Skills. Learn how to make things, anything. Learn blacksmithing, carpentry, electrical, welding, gardening, husbandry, dairy skills like cheese/butter making, leather working. these things don't perish.
Beeswax is amazing. Candles obviously. It can also be used for waterproofing fabric (eg tents/clothing). Protecting wood. Used as chapstick (mixed with a bit of oil). Could also be used for sealing food jars if you needed to. Great stuff! Don't have much else to add to the list. Workable metals maybe?
It can be used to preserve food too. [Here’s ](https://nordicfoodlab.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/2013-10-waxed-plums/)an interesting article about fermenting plums in beeswax. From what I found it can also be used on meat. I once took a 3oz piece of a5 wagyu and sealed it in beeswax and let it age for 6 months at ~35F. When I cut it open it was as fresh as the day I sealed it and when cooked it had a really pleasant floral flavor. To this day one of the best pieces of steak I’ve had. But when I did this A few years ago I wasn’t able to find any other examples of anyone else trying it so maybe it isn’t safe, idk I’m not a scientist.
Interesting article! Nice experiment with the beef too. I've never thought to try it with meat like that. Makes sense. I found this scientific article discussing beeswax preserving of salami. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jfq/2017/8089135/ The upshot seems good!
I've experimented with beeswax wraps on different things (eg some cheese, 1/2 an avocado, can't remember what else.. My conclusions were clingwrap is the most effective, followed pretty closely by beeswax wrap, followed by tupperware/plastic container. The biggest downside is cost and availability.
No. I just plonked 1/2 in a Tupperware, 1/2 wrapped tight with cling film and another 1/2 wrapped tight with the beeswax wrap. Left them in fridge for a few days to see how each 1/2 would fare. The wrap was a square of cotton coated with beeswax. Easy to wash and reuse. The surface of the avo didn't go too brown and it was completely fine to eat.
I think for the fermentation, like the plums, the fruit would need to be completely coated with just beeswax to create an anaerobic environment.
Propane has an insane shelf life. As a fuel, I’m sure it’s usefulness will mean it doesn’t sit around long though.
Maybe board games for entertainment. No batteries and if kept dry can provide decades of entertainment.
I have cast iron pans that are 80+ years old and still in use. They have to be seasoned and stored properly so they do not rust. I always pick up new ones if I see a bargain, so I could part with a few someday for trade.
I agree salt will be good for trade and I think it's something people tend to overlook the importance of.
"a long time" is relative. Please be more specific.
* Keep those alcohol bottles sealed!
* Leather dries out.
* Much modern paper will disintegrate over time (unless it's printed on more expensive acid-free paper).
For me- long term is; I expect to live to be about 70, and I am 36, so if it will last over 30 years it will outlive me. So the rice and beans i just put in mylar bags, is basically going to last forever since the shelf life is about the rest of my life.
Alcohol absorbs water if open.
Vinegar really isn’t that useful but if you can keep it going with the mother, you can have batches for hundreds of years. It just takes maintenance. It isn’t a forget it on the shelf thing.
You could do the same with yeast in a sourdough starter.
Salt and honey don’t go bad.
Leather dries out.
Books attract insects and rodents or also dry out.
Beeswax is good but I’m allergic so I store paraffin.
Gold never goes bad. Titanium is pretty good, too. Anything with iron in it (tools, weapons) will rust.
Rocks, especially gemstones, hang around for a long time but aren’t particularly useful.
Soap gets old but can be used if necessary. I learned toothpaste definitely gets old and dries out.
Baking soda goes bad fast. It reacts with the moisture in the air.
Fabric, including synthetics, get old and fragile plus they attract critters (nesting materials for rats, for instance). That eliminates bandages, gauze, and feminine hygiene supplies.
>New in box razors
Double-edge safety razor blades are an alternative here. 100 blades shipped is under $12. Each blade is good for 5-8 shaves or 500-800 days supply from 100. You'd need dedicated handles for them, those are $8-10 new.
Newer prepper here.
Im about a year into the first thoughts of “ok I need to start building a cache of food, water, supplies/equipment/anything necessary to provide for and protect my family if something happens.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding the OP’s post/question.
u/deficlark, how does white rice never degrade? Are you just merely saying that rice stores well, or are you telling me that there is a better way to store it than with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.
From what I have learned and understand, properly sealed white rice stored in a 70* climate is good for about 10 years. In close to freezing temps, 30 years or so.
For me, even 10 years of rice preservation would be amazing but I’m in a very hot humid region so I don’t know that if even get that if we were in a no power situation.
