something that would make them sick, it wasn’t exactly what they were used to eating either.
The Cook added, “The extra liquids are welcome … the sports drinks and the milk for the boys … but honestly I’m not too sure the rest of that will exactly hold people over. The calorie count is fine but the amount isn’t going to really feed a grown man, especially at only two meals a day. And if it gets as cold as they are predicting …”
The Captain nodded. “Yeah. What is it you wanted to rearrange? We might as well get it done before it gets dark.”
“Let’s empty these meals into the cooler then we can break the cases that they came in down and use it as kindling if we need it. After that … hmmm … I want to pack away the sorta cleanish clothes.”
“Sorta cleanish?” the Captain asked with a smile.
“Yeah smart aleck. They’ve been rinsed out – and finally are dry enough to bring inside – but they aren’t what I would call really clean. It will give you guys something to change into anyway.”
“Ok General.”
“Uh huh, you really do like pushing your luck dontcha big fella.”
The Backseat Passengers laughed at their parents’ goofiness. It wasn’t that it was all that funny, it was just a contrast to how so many other adults were acting that it made them feel more relaxed. That’s when the Captain spotted something. “Oh ho, so that’s his game for the day.”
The Cook saw immediately what was up. Rambo was sharing what looked like a pot out of a mess kit but it was over a fire made from the Odd Couple’s wood. “Let’s see how that plays out. Either way, not our monkeys or circus.”
“Can we have one of these for supper?” Backseat passenger asked still investigating the different meal options.
“You can have a piece of one … like the squeeze fruit or a package of cheese-itz.”
“A Slim Jim?” he nearly begged.
“Sure. You want one too Bud?” she asked the older brother.
“Maybe,” he answered as he started scrabbling through the meals.
“You want something?” she asked the Captain.
“Nah. Save it for the boys. Might have a G2 later if you think we can spare it.”
The Cook shrugged. “There’s not as much food there as it looks. Two meals a day per person for a week. I suspect people are going to finish them off before more comes around. But to piece out what we have they’ll be more than enough. I don’t want to waste anything though.”
The Captain suggested the boys go sit under the tarp for a bit and eat their snack. “Just stay close.”
When they were out of the vehicle the Captain asked, “How are we on supplies?”
The Cook had been expecting this given how he’d been worrying at things. “You know we packed what we were planning on leaving at the BOL.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know I just want you to … to calm down. We have what we have. Which is,” she said before he could ask again. “Plenty for a couple of weeks if we piece things out and use some smarts. But again, that depends on water. One of the reasons why I want to save some of these other meals, even though they seem a little junky, is in case we have to move before we have the water situation figured out.”
The Captain looked thoughtful. “I guess the bigger question is how long are we going to be stuck here.”
“Did you hear any news?”
“Some. But it sounded … filtered. There’s still no good explanation on why such a wide area had to be evacuated. Still haven’t gotten anything solid on our house or BOL. I did start something however.”
“What?”
The Captain pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket. “The water station is near a trail head. There’s a wooden sign there that has a map of the area on it. It shows a couple of roads that are supposed to go up and over but they require four-wheel drive.”
“We’ve got it. Do you think … ?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to risk it if there’s going to be heavy rain. I heard from people staying at camp sections further up the logging road that things are still pretty wet up there. A couple of people are stuck, or so they say. They wanted to try temporary housing but can’t because their vehicle can’t be moved.”
The Cook nodded her understanding. “It hasn’t been quite a week. A few more days won’t hurt. Are many people leaving?”
“Nope. I’ve heard they’ve brought a few more people in off the road. So far this is a Hotel California.”
“Should we say anything to the boys?”
“Older one is already picking up on it. I’ll sound him out and see what he’s thinking. Let the younger one go for a bit. He gets too wound up. Speaking of, we better get out there with them before they start itching to explore.”
“Are they still on that?”
“Eh, yes and no. I might take them for a hike up the logging road tomorrow depending on the weather. See what we can see.”
“Not far though right?”
“Probably not.”
The Cook knew it would help … either bring in more information or at least get the wiggles out of the backseat passengers … but she still wasn’t completely comfortable with it. Instead she turned her mind to supper. She’d already nixed the FEMA junk so she needed to come up with something better.
Rambo and the Odd Couple entered back into camp at a faster trot than when they’d left and made a beeline for the boxes and wood they spotted at their respective vehicles. The Captain and Backseat passengers followed at a more reasonable speed but nevertheless was looking eagerly for what the Cook found out was the main topic of conversation at the water station.
Rambo sauntered over and said, “Guess they only left what they told us.”
