Emergency Evacuation: Angie's 5-Day Bugout Cooler

[@TheProvidentPrepper]

You can find Angie's detailed menu plans at TheProvidentPrepper.org Angie's 5-Day Bugout Cooler Ready for Emergency Evacuation theprovidentprepper.org/angies-5-day-bugout-cooler-ready-for-emergency-evacuation/ Check out this Survival Kit Action Plan to help inspire what you may want to pack in your emergency survival kit (bugout bag, 72-hour kit, grab-and-go) theprovidentprepper.org/the-provident-prepper/action-plan-survival-kits/ How to Organize Critical Documents for Emergency Evacuation theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-organize-critical-documents-for-emergency-evacuation/ Bug Out of Bug In - How to Know When to Go (or Stay) theprovidentprepper.org/bug-out-or-bug-in-how-to-know-when-to-go-or-stay/ How to Create the Perfect Emergency Survival Kit theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-create-the-perfect-emergency-survival-kit/ 14 Emergency Kits to Help You Dominate Disaster theprovidentprepper.org/14-emergency-kits-to-help-you-dominate-disaster/ Wildfire Evacuation: Prepare Now to Protect Your Family theprovidentprepper.org/wildfire-evacuation-prepare-now-to-protect-your-family/ Thanks for being part of the solution! Follow us! *Instagram - theprovidentprepper instagram.com/theprovidentprepper/ *Facebook - The Provident Prepper: Building Your Family Ark facebook.com/ProvidentPrepper *Pinterest - The Provident Prepper www.pinterest.com/TheProvidentPrepper/ TheProvidentPrepper.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

[@maryjones1]

Excellent video. I appreciate how she was so thorough about what was in the cooler, how to use the items, serving sizes, and menu plans. The clear, dummy proof instructions written on the bags and cans made it easy for most any family members to use them wisely. Thanks for going into so much detail, as many people may not know where to start in putting together a short-term emergency food kit. 😊

[@justnana2256]

This is better then my to-go buckets! I'm going to take my cooler and pack it with the things she suggested that are not in my buckets. One thing I do differently (I think) is put add-water-only mixes in gallon bags with extra bags because I plan on using the bags as the mixing bowl. Thank you all. Lots of great tips!❤️👍🇺🇲

[@danellefrost5030]

What a truly brilliant idea to use a cooler as a bug out food container, not only does it provide added protection from the elements, it has the added security of being rodent proof. I just love the meal planning concept and that the foods chosen are everyday foods. Everything about this video is inspiring. Thank you for sharing such great ideas!

[@whatnext715]

Thanks for sharing this. I enjoy seeing how other people organize their bug out food. I’m a medium-old woman living alone in a small apartment. I keep 3 days of ready to eat food (no cook, no water needed) w basic kitchen supplies in a tote bag inside a hard sided cooler with a 3 gallon water jug next to it. If I need to evacuate very quickly, I have a small 15lb backpack, and can carry the cooler and water down the 3 flights of stairs to my car. If I have time to make multiple trips, I would take the tote bag out of the cooler. Then fill up the cooler with things from my fridge and freezer- I keep bottles of water frozen, many frozen vegetables aren’t bad just thawed and not cooked, bread, fruit…anything that is easy to eat. That would give me almost twice as much food and lots of variety 😀

[@beth4059]

I have a big cooler on wheels…now my wheels are turning. Great explanation!

[@Dan__S]

I've edited this comment for clarity. I've learned a lot about building food in a vehicle over the years. I work as a courier and have had a lot of time to experiment with what works and doesn't. I've also gained a ton of perspective from the van life, through hiker, and prepper communities and feel like they all neatly coexist in the same head space. Everyone has different needs so scaling these ideas is important. I take the view that keeping this stuff on hand is good, but becomes impossible if the vehicle becomes incapacitated in some way and the only option becomes on foot. So it's in that context that I hold my food. A cooler of food for a week sounds great until the daunting task of carrying it on your back becomes a real thing to worry about. So the first thing is that I've learned to scale back what I keep on hand due to weight and space limitations and think about each item I include in my kit. The second constraint is what is shelf stable and what is not. Nearly everything can be found in a shelf stable, dehydrated or preserved state. That's good, but if those items are all in cans or glass containers, it becomes bad really fast in the context of having to bug out. Also, having fresh food available is a necessity over time. So I feel like having an electric 48l cooler makes a lot of sense, especially if you're going to be any more than two people in your group. Being able to hold some basic vegetables, sauces, and other side things can go a long way to boosting moral. Thirdly, water is a much bigger concern than food is. I keep a water filtration system for myself and a water key on hand. (sawyer filter, 1l smart bottle water is what to search for). I also keep 2 1gallon crystal geyser water bottles on hand at all times; one stays frozen in my cooler and the other I drink from. If I have to hike out of a dead car situation, I've got my hiking skills and knowledge of the areas I'm in regularly to get me to the next water opportunity. I don't keep a cooking system, even though I have one at home. If you're practiced enough with food, you really don't need to keep one, which eliminates a major source of weight, complication, and need for fuel. You can cold soak instant rice, beans, and potatoes. Same goes for coffee and dehydrated milk for the morning. Last thing is that I think it's a mistake to put "food into the bucket and forget it." I think that's a recipe for having a extra miserable time if things go bad. Car food should be thought of as an extension of one's pantry and cycled through regularly. Vehicles can get very hot in the summer and freeze in the winter and these temperature changes have a noticeable effect on everything, shortening their life spans. Anything with fat, specifically, can get funky a lot faster than something like potato flakes. Anyone who has gotten into a mre will have seen what happens to cheese spread: it separates into a sold chunk of protein swimming in oil and is very gross once it happens. Anyways I'm probably preaching to the choir at this point, but I wanted to share this but and give the reference points of paying attention to the van life and through hiker communities to get ideas on how to deal with food on the go. Excellent video by the channel, BTW.