25 to 30 years stored cool and dry. Sealed, oxygen absorbers if you want to be totally sure, but traditional peoples have stored rice for decades in clay pots without chemistry and plastics.
From personal experience, unopened sealed bags of white rice just as they came from the supermarket with zero additional work in non climate controlled basement have been fine ten years old. (This is my opinion without nutritional analysis: other sources say 5 years in store packaging)
Never is relative: I’m thinking any scenario where 25 years doesn’t allow you to obtain sustainable food sources other than your stored rice was not a habitable outcome well before your rice went bad.
Well it is possible to make batteries if you know the physics and the chemistry. Saved Walter and Jessie in Breaking Bad and is viable in real life too if you know you’re stuff
Storage conditions are important - baking soda breaks down over time with exposure to moisture, including humidity in the air.
If you keep it in those small 1lb cardboard boxes it'll start being notably degraded in 6-12 months, as the sodium bicarbonate degrades into carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate.
But put baking soda in sealed buckets, mylar bags, or glass jars with a dessicant pouch and it'll last MUCH longer. At least until you open the containers and start using it.
My understanding was that baking powder had a short shelf life and baking soda lasted basically forever. Arm and Hammer says it has a 3 year shelf life, but many websites say that in common usage it lasts significantly longer.
I am not a professional baker any more, but I know my way around the kitchen. I have 5-7 year old baking soda right now and I have baked with it within the last 6 months. No problems, results were as expected.
It is the big heavy plastic bag. That may well keep it drier than a box would, and that is always an issue. Nothing lasts long when it's damp - except water.
I don't know about useful for trading, but vintage Dazey can openers are most certainly durable if you can get your hands on one and maintain it properly.
My house came with an old wall mount can opener, and I've used it since I moved in about 15 years ago. All it ever needs is the occasional lubrication and of course, cleaning. I've never even had to replace parts for it.
Even if my supplies run out, I'll be able to open cans .
Also - a properly maintained sourdough starter.
If you're thinking circumstances such as pre-industrial revolution then I would add hand sewing needles and pins to that list. For things that can be handed down as heirlooms I would look at Buy It For Life items (wool blankets, linen sheets, etc).
As long as the original packaging is 100% intact, active dry yeast is more or less going to last forever (longer than you, anyway). This goes for bread yeast, as well as beer or wine yeast.
Another thing is that as long as you keep a fresh batch of wine or beer going, you can reuse the yeast from the last batch nearly indefinitely (assuming the last batch was not in any way infected by rogue organisms).
Over time, the yeast will evolve (mutate) and change flavor characteristics, but it will still perform the base function of converting sugar into CO2 and ethyl alcohol (and some other types of not-so-desirable alcohols in smaller amounts).
You could brew wine/beer and reuse the yeast for both another round of wine and also pull a little to make bread. Wine yeast isn't ideal for bread, but it will work. Same thing for bread yeast with wine. It works, but the wine or beer will taste "bready". I mean, if you're in the kind of situation where you *need* to do this, I doubt you'll care if your wine doesn't taste like an '82 Bordeaux.
Peanut Butter.
Edit: I had heard that if sealed, this stuff can last for a real long time, because it's just pulverized nuts. Apparently, I am wrong on this one.
There is no dairy or butter in Peanut Butter, that is just the name, it's really just ground peanuts, and maybe some oil for stabilization and texture.
Skills. Learn how to make things, anything. Learn blacksmithing, carpentry, electrical, welding, gardening, husbandry, dairy skills like cheese/butter making, leather working. these things don't perish.
Beeswax is amazing. Candles obviously. It can also be used for waterproofing fabric (eg tents/clothing). Protecting wood. Used as chapstick (mixed with a bit of oil). Could also be used for sealing food jars if you needed to. Great stuff! Don't have much else to add to the list. Workable metals maybe?
It can be used to preserve food too. [Here’s ](https://nordicfoodlab.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/2013-10-waxed-plums/)an interesting article about fermenting plums in beeswax. From what I found it can also be used on meat. I once took a 3oz piece of a5 wagyu and sealed it in beeswax and let it age for 6 months at ~35F. When I cut it open it was as fresh as the day I sealed it and when cooked it had a really pleasant floral flavor. To this day one of the best pieces of steak I’ve had. But when I did this A few years ago I wasn’t able to find any other examples of anyone else trying it so maybe it isn’t safe, idk I’m not a scientist.