The Cook nearly snorted he was so obvious. “I really don’t know but we got one box per person. I’ve been too busy trying to clean up where they basically just threw everything at me and pulled out. Couldn’t even be bothered to use manners. Honestly. It wouldn’t have taken that much more …”
Rambo hurried away and Cook had to turn her back to prevent everyone seeing her fighting a grin. If they thought she was a whiner so be it, kept the “company” to a minimum which under the circumstances didn’t hurt her feelings at all. Instead she told her family quietly, “Go ahead and get in so we can eat. Boys you are going to be squished until I can rearrange things but we were going to have to do that anyway. The rangers mentioned another front is coming through and it is going to bring more wet and some cold this time.”
As soon as they opened the vehicle door she heard three stomachs growl. “Wow, must be some good food in those FEMA things,” Backseat passenger #1 said.
“Hardly,” the Cook groused. “I put better stuff in your school lunches. This is something I threw together from our supplies.”
The Captain, seeing the look on her face asked, “MREs?”
“Not that bad although some might think so. This stuff is … well it isn’t horrible I guess but I can’t see grown people living on it for days on end.” Everyone examined a couple of the meals she pulled out and agreed while it wasn’t something that would make them sick, it wasn’t exactly what they were used to eating either.
The Cook added, “The extra liquids are welcome … the sports drinks and the milk for the boys … but honestly I’m not too sure the rest of that will exactly hold people over. The calorie count is fine but the amount isn’t going to really feed a grown man, especially at only two meals a day. And if it gets as cold as they are predicting …”
The Captain nodded. “Yeah. What is it you wanted to rearrange? We might as well get it done before it gets dark.”
“Let’s empty these meals into the cooler then we can break the cases that they came in down and use it as kindling if we need it. After that … hmmm … I want to pack away the sorta cleanish clothes.”
“Sorta cleanish?” the Captain asked with a smile.
“Yeah smart aleck. They’ve been rinsed out – and finally are dry enough to bring inside – but they aren’t what I would call really clean. It will give you guys something to change into anyway.”
“Ok General.”
“Uh huh, you really do like pushing your luck dontcha big fella.”
The Backseat Passengers laughed at their parents’ goofiness. It wasn’t that it was all that funny, it was just a contrast to how so many other adults were acting that it made them feel more relaxed. That’s when the Captain spotted something. “Oh ho, so that’s his game for the day.”
The Cook saw immediately what was up. Rambo was sharing what looked like a pot out of a mess kit but it was over a fire made from the Odd Couple’s wood. “Let’s see how that plays out. Either way, not our monkeys or circus.”
“Can we have one of these for supper?” Backseat passenger asked still investigating the different meal options.
“You can have a piece of one … like the squeeze fruit or a package of cheese-itz.”
“A Slim Jim?” he nearly begged.
“Sure. You want one too Bud?” she asked the older brother.
“Maybe,” he answered as he started scrabbling through the meals.
“You want something?” she asked the Captain.
“Nah. Save it for the boys. Might have a G2 later if you think we can spare it.”
The Cook shrugged. “There’s not as much food there as it looks. Two meals a day per person for a week. I suspect people are going to finish them off before more comes around. But to piece out what we have they’ll be more than enough. I don’t want to waste anything though.”
The Captain suggested the boys go sit under the tarp for a bit and eat their snack. “Just stay close.”
When they were out of the vehicle the Captain asked, “How are we on supplies?”
The Cook had been expecting this given how he’d been worrying at things. “You know we packed what we were planning on leaving at the BOL.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know I just want you to … to calm down. We have what we have. Which is,” she said before he could ask again. “Plenty for a couple of weeks if we piece things out and use some smarts. But again, that depends on water. One of the reasons why I want to save some of these other meals, even though they seem a little junky, is in case we have to move before we have the water situation figured out.”
The Captain looked thoughtful. “I guess the bigger question is how long are we going to be stuck here.”
“Did you hear any news?”
“Some. But it sounded … filtered. There’s still no good explanation on why such a wide area had to be evacuated. Still haven’t gotten anything solid on our house or BOL. I did start something however.”
“What?”
The Captain pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket. “The water station is near a trail head. There’s a wooden sign there that has a map of the area on it. It shows a couple of roads that are supposed to go up and over but they require four-wheel drive.”
“We’ve got it. Do you think … ?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to risk it if there’s going to be heavy rain. I heard from people staying at camp sections further up the logging road that things are still pretty wet up there. A couple of people are stuck, or so they say. They wanted to try temporary housing but can’t because their vehicle can’t be moved.”
