Food Survival Starter Plan

1. Food Storage Blueprint 

Core Targets (Per Person, 1 Year)

  • Grains & Starches: 300 lbs (cornmeal, rice, oats, wheat berries)
  • Beans & Legumes: 60 lbs (pinto, black, lentils, chickpeas)
  • Sugar & Honey: 60 lbs sugar + 1 gallon honey
  • Salt: 8 lbs
  • Fats: 5 gallons oil/lard/ghee
  • Powdered Milk: 16 lbs
  • Other: Spices, bouillon, dried fruit/veg (optional but morale-boosting)

Storage Method

  1. Mylar bags (5-gallon size) with oxygen absorbers.
  2. Place filled Mylar into food-grade buckets (Gamma-seal lids ideal).
  3. Store in a cool, dark, dry place — basement, closet, under bed.
  4. Label with contents + date. Rotate stock every 5 years (beans, cornmeal) or 20–30 years (rice, wheat).

Cheap hack: if no Mylar, use PET soda bottles (thoroughly cleaned/dried) + O2 absorbers for rice/beans.

 

2. Survival Gardening Blueprint (Urban-Friendly) 

Easiest Calorie Crops

  • Potatoes: 4–6 buckets can yield 100+ lbs annually.
  • Sweet potatoes: Dual use (tubers + edible leaves).
  • Pole beans: Grow vertically on trellises/fences.
  • Corn: Mini-patches in raised beds (needs at least 4x4 cluster).
  • Leafy greens: Kale, spinach, lettuce in shallow containers.

Cheap Growing Hacks

  • Grow bags: Make with old rice sacks, reusable grocery bags, or DIY sewn canvas.
  • Vertical towers: Stack milk crates, fill with soil, plant greens in pockets.
  • Window boxes: Grow fast greens/herbs.
  • Soil building: Mix 1/3 compost + 1/3 cheap potting soil + 1/3 perlite/sand.
  • Fertilizer: Use kitchen scraps (compost, banana peels, eggshells).

Planting Calendar (temperate zones; adjust locally)

  • Spring: Potatoes, beans, greens.
  • Summer: Corn, tomatoes, peppers.
  • Fall: Sweet potatoes, root crops (beets, carrots).
  • Winter (indoor/greenhouse): Sprouts, microgreens.

 

3. Water Security Blueprint

Collection (Low-Cost) 

Tarp Funnel Method 

  • Stretch tarp on a slope.
  • Corner tied to bucket/barrel.
  • Rain runs down tarp → funnel → container.

Buried Container Reservoir 

  • Bury a 55-gallon food-grade barrel (keep lid above soil).
  • Run tarp/gutter into it.
  • Keeps water cooler + algae-free.

Rooftop Harvesting 

  • Gutters → downspout → barrel.
  • Add mesh screen or T-shirt filter at entry point.

Storage & Safety

  • Container: Food-grade plastic barrels or IBC totes.
  • Keep covered: Prevents mosquito breeding.
  • Treatment: 1 tsp unscented bleach per 5 gallons for long-term storage.
  • Rotation: Every 6–12 months.

Hack: Use collapsible camping jugs to store water inside the home for rotation.

 

4. Quick Survival Checklist

Phase 1 (First 2 Weeks)

  • Buy 25 lbs rice, 25 lbs beans, 10 lbs sugar, 5 lbs salt.
  • Get 2 buckets + lids.
  • Plant potatoes in 2 buckets.
  • Rig 1 tarp + 1 barrel for rainwater.

Phase 2 (1–3 Months)

  • Expand food stock toward 3 months per person.
  • Add sweet potatoes + beans to containers.
  • Collect at least 50 gallons water storage.

Phase 3 (6–12 Months)

  • Build full 1-year food storage.
  • Set up vertical garden for greens/herbs.
  • Establish 2+ buried or rooftop rainwater systems.
  • Practice rotation & cooking with stored foods.

5. Golden Rules

  • Store what you eat, eat what you store → rotate, don’t waste.
  • Diversify crops → calories + nutrition.
  • Water is life → aim for 1 gallon per person/day minimum.
  • Start small, scale up → buckets and tarps can become a full system.