Growing Mushrooms in Logs

Growing Mushrooms in Logs*

By: Bananas

Mushrooms grow on multiple substances (mediums/ substrates). I’ve seen people use logs, wood chips, grains, sterilized straw, compost/litter, etc… In this post I will be limiting my input to growing on logs, as that is where I have the most personal experience. For the last 5-6 years I have grown oyster mushrooms and shitake mushrooms, on logs, in my backyard. I have a postage stamp sized yard and one back corner is extremely shaded from a combination of the direction it faces, and my neighbor having tall trees and bushes growing along the property line. As I love gardening I set out to find plants that would grow in shade. After much research I determined no plant, I wanted to eat, would grow well in a couple of hours of dappled sun a day. However, while searching for shade loving plants, I found out you can cultivate mushrooms in your yard.  So, I gave up on plants (for that part of my yard) and decided to try my hand at mushroom growing.  I found Sharondale Mushroom Farm in Cismont, VA. , a few hours from me, that has classes on growing your own mushrooms (http://sharondalefarm.taithost.com/workshops/ ). For the record, one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Currently the class is $75. FYI, I have zero affiliation with this organization: I took their class and emailed 2-3 times, approximately 5-6 years ago.

As I hate posts that go on and on before getting to the meat, here is the down and dirty- details to follow:

1.     Determine the kind of mushroom you want to grow, make sure it grows in logs, and you can locate spawn. Then purchase spawn.

2.     Locate, source, &/or create the appropriate logs.

3.     Drill your logs.

4.     Inject (or insert if using plugs) spawn.

5.     Seal holes (optional but I prefer, you’ll find out why below)

6.     Some logs need rafted (laid at a slight angle with the bottoms touching the ground for 6-12months), some go straight to their permanent location. In either case it must be in the shade.

7.     Grow and harvest your mushrooms- Rafted logs then get leaned upright and occasionally soaked to cause them to flush. Logs that are placed directly where they will be staying, fruit out as conditions dictate. 

So, what kind of mushrooms do you want to grow? Four types I know that grow in logs are shitake, oyster, lion’s mane, and reishi. I’d love to grow Reishi (it’s medicinal) but never got around to it, and wanted to concentrate on food production. I know nothing about Lion’s mane so I should probably taste it before investing time and energy growing some. That left me with Shitake and Oyster’s, and I will discuss them going forward.

1.     I determined I want to grow shitake and oyster mushrooms. They do grow in logs. I can get spawn from Sharondale Farms: check, check, check. Should YOU get spawn from Sharondale? Only if you have to. No I don’t have any problem with them. However, I believe you should try and find spawn as close to your local area as possible. If you can find a legitimate source, organic if you desire, closer to you, that would be my choice. If not, sure go ahead and order from Sharondale. I will state I picked up my spawn, so I know nothing of their shipping practices, except that I know they do ship. There is one extra step here; do you want saw dust spawn, or plugs (plugs are basically wooden dowels inoculated with appropriate spawn)? I like saw dust, I just feel like it should be easier for the mycelium (the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments (hyphae)) to get into the log. Both work though. Also, the dust requires an injector. That said you can get a starter kit with 5 pounds of inoculated saw dust, the inoculator/ injector (“palm inoculation tool”), 2lbs of cheese wax, 3 wax daubers, and the 12mm drill bit (sized to match the inoculators, plus it’s shouldered to the appropriate depth) for $89 (http://www.sharondalefarm.com/shop/ ).  Bags of spawn (w/o the kit) are $10-$45 dollars (choices include 5lb bags of spawn, plugs in various counts, plugs with wax, or inoculated fruiting blocks that don’t require logs). The 100 count of plugs is cheaper and doesn’t require the inoculators, but won’t get you nearly as many logs. So, for example- order the Shitake kit and then a bag of pearl oyster spawn and it’s $109 (plus any applicable tax and S&H, about $22 for me) and you can easily do 20 logs (probably 40 or more)- EXCEPT the wax. I found 2lbs wasn’t nearly enough for my 20 logs. I have yet to find a cheap source for bulk cheese wax. I have heard of people using bees wax though.  

