In any type of disaster, food and water are essential requirements. Although there are several other important aspects of preparedness, none of them hold significance if we do not possess an adequate supply of food and water. Various long-term storage suggestions for preppers exist, and the suitable choice depends on individual circumstances.
Most individuals barely have enough food to last a few days and lack significant water storage, if they have any at all. Since groceries are easily accessible and tap water is abundant, people believe that there is no need to store food and water for a longer duration.
The reason behind individuals rushing to stores during disasters is evident. We have all witnessed images portraying barren shelves in grocery stores, with bottled water and essential food items being the first to vanish. What motivates people to plan cooking despite power outages? Moreover, why do they hurriedly purchase bottled water, failing to recognize the water available in their homes that could be stored instead?
When it comes to food and water storage, there isn’t a single solution that fits everyone’s needs. By making knowledgeable decisions at present, you can save both time and money in the future.
Store What You Eat
Although you may have already been told numerous times, it is crucial unless you are comfortable with wasting money. If your family consumes spaghetti on a weekly basis, it is advisable to stock up on an ample supply of spaghetti sauce jars and spaghetti noodles.
Many individuals face an issue with canned food which, despite being beneficial for long-term preservation, tends to occupy valuable space if left unused. Let’s consider the case of green beans – fresh ones are generally favored over frozen, and frozen over canned. Nevertheless, canned remains the sole viable choice for long-term storage.
Although we typically resort to using frozen vegetables in the absence of fresh ones, we make an effort to incorporate our canned veggies occasionally to prevent them from going bad. However, this does not imply that they need to be consumed on a daily basis. With a shelf life of roughly 2 years, canned corn allows you to stockpile up to 100 cans without concern over expiration if you consume one can per week.
Set a Goal
Your storage space, family size, and income determine what you store. If you are starting your food storage plan, my advice is to begin with a small quantity and establish a routine. As soon as you ascertain what is effective, gradually expand your storage.
Examine your monthly budget to determine the amount you can comfortably allocate towards food storage each month. By investing as little as $50 more every month on food, you will rapidly accumulate an adequate supply of food.
Water storage is slightly less challenging in comparison to food storage. The primary expense for water storage lies in acquiring the containers. However, this can be managed without cost by utilizing containers such as 2-liter bottles or Iced tea jugs. It is important to note that this option is suitable for short-term use and limited quantities.
Types of Long Term Food Storage
During the show, we discussed various methods of long-term food storage, some of which are effortless, while others require time and effort, yet they prove to be cost-effective.
Storable Foods: Adding food items that you and your family consume regularly is the most convenient method to increase your food reserves. Canned goods, pasta, beans, and packaged meals all possess a prolonged shelf life. However, remember that if you don’t consume it, it shouldn’t be stored.
Prepackaged long term food offers the advantage of being convenient, easily storable, and having an extended shelf life.
Creating your own long term food buckets through DIY methods can serve as an effective cost-saving solution for food storage; however, it requires some effort. If you possess greater amounts of free time compared to financial resources, this approach proves beneficial.
Learning how to can food is an excellent method to preserve your harvest or bulk-purchased food. Although not overly complicated, home canning necessitates some learning and the proper equipment for beginners.
Gardening presents an excellent opportunity to provide your family with fresh and nutritious food. Although it necessitates time, space, and a few attempts, it is a valuable skill that we all should possess. Ultimately, as our food reserves will eventually dwindle, gardening offers a sustainable alternative.
In a disaster scenario, dehydrating or smoking meat is an excellent method for increasing protein intake in your diet. Although it may be challenging to do it extensively, everyone surely appreciates some delicious beef jerky. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables can also be dehydrated for preservation.
If you use them frequently, some of the home dehydrating devices might be a bit expensive, but they are worth the investment.
Freezing food is currently a convenient choice, but in the event of a catastrophic scenario where refrigeration is unavailable, it becomes crucial to be familiar with alternative food preservation techniques. Having knowledge of food canning, for instance, can prevent you from wasting all the perishable items in your fridge if there is a power outage.
Water Storage
Water boxes offer the advantage of easy storage in the closet, allowing you to make the most of your storage area.
The plastic water bricks offer the same convenience while being more resilient, although they do come at a slightly higher price compared to the Legacy water boxes. However, they are designed to endure any challenge they encounter.
Do-it-yourself alternatives are available: You might already possess milk jugs, 2-liter bottles, or Arizona iced tea jugs lying around the house. Utilize them to store some additional water. However, keep in mind that milk jugs are not suitable for drinking water, but they can be utilized for grey water purposes such as cleaning.
The Water Bob serves as an insert for your bathtub, ensuring that the water remains uncontaminated by any unknown dirt or impurities present in the tub.
When it comes to collecting rainwater, there are numerous possibilities and your creativity is the only boundary. Using rain catchment would be a beneficial way to supplement your existing water supply in case of a shortage.
No matter how much water we have in storage, it is likely insufficient. A minimum of 500 gallons per person would be required to last for a year. There may come a time when we need to filter water, such as rainwater, and using the appropriate filter is crucial. While the Sawyer filter is suitable for filtering rainwater, the Berkey is a superior (albeit more costly) choice for larger amounts.
It is often overlooked, but clean drinking water is a basic necessity that many people assume will always be available. However, if sanitation becomes compromised, the consumption of contaminated water will become a significant problem. It is crucial to educate oneself on various water cleaning methods, such as the utilization of bleach, boiling, iodine, etc., and understand what actions should and must be taken.