[@Dan__S]

Another thing; water. I have two water keys so I can access exterior water spigots in urban areas. I always have a few gallons of water with me. I always have a smart bottle and water filter with me. And if I'm camping I'll have a stanley cook set (even though I don't use it often to heat water, I can still boil it.) I also keep an ever expanding list of springs, cattle troughs, creeks, and rivers (and buildings) I know I can source water from.

[@Utah_Mike]

I was able to pick up high end (Engel) 12 volt refrigerator/freezer ridiculously cheap. Alway keep an eye on the used market.

[@Dan__S]

@@Utah_Mike that's a great idea I'll keep an eye out for used, I prefer going that route when it presents itself. I really should've gotten a cooler some time ago. Shelf stable food is necessary but having access to fresh food that's prone to going bad makes eating shelf stable food sustainable for any length of time; there's only so much rehydrated things a person can tolerate.

[@sparrowgarden1401]

We have two 5 gallon buckets, one for each vehicle. Each bucket is filled with everything one person would need for 3 days, including a life straw, compact stove and cooking implements. Each bucket does have different things, so if we are together in both vehicles, they will complement each other. If we get separated, we each still will be able to eat reasonably well. I do like the cooler idea and some of the other ideas Angie presented and will be implementing them. We have also filled the cat carrier with provisions for our cats.

[@backdoor5993]

Great idea using a cooler! I have a cardboard box with some "to go" food and two large pelican cases with freeze dried food, but there is always those couple of things I didn't think of like a can opener, duh... Good post, thanks!

[@questions_galore]

Great Job Angie! The only thing I’ll do differently is pre-divide some of the ingredients. The dehydrated mashed potatoes & the pancake batter will be individually separated in the required amount for each meal in a ziplock bag (no cup measure needed) and then placed in the larger bag for that meal, along with reconstitution directions. The box of pancake mix will also be in opened and put into a ziplock bag or bags. The back of the box with the directions can be cut off the box and placed inside it’s own zippy and tucked down a side or left on top. When I’m camping, I’ve grown to love the pancake mix in a plastic container that you just add water up to the designated line & shake-n-pour. For a large family this won’t work though, as it’s not compact enough. Maybe consider double ziplock bagging the pancake mix and mixing/shaking inside the bag; no bowl needed. Thanks for your post!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

That's a great tip. I kept items in their original container when possible as the bags that hold the product are stored in an atmosphere that prevents oxidation (oxidization shortens shelf life). So it really depends on the length of time you want to store your goods, whether you have room for measuring devices, and whether you plan on incorporating back into your food storage like I plan to if we (hopefully!) don't need to use it in a bug-out situation. 😊

[@s.h.6858]