2.      You can TRY growing in just about any wood. I’ve been told 3-8” is good, and easier to handle (I’m kind of a brute and like throwing around large objects though). The North Carolina Forestry Library indicates that “high wood density, high ratio of sapwood to heartwood, and strong but not too thick bark” (http://ncforestry.info/ncces/woodland_owner_notes/20/ ) is better for Shitakes. Soft wood is better for Oysters, according to ashvillefungi.com “Tulip Poplar, Maple, Willow, Paulownia, and Tree of Heaven are some of the most successful tree species to inoculate with oyster mushroom spawn” (https://www.ashevillefungi.com/blogs/news/inoculating-logs-by-mushroom-species ). That said, I needed to get some logs, and I knew someone that needed a red oak taken down. I was told white oak is better, but use what you have, and I did. I also used 6-10” logs. We’ll talk about moisture later, but it seems to me that a larger log can hold moisture better (volume to surface area ratio, just like the reason children dehydrate faster than adults). I’m convinced that’s why my logs lasted over 5 years when most literature states 3 years. 

The log length is up to you also. If you are going to hang it in your kitchen then 10-12” might work, but we’re talking about growing in your yard. Keep in mind if you are growing shitakes you will need to soak them, so they must be a length that fits into whatever you will soak them in (I used a kiddie pool). Mine were 30”-48” long.

3.     Drill your logs. I set mine up on saw horses, but make sure they don’t roll (I clamped large C-clamps at the downhill end to stop them from rolling). Your hole diameter and depth will be based on your plugs or inoculator. The Sharondale kit comes with a 12mm bit to match the inoculator (no guessing, that is why I recommend this as a way to start). Most will require holes ½” to 2” deep (plugs longer than saw dust, and based on the plug length).  You do this in a “diamond pattern” but I think saying it that way confuses many people. Just drill holes 6” apart in a row. Move over 3-4” and do another row, BUT THIS TIME, drill your holes in between the holes in the last row (offset). This is what creates the diamond pattern everyone mentions.  Just keep turning your log and drilling the next row offset. To me this and waxing are the two most tedious parts. The good news is, there isn’t much work left after those steps are completed. A little work up front, and you get years of mushrooms. 

Anyway, I used a drill bit (the special bit wasn’t a part of the kit when I bought mine years ago). Once I determined my depth I wrapped electrical tape around my bit as a guide (drilling deeper will just waste spawn). After I drilled two logs I would inoculate. Drilling, inoculating, and sealing get mixed together when doing multiple logs. But I didn’t want to leave my logs with holes to start drying out. Honestly, you can probably drill all your logs, then inoculate and wax. 

4.   & 5. Fill the holes either using your palm inoculator (I put a separate amount of spawn in a separate plastic container for immediate use, so I could keep the main bag in a cool moist place). You just push the inoculator into the spawn, a few times, to fill its tube. Place the end of the inoculators tube just into the hole. Then push the plunger, on the back, with the palm of your other hand. Or, push in your plugs (some people utilize a rubber mallet, if needed, to help get them in place). I would do 3 rows on each log, then seal with wax (I put the wax in a small pot on an outdoor burner, used for a turkey fryer, to melt it). To seal, I learned to do the row facing upward, then have my partner turn the log so the other spawn filled holes faced up. I tried waxing them at the slight angle, but noted lots of wax running down. Then turn again to the 3^rd row you filled. Once done with both logs (if you are set up for two at a time) they were turned to the next three empty rows for inoculating. 

Some people don’t wax, but you risk the saw dust falling out and worse, drying out (that kills it). With plugs it is more of a choice, but again, the idea is they need to be moist, and the wax seals in the moisture. Ashvillefungi.com says to soak the plugged logs right away, for 12-24 hours, unless they are less than 10 days old (ie. were alive and cut less than 10 days ago). 