The Cook nodded her understanding. “It hasn’t been quite a week. A few more days won’t hurt. Are many people leaving?”
“Nope. I’ve heard they’ve brought a few more people in off the road. So far this is a Hotel California.”
“Should we say anything to the boys?”
“Older one is already picking up on it. I’ll sound him out and see what he’s thinking. Let the younger one go for a bit. He gets too wound up. Speaking of, we better get out there with them before they start itching to explore.”
“Are they still on that?”
“Eh, yes and no. I might take them for a hike up the logging road tomorrow depending on the weather. See what we can see.”
“Not far though right?”
“Probably not.”
The Cook knew it would help … either bring in more information or at least get the wiggles out of the backseat passengers … but she still wasn’t completely comfortable with it. Instead she turned her mind to supper. She’d already nixed the FEMA junk so she needed to come up with something better.
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
I am liking this story Kathy. Right now I am putting together grab n' go tubs for fall camping. Usually I figure out a few meals, just toss in what we will need for them, add a few staples and a stop at a grocery store fills in the rest. This time I'm trying to be a little more preemptive. The prepacked, premeasured meals look like a great idea.
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I have read about many here on TB2K having a bug-out location many miles from their home. So they did some thinking and thought of the problem of getting there in one piece in a timely manner.
My self, we will stay put and defend the fort, but being someone that likes the outdoors and became something of a woodsmen at an early age, I enjoy camping and well seasoned on ruffing it.
We have all the equipment to back pack our way into the forest for an extended stay and trust me, when it comes to my wife and son its going to be hard on them more so than me as I under stand what I'm getting into and they only have a moderate clue.
There is the concept of travel lite and part of this is cutting the weight of the items you are going to bring along and mind you this idea can be applied to car and truck travel to your benefit.
But one has to weight the options of whats available on the market and make sense of where it counts the most to go with an item thats a little on the heaver and or bulkier side and not go broke acquiring it.
Many will knock the surplus military MSS or "modular sleep system" and it can be bought with only the part's best suited to your region, but making sure to get the bivy bag to go with it! The Bivy bag it a water & wind proof tent in it self (I have a small number of complete MSS bags on hand). Note the MSS is not the lightest weight and on the bulky side, but very flexible, durable and great value for the money spent.
Now for added shelter you can go with a lite weight tarp like the Kelty(brand name) Noah's Tarp and Kelty makes these tarps in three sizes! 9'X9' and 12'X12' and a 16'X16' foot and all are water proof, all are also made to be very flexible with the number of ways it can be setup, the big 16'X16' weighs somewhere around 2 1/2 pounds. Your not going to find a two man tent as light or nowhere near as compact as these tarps.
There is much in military surplus thats available like boots, jackets, rain gear, sleeping bags and much more, you just have to use the search engine and sometimes if you know what it is you looking for or see an item you like! Exsample: military mittens. or you see some Air Force Flier Mittens, then reenter the words "Air Force Flier Mitten's" in the search engine and shop around for best price. Sometimes there is a number for these surplus items like the Flier Mitten's for Exsample is "Military N-4B Mitten's" and that may give you even more places that have that item in stock.
My self, we will stay put and defend the fort, but being someone that likes the outdoors and became something of a woodsmen at an early age, I enjoy camping and well seasoned on ruffing it.
We have all the equipment to back pack our way into the forest for an extended stay and trust me, when it comes to my wife and son its going to be hard on them more so than me as I under stand what I'm getting into and they only have a moderate clue.
There is the concept of travel lite and part of this is cutting the weight of the items you are going to bring along and mind you this idea can be applied to car and truck travel to your benefit.
But one has to weight the options of whats available on the market and make sense of where it counts the most to go with an item thats a little on the heaver and or bulkier side and not go broke acquiring it.
Many will knock the surplus military MSS or "modular sleep system" and it can be bought with only the part's best suited to your region, but making sure to get the bivy bag to go with it! The Bivy bag it a water & wind proof tent in it self (I have a small number of complete MSS bags on hand). Note the MSS is not the lightest weight and on the bulky side, but very flexible, durable and great value for the money spent.
Now for added shelter you can go with a lite weight tarp like the Kelty(brand name) Noah's Tarp and Kelty makes these tarps in three sizes! 9'X9' and 12'X12' and a 16'X16' foot and all are water proof, all are also made to be very flexible with the number of ways it can be setup, the big 16'X16' weighs somewhere around 2 1/2 pounds. Your not going to find a two man tent as light or nowhere near as compact as these tarps.