I like the cooler as an emergency evac container. My household has already started to take notes on what we could do, especially if we could fit it in the wheeled cooler. Some things we would probably do differently: - I would type up the handwritten notes. Maybe keep them with the menu. You can already see some of the writing wearing off of the plastic bags. Some rain or a spill would make that unreadable. (Also I have trouble reading my own writing a week later, nevermind months later...) - I would also add electrolyte packets, at least one per person per day. You may not need them. But if the emergency is during high summer, or particularly muggy hot days, and/or if there's a lot physical activity needed that one isn't used too, they could be a god-send. In the same vein, especially if there isn't a lot of pre-packaged foods, make sure salt is available. - Also portions: I would do real-for-you portions rather than box portions. Example: a portion of instant grits is one packet. For me that's never enough - it would have to be at least 2 packets. On the other hand, Grape-nuts serving size is about half a cup, which is usually too much for me. - For those who are at danger for medical emergencies, be sure meds are included somewhere. Insulin, asthma inhaler, epinephrine and/or antihistamines, nitroglycerin... - If you have pets, please don't forget their food and special treats ( and toys). - As someone who feels nasty without enough protein, I might add some foil packets of tuna or something. They don't take up a lot of room or weight, don't take more cooking resources, and I'd still be able to have something if the shakes or haven't eaten enough/right bad mood starts up. - Also, along with the baking soda, we would add a dehumidifier packet (probably one of the hang up types). We've recently moved to Florida, and found those are useful and necessary, just about everywhere. Those would also have to be checked monthly or bi-monthly. Thank you for the video. We hope to see Angie again.

[@Cheryl-pr4we]

Ok know it all who had to take the stage. 😂

[@KellyS_77]

I would look for a wheeled cooler, or a wheeled dolly (like you use for moving heavy boxes) and a bungee or ratchet strap. Wheels make almost everything better :)

[@starwoan5970]

Many Thxs for this eye opening Share!!! 😊👍🏾 Suggestion: Consider putting wheels on the cooler or putting it in a wagon to pull, even mounting it on two skate boards would work! God Bless! 🌹🙏🏽🌹

[@josephdone2713]

I have always thought of how I would have my evacuation food preps stored with the rest of my supplies out in my garage. This is truly revelatory! And the rotation idea is excellent. I think having a separate tote for food preparation and cooking supplies would be good. Thank you for this information.

[@bizboomer]

Brilliant ! Thank you!

[@marygallagher3428]

Great bug-out cooler!

[@jodilee1563]

Oh My Gosh!!!!! This video was amazing and solved my problem for storing in our 5th wheel camper. I hate that I have everything in our house, but didn't want anything to freeze(Montana) or allow mouse access. I will be working on my project, starting tomorrow!! I have a huge empty cooler just sitting useless. Thank you, Angie!!!

[@HoneyBee-tg2np]

Add old socks to protect glass jars

[@bufflink3963]

Love this ❤️ you could add individual honey packets, they can also be used for medical supplies

[@annemariemoormann996]

My husband and I will just be having oatmeal with honey, peanuts/peanutbutter and lentils with tuna/salmon and rice. Every day. We’ll be fine :) Obviously you’ll be finer 😅

[@hollyf1380]

We have a couple of these packs ready to go, except we use rubber maid tubs, I'm able to pack a full week in one tub. We do this not only for emergencies but we also go camping frequently and grab these on our camping excursions to make sure we are rotating them through. They come in so handy and not just for bug out situations.

[@Kathleensailorgirl]

Excellent presentation thanks for sharing

[@danam.8709]

"Thank you" to all of you !! Good ideas that are this well refined are worth their weight in precious metals !!! Love the 'Any season' approach. Makes it low maintenance, less fussy which is an issue for me.

[@ItsEverythingElse]

How much do ideas weigh? :)

[@danam.8709]

@@ItsEverythingElse they weigh the same as knowledge and skills. Their only weight is on your mind if you need them and don't have them.

[@Mammafly]

This was an awesome video! Our family also realized that putting all our food in individual bug out bags was impractical for a family setting when we decided to try out our bags in a mock bug out for 3 days. Our solution was also a family bin for family-type needs. In addition to our 1. Food bin (loved the suggestions to use a cooler btw) we also have a… 2. Food Prep bin (for cooking and heating things)…we also use this bin for camping 3. Medical Bin (this is our full family medical kit that we also take camping) 4. Misc Bin (this includes extra blankets, tools, fishing gear, navigation, fire, lanterns, and sanitation needs) 5. And a bin/stack of Water Bottles specifically set aside for bugging out It’s these Family Bins and our Bug Out Bags that we set aside for our Bug Out situations and we put them all in the same area so we can quickly bug out if needed.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Sounds very similar to us!

[@philw7174]

Very good video. Thank you Angie, Jonathan and Kylene. Nice to have those favorite meals and amounts to enjoy when needed. Sure enjoy your friends contributions that they share. Ghee is one item that I want but have missed. Happy trails!

[@SerenitynPeace]

We don't have to worry, no place to go...

[@sielorstout1213]

Same here🎉

[@whynot2934]

Same!🎉

[@carolgreen1822]

Same. Unless my house is on fire, I'm staying put. Car probably won't run and there will be a zillion people on the road.

[@SerenitynPeace]

Thanks all! 👍♥️👏🇺🇲🙏

[@stevenschnepp576]

You don't bug out because you have someplace you'd rather be, you bug out because you're someplace you can't be.