If you run out of water or do not have ample storage space, it is essential to learn methods for obtaining water.
Organizing the Prepper Pantry
Expanding beyond the limits of your pantry, the prepper pantry serves as the foundation for your survival food storage. By incorporating basic shelving or pantry cabinetry, the average household can accommodate a significantly larger amount of food. Even if your home already has a pantry, it may be worth considering further expansion.
One effective strategy is to utilize a black magic marker to indicate the date of purchase or creation on your pantry items. This method simplifies the process of locating the oldest items. Assessing these tiny dates can become monotonous.
Canned Goods
In order to maximize space for canned goods and ensure proper rotation, there is a wide variety of innovative pantry organizers available that are not only functional but also visually appealing. These organizers allow you to prioritize the consumption of older canned goods while creating additional storage capacity in your pantry.
When it comes to storing items in a pantry, your canned goods will likely be among the heaviest. To ensure safe and efficient storage, it is important to place the heaviest items on the bottom shelf, regardless of what they are.
Placing the heaviest items on the top shelves can pose a significant risk, therefore, ensure that your prepper’s pantry reserves a suitable place for your canned goods on the lower shelves.
Boxed Dry
Your boxed dry ingredients, such as pasta or baking mixes, are the antithesis of perishable items. They are among the lightest foods to store and should be placed at the highest position on your shelves.
It would be safer to keep lightweight items on the top shelves to minimize any potential harm if they were to fall on you.
Beans and Other Plastic Packaged Goods
If you have items such as bags of black and red pinto beans, there are several choices available to you for storage. These items, packaged in thinner plastic, should be placed inside a bucket and kept there for safekeeping.
It is strongly recommended to keep these types of packaged items in durable Tupperware containers, at the very least. The longer these packages are stored on your shelves, the more prone they become to deterioration. Consequently, this may attract insects and other pests.
Home Canned and Preserved Goods
While you may not have arrived yet, a few individuals among us possess survival food storage that primarily consists of the foods cultivated on and near our premises. These goods, which are preserved and canned at home, can be stored using various methods.
Your store-bought canned goods and mason jar canned goods should be grouped together and stored in the same area. Consider placing them on the lower shelf, or alternatively, you can store them in sturdy containers or bins.
Organizing Long Term Survival Food Storage
When it comes to long-term food storage, it is a whole different challenge. This category of food comes packaged in buckets and can last for approximately 10-20 years. If you consider true food security and the importance of being ready for a significant collapse, this is the kind of preparation you should focus on.
It may seem extreme, but envision the strength of our nation if every American had a 3-month supply of long-term survival food storage. Consider the resilience we could display by being able to sustain ourselves without relying on supermarkets. Just imagine the adversities we could brave as a united people.
Depending on which category you fall into, the way you organize and store your long-term food storage will be determined by two methods.
Rotating Long Term Food Storage
Storing essentials like rice, flour, and sugar serves as both a safety net and an investment for long-term survival. Purchasing a 50lb bag of rice ensures protection against the inevitable price rise of this essential commodity in the future.
Instead of purchasing rice and flour individually from the supermarket, opt for buying them in bulk and regularly replacing the older stock with new supplies. This way, you can ensure a plentiful reserve of calories.
In order to effectively manage long-term food storage, it is crucial to ensure convenient accessibility. While 5-gallon buckets can still be utilized, it is advisable to opt for 1 gallon Mylar bags instead of the conventional 5-gallon size. This adjustment simplifies the utilization process of the stored food.
In order to effectively organize long-term survival food storage, it is essential to have a range of items readily available. I consolidate several different items into a single 5 gallon bucket.
- Rice
- Black Beans
- Sugar
Let It Sit
Another approach to organizing long-term survival food storage involves filling buckets and leaving them untouched until an emergency occurs. Undoubtedly, this technique facilitates a faster accumulation of calories. Nevertheless, the drawback is that your oldest food will continue to age over time. Consequently, when you finally open that lid after 15 years of storage, you will essentially consume rice that is 15 years old.
Nevertheless, this might not be an issue for you. If you hoard a large quantity of food and never consume it, you will still experience the expensive cost of purchasing food on a weekly basis. However, by regularly rotating your food supply, you can prolong benefiting from the previous day’s prices.
Ensure that you arrange your oldest food items at the front, anticipating the time when you will actually utilize them. One key variation in long-term storage of food that you plan to keep for a prolonged period is where you store it. If you do not frequently use it, there is no necessity for convenient accessibility. Be innovative in finding alternative storage options.
Uncommon Food Storage Locations
In your home, there are numerous unconventional, rare, and surreptitious spots where you can establish storage for survival food.
In Upstairs Closets
The majority of American closets are in need of decluttering or could benefit from having additional space. These closets offer excellent storage options for surplus food, and sometimes even have shelves on the sides that resemble pantry shelves!
Under Cabinets
It is common sense to use cabinets for storage, however, the base of floor cabinets consists of plywood with a gap between it and the floor. By lifting the plywood, you can place food inside, and then cover it again.
In this location, it is advised to store only durable, securely stored food items, as there will be infrequent monitoring of those provisions.
Inside Box Springs
Your box spring, like many other places, provides ample open space. It is possible to insert canned or boxed dry goods into the gaps within your box spring. Naturally, some alterations to the box spring would be necessary to facilitate regular access to the stored food.
Under the Bed
It is possible to conveniently store shallow bins filled with food by slipping them beneath