Not happy with Emergency Essentials!!!

[Shamrock1121]

For all the times I've ordered things from Emergency Essentials, this last time was BEYOND stupid. >:(

Placed an order May 1st. Everything I ordered was IN-STOCK when I ordered it. After 6 weeks (mid-June) I called and checked on the status of my order. Since they were in the throws of an extremely high number of orders and had tons of back-orders from suppliers, I was more than willing to be patient.

I convinced them, if they couldn't ship the food items, to go ahead and ship the Nutrimill since it was in-stock. Idiots shipped me the lame, piece 'o crap Hand Grain Mill in July. Finally got things straightened out, shipped the Hand Grain Mill back and didn't get the Nutrimill until August.

Today, I got the rest of my order. That's just over 3 months. Rediculous. :( Now, when I get a catalog in the mail with their "SPECIALS", I think, YEAH, RIGHT!!! Why advertise something that's been back-ordered since MAY!!!

Okay, now I feel better.

-Karen

[Cil]

I'm so glad you feel better now. Go have a cup of tea and read a good book. *;D

Better yet, go read this issue of BWH. *:D

[Katrina-Sisu]

My mom had bought powdered eggs from them that went south about a week after opening. In a SHTF scenerio that wouldn't be a help at all, I'd have to find a chicken lol!

Kat

[kawalekm]

I have to second Seth's post. A much better road to self-preparedness is learning how to make stuff instead of trying to BUY stuff. Better to learn about home canning then just stocking up on cans. Better to learn reloading than stocking up on ammo. You'll both save money and learn valuable skills you'll need later on.

I don't think buying your way to self-preparedness is the way to go. You've got to be a doer! If the SHTF the guy who can MAKE beer will rule!
Michael

[Shamrock1121]

I have to second Seth's post. *A much better road to self-preparedness is learning how to make stuff instead of trying to BUY stuff. *Better to learn about home canning then just stocking up on cans. *Better to learn reloading than stocking up on ammo. *You'll both save money and learn valuable skills you'll need later on.

I don't think buying your way to self-preparedness is the way to go. *You've got to be a doer! *If the SHTF the guy who can MAKE beer will rule!
Michael

To set the record straight...you're preachin' to the choir. *

I've taken advanced classes in home canning and food preservation through Kansas State University and have GIVEN classes on the subject, judge home canned foods at Fairs, and have done home canning since I was old enough to help my mother back in the 1950's. *I don't can food anymore because it's not cost effective - FOR ME - as far as pantry foods go. *

But you CAN'T make freeze-dried foods at home, and those are the ones I purchase from Emergency Essentials FOR my long-term emergency preparedness.

Relying on home canning for "self-preseveration" is failing to think things through very well. *You rely as much on commercially prepared items when you do home canning as you would if you bought a can of green beans at the store. *In your most self-suffcient mode, just how are you making lids and jars *??? *Without the new lids, you are no longer able to do home canning. *Jars get brittle from repeated use and can shatter during processing. *Add to that all the necessary ingredients you use in home canning that you PURCHASE commercially - vinegar, spices, salt, lemon juice, sugar, etc., - so you are only fooling yourself if you think you are more self-sufficient by doing home canning. *It's just one of MANY methods used for home food preservation. *

It is my opinion (based on experience, use, and others who are experts on self-sufficiency) only a fool would rely on commercial flour in home food storage. *Nothing like stocking something that is made commercially and has a shelf-life of about 1 year. *Try and plant flour and grow more! *I'm always surprised by how people fail to learn how to use whole grains, fail to store WHEAT and other grains/seeds/beans, and don't have a mill. *Hard wheat will store nearly forever. * *

Back to freeze-dried foods. *I think they are essential in my personal long-term emergency food storage because they keep a long time in the #10 cans. *They are just one type of food storage I maintain. *If you ever needed to rely on them, you probably wouldn't CARE what was in them.

Freeze-dried foods are lightweight, unlike jars of home canned foods, so would be easier to transport, if necessary. *I have freeze-dried meat/fruit/vegetables/cheese/eggs/peanut butter/butter, etc. *I don't store the fancy entrees, which is where you end up with a lot of "funny" ingredients. *I also have 3-years worth of a whey-based milk substitute in #10 cans that has a shelf-life of well over 10 years. *But this is a product we use every day and have for over 25-years. * * * * *

I'm an avid preserver of food through dehydration, but it does NOT have a long shelf life like freeze-dried foods. *Many foods that are dehydrated only keep well for a few months, so I don't consider dehydration long-term storage. *They are a large part of my pantry foods.

Kat -
FYI - Once opened, powdered eggs need to be:
1. *Vacuum-sealed to keep air from degrading the egg powder.
2. *Keep in a refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage).

I use powdered eggs as soon as the price of them is cheaper than the price of fresh eggs. *They are also great for making your own homemade mixes.

If you don't keep powdered eggs in your food storage, then I'd suggest you keep at least one type of egg alternative. *For me, that is "goop" I make from flax seeds.

-Karen
*

[leera]

That is is exactly why I have not ordered from them.........every single time I check out the website after I get a new catalog,every item I would want is on back order!

[admin]

I have no experience with Emergency Essentials, so I'm not saying it's the case here, but many mail order companies, and even websites, run specials with no stock on hand to see if there is any interest. If/when they get enough orders, they then purchase the goods from suppliers.

Whenever you see "allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery" (except magazine subscriptions of course) that is probably what is going on.

Instead of investing their money in goods they may not sell, they get to use your money to place their order and they keep the balance as their profit.

Not a bad way to do business, eh? At least from their point of view.


Oliver

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Thank you Oliver. I was trying to think of a way to explain it but, you did so with more eloquence than I was ready for!
Another thing to consider is your method of ordering. If you phone them, the salesperson can tell you immediately the availability. Your order is entered while you're on the phone.
Ordering via e-mail or internet, you're gambling on availability as you don't know how many orders were submitted before yours.

[WileyCoyote]

Well, um, actually... :-[

I like to grow and can, and dehydrate my own stuff, but we got into the homestead too late this year to do much. So I started looking at all of the different places to get freeze-dried foods from. I tried a couple - and none would ship within 8 weeks. One even called me 6 WEEKS after I placed a big order and told me that the shipping was - $1 a pound. I cancelled that order posthaste.

Then I hooked up at the Emergency Essentials place. I placed a large order. Within a week I got everything I had ordered in one shipment for $12.99 shipping... The thing I like about their website is that if it has a green box, it is in stock; a yellow box means backordered. I only ordered "green boxes". For the "yellow box" stuff, I put in for an email alert for when it was back in stock. Two weeks ago they started sending me emails, so I placed another order. Didn't get anything. Sat and waited. This past Friday I got notification that it was on its way - the full order - from FedEx. My delivery date is in two days, which will be three weeks from my order date.

The only thing that cracks me up about FedEx is that, as the order is en route from place to place - if they went as the crow flies, they either FLY right over or DRIVE right past my house! They certainly go around their ankle to get to their elbow!

And as much as I like to can and dehydrate, I feel very comfortable and happy with freeze-dried foods for long term storage. I have to get into some of my canned stuff and toss it out as it is, because it is too old and not trustworthy. If I'm gonna use it this year, I'll can it or dehydrate it - but freezedried works best for the back-of the shelf long term.