[@GoodThingsEtc]

Great idea!! If able, i would duck tape items under the lid like your money and can opener and baggies /trash bags to dispose garbage.

[@organizedchaoslife]

This is exactly what I needed. It has been on my mind to have some sort of bucket of easy to prepare foods for my family in the event we need to leave, especially as we are in a tornado prone area and had one rip through our neighborhood 2 years ago (grateful we only had large limbs down and one broken storm window, but other neighbors had roofs blown off with rain coming in and many didn't get repairs completed for a year! I very much appreciate her ideas on what to include and thoroughness on how to protect and rotate it. Thanks so much this and for sharing!!

[@justjoanish]

This is such a great well-thought-out system. Thank you.

[@alindasue]

I like the meal plans. The one thing I noticed, though, is that nearly every one of those meals is dependent on ready access to plenty of water. That can pose an issue in many bugout situations. For at home prepping, I use a lot of add water foods and homemade mixes, but for my bugout foods, I pack assuming that water and places to cook may be minimal. Foods like canned chili or soup, crackers and peanut butter, or dried cereal (cheerios, etc) can still be eaten, even if water is limited and we can't cook.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

That is a good point! We do have 6 gallons of water ready to go right beside the cooler, plus bug-out bags with water bladders, Sawyer straws, and one ceramic filter with faucet that we can use to convert 2 of our 5 gallon buckets that hold our other bug-out supplies into a make-shift Berkey filtration system if needed. (Multiple ways to ensure that we have enough water).

[@marshacurtis349]

Such a great idea! I have an extra cooler collecting dust so now it’s very valuable. Thank you.

[@annlockey8552]

It's great that Angie shares her cooler great idea x

[@customer5032]

Thank you Angie and PP for this excellent idea and video! 💝

[@rhondaanthony8043]

This presentation was AWESOME!!! Thank you to Angie for showing us meals that YOUR family likes (and can prepare). This video gave me so many ideas for what MY family is accustomed to. I love that you included MULTIVITAMINS! Also, the dehydrated veggies and daily meal plan guide. So many great ways to use what I already have. God's Blessings on you and your family!

[@brendacushing5907]

Great ❤️😊👍

[@juliabrown5948]

This was a fabulous video with so many good ideas for application in various scenarios. Thank you for this!

[@alternative.solutions3806]

Thats an awesome cooler idea. Thank you so much for sharing. I have like 7 coolers and it never crossed my mind to use them like this and thus they sit empty. But not for long. Thanks again.

[@jodilee1563]

Me too with un used coolers. Duh! I'm getting busy tomorrow and putting these in our 5th wheel camper. Rodents and cold have kept me from doing so previously.

[@Lulu-he9dp]

Thank you all for sharing this video. There is so much valuable information and tips to adapt to our own family's needs. We are fortunate to have some freeze-dried and dehydrated foods to take if necessary. They are lighter weight than canned goods although some of them would be included. Plenty of water will be necessary and filtering supplies if you have to get the water from another source. I like the menu and instruction ideas especially so it is clearly enough food to last, and anyone can know what to prepare. I think we would use the cooler idea, but maybe smaller ones so more than one strong person can carry them. Also, if getting separated is a possibility, each group would have some meals/supplies. Would mean doubling up on can openers, etc. I think we may have a cooler with 2 wheels on one end and a telescoping handle. Thank you!

[@sandrataylor8966]

Thank you for your thoughtful presentation.

[@cabinfevernanna5897]

I like the idea of precooked legumes and dehydrating it. I'd ditch the coffee or put it, the pancake mix and baking soda in baggies and barter with the coffee😉. And try allulose instead of stevia. It's much tastier sugar replacement imho.

[@resilientdad7436]

This is a good idea. I have food storage but nothing this organized and planned out ready to grab and go in a hurry. Thanks for sharing.

[@customer5032]

Same here!

[@michellenorleen3427]

lol, chocolate. Love the thoughtfulness. Magnesium is what you crave tho, helps with stres

[@mariamoore3503]

Thank you...great ideas

[@MDK1968Mimi]

Thank you guys for this video so awesome and very helpful. Blessings ❤

[@retepeyahaled2961]

Thank you very much for sharing your ideas to a bug out cooler. My approach would be very different, I hope you don't mind me saying? This cooler is full of ingredients... which implies that you will need access to a kitchen. Even if you bring your own cooking devices along, you will need access to fuel and water. I do not want all these dependencies, since I fear that I might come into a situation where no cooking devices, fuel or clean water are available. You know what I mean, just imagine when the grid goes down and there is no more water coming out of the tap and the stove does not work. My advice: take only canned food. Canned food is ready to eat, whether you heat it or not. You do not to add water... it even contains a fair amount of liquid that you can drink. What would I put into the box? 1. canned bread, since in normal life, most of our meals are made of bread. This would fill half of the contents of my cooler! I cannot stress enough how important bread is and how convenient it is in an emergency situation. 2. Canned cooked beans or canned cooked rice or canned ravioli. Very nutritious, ready to eat. This would fill a quarter of the contents of my cooler. 3. Corned beef. Good to eat together with bread, - or with the beans / rice /ravioli. 4. Canned vegetables and canned soup. So if you are talking about five bugout days: this will keep you and your family alive no matter where you are. No worry about what to cook where, when, who or how. Who knows where you end up?

