Reasons You Should Stockpile Coffee

by Shannon

If you’re one of those folks, living in a nine-to-five world and just trying to make it through another day without falling asleep in random places, coffee is a blessing. Some people don’t function unless they’re on the second cup of coffee.

One fun fact about coffee is that it was associated with intellectual conversation in 17th century England. With just a penny back then, a person could have a cup of coffee which allegedly helped individuals flock together and form a mentally stimulating conversation.

In a situation, wherein survival may be your priority, a proper dose of alertness is just what you need to keep yourself aware of your environment and notice any potential threats. While coffee may not be part of the priority list, there are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to stockpile it when preparing for an emergency and critical situations.

HEALTH BENEFITS

The most important reason why it’s a good idea to stockpile coffee is its health benefits. Researchers have found that coffee can protect you from a number of fatal diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, liver disease, cancer, and heart failure. Significant data published by researchers have found coffee actually has an inverse relationship with the aforementioned diseases. This means that the more cups of coffee you take, the fewer chances that your health will suffer.

Aside from the fact that coffee without add-ons has a very low-calorie count (two calories), it’s also a rich source of antioxidants that can prevent oxidation or the process in which your body experiences a chemical chain reaction that can eventually lead to damaged cells.

Other health risks that coffee protects you from includes Alzheimer’s, dementia and stroke. This is the bottom line: coffee can help you live longer, at least in the health department. However, it’s also important to note here that there’s a value in keeping everything in moderation. In general, anything that is more can prove to be dangerous instead of beneficial.

FASTER, STRONGER, SMARTER

Another thing that can prove that coffee can be useful in times of dangerous and critical emergencies and situations is its ability to improve mental and physical capacities. The main reason many people drink coffee is because it gives them higher levels of awareness. It helps ease them from being asleep to being completely awake. This means that the main target of coffee is the brain which helps improve memory, energy levels, vigilance, and cognitive functioning.

Because coffee’s main target is the nervous system, it helps your brain send signals throughout your body to perform many functions such as breaking down fats and converting it to energy that you can draw from. Aside from this, it also increases the fight or flight hormone in your body which increases reaction time and general physical performance.

When you find yourself in a situation wherein you have either stay and fight or leave and flee, these effects of coffee might be something you will greatly appreciate. It helps think of a quick way out while being aware of your surroundings thus reducing the risks that can endanger your chances of survival. Another scenario where coffee can be a big help is when you’re on night watch duty. You’re no use to the people you wish to protect if you’re anything less than alert and awake.

WATER-COFFEE RELATIONSHIP

One of the basic things that should be in your stockpile is clean water, if not water filters. Because primitive water filtering system includes rocks and different kinds of soil, it can make the end product less than desirable in its taste. But because primitive water filtering systems are not much of an option for most preppers, you may want to have an actual personal water filter on hand which gives clean and tasteless drinking water. In all scenarios, coffee can play a good part.

Because of the easily palpable taste of coffee, you can drink your water without offending your taste buds. It gives you added nutrients and it gives you a good reason to drink at least one cup of water in a day which can help prevent dehydration, even if you have water filters and the taste won’t be an issue.

As we know, contaminated water is filled with bacteria and pathogens that can render you weak and in the worst case scenario, dying. If you like a hot cup of coffee, then you’re in luck.

http://cottagelife.com/environment/does-boiling-lake-water-kill-bacteria-and-viruses

If you let the water boil for at least one minute, it will kill most bacteria that could have endangered your health including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and other viruses.

BARTER MATERIAL

If you want something but can’t afford it, you can always barter. Coffee happens to be one of the most popular barter items in the world. Even now, coffee is the second most tradeable commodity, only defeated by oil. The reason for this is simple: raw coffee can be stored for a very long time without risking the loss of flavor.

In this sense, coffee can be your currency, especially when you need items such as food or medicine but have nothing to pay for it. Though it might hurt for you to part with your much-needed coffee, it’s always good to have a backup plan that can save you and your companions in times of need. The best way to barter coffee is to make sure that it is green coffee, also known as raw coffee. This is because coffee significantly loses its value once it has been roasted. However, this does not mean that you won’t find a way to barter in your instant coffee, especially to people who may not have the time or the tools to roast and grind it.

Coffee disappears fast from grocery shelves in times of crisis. To give you a general idea of coffee’s shelf life, ground coffee lasts 3-5 months, instant coffee can last between 2 and 20 years and whole bean coffee can last between 6 and 9 months. Unopened, of course.

Remember that the best way to store coffee is to put in the freezer. Also, like most spices coffee beans will last longer than roasted or powdered coffee.

UNUSUAL USES OF COFFEE

Coffee is also great for keeping your body temperature up, especially if you find yourself stranded in cold places. Holding a hot mug and letting the liquid warm up your insides can keep you from freezing to death.

Another thing that coffee is good for is how it can change the acidity of the soil. If you plan to have a portable garden with you or if you want to grow your own potatoes, you can pour coffee on the soil in to act as composting agent. Beyond this, you can add taste to your meat by rubbing the coffee and grilling it to give you a more wholesome meal.

Hygiene is another thing that coffee can help you with. Several studies have found that if you put coffee grounds on your face and rub it, you can remove lots of dead skin which, at the very least, will help you feel fresh and clean.

FIGHT YOUR DEMONS

Aside from the physical ailments that coffee can protect you from, it can also aid in your fight against the worst enemy you can have in critical situations: yourself. In danger, alone and scared, you’re more than likely to lose hope and the will to move forward. Depression is a serious mental illness that most people fail to understand. It’s a vicious cycle that you don’t want to get caught up in. Luckily, coffee can help you.

