Advice on major prep buy

[wrightnidaho]

I have the opportunity to purchase 55 gallon food safe barrels stored with anything you can imagine.....sugar, hard red wheat, lentils, pinto, kidneys, oatmeal, basically you name it and it is availiable. I have negotiated the price to $25.00 a barrel. Each one weighs approximately 300-400 lbs. There are more than 100 availiable. What would you do? Most were stored in 1999 or more recent.

[Beeman]

What would I do?, nothing. I really don't see the need but if you do go for it nor have the room to store it. I'd buy things you could use for animal feed for that price. If you had an outlet rebag it and resell it.

[stamphappy]

Have you had them open one or two to see if the contents are still good? Were they stored in 55 gal metal or plastic? Were the barrels used or brand new? If used, what was originally stored in them? Did moisture get into any of them?

I think about #10 cans that are stored for a long period of time and they are heremetically sealed, but how are the barrels sealed?

I'd be leary that they are still safe to eat unless you can see the product. If they are, then I'd get the sugar and wheat (assuming berries).

I believe after a certain time, beans get very, very hard and soaking will not soften. You may want to check into that.

Good luck and I'm really interesed to see how it goes for you!

[used2bcool13]

If you can open them and check the product it would be better - grain/bugs etc.. Sugar doesn't go bad but can get wet or attract insects. I would have to take a chance and try at least one or two containers.., lol but thats just me.

You can always repack, and reseal.

I guess I would say try what is worth the most to you and only as much as you can afford to lose, do you have to pay shipping? That would be a deal breaker- (they have to weigh alot). Let us know what happens.

Good luck.

[bee]

If it was an "all or nothing" deal I would have to pass. Look at the "more recent" ones and see what they are. Could be I'd have to have at least the sugar..
As others have posted, check condition of the contents. Wheat will store for many,many years if the conditions are right.

Were these the "hoard" of a prepper that has passed and the heirs don't want it?

[carogator]

Those barrels are worth that much empty in some parts of the country.

[7thswan]

I 'd get it and what isn't good (beans -too hard ect) then get yourself a grinder and grind and mix for your critters what you can't use. Sugar is going for a pretty penny. Hunters, would use some of the goods. Dh's buddy up in hunt camp gets 55 gal. of chocolate,carmel ect. the bears come a runing.

[Trisha in WA]

carogator is right. Around here they sell for about that much empty.
I would buy as many as I could afford of the things I would use most...sugar, wheat, oats(can always be used to feed the livestock) and especially salt as it stores forever.
Beans that are old can be pressure cooked or canned with great success.

[mekasmom]

As long as there are no bugs, I would buy as many as you can store and use. Beans, wheat, sugar, salt should all be great. Flour probably wouldn't be a great option, but the others are a marvelous find.
I wish we had that opportunity.

[MaineFarmMom]

If this is old food, I'd be careful of the nutritional value even for livestock. Feeding them isn't enough, they have to be nourished to stay healthy.

[Pouncer]

I'd buy them all, no question. The beans should be just fine, and so should everything else as long as the lids have not been messed with.

I might take and run the grains through the freezer and reseal, though.

What a bargain, all those foods for basically free!

[Tom VH]

Sorry for kidding, but are you emailing from your subterranean bunker, unless you're starving, it will take years to use any of those quantities. Buy seed and plant a garden. I love the Homesteading life, especially with my best friend and wife, Laura, but it is for the love of the land, the good food, our animals and the joy of our team effort. I'm aware that there are more than two groups here but sometimes there seems to be a SHTF group and a not so worried, loving the life group; I realize the US and world are in a bad patch right now, but we have been before. Some one here has a signature phrase of "the happiest people don't have the best of every thing, but make the best of what they have" that's a good way of life, we're love'n it. If you drive or walk by I'll be waving.