There is much in military surplus thats available like boots, jackets, rain gear, sleeping bags and much more, you just have to use the search engine and sometimes if you know what it is you looking for or see an item you like! Exsample: military mittens. or you see some Air Force Flier Mittens, then reenter the words "Air Force Flier Mitten's" in the search engine and shop around for best price. Sometimes there is a number for these surplus items like the Flier Mitten's for Exsample is "Military N-4B Mitten's" and that may give you even more places that have that item in stock.
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
We did some fall camping before the rain hit. Dinner was simple: left over cooked chicken, Indian simmer sauce (commercial), rice and a can of peas, drained. Yum! It tasted great but it was easy to smell the cooking in the surrounding area.
OGM: We love tikka masala.........that sauce goes with anything and rice...........(perhaps not corned beef!)...........temps are diving here nw of Denver...tomorrow mid 60's and at night 40's.......the humidity is higher so it's CHILLY..........the high mtns. will get a dusting of snow...........
I'm eager for rest of Kathy's tale.................
I'm eager for rest of Kathy's tale.................
Hermantribe
Veteran Member
Kathy, come back!
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
Have you considered pack animals? I mean other than your immediate family?
Part of the problem for them would be having to lug everything on their backs, but all my backpacks are external freighter frame's and meant to haul loads comfortably.
The biggest problem for them is adjusting to a primitive life in the forest and getting by on what little you have with you and what nature provides! Can you say "culture shock".
spiralbinder
Agrarian Separatist
Bump in hopes of more entries 
I am traveling back and forth to my parents and a few other things. I am connecting with my phone and can't always get wifi for my computer. I will try and type something on my phone if I can't finish rewiring the phone lines. Something got into my parents' crawl space and did some damage. Hubby and I came up here to fix that and a few other things.
coloradohermit
Veteran Member
We're not being pushy or impatient. Just expressing enthusiasm for the story. Hope you get everything tended to for your folks. We'll sstill be here when you get back to us. :-)
spiralbinder
Agrarian Separatist
Bump again
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
I was thinking about your citronella candles to hide cooking odors and other potential options. Doe urine comes to mind. If you could stand the smell. It might also encourage others to stay away from your area. It may be harder to get because of the idea it may spread CWD in deer populations. A dead skunk might work for a few days. Putrid anything would probably do it to but may attract dogs and other scavengers. According to the Peterson's Guide parts of the skunk cabbage, proper processed, is supposed to be edible. The smell of that might cover some odors. Nosy people would be welcome to a share of the cabbage. 
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I haven't forgotten just had some family stuff happening. My aunt passed away and my mom isn't handling it well at all, it was her last sibling. Dad isn't handling mom falling apart well and we are pretty sure he is in the early stages of dementia or something very similar to it. They both came back from the funeral and now have what was diagnosed today as close to pneumonia as you get without actually having it ... and have to take breathing treatments every 6 hours and that stuff makes both of my parents jitter out of their skins. And around and around catch-22. My aunt was quite ill and COPD/emphysema but a congenital aneurism between her kidneys is what sent her to Heaven. She was 71, hated drama though she created her fair share of it, and I know she's in Heaven and finally relieved of all the pain and suffering she was experiencing. My mom knows it too but that was her big sister and last sibling on earth and she needs me right now, both my parents do. This Sandwich Generation crap really, really, really sucks because no matter how willing or how hard you try there is just no way to do and be everything that you need to do and be.
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
Kathy you are there for them when they needed you. A nurse told me so many seniors have no one, at least no one who cares enough to be help when needed. Caring for a sick/infirm elderly relative is no easy task.
Kathy I was there. Just remember everything doesn't have to be perfect. You can only do what you can do. The best you can do is good enough. They love you. You love them. Somewhere, somehow you have to find the time to take care of yourself as well. You have some prayers headed your way.
Kathy I was there. Just remember everything doesn't have to be perfect. You can only do what you can do. The best you can do is good enough. They love you. You love them. Somewhere, somehow you have to find the time to take care of yourself as well. You have some prayers headed your way.
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
Bumped to the top.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
I hadn't seen this before -- VERY good writing, Kathy!
I do have a few comments on the story, and on a comment or two that's been made.
1. Rather than shoving all the FEMA meals to the back of the line, it would be better, health-wise, to judiciously mix them in with the food they brought with them. That way you only have a sub-standard meal (or part of a meal) maybe once a day. If you wait until everything else is gone, all you will have left is the FEMA stuff, and people may get sick, or at least not be feeling as well as they could be, if that's all they have to eat.