It has been found to have the abilities to boost morale and enhancing your mood. By extension, it also reduces the risk of self-harm. This is important because if you’re alone, coffee might be the best thing that you have on hand as it can give you a few minutes to unwind and evaluate your situation while giving you the mental energy that you will need to face the day. On the other hand, if you’re trying to survive in groups, death can make or break you in a situation. In both scenarios, coffee plays an important role in giving you a sense of normalcy while at the same time giving some form of protection for your mental health.

While coffee may not be at the top of your priority list, you may still want to consider integrating it after you’ve managed to get all your basic need items together. Coffee has been proven to be beneficial in many areas such as gardening, health, hygiene, and bartering. It may not seem like much, but at the end of the day, coffee might just end up saving your life over and over again.

This is the bottom line: having a stockpile of coffee is a good idea even if you’re not an avid fan.


20 survival items ebook cover
Like what you read?

Then you're gonna love my free PDF, 20 common survival items, 20 uncommon survival uses for each. That's 400 total uses for these dirt-cheap little items!

We will not spam you.

11 thoughts on “Reasons You Should Stockpile Coffee”

  1. great post. I was so happy to learn that coffee was one of the 14 items recommended by Prevention Magazine….that lowers your blood sugar. I was diagnosed pre diabetic, meaning my blood sugar level was getting high. My doctor wanted to start me on prescription medicine. I said NO THANKS. I did some research and some of the things that naturally lowers your blood sugar ( of course we should avoid eating sugar….completlyl)…is coffee. Whole breads and vinegar in my salad also reduces my blood sugar. Your article did mention that coffee prevents diabetes….RIGHT ON…!!!

    Reply
  2. For the cops on steroids and you workers doing drugs … taking mandatory drug tests by employer .. coffee is a diuretic that can quickly flush those incriminating drugs out of your fat cells and liver. Many a UA test has been beat by using this dilution method.

    Reply
  3. Coffee good for hydration? I don’t think so. Coffee, like alcohol is a diuretic which will have the opposite affect resulting in dehydration if a person is only drinking coffee.

    Reply
  4. I agree with your post, but everyone talks about roasted coffee beans going bad. I have about 20 lbs. stored and rotated. I keep it in our wine room so it stays cool. Has anyone tried vacuum sealing and storing for long periods? How long has been successful in storage? I really don’t care much for the freeze dried, but I haven’t tried it lately. Apparently green beans is the way to store for long periods and roasting the beans can be done relatively easily, but probably not as good as an actual roaster.

    Reply
    • I bought some Dunkin Donuts whole bean coffee 4 years ago. I put some in small amounts in a food saver bag and I also have some in jars that were vacuum sealed by the food saver as well. I just had tried them out about a month ago. The one in the food saver bag still smelled great, but the flavor was a bit on the weak side when I made a cup. The one in the jar was almost as good as when I would buy a new bag. So by keeping the beans whole and then grind them up when I want to make a cup did just fine after 4 years!

      Reply
  5. I would like to add two points to above article. One, I reject the often voiced concern about ‘getting off coffee now’ as though it will cause you headaches ( with the implication that you are an ADDICT ) in the shtf world, or whatever evil it is purported to cause. discontinue its use now. why? you have a wonderful, healthful food that will only last so long anyway, why not enjoy it while you have it? And it’s a great morale booster. Two, as far as storage, vacuum pack is best, but the limit on storage of roasted coffee bean is 1-2 years at best under optimal conditions, ground coffe even less so . Green coffee beans i.e. not roasted, last for years. You roast them in a popcorn popper, in a skillet whatever. Also, the cost is a third to half as much as roasted beans. Of course you use energy/money to do your own roast. Caffeine content will be highest for the lightest roasts btw. Last point, refrigerated or frozen storage of coffee does not extend the life, and can cause freezer burn of beans. Cool, dark place, sealed is all it needs.

    Reply
  6. We have 120 ish pounds of coffee been s in 3 pound bags, from Costco. 1/2 are stored in a freezer, the other 1/2 is stored in their bags, in a air tight sealed plastic tot.

    So,e of this coffee is now six years old. It all looks good, but we haven’t tasted it, as we don’t want to open the packaging. I did give a three pound bag to a family in need recently. They stated it was fine, better then not having any.

    Over the past ten years I’ve read so so many storage instructions, that I’ve simply became amused. Bottom line is, it might be old, it might be fine, in the end, someone is going to,want it.

    I was rotating, but were gone to a Kuruk system, which I’m trying to break. I much prefer a strong pot of coffee even if I’m wasting 1/4 of the pot. It kept our coffee preps rotated. Not the case anymore.

    Dirk

    Reply
  7. I’m a tea drinker. I have a whole assortment of teas in canisters and the Mylar zip bags it comes in. I find that tea has a long shelf life. I’ve drank hibiscus tea that was a couple years old, stored in original paginating–those were tea bags. It was as good as the day I bought it. As I get more varieties, the older my tea gets and its’s all good. Most of my tea is loose now, though. I think it would be good to have on hand as it can help water taste better, as coffee does. I bet black tea could be bartered to someone who is having major caffeine withdrawals.

    Reply
  8. Here is where freeze dried coffee rules! if sealed it will pretty much last forever. it is easy to bag up into smaller portions for barter. It takes up less room and weight than beans. And you don’t need to grind it!

    Reply
  9. For most the the functional reasons mentioned, just buy a few bottles of 50 mg caffeine pills. They will keep better, require less prep, and provide far superior stimulant effects than coffee.

    Reply

Leave a Comment