[@dellcooper2796]

Heaven forbid that we ever have to bug out! We're old, ( 70's,) my husband is paraplegic, and I have mobility issues as well. Our kids will probably all come here for safety. If this is not an option I have no clue where would be. Angie's cooler is amazing! she has given much time and thought to her meals. I congratulate you on a job well done! I'm going to use many Ideas you have shared. Thank you!

[@pianogalRN]

Same here, delicooper. We'll be holing up right here in our house. I'm in fairly good shape but in my 60's, hubby nearly 80 with early dementia, teenage grdkid w/autism & other handicaps. I'm sticking with them in the house. I'd assumed the cooler was for evac by vehicle, certainly not to be weighed down by while roughing it in the wilderness.

[@whynot2934]

This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

[@OffgridVictory]

I commend her for thinking ahead👍🏼. It wouldn’t work for us because I’m too forgetful to rotate🤣. Thanks

[@sueciviero3866]

Maybe link it on a calendar for when you change your smoke detector batteries?

[@mimiseeyou]

Add a knife and trashbags. This was excellent girl! Great job!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Great ideas! Thank you!

[@lovelearning7467]

Best I’ve ever seen! Thank you soooo much!

[@CoolHandLukeakaSgtBilly]

Angie, Look into a "Meal In A Jar" cookbook. Great source for building a 5 day supply. Also, Freeze Drying is much more healthy than dehydrating. Great ideas you have.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Thanks for the suggestion. A freeze dryer is on my dream to have list.

[@hrdknox2000]

This is a really cool idea!

[@pamelaporter3683]

Excellent!

[@veggiemom5]

Great ideas!!!

[@gonefishing3644]

It is always interesting to see how other people create an emergency food kit for evacuation. This is certainly a more affordable alternative to having a lot of pouches of Mountain House meals or some grab-and-go bags of Augason Farms or Readywise instant meal kits. When I stock dry foods from the supermarket or home dehydrated veggies and fruit for emergencies, I go the extra step to repackage the dry food in heat-sealed Mylar bags plus one or two oxygen absorbers. That way, if I use those dry foods to make an emergency food kit, I am just rotating the small size bottles or jars of olive oil and coconut oil every two years or so and the other food items can wait for ten years or longer. I have created a few small boxes of instant meals this way at a lot less cost that the 24-hr, 48-hr and 72-hr emergency meal kits from commercial sources.

[@pierreaucoin2480]

That was pretty thorough and well thought out. Looks tasty!

[@tacsquirrel]

Outstanding

[@OvcharkaShepherd]

We filled the largest cooler we could find with wheels (bought at the end of season clearance sale) with freeze dried food packets and paper goods. Instead of listing a menu plan and needing to combine ingredients, each day was self contained in a gallon bag that we wrote the contents on. If we wanted to we could gift an entire bag containing everything needed, except water. Ours food ark contains 3 weeks of food, protects the mylar bags and is much lighter than taking ingredients from the pantry.

[@katem2411]

Thanks for the good ideas around organization and types of foods. I loved the idea of dehydrating vegetables. That said, I always wonder why so many people seem to assume that they are going to have a vehicle available to bug out in or that the roads they need to drive on will be passable? This sort of container and/or buckets wouldn't be easy to carry without a vehicle and/or multiple strong people to do the porting. It seems very optimistic for anyone to assume that they'd have the means to cook/heat at some (much less all) of their meals in a bug out situation. While this is great for if you have a vehicle bug out to a location where you could set up a secure campsite to cook in, I'd be leaning towards including backpacks for each person with quite a few protein bars and bottled water and water filtration for if driving with a cooler and camp stove wasn't an option and/or for times when cooking wasn't possible and tap water isn't available/clean.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

I think we all hope for the best and plan for the worst. I personally hope that if we need to bug-out that a hotel on a beach in Florida is our destination! 😂. Or any hotel. I'm so NOT a camper! Lol We do have bug-out bags with snacks, Sawyer straws, water bladders and enough supplies to get us through a hike if we absolutely could not travel in our vehicle or had to abandon it along the way. And a tent and enough extra 5-gallon buckets to quickly transfer stuff from our cooler if absolutely necessary. This was just a video about our bug-out cooler, not our entire evacuation plan. ☺️