[mrpink]

I would agree that the food safe barrels or worth that, even if you had to dump the contents. I would get all that I could afford

[wrightnidaho]

we have inspected the barrels. This was a "hard-core prepper" who passed away and heirs don't want it all. They kept some, donated some and have some for sale. The lady had done her research. She had an amazing setup. The barrels were all new, packed with DE and sealed with a 2-part gamma type lid. We inspected a barrel with pintos and no sign of any trouble (moisture, bugs, mold, etc). The barrel had several 25 lb brown heavy paper bags full of pintos all dusted with DE. We are leaning toward 6 to 8 of them. As said, the barrels are practically worth that empty. We have livestock (cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, and horses) that we could use the oats for. The sugar would be awesome for canning this summer as sugar prices have gone thru the roof. When we went to inspect the barrels, we made some awesome purchases.....an Alpaca kerosene heater/cookstove, 12 one hundred hour emergency candles, 24 heat and fuel liquid in a can, 2 lantern bags, 2 back to basic grain mills, back to back grain mill repair kit, a huge electrified grinder, aladdin lantern #23 with two extra chimneys, 3 extra wicks and 14 mantles, a propane burner (uses small propane bottle), and an outfitter oven that you can use on a wood stove, cookstove, or campfire. All items were BRAND NEW---never been used at all. Had to put the lantern together. We also got cases of 6 #10 cans of salt, veal, instant milk, banana pudding, creamy potatoe soup, and margarine. WE also got individual #10 cans of taco TVP, honey bread and hot roll mix, oat bran, flax, peach drink, and boxes of candy, spices.....I don't know what all else, it was exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Spent all day yesterday loading the pickup and organzing in long-term storage. We have to make another trip because everything we bought wouldn't fit in the truck......Any guesses on what we paid for the above haul? Will be interesting to see what folks guess.

TomVH, ,you guys sound alot like us. We are blessed, have a large family, and want to be prepared for most things. We also don't want to have more than we need or can store.

Thanks for all the input. Look forward to more advice. Thanks again!!

[wrightnidaho]

Oh, I also forgot a Retsel Little Ark mill with an extra set of stones.....

[Tom VH]

Live close,happy and long, best wishes.

[lmrose]

Sounds like someone was preparing for the end of civilization! Lucky you! You should not need to go to a grocery store for years! Good luck!

[texican]

Originally Posted by Tom VH

Sorry for kidding, but are you emailing from your subterranean bunker, unless you're starving, it will take years to use any of those quantities. Buy seed and plant a garden. I love the Homesteading life, especially with my best friend and wife, Laura, but it is for the love of the land, the good food, our animals and the joy of our team effort. I'm aware that there are more than two groups here but sometimes there seems to be a SHTF group and a not so worried, loving the life group; I realize the US and world are in a bad patch right now, but we have been before. Some one here has a signature phrase of "the happiest people don't have the best of every thing, but make the best of what they have" that's a good way of life, we're love'n it. If you drive or walk by I'll be waving.

Yes, it could take years to use all that food. Imagine a "Black Swan" event, the shtf and there is a year without a summer. Garden all you want, you'll get nothing. If everyone is in the same exact boat, those with 'barrels' will be happy and 'waving you, and others "off"' The folks with the barrels will be fat and sassy, and enjoying life, and folks that haven't prepped accordingly will get composted... when things work theirselves out again, they can plant their seeds, and get on with living.

Reckon it's the old grasshopper vs. the ant scenario.

$25/barrel is cheap. I'd jump on it in a heartbeat. A good storage barrel hereabouts is $15. I'd rather have it on the place, and it not be the greatest food, than not have it and starve outright.

[Trisha in WA]

BTW wrightnidaho, stop down at the survival and emergency prep board. You'll fit right in.

[Tom VH]

Yes, it could take years to use all that food. Imagine a "Black Swan" event, the shtf and there is a year without a summer.
OMG I hope you are kidding, a "Black Swan" event, lets imagine road worriers or water world. It's going to take more than barrels of sugar, hard red wheat, lentils, pinto, kidneys, oatmeal, the previous owner died waiting for a "Black Swan event". I'm in MN imagine a year with out a winter, I could can year round.
It's clear that there are homesteaders here and survivalists, there is common ground and differences; is it optimists and pessimists?