6.              Here I found conflicting info. I’ll tell you what I did that worked:

Shitakes- Raft: I placed one log I didn’t inoculate in a cool, moist, shadowed area (no direct sun and very little dappled sun if any). I laid the inoculated shitake logs with one end on the first log and the other in contact with moist ground. They were left like this until the following early spring, at which time I soaked them, and leaned them against a north facing (no sun) side of the house. Then they started producing.

Oysters- In that shady part of my yard, under several large trees, I have ornamental grass clusters (planted by the previous owner). I pulled back the edge of the grasses near the walkways and placed the logs there. I arranged the ends of the grasses to partly cover the logs. They are left there in contact with the moist ground. They started producing late the following spring. 

7.   Shitakes*- I usually got 2 flushes in the spring and 2-3 in the fall. You soak your logs (most sources state 12-24hrs but I usually did 24-48 hours). Note: I am on city water, so after filling the kiddie pool, I’d wait a day to make sure any chlorine was out (I waited this long as it was not in sunlight, but in a shady area). If you do this make sure your (or other) children do not have access to drown in the water. Also, I once had a chipmunk drown in there, but since they break my driveway, sidewalks, drop my runoff lines from my down spouts, and tunnel under my foundation, I was more worried it would contaminate my mushrooms than about the nasty critter- sorry hippies). 

Oysters*- They come up when they come up. I’ve missed several good flushes while on vacation, or just forgetting to look. It’s frustrating to go find a pile of mush where a great bunch of mushrooms was, but you missed it. Luckily that is the exception. It’s a good excuse to walk outside frequently. Also my children LOVE going to check the mushroom logs. They also love “picking” them (they hold a bowel or basket while I cut them off the logs- more on that next). Check especially during wet (or recently wet) weather, high humidity, and changes of temperature.

You can simply pull mushrooms off the logs. But, again, MOISTURE in the logs is important. Pulling them off may damage or remove the bark. Bark helps hold moisture in the log. So, I take kitchen scissors and cut them 1/8”-1/4” away from the log leaving some stem (this may be another reason my logs lasted extra long). 

A couple of notes:

a) You are responsible for yourself. You are responsible for assuring that the mushrooms you choose to eat are the correct type and are safe to consume. You are responsible for assuring your mushrooms are safe to eat raw, or are properly cooked if necessary. Personally, I know what I planted (inoculated). I feel the chance of a look alike, randomly growing, where I live, in the same log I inoculated, is low. However, again, you consume at your own risk. Always know what you are eating.

b) If you don’t pick right away bugs will start using your mushrooms as a home. You will see them in the gills. They will eat holes in the gills and crawl around in there. Well, I’m not wasting mushrooms because I was 2 days late and a bug moved in. Do your own research, but I just give them a hard blow and get the bug out. I cook my mushrooms anyway, but eat bugs (or mushrooms previously housing bugs) at your own risk.  

c)  I have missed oyster mushrooms and they have occasionally kept growing. We once got an oyster mushroom the size of my 4 year olds torso (he was so proud). They get harder and woodier if they get too big (in the cases where they don’t just rot). I often eat food that isn’t perfect (something I think many Americans will have to get used to again soon, as food becomes scarcer, but I digress). I simply cook it longer at a lower temperature to allow for it to break down (ex. Parsnips that I continue to dig throughout the winter are cooked this way). 

d) I’ve been told you can eat shitakes raw, but can get sick (stomach pain) from raw oysters (oyster mushrooms). I hear this doesn’t happen to everyone but do your own research and consume mushrooms, of any kind, cooked or raw,at your own risk. 

e) It seems, these days, almost everyone is low on vitamin D. But, even shitake mushrooms grown indoors were reported to have 110iu of vitamin D. Additionally, placing them in the sun , GILLS UP, for 6 hours (or exposing to UV rays) can increase the vitamin D content to up to 46,000iu!!! (http://dietitianwithoutborders.com/why-you-should-stick-your-mushrooms-in-the-sun/ )

f) You may often get more than you can use fresh. The oyster mushrooms especially. I had about 5 oyster logs, together, frequently produce ½ a bushel or more at once . You can control the shitakes easier, by only soaking a couple of logs at a time. However, I found I didn’t have time (and my wife didn’t like the kiddie pool out, and full, for a couple of weeks at a time) for the rotation. So, I just soaked them all at once. Well, what do you do with a harvest too big to eat that night? Placing them in a paper bag in the refrigerator will make them last a little longer. Don’t wash them! Just brush them with a soft bristled brish. I ended up drying some from almost every flush. Having your own supply of fresh and dried gourmet mushrooms is an amazing feeling, but you’ll find that out for yourself soon enough.