[@katem2411]

@Angie Homeschool Mom a hotel on the beach sounds like my idea of bugging out too! Hopefully, none of us will ever need to bug out, and if we do, vehicles will not be an issue. I just remember the horrified look on a friend's face when she was telling me about her one bug out plan, and I pointed out that they may not be able to rely on their standard transportation to get them out. It had never crossed her mind that they may not have a vehicle or open roads. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people just don't factor that kind of situation into the equation - so I'm glad your family has other preps as well as the cooler, which is an awesome idea as most of us have one (or three) sitting around the garage gathering dust.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

@@katem2411 I'm glad you brought that question up for your friend. Sometimes all we need is a friend to bounce our ideas off of. 😀 "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22

[@jrmr6282]

You should have also discussed the cooler you were using. It is a 12-volt Coleman cooler that cannot be use with ice. You can click it into the car or a battery. Or even a solar array. An excellent cooler when you have no ice. Keep in mind that is all it is, a cooler.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

The electrical fan part is broken, so we don't have to worry about wrecking it with ice. We've already cut off the electrical cord since it was useless. 👍 We've since replaced it with another one like it, that's why this one was sitting unused in our garage.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

This is a wonderful idea. Rose red channel has recipes for meals in a jar.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

I think that's where I got mine from. I love her channel.

[@minimalistcriminalist2722]

Thank you for sharing this! It's given me some great ideas.

[@pianogalRN]

Wonderful, to a point. Great idea only if you will "bug out" in a vehicle. A little bit pie-in-the-sky though -- if in survival mode, be glad for 2 meals/day. We don't have to have our "bellies full" if stuff really hits the fan, do we?

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Hope for the best and plan for the worst. 🙂 We don't have to use everything in the cooler, but we have it if we need it...all the while hoping we need none of it. 🤞🙏

[@MikkiandAngel]

You should use oxygen absorbers inside of smaller mylar bags or double use of freezer bags as the food stays fresher longer and you eliminate the boxes and can hold more food in the big out cooler

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

I hadn't thought about those options. Thanks for the tips!

[@vexicon]

Good information!

[@emilasmith4279]

I have a grab n go tote bin that has various ways to cook - mini butane stove w cans, mini grill will jugs of charcoal, and all the cooking utensils, foil, foil pans, tongs, mitts etc. I have another tote with food items. Other things to consider: breakfast essentials pkg. High in protein, carbs and vitamins. Powdered milk. Hot choc mix. Cannister of tang for oj substitute or can put sparingly in water to improve taste. Kool aid pkg. Boxed jello. I have the krusteaz high protein pancake mix just to bump up proteins. Pop tarts can be used for a quick breakfast or as a sweet snack. Dry oats, peanut butter, honey and a pkg of dry breakfast essentials can be mixed for protein ball. Also check Anthony’s foods - dried organic cheddar cheese. Add water to make cheese sause for macaroni or for potatoes or soups. Gum. I like the idea of the cooler. I have a large cooler w wheels and pull up handle that is high density insulated. I’m going to move everything to it. I have a shelf right by the car that has grab n go cases of water as well as various kits. The downside is if I’m awayfrom home when evacuation order comes. In the summer I cannot store food in car due to heat. Great video!!! Thanks for sharing! ❤❤❤

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Great ideas!!!

[@Lori664]

Smart 💥

[@recess7018]

We take a simplified approch to eating if we are in a bug out situation. At that point it's about survival, not necessarily eating full meals that need lots of water to rehydrate or prepare, or fuel to cook. Plus if you bug out to a sheltler, everyone will see the labels and know that you have food. Or they will smell the food. Or you won't be able to build a fire to cook the food and you'll need pot(s) of some sort to cook in. Even if you pack canned food that can be eaten straight from the can, it will be smelled by others if they are anywhere in the same area. And all of that canned food is heavy! Our solution is very simple...we have packed enough Datrex type bars in our 72 hour kits to last us at least a week, so there's noting extra to grab. They are light weight, take up almost no room, don't have to be reconsitiuted, have no smell, don't need any utensils, can be eaten discreetly and you are left with very little trash to conseal. We've added hard candies for treats. The bars are good for 5 years (so less rotating) and the hard candies last indefinitely. Neither are affected by heat or cold. Will it be exciting??? No, but it will meet your basic survival nutritional needs.

