3 lbs of meat will yield about 1.5 lbs of jerky, give or take. The jerky is good for about 3 months after it is prepared, but it usually never lasts more than a week in my house either.

Also, another thing I forgot to mention is for the marinade recipe on the first page is for 2 lbs of meat so if you go the distance and get 3 lbs, just remember to increase the amounts accordingly.