For anyone who is into preparedness, planning for a period of time without a refrigerator (electricity) is high up on the list of potential SHTF scenarios.
It’s one thing to plan for a few days without refrigeration, but what if it was longer than that – as in an entirely new way of life for awhile without electricity – without a refrigerator.
What would you have to do without, and would it be that bad? What would the adjustments be to your food habits? How desperately do we actually need a refrigerator?
The first refrigeration machine was designed in 1755. In 1913, refrigerators for home and domestic use were invented and they rapidly became commonplace in the home. Today, we can’t imagine life without one…
But prior to the early 1900’s, people managed to survive without them.
Here’s a challenge for you:
Right now, go over to your refrigerator and look inside. What’s in there? How much of the food inside is essential to your survival? Be honest…
Answer: Probably nothing. It’s a convenience.
What’s In Your Refrigerator?
You probably have some of the following foods in your refrigerator:
Ketchup & Mustard
Some vegetable greens
Soda and juices
A few leftovers
Of the above list, none of these items are essential to your survival.
What’s In Your Freezer?
You probably have some of the following frozen foods in the freezer of your fridge:
Any other meats
Ice Cream (this might be an essential 😉 )
Packaged Processed Foods
Of the above list, none of the foods are essential. There are other ways to preserve food.
If the SHTF, the first thing you will want to do is to consume the foods that are in your refrigerator and freezer – so as not to waste. The exception to this is if you expect power to come back on within 24 to 48 hours (your freezer may hold it’s cold long enough if you don’t open it up).
If you are properly equipped, you may be able to save some of your frozen foods by preserving them in an alternate way (canning, dehydrating) – so long as you have alternative energy to do so (gas burner, etc.).
For the preparedness minded, it is beneficial to learn other methods to preserve food. It’s best to learn it now, while there’s no pressure to do so. In addition to your bulk food storage and dry foods, if you have shelves of canned foods, dehydrated foods, perhaps a root cellar, then you do not need a refrigerator or freezer to survive.
Your neighbors on the other hand may be SOL when their fridge goes dead…