[@paularizzo5217]

My comment is actually a question: have you practiced with the exact menu and items? The measurements look a little light, to me, but, I have a large appetite. I love the idea of using the cooler! Dehydrated fast beans and other home dehydrated foods are awesome.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

These are all meals we eat on a regular basis, so tried and true. We have 2 very small kids who eat like birds. And 3 of us older ones usually only eat twice per day. With the snacks, and the freedom to increase fat intake, this is more calories and food than we normally eat.

[@joydavid8128]

Since markers are not permanent on plastic. It might be good to cover the directions with clear packing tape.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

I did notice that! It took several takes to complete the video of me emptying the cooler and so after I had removed the contents and put them back several times, I noticed the writing had faded. I just rewrote over the faded portions, but I like your idea too!

[@lindaliberty4545]

She did not mention WATER. How much water does she need to take for prepping all the food and drinks?

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

This was just a video about the cooler. We do have water ready to go right beside the cooler and different methods of obtaining and filtering more with our bug-out gear. In a bug-out situation, being able to carry enough water for 6 people for several days would be too heavy. So we have enough to hopefully get us to our location, maybe one more day if we only use it for drinking and food prep, and then will have to obtain more.

[@MikkiandAngel]

I’ve long term dry #10 cans that are just add water and the6 are good until 2032-2045 so yes rotating your foods is best. I too have the same and it’s also smart to put a cache stash some place so you and your family knows where you buried it off your property and never tell anyone where it’s hidden.

[@PLeejo]

Flavored dry electrolyte packets.

[@dbrant8903]

I wonder if one of those portable foldable luggage carts would be good to include with the cooler to haul it or would the cooler be too big?They're not that much money like $25 at Walmart

[@mrmicro22]

More like a full size or folding hand truck.

[@chuckkatz1824]

Excellent video! Great idea to use a cooler. Your point on the weight is also excellent! You mention cargo space and vehicle type as well as distance to carry and physical abilities of party members. Any suggestions on a good weight range to aim for? From the ingredients you show, it looks like you have done a pretty good job at minimizing both weight and bulk to get a very good set of meals for your family. It's always a difficult balance between striving for normalcy/comfort and yet also facing that the limitations of travel/camping/bugout. Particularly for children. I think that you point out some excellent ways to achieve this. Do you have suggestions for comfort foods for other members of the family, particularly children? Also, do you need to do anything special to get children to eat certain foods such as powdered milk? That has been something of a challenge for us. Thank you again for making this excellent video!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Thanks for your encouraging words. Trying different milk powders by experimentation to see if there's one your children will drink and the addition of a bit of sugar helps. The one I keep for drinking is a whole milk powder rather than skim. It has a much shorter shelf-life than skim, but tastes better. I don't keep a lot of it in my pantry; it's there in case we get snowed in or can't leave the house for a few days-not for long term storage. I do keep quite a bit of skim milk powder on hand because of it's linger shelf life and use it as an ingredient to put in things, but that could also work in a pinch to drink if I added sugar or chocolate milk powder/syrup or other flavoring like vanilla extract to it. I don't have a suggestion for a good weight to shoot for as it really depends on the strength of the one who is carrying it, whether there's more than one person who is able to carry it in turns, whether you have a truck dolly or wagon etc. Someone mentioned in the comments about using two smaller coolers which could also work. My husband carries drywall, packs of shingles and other heavy and awkward things for a living, so he's above average in strength. We also have a teenage son who could carry it for shorter distances if needed. Our cooler has handles on the sides so two people could potentially carry it at the same time and share the load. There's straps in the bug out bags, so we could potentially convert it to a backpack cooler using softer material like a wool blanket or towel to cushion the shoulders of whomever is carrying it.

[@KarenNorth-zb1qy]

This is a very interesting idea. Where do you store your packed cooler?

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

In our basement storage room with our other emergency supplies. We have a walkout basement for quick evacuation. Could easily be stored in a closet with other bug-out supplies. Not in a garage that isn't temperature regulated. Too high temps and freezing temps longterm would damage the contents. Stored food should kept in a cool, dark, dry location. Dark wouldn't matter for the cooler as the cooler blocks the light.

[@cargold7597]

Do you have on your cooler other items, such as a stove and water to add. Also, how much water for all these meals?

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

We have other emergency supplies stored in case of emergency. Water, water filterstents, clothing etc. Each family needs to figure out what they'll need and plan accordingly. Lots of info available online and on the Provident Prepper as to the things you should consider and how much. If you do a little bit at a time as you can afford it, you'll have what you need when (if) an emergency arrives.

[@dbrant8903]

I would like to know more about the recipes for the meals-dried ingredients in the bottles.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

I think I got both recipes from RoseRed Homestead.

