ALthough I know it looks like my interest in preparedness begins and ends with guns, that’s actually not so.
I have desperately needed a gun far, far, far fewer times than I’ve needed to eat. And, having actually been hungry at some point, I’ve no desire to ever be in a situation where ‘theres nothing to eat’ literally means there’s nothing to eat.
A segue: Did you know that the United States is pretty much the only real country on the planet where ‘theres nothing to eat’ actually usually means ‘theres nothing I want to eat’? People will have a cupboard full of food, look at it disdainfully, and say ‘theres nothing to eat’ as they order up DoorDash. Everywhere else on the planet, ‘theres nothing to eat’ means that…literally. But the US, praise Crom, has always been the land of plenty to the point that we actually turned eating into a competitive sport. There are people on the this planet somewhere eating grass and feeding cooked rats to their kids while we have a guy in Coney Island jamming hot dogs down his gullet so fast they need a digital stopwatch. I love this country!
Back to topic: on the weekends, I like to wander the aisles at various supermarkets in town to see if there are any items that fit into the particular niche of what Im looking for – tastes good, stores well, fills a need, is versatile, durably packaged, room temperature. Thats how I discovered the WalMart on Brooks St. was selling Keystone meats in 28 oz cans. Since Keystone has such a good reputation in the preparedness community, I went ahead and started picking up a few cans every time I was in WallyWorld. But….all thats available wer the #2.5 (28 oz.) cans. Until today when I saw that our other Walmart (Reserve St) had the Keystone beef in the #303 (15 oz.) cans.
By the way, various can sizes have actual designations. Here’s a cheat graphic for you:
For my anticipated needs, I usually prefer the smaller cans. Why? Well, for one reason, the circumstance under which I’m going to be digging into my canned food supply is also a circumstance where electricity for things like refrigeration might not be available. And if there’s leftovers….well, you’re not gonna have many options. And if you leave it sitting around to the next meal you risk some other unpleasantness.
So…I have another option now at the local WalMart. I have a couple cases of the larger cans, but going forward I think I’ll purchase just the smaller cases as they become available.
So, if you’re in Missoula and you want the smaller cans….WalMart on Reserve.
Dang it, should have read this BEFORE I went to Walmart this morning. Got 40lbs of rice and a 7g water ‘tainer. Rinsed it out with vinegar and set it in the sun to dry, going to see how much rice will fit in it, and if I can lift it. A can of meat over a couple cups of rice will be just the ticket when the SHTF and that appears to be sooner rather than later.
So your Wal-Mart has the Keystone beef. Mine hasn’t Han any the last three times I’ve been there. Two trips ago all they had was 8 cans of the chicken. No pulled pork. Or large cans of the shredded white meat chicken.
I was there last Weds. And the week before that. I have a lot on hand. But not for extended periods of time. Seems odd. My canned cat foods are the same way. None for two or three months. Then boom. There they are. Yes. I have cats. They just show up. With my address in their pocket.
This supply chain is like everything else. Demon Rats shouldn’t be allowed to run anything. Everything they touch the screw it up.
I’ve noticed the same thing at my local Walmart. The canned ground beef will be in stock for a bit then it goes out of stock for like a year.
I don’t know how big keystones operation is but it is likely they bit off more than they could chew selling into Walmart. Walmart is a beast to supply
my wally world here in tx has that meat…i was lucky one day and got a couple cans of the loose hamburger style…haven’t seen it since…but the same cans you got they have here…ain’t “cheap” but a can here and there doesn’t hurt too bad…
One can of the ground beef with a can of Manwich mix. It makes 12 sandwiches. I was surprised at how goid it actually is.
you can order it by the case direct from keystone. shipping isn’t bad either.
That’s good to know. Thanx
I just checked Walmart online and found a 24-can case of the 14.5 oz beef for $179.00 with free shipping. I think I will order it. They also have a variety pack of 6 beef, 4 chicken, 4 turkey, 4 pork, and 6 ground beef for $199.00. Gray Fox
Except for “generic bulk staples” – rice, wheat, flour, etc – I always opt for the smaller container for precisely the same reason, plus if something happens to a container I lose one 15 ounce can out of, say, a case of 24, rather than one #10 can out of a case of 6.
For the bulk stuff, I try to repackage it in smaller containers, such as 1 gallon mylar bags instead of a single 5 gallon bag, if it’s at all feasible for the same reason.
Thanks for the can size graphic.
I’m a fan of 1/2 gallon and quart canning jars for rice, beans, etc. Breaks the stockpile up into smaller more manageable sizes. keeps it safe from bugs and rodents, and allows me to store canning jars without wasting the space they occupy.
Get one of the vacuum pumps for canning lids and you can remove much of the oxygen and water from the contents, cutting down on the chance of bugs, mold, etc. The lids are probably still usable for “real canning” as well, though I segregate them and only reuse them for dry canning currently since new lids are still readily available.
The downside of using canning jars of course is that they’re made of glass. I’m in a pretty seismically stable location, so not too concerned about a quake bouncing them off a shelf — and I built some very sturdy shelves for the pantry, which I could easily add a restraining bar or strap to.
Someday I will stop procrastinating and knock together some Soviet-ammo-crate style boxes to hold jars. I don’t see myself fleeing/bugging-out from this location: I’ve been to several places in the Third World and seen what life as a refugee is like firsthand, and it’s not for me and mine. But crates would both free up shelf space and make for easier/faster moving of supplies than trying to load a lot of glass jars in the truck or trailer if that was necessary.
I was just on the Keystone site and they have a variety 12 can bundle (14.5 oz) that you can pick what quantities of each type as long as it totals 12 cans. Shipping was under 20 dollars to where I live so the total was mid $80 dollar range. Sweet deal.
Thx for the can reference pic.
guys, don’t forget about that sustainable water source. that is what is going to make or break most people. only 3 days without and your a goner.
A lot of my Canned Food Storage has been Soups and Vegetables, bought a couple of Dozen a Time when on sale. Kind-of random purchases, but it has spread out the (Real, 4-5 Years) Expiration Dates. I eat the soup with fresh Vegetables added, and the canned Vegetables with Rice or Pasta in the Wintertime. I have avoided buying #10 Cans for this reason, except for some Freeze-Dried stuff that can go into plastic containers once opened.
One thing I’ve Noticed, in rotating out the ‘Old Stock’, is that Can Sizes have been getting…. smaller, an Ounce or two at a Time. Randomly, depends on Brand/Product. Can Shapes (Height x Diameter) also have seemed to Vary a bit, enough to require re-arranging the Packing Cardboard in the standard-sized Boxes I use. (you DO use two layers of Corrugated Cardboard between layers of Cans, and top and bottom of Boxes, Don’t You?)
“Shrinkflation”
The manufacturers count on most people not noticing, and the politicians like it because they can ‘”truthfully” say that a can of pork and beans or whatever “still costs the same.”
Fwiw cardboard is one of the favorite mediums of a number of food related pests. Anything that has been in a food warehouse has picked up those pests and should not be brought into living space or immediately removed. On ships ot is not allowed and unpacked on the dock and repackaged before brought aboard.
Lack of refrigeration was one of the reasons that people kept a pot of “stew” going constantly in the hearth. All leftovers went into the pot and it provided a warm meal when needed without waste.
CZ. You may want to check out the cultural enrichment being foisted on Springfield,Oh. It seems pets are not safe and the Migratory Bird Act is no longer in force. If that had been my cat Ed Gein would have been afraid