g) Spent logs- Eventually your logs stop producing. In the case of my oyster logs they pretty much rotted to nothing. I placed them in the garden and broke, what was left of them, up with a sledge hammer. Then I turned them into the garden. My shitake logs just got too dry. I haven’t tossed them yet. I’ve seen others use them as additional boarders around raised beds. The garden bed keeps them moist, and you might get the occasional mushroom J

In conclusion, this was a fun project for my family. My children love looking for mushrooms, and helping “pick” them. They are healthy and nutritious. And, they will grow in low light conditions (can you say GSM, super volcano, nuclear winter, ionized atmosphere, etc…) including indoors. I look forward to starting another set of logs soon! Thanks for reading.

* Disclaimer: You are responsible for yourself. You are responsible for assuring that the mushrooms you choose to eat are the correct type and are safe to consume. You are responsible for assuring your mushrooms are safe to eat raw, or are properly cooked if necessary.

Thanks again,

by Bananas, FNP-BC, RN, MSN, MCHIS

For additional information see the following links:

Blog Table of Contents
US Government Recommended Preparations;

List of Top 10 Lists 

Top 10 Prepper Websites 

Top 10 Posts 

See similar topics by clicking on the labels below

Surviving a Partial Collapse

Lets start by Categorizing Catastrophic Events to put them in perspective:

Level 10 - the entire planet earth is destroyed
Level  9 - 90% of the humans on planet earth are killed (Asteroid Strike)
Level  8 - 50% of the humans on planet earth are killed
Level  7 - 90% of the humans on a continent are killed (Nuclear Winter)
Level  6 - 50% of the humans on a continent are killed
Level  5 - 90% of the humans in a region are killed (EMP)
Level  4 - 50% of the humans in a region are killed
Level  3 - 10% of the humans in a region are killed
Level  2 -  5% of the humans in a region are killed
Level  1 - single digit % of the humans in a region are killed

An Asteroid Strike, Nuclear Winter,  EMP or a Solar Flare would likely cause a total collapse of our country civilization.  Such an event could be classified from Level 3 to Level 9, but a more likely scenario would be a temporary Partial Collapse that would be from an event in the Level 1 to Level 3 range and which might include things like:

1. Large scale natural like a Super Volcano
2. Man-made disaster or Terrorist Attack such as a small Iranian nuke in several US cities
3. A global economic recession and Hyper Inflation
4. Civil, political and religious unrest with Riots and Looting
5. A nation wide Pandemic <- Click on Links for more info

More common events like Winter Storms, Hurricanes, Floods and Power Outages can cause regional breakdowns, but help will soon be on the way.  These are Level 1 events.  Where the really serious problem starts is when the domestic "Help" is also incapacitated and won't be able to come.  This quickly escalates an event classification by one or more Levels.

Realistically, most Preppers can only afford to prepare for things in the Level 1 to Level 4 scale.  The preparations or these events are similar except for how long you need to prepare for, how much water and food you need and how much seed & land for longer term events. 

This is where our Step by Step Prepper Plan comes in handy. The more you follow the plan and repeat the cycle, the better prepared you are for longer and more serious events.  Once you get to the point where you have a 1 - 2 year supply of food, seed, tools for a Prepper Garden, Livestock and extra supplies to Barter then you are ready to start working on an underground shelter with Solar Power. There are a number of sources on this, and some group retreats have them included.  The more catastrophic Level 5 and higher events will likely require a substantial investment to survive underground.  Nuclear preparations are well documented and information is readily available and not expensive.  www.ki4u.com has lots of good nuclear info, products and links to even more.