[@jessicapabon2105]

Give me a great idea. Also I was thinking that God forbid but what if something lasted a lot longer than 5 days you can always opt to skip lunch. No one's going to be worse for where if you skip lunch but that being said you could also do dehydrated Fruit Roll-Ups and use mylar to seal them and that can be like a very nice snack made out of pure fruit and the items that were supposed to be for lunch can be left and you can add an additional to almost 3 days of more of food by just leaving those lunch items for a few more days to stretch it out I like also the idea of making the dehydrated Foods veggies and meats and meal planning like you did mylar bags. The pancake mix is a great idea I love that idea I would probably do Bisquick however because Bisquick can be done with pancakes or you can turn it into biscuits or what have you. I love the idea with a flower in the bags with the ingredients and so forth to make biscuits and I would probably throw in some envelopes of yeast as well. The parboiling of a beans and then dehydrating them is genius because beans take forever to cook I have a pelican cooler that has been in the garage for a while unused and I think that is a really great idea of being able to do something like that and the two adults can easily carry the cooler if they for some reason have to evacuate the car but I also would recommend putting extra Hardy protein bars and nuts and jerky and even as far as going rice and mashed potatoes with dehydrated vegetables that have been literally the air has been sucked out of them just in case something happens to that cooler or in case you have an extended 5 days because God forbid it's crucial that we have never been introduced to. Trying to think outside the box and I know it's irritating sometimes to some people but I really like to think what I would do in the worst circumstances ever . Very well done. I do agree with a commenter to put in some natural organic honey packets or honey straws.... hard candy.. gum... and any nook and cranny that you have available I would definitely squeeze in little snack packs bags of T's Big Lots or the coffees that are in a long little tube not have the coffee and creamer and sugar within it I would shove them in every single thing you can the same with any Gatorade envelopes little tiny things like that

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Great suggestions! Thanks!

[@theresamascorro2724]

I would probably get a cooler on wheels

[@wynetetyree4678]

Ghee is genius! Baking soda...good idea, can also use 1/2 teas in glass of water to alkalize your body. (Stress causes acidity where bad bugs thrive) Suggestion: 100% Organic foods would be best. Sooo many toxic ingredients & chemicals, genetic modification & irradiation in non-Organic foods. Ex: Carrageenan causes inflammation & pain. Reduced iron puts toxic metal in your body...Good to avoid! Top nutrition would be important in stressfull situations. I like Markus Rothkranz powdered green drink! Best nutrition I have found and a great emergency vitamin food! I remove anything in boxes or containers & put in bags to save space, cut instructions off of box & tape to bag. The little hand sized camp stove. (Folds up flat)...it's amazing! Did you have a little dish soap? This is the thing: when the peanut butter hits the fan...what happens after day 6? or when finally sewers back up into the home? Anyway, this was a really good video. Thank you !!!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Dish soap is in a different container.

[@adessachui7777]

YES, she is missing something: Hot chocolate! If something happened in the winter, the children and adult children 😂 would love it. Other than that, this lady deserves a mom of the year reward!!! I'm going to start thinking about how I can do one. Well done!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Great idea!

[@sarahgrooms5606]

Where do you go if you have to bug out?

[@daniellebarker7667]

Please remember that in a bugout situation where water may be scarce, a lower protein diet (which will Not be harmful in the short term) requires less water for the body to process.

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Good tip! I did not know that! We have 6 gallons of water right next to the cooler ready to go with us and Sawyer straws in each of the bug-out backpacks and a ceramic water filter with faucet to use to convert a couple of the 5 gallon buckets that hold our other bug-out supplies into a make-shift Berkey filtration system if needed. 👍

[@Mammafly]

Yes but reduced protein causes you to feel very lethargic.

[@PLeejo]

Bring a hand truck. Strap it to that. Your burly pack member may get disabled for any number of reasons

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Good idea!

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

Great idea!

[@annlockey8552]

Personally I don't think I'll bug out more like bug in

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

That's my #1 choice too. And have made sure we could pull that off if needed. This is definitely a last case scenario for me.

[@deepsea5107]

Same here; unless there was a direct threat to our dwelling (fire, flood, storm damage, etc). When your dwelling is compromised is when items like Angie's bug out cooler come in handy.

[@spartanpatriot3163]

You can get way more then 5 day’s worth of food in that cooler

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

You're probably right! Every family needs to determine what they want/need given their budget, # of family members, dietary needs etc.

[@tallcamaroguy]

Water filtration???

[@angiehomeschoolmom3269]

It is with our other bug-out gear. 👍

[@myrleenmanley]

I haven’t found a way to print it out. Too many ads in the link!!

[@myrleenmanley]

So how do I print it

[@jerriscollins-ruth9019]

Get a cooler with wheels.

[@venitadixon4207]

Too complicated for me!