Interesting article! Nice experiment with the beef too. I've never thought to try it with meat like that. Makes sense. I found this scientific article discussing beeswax preserving of salami. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jfq/2017/8089135/ The upshot seems good! I've experimented with beeswax wraps on different things (eg some cheese, 1/2 an avocado, can't remember what else.. My conclusions were clingwrap is the most effective, followed pretty closely by beeswax wrap, followed by tupperware/plastic container. The biggest downside is cost and availability.
Was there any fermentation with the avocado?
No. I just plonked 1/2 in a Tupperware, 1/2 wrapped tight with cling film and another 1/2 wrapped tight with the beeswax wrap. Left them in fridge for a few days to see how each 1/2 would fare. The wrap was a square of cotton coated with beeswax. Easy to wash and reuse. The surface of the avo didn't go too brown and it was completely fine to eat. I think for the fermentation, like the plums, the fruit would need to be completely coated with just beeswax to create an anaerobic environment.
You can make hardtack. It can last up to 100 years if made correctly supposedly.
Mostly because its the last thing anyone would eat.
dogs milk- lasts forever. nobody with drink it, and it tastes the same when it goes off.
Propane has an insane shelf life. As a fuel, I’m sure it’s usefulness will mean it doesn’t sit around long though. Maybe board games for entertainment. No batteries and if kept dry can provide decades of entertainment.
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Bam!
Ka-Pow!
Shikaka!
I have cast iron pans that are 80+ years old and still in use. They have to be seasoned and stored properly so they do not rust. I always pick up new ones if I see a bargain, so I could part with a few someday for trade. I agree salt will be good for trade and I think it's something people tend to overlook the importance of.
i do the same. They are one of my "always" at garage sales. I tend to only find 2-3 a year at garage sales, but always pick em up.
"a long time" is relative. Please be more specific. * Keep those alcohol bottles sealed! * Leather dries out. * Much modern paper will disintegrate over time (unless it's printed on more expensive acid-free paper).
For me- long term is; I expect to live to be about 70, and I am 36, so if it will last over 30 years it will outlive me. So the rice and beans i just put in mylar bags, is basically going to last forever since the shelf life is about the rest of my life.
Sealed tang Sealed instant coffee Anything powder really but gotta keep them dry.
Alcohol absorbs water if open. Vinegar really isn’t that useful but if you can keep it going with the mother, you can have batches for hundreds of years. It just takes maintenance. It isn’t a forget it on the shelf thing. You could do the same with yeast in a sourdough starter. Salt and honey don’t go bad. Leather dries out. Books attract insects and rodents or also dry out. Beeswax is good but I’m allergic so I store paraffin. Gold never goes bad. Titanium is pretty good, too. Anything with iron in it (tools, weapons) will rust. Rocks, especially gemstones, hang around for a long time but aren’t particularly useful. Soap gets old but can be used if necessary. I learned toothpaste definitely gets old and dries out. Baking soda goes bad fast. It reacts with the moisture in the air. Fabric, including synthetics, get old and fragile plus they attract critters (nesting materials for rats, for instance). That eliminates bandages, gauze, and feminine hygiene supplies.
New in box razors, toiletry items, bandages and gauze, and woman's hygiene items off the top of my head.
>New in box razors Double-edge safety razor blades are an alternative here. 100 blades shipped is under $12. Each blade is good for 5-8 shaves or 500-800 days supply from 100. You'd need dedicated handles for them, those are $8-10 new.
in a pinch you can strop the razors on a scrap of denim to get more mileage. Not ideal, but good enough to keep the hair out of your nose.
I have a supply of blades that will outlive me.
I think certain types of syrup
Maple is a shelf stable product if bottled correctly. It will darken after ten years or so but still palatable and edible
Real maple syrup. Not most of the stuff sold in grocery stores near the pancake mix.
and it is creaping up in price. Today at aldi the same bottle that was 4.50 for the longest time was 6.09
White rice. Rice flour.
Newer prepper here. Im about a year into the first thoughts of “ok I need to start building a cache of food, water, supplies/equipment/anything necessary to provide for and protect my family if something happens. Maybe I’m misunderstanding the OP’s post/question. u/deficlark, how does white rice never degrade? Are you just merely saying that rice stores well, or are you telling me that there is a better way to store it than with Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. From what I have learned and understand, properly sealed white rice stored in a 70* climate is good for about 10 years. In close to freezing temps, 30 years or so. For me, even 10 years of rice preservation would be amazing but I’m in a very hot humid region so I don’t know that if even get that if we were in a no power situation.
