4-38. Preserving food is very important for isolated persons. Food, especially meat, has a tendency to spoil within a short period of time, unless it is preserved. There are many ways to preserve food including cooking, refrigeration, freezing, and dehydration.
4-39. Cooling is an effective method of storing food for short periods. Heat tends to accelerate the decomposition process where cooling retards decomposition. The colder food becomes, the less likely it is to deteriorate before freezing which eliminates decomposition. Cooling devices available include—
- Snow. Food items buried in snow will maintain a temperature of approximately 32° F (0° C).
- Streams. Food wrapped in waterproof material and placed in streams will remain cool in summer months. Take care to secure the food to prevent loss.
- Below ground soil. Particularly in shady areas or along streams, it remains cooler than the surface. Dig a hole, line with grass, and cover to form an effective cool storage area similar to a root cellar.
- Water. When water evaporates, it tends to cool down the surrounding area. Wrap Articles of food in an absorbent material such as cotton or burlap and rewet as the water evaporates.
- Freezing. Once food is frozen, it will not decompose. Freeze food in meal-sized portions.
- Drying. Drying removes all moisture and preserves the food. Dry all food by sunning, smoking, or burying it in hot sand.
4-40. Many animals and insects will devour an isolated person’s food supply if it is not correctly stored. Protect food from insects and birds by wrapping it in material, wrapping and tying brush around the bundle, then wrapping it with another layer of material. This creates “dead air” space making it more difficult for insects and birds to get to the food. If the outer layer is wetted, evaporation will also cool the food to some degree. In most cases, if food is stored several feet off the ground, it will be out of reach of most animals. Hang the food by putting it into a “cache.” If the food is dehydrated, the container must be waterproof to prevent reabsorption.
4-41. Frozen food will remain frozen only if the outside temperature remains below freezing. Burying food is a good method of storage as long as scavengers are not in the area to uncover it. Consider insects and small animals when burying food. Food should never be stored in the isolated person’s shelter as this may attract wild animals and could be hazardous to the isolated person.
Sun Drying
4-42. To sun dry food, cut it into thin slices so it is less desirable to insects and place it in direct sunlight. Cut meat across the grain and remove all of the fat to improve tenderness and decrease drying time. Add salt to improve taste and accelerate the drying process. Decrease drying time by stringing the meat on a rack so that it dries using the sun and the wind.
Smoking
4-43. Use a non-resinous hard wood such as willow or aspen to produce smoke that will provide slow heat to dry the meat and add flavor. Cut the meat into small, thin slices with all fat removed. Place the meat over a set of heated coals on an improvised rack about two feet above the coals. The goal is to produce heat and smoke—not flame. Place some type of material, such as a poncho or a piece of nylon, around the meat to contain the smoke. Place chips of green wood on the coals to produce the smoke that will preserve the meat. Meat smoked overnight in this manner will last up to a week. Two days of continuous smoking will preserve the meat for up to four weeks. You can consume properly smoked meat; it will look like a dark, curled, brittle stick, without further cooking.
4-44. If the situation allows, the isolated person needs to gather and preserve more plant foods than can be eaten, preserve excess in the same manner as animal foods. Dry plants and fruits by wind, air, sun, or fire, with or without smoke. Any combination of these methods will remove moisture. If the plant part is large, such as tubers, it should be sliced and then dried. Some type of protection may be necessary to prevent consumption or contamination by insects. Carry extra fruits or berries by wrapping them in leaves or moss.
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