Below is a picture showing the before (bottom) and after (top) effects of an 18 kilo tonne (kt) nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima Japan. The nuclear bomb sizes last published were 200,000 kt, or 11,000 times more powerful.  Likely nuclear targets for the US include Washington DC, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Chicago and Los Angles plus other large population centers.

 

The devastation is major but primarily on the surface.  Radioactive fall out is likely to kill just as many as the blast. 

After having your preps in order, getting to your retreat early is a key.  Recognizing the RED FLAG warnings that it is time to bug out is important.  Short term Level 1 events can be dealt with in the city, with a good Urban Plan.  Sustainable City Survival is possible if well prepared, but chances are lower than in the country.  Knowing what to expect in urban areas will help.  Country dwellers should expect to be swarmed with city gangs desperately seeking food and water. 

Once you are well stocked, you need a security plan to protect your supplies and loved ones.  Here are some links to read about security:

Night Vision vs Thermal Vision
Investing for Preppers (Financial Security)
The Best Gun
Best Handgun Selection Criteria

Group Security Drills
Urban Survival Perspective
Urban Survival Plan
The right amount of Ammo

Passive Layered Security
Communications
Actionable Intelligence
PVC Survival Tube

Using your garden for cover
Security Patrol Pack (or Bug Out pack)
Country Home Security Plan
Home Invasion Response Plan

Guns in plain sight
Situational Awareness
Intruder Detection
Riot Preparations

Double Barreled Defense
Modern Home Security
Sustainable City Survival
BB Gun

Top 5 Combat Rifles
Best Prepper Dog

For additional information see the following links:
Blog Table of Contents

See similar topics by clicking on the labels below

Nuclear Survival

Even a limited nuclear exchange would destroy everything for potentially hundreds of miles, sending up enough dust into the atmosphere to partially block the sun for years, causing drastically cooler conditions.  Earth could enter a man-made Ice Age or a Nuclear Winter which may be more severe than an Asteroid Impact Winter. The EMP from a nuclear exchange could destroy all electronics that are not shielded by a Faraday cage or metal enclosure. A solar flare could do the same.

Humans have survived an Ice Age before, but not during a time when our survival skills and preparations were so low.  The good news is that survival after a nuclear exchange is possible with a few preparations.

Such Preparations would fall in two categories:   

1) Surviving a 3-10 year winter, tidal waves, fire storms and acid rain.  Within 20 days, the global average temperature would drop from 58 degrees (F) Fahrenheit to 35 F, recovering about 10 degrees after a year or two.  By this time, 1/3 or more of the northern hemisphere (all of Canada and Northern US) would be covered year-round by snow.  The entire earth would experience freezing in the winter, and only the darkest red areas would not be frozen year-round.

 2) Surviving the "break out" after the sky clears, and the weather warms enough to begin life outside again.  The risk of unusually high ultraviolet exposure exists as the skies clear after being scorched. Disease from the fatalities decaying is a serious risk.

1) Surviving a 3-10 year winter

It could happen without any warning with only a matter of days to react.  So a high level of preparation and readiness is important. What should we prepare for?

• Living underground where the earths temperature is more constant may be required.  If not, a well-insulated shelter with a large supply of firewood, diesel or propane would be required making an "Event" like this, one of the most difficult to be prepared for.  Note that an underground shelter also protects from radiation as well as severe storms and cold.  See: Concrete Bunkers
• A ten year supply of long shelf life foods, water & warm clothing.  See the post:

Building your food stores the right way

Identifying nearby food warehouses, school cafeterias and other such places that feed large numbers might be a place to salvage food.  Animals that survive will likely be underground, underwater or able to withstand cold and eat grasses under the snow or bark and twigs of trees like goats, rabbits & deer.

• Green House to maintain your seed supply over such a long time and provide a small amount of food.
• Security plans with a large supply of Ammo to protect what you have. Here a few links:

                 Passive Layered Security

                 Urban Security

2)  Surviving the break out

Nothing would be worse than surviving the extended winter and then not being prepared to survive the new world.  Here is what you might need and some of this could be salvaged from hardware and farm supply stores.