2. If they had brought a small rocket stove, or had, or could make, a hobo stove, they could cook with twigs (easily gathered anywhere that there are trees, and most places that don't have trees but do have some kind of brush). Then they wouldn't be wishing they had a chainsaw or an axe (well, they might wish, but it wouldn't be as serious of a regret). In sagebrush country where there are no trees, dig up the roots, as there's a lot more wood underground than above ground.
3. Back east (where it sounds like your story is set) your campers should be able to find some other source of water besides the government supplies, if they just do some looking around. Most places you can find a seep, a spring, or even a creek. Use the government water (if available) for drinking, and the local water for washing clothes, or for any application where it can be boiled.
4. It seems like most of these types of stories have the main characters being the only smart, sensible people of good character in the story -- in any random group, there should be at least one other family like theirs, and possibly several. It would be wise to find those people and team up with them. Makes standing guard easier, if nothing else. Gives the kids other people to talk to; more adults to supervise the kids; more heads to figure out solutions to problems. More encouragement when someone gets discourages, too. If our whole area had to bug out we would join up with a pretty good number of friends, all trust-worthy, and all willing and able to help one another. (We are all preppers, too.) So it wouldn't just be me and my daughter.
5. Someone mentioned that skunk cabbage is edible if cooked. It has to be VERY WELL cooked. It has (IIRC -- it's been a long time) oxalic acid crystals in it that do not dissolve easily. I would suggest LONG SLOW cooking, perhaps wrapped and cooked in the ashes of a camp fire. (I'm speaking from first-hand experience here -- skunk cabbage would be one of the last edibles I would resort to, to be honest.)
Waiting to see what else Kathy comes up with!
Kathleen
I do have a few comments on the story, and on a comment or two that's been made.
1. Rather than shoving all the FEMA meals to the back of the line, it would be better, health-wise, to judiciously mix them in with the food they brought with them. That way you only have a sub-standard meal (or part of a meal) maybe once a day. If you wait until everything else is gone, all you will have left is the FEMA stuff, and people may get sick, or at least not be feeling as well as they could be, if that's all they have to eat.
2. If they had brought a small rocket stove, or had, or could make, a hobo stove, they could cook with twigs (easily gathered anywhere that there are trees, and most places that don't have trees but do have some kind of brush). Then they wouldn't be wishing they had a chainsaw or an axe (well, they might wish, but it wouldn't be as serious of a regret). In sagebrush country where there are no trees, dig up the roots, as there's a lot more wood underground than above ground.
3. Back east (where it sounds like your story is set) your campers should be able to find some other source of water besides the government supplies, if they just do some looking around. Most places you can find a seep, a spring, or even a creek. Use the government water (if available) for drinking, and the local water for washing clothes, or for any application where it can be boiled.
4. It seems like most of these types of stories have the main characters being the only smart, sensible people of good character in the story -- in any random group, there should be at least one other family like theirs, and possibly several. It would be wise to find those people and team up with them. Makes standing guard easier, if nothing else. Gives the kids other people to talk to; more adults to supervise the kids; more heads to figure out solutions to problems. More encouragement when someone gets discourages, too. If our whole area had to bug out we would join up with a pretty good number of friends, all trust-worthy, and all willing and able to help one another. (We are all preppers, too.) So it wouldn't just be me and my daughter.
5. Someone mentioned that skunk cabbage is edible if cooked. It has to be VERY WELL cooked. It has (IIRC -- it's been a long time) oxalic acid crystals in it that do not dissolve easily. I would suggest LONG SLOW cooking, perhaps wrapped and cooked in the ashes of a camp fire. (I'm speaking from first-hand experience here -- skunk cabbage would be one of the last edibles I would resort to, to be honest.)
Waiting to see what else Kathy comes up with!
Kathleen
spiralbinder
Agrarian Separatist
Every time I see this thread come up I start revamping my GHB again, lol. We even war gamed it a bit as a family.
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
GHB? Ok I have to ask. What is a GHB?
Get Home Bag...
Summerthyme
Summerthyme
Old Gray Mare
TB Fanatic
Bump to the top. More than one person on the board has stated bugging out with a back pack and 20 minutes notice is out of the question. Kathy's story, like usual provides some food for thought.
Dumb Blonde
Contributing Member
Is there any moar to this story? Please?
Genevieve
working on it
lmao nope!
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
Bump, I'm thinking Kathy is so busy with taking care of family that she had to back off for awhile.
Freeholder, I really like your idea of mixing in the least healthy (MREs) with other more nutricious foods, to get calories on the one hand and healthy food on the other hand in a day.
Judy
Freeholder, I really like your idea of mixing in the least healthy (MREs) with other more nutricious foods, to get calories on the one hand and healthy food on the other hand in a day.
Judy