The Urban Prepper's Food Choice: The Cost of Fuel, and a Case for Lentils

Urban Preparedness Food for Survival Lentils

When looking for a long-term option for urban prepping food, dried beans often come up as the leading response. Rich in protein and other nutrients, the humble legume provides a near perfect balance when combined with a carb like rice. While an idyllic choice in the best of times, there is one major drawback to the bean when the SHTF - cook time.

In a SHTF scenario without power, resources such as fuel become a major issue without bio-based alternatives. With an 8-hour soak, an hour of cooking can quickly deplete what fuel you may have. Going straight from the bin? Well, you're looking at 3 hours at a rolling boil. That won’t be very kind to your urban survival plan.

While exceeding the nutritional benefits of the bean, lentils provide safe harbor from the pitfalls of cook time. 15-20 minutes on the stove and you're done. Crush them down for a pulse or soup, and you're looking at less. While I have yet to try and pre-soak lentils, I have experimented with thermos cooking. With a quick boil, you'll have a fully cooked meal in about 6-8 hours after being sealed and insulated. Planned during breakfast or lunch, you can offset your meal while investing fewer resources. I like beans a lot more than most, but no matter how I look at it, I can’t fight those numbers. Can you?

Food for thought when looking at urban prepping food for the long-term.

FoodJHApril 27, 2023Urban Prepping, Food Storage, Long Term Food Supply, SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, City Prepping, Apartment Prepping, Prepping Blog, Prepper Blog, Urban Preparedness, Prepping, Urban Prepping Blog, Urban Preparedness Blog, Urban survival

Sticking to the Menu When Building An Urban PrepPing Pantry

While long-term food supplies seem to capture our hearts, many don't sufficiently plan for what is required inside of a year. It's easy to get carried away with our short-term selection, but the problem with non-perishable food like canned goods, is that we tend to contribute just a little too much to landfill. So how do we buck this trend when prepping for events like job loss or natural disaster? We plan our urban preparedness pantry around our daily menu.

On Shotguns: Shotgun Breaching For The Urban Prepper

We've all encountered a locked barrier at some point in our lives. Locked keys in the car? Call roadside assistance. Late night as a teen? There's a basement window for that. At the end of the day, these are all easy fixes with ample opportunity. But in an urban survival scenario where self-rescue is required - and a locked door may hold you or your loved ones firmly in harm's way - a heavy-handed solution may be the only way to safety. If a lockpick or hard kick won't clear a path, perhaps it's time to knock a little louder. Enter the shotgun.

The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered

During a period of civil unrest, you're either a number or a target. No matter how well equipped you or your small group may be for conflict, full battle rattle is going to draw a world of unwanted attention from the hoods and have-nots. That overt plate carrier and camo you're wearing? The city will eventually swallow you whole, thinking you're another cop, criminal, or loot drop. But at what point does our affinity for load bearing equipment or camo become a liability in urban preparedness? With big city problems, I figure it's sooner rather than later.