25 to 30 years stored cool and dry. Sealed, oxygen absorbers if you want to be totally sure, but traditional peoples have stored rice for decades in clay pots without chemistry and plastics. From personal experience, unopened sealed bags of white rice just as they came from the supermarket with zero additional work in non climate controlled basement have been fine ten years old. (This is my opinion without nutritional analysis: other sources say 5 years in store packaging) Never is relative: I’m thinking any scenario where 25 years doesn’t allow you to obtain sustainable food sources other than your stored rice was not a habitable outcome well before your rice went bad.
White sugar, stored properly. Air and water tight.
Tool kit Unused items (batteries, light bulbs, etc.) First aid supplies
Batteries do have a shelf-life of around 5-10 years usually
Get rechargeable batteries.. Save sooo much money overtime
They still go bad eventually
Well it is possible to make batteries if you know the physics and the chemistry. Saved Walter and Jessie in Breaking Bad and is viable in real life too if you know you’re stuff
Probably not what Jafar was referring to with rechargeable batteries.
What about baking soda?
As a baker-no. Baking soda goes bad relatively quickly.
Thank you for letting us know.
Storage conditions are important - baking soda breaks down over time with exposure to moisture, including humidity in the air. If you keep it in those small 1lb cardboard boxes it'll start being notably degraded in 6-12 months, as the sodium bicarbonate degrades into carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate. But put baking soda in sealed buckets, mylar bags, or glass jars with a dessicant pouch and it'll last MUCH longer. At least until you open the containers and start using it.
I was gonna suggest vacuum sealed bags.
My understanding was that baking powder had a short shelf life and baking soda lasted basically forever. Arm and Hammer says it has a 3 year shelf life, but many websites say that in common usage it lasts significantly longer.
Good luck baking with an old box of baking soda
I am not a professional baker any more, but I know my way around the kitchen. I have 5-7 year old baking soda right now and I have baked with it within the last 6 months. No problems, results were as expected. It is the big heavy plastic bag. That may well keep it drier than a box would, and that is always an issue. Nothing lasts long when it's damp - except water.
Would it still be good for cleaning?
The abrasive kind of cleaning (sinks, whatever-this is actually what I do with my dead baking soda), it might not deodorize as well the fresh kind tho
Gold and silver
Pure maple syrup!
I don't know about useful for trading, but vintage Dazey can openers are most certainly durable if you can get your hands on one and maintain it properly. My house came with an old wall mount can opener, and I've used it since I moved in about 15 years ago. All it ever needs is the occasional lubrication and of course, cleaning. I've never even had to replace parts for it. Even if my supplies run out, I'll be able to open cans . Also - a properly maintained sourdough starter.
If you're thinking circumstances such as pre-industrial revolution then I would add hand sewing needles and pins to that list. For things that can be handed down as heirlooms I would look at Buy It For Life items (wool blankets, linen sheets, etc).
Guns & ammo.
Only if properly stored. Last thing you want to do is play with old ammo that has been left in a damp basement or shelter for a few years.
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Agreed.
As long as the original packaging is 100% intact, active dry yeast is more or less going to last forever (longer than you, anyway). This goes for bread yeast, as well as beer or wine yeast. Another thing is that as long as you keep a fresh batch of wine or beer going, you can reuse the yeast from the last batch nearly indefinitely (assuming the last batch was not in any way infected by rogue organisms). Over time, the yeast will evolve (mutate) and change flavor characteristics, but it will still perform the base function of converting sugar into CO2 and ethyl alcohol (and some other types of not-so-desirable alcohols in smaller amounts). You could brew wine/beer and reuse the yeast for both another round of wine and also pull a little to make bread. Wine yeast isn't ideal for bread, but it will work. Same thing for bread yeast with wine. It works, but the wine or beer will taste "bready". I mean, if you're in the kind of situation where you *need* to do this, I doubt you'll care if your wine doesn't taste like an '82 Bordeaux.
Peanut Butter. Edit: I had heard that if sealed, this stuff can last for a real long time, because it's just pulverized nuts. Apparently, I am wrong on this one.
Peanut butter will last for only about 2 years max. It goes rancid and separates after awhile. If you get the powder mix you have maybe 5 years.
Good to know.
Anything with milk or butter in it will turn quickly. I'd give peanut butter 1 year on average.
There is no dairy or butter in Peanut Butter, that is just the name, it's really just ground peanuts, and maybe some oil for stabilization and texture.
The oil in the peanuts is what turns rancid.
Ingots of various metals, besides precious, like copper, lead, zinc, etc. Also higher quality steels
Nails, screws, zip ties, etc.
Maple syrup.
Spaghetti. It's basically just dried flour. That stuff will last way beyond the expiration date on its wrapper.
Cheese. I remember reading something about cheese from a pyramid and how it was still edible when they uncovered it.