• Extensive Farming and Ranching supplies, including seeds, plants, livestock, feed, tillers, seeders, garden tools like shovels, hoes, and rakes.  Chickens, dogs, goats, pigeons, and rabbits are good animals to have.
• Green House to grow foods year-round.
• Hand tools like saws, axes, drills, nails, water pumps & barrels.
• Farming and Ranching Skills
• Security is still important as it will be easy to let your guard down at this point and be caught unprepared.
• Reproductive age adults for human re-population.
• Substantial loss of land based animals; large bodies of water may be a key source of natural food supply.  
• Snow melting will cause flooding, even in normally dry places.  
• Decaying animals may result in high amounts of airborne disease.

At this point, common long-term survival preparations are needed in addition to those to handle cooler and more erratic weather and shorter growing seasons.  There is a tremendous amount of detail regarding a long-term sustainable meal plan that is important. How much do I need to plant and how many animals do I need to raise.  The Prepper Handbook by JR Ray on Amazon covers all of this in great detail, so we will not duplicate it here.  

For additional information click on the link below:

Blog Table of Contents

Gas Mask
EMP Survival 
Nuclear Survival
Post Nuke Plan
List of TOP Prepper Sites
Red Flag Warnings its time to bugout 
The SHTF Day One 

The First 5 Things To Do After a Crisis 
The good news about nuclear destruction

List of TOP Prepper Sites

 

New Years Resolution

Happy New Year! As a New Years resolution, lets pledge to protect our families against common disasters for our area. Events like earthquakes or severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, freezing cold and whatever other disasters that are likely to occur over the next few years. With all the rioting going on, we should include that too.  At the very least, put a plan in place. 

The following is an excerpt from the Prepper Handbook that can be previewed for free on Amazon.

Prepper Incremental Strategy
Now let’s talk about common sense prepping. Not going overboard or becoming obsessed, but rather build your preparations slowly over time. Few of us have unlimited funds to go out and buy everything we need at once. Therefore, we must organize, prioritize, and develop our preparations over time. I call this our Incremental Strategy Plan. As you read this book, you should develop your own plan. The following table is an excellent example to follow and can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

This table gives you several columns that represent the approximate times that you might be able to survive with no outside support. The columns and rows are in order of priority. Starting on the left is the minimum level of preparations that you should have. Start at the top row of the first column and work down. Once you achieve the first column level titled “0 – 25%, 7 days” then it is time to move across and start securing the second column of preparations titled “26 – 50%, 30 days.”  Continue this process until you are comfortable with your level of preparation.

You will notice the first item shown in the first column and first row is Ammo and at least one firearm. It doesn’t matter what preparations you have in place; you won’t be able to keep them unless you are armed.

Prepper Incremental Strategy Table

        Column 1^st priority         2^nd priority      3^rd priority      4^th priority

Prep Level &Period of time: →	0–25%7 days	26– 50%30 days	51 – 75%6 Months	76 – 98%1 Year +
Comment on potential cause, symptoms and consequences	Flu, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, chemical leak, wildfire. Power / water out a few days. Minor looting. Less than 1% population loss	Serious pandemic, massive chemical or radiation leak, wildfire, rioting & gang looting.Power / water out for weeks.Single digit population loss.	Social upheaval, terrorist or limited nuke attack, large organized gang looting. Indefinite power outage. Double digit population loss.	EMP, Economic Meltdown, hyperinflation,Organized Militia, possibly foreign “help imposing order”, confiscating weapons & supplies for the common good. 50+% population losses.
Security(1st priority row)	200 rounds of Ammo & at least one personal protection firearm. Solar Powered Lawn Lights that use AA Batteries.Crank radio & flash lights.Whistles for emergency communication.	Increase to 500 rounds of Ammo per firearm & at least 1 pistol & rifle.Add: Solar Powered Motion detection alarms (Home Brite) and Walkie Talkie Radios, CB, ham radios, trip wire, guard dog.	Increase to 1,000 rounds of Ammo per firearm.Add: at least 1 pistol & rifle per adult; Gen 3 Night Vision & a bullet proof vest for every 2 – 3 adults.	Increase to 5,000 rounds of Ammo per firearm.Add Bow & 24 Arrows for each adult; Black Powder Flintlock rifle & bullet mold.Also one Ruger or Marlin Stainless Steel .22 Rifle per Teenager.Gen 3 Night Vision (2).
Watch(2nd priority row)	Radio, TV, daily scouting in pairs / visit neighbors. Sleep with 1 eye open.	Night watchman	24 – 7 Armed Security Watch	Community Organized Constitutional law enforcement.
Air(3rd priority row)	Gas Mask per person. Recall smoke inhalation kills, not the house fire.	Add: Gas Mask for each vehicle & extra set of filters per family member.	Add: 2 NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) Suits.	Add: another extra set of filters and 2 NBC Suits.
Shelter(4th priority)	Stocked primary residence & backup tent. Outdoor barking dogs.	Add: Get out of Dodge (GOOD) pack; Neighborhood organized.	Add: remote retreat with underground shelter & sufficient fuel to get there.	Add: Security posts for community watch with good cover & communications. Restore utility services.
Water(5th priority)	1 gallon of unscented bleach per family and 7 gallons of stored water per person.	Increase to 30 gallons of stored water per person.Add: Water filtration.	Increase to two (2) gallons of bleach.Add:  renewal water source – creek, pond.	Increase to four (4) gallons of unscented bleach.Add: water distillation.
Food(6th priority)	Kitchen pantry & cabinets well stocked with your normal foods, especially dried goods and those with long shelf lives. Have a small “practice” garden and a few hand tools.	Add:  Freezer stocked with ¼ to ½ beef & commonly used frozen foods. Electric Generator and gas to run freezer. Canning book(s), water pump, matches & fire starters. Larger garden.	Add: 6 month supply of dried food for each person. 1,000 canning Jars & extra lidsGarden Seeds. Chickens & Incubator for eggs & meat. Rabbits	Increase vitamins & food supply to 12 months.Add:   Heirloom seeds & hand / garden tools for extended food production.Cows, goats, sheep, horses.
Health & Safety(7th priority)	Advanced First aid Kit.Keep plenty of vitamins & medicines. Fire protection	Add: Extra First Aid supplies like alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, triple Antibiotic cream, acetaminophen, ibuprofen & Vitamins.	Add Books – When there is no Doctor & When there is no Dentist. Expand fire protection.	Group Doctor or nurse. Trauma & surgery first aid kit. Books on nutrition.
Barter / Share(8th priority)	Cash, Water & dried foods. Extra First Aid kit(s). Extra Batteries & LED head lights  Basic first aide kits	Add: Extra first aid supplies Basic Skills, Survival & Medical Books, Bibles. Rechargeable batteries.	Add:  Extra ammo in common calibers.Extra Stainless Steel 22 Rifles to arm trusted neighbors.	Add: US Silver &/or Gold coins. Organized weekly community barter & swap events.Extra Hand & Gardening Tools.
Extras(9th priority)	Quality AC inverter (120 volt Plug) for your car(s). Police Scanner, can openers. Pet food.	Several 5 Gal Cans of Gas & maps. Propane (long shelf life), Kerosene & Lamps. Para Cord (Mil Std 8 ply).	Solar power system,  hand water pump, rain water collection, grain grinder,	Trauma and Surgical Kit, home school books, encyclopedia, fish nets, and Alternate resort off site stores cached for retreat plan.

This table is an example to present the incremental strategy concept. The actual priorities may vary depending on your situation. If you live near a nuclear power plant, NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) Suits are a higher priority. If you live near a chemical plant, refinery, or areas with frequent wild fires, then Gas Masks & extra filters become a higher priority. If you live in a crowded area with no place to go (Bug Out), then you need more security and motion detection, community organization and weapons to share with neighbors for strength in numbers.  See the post Urban Survival Plan

For additional information see the following links:

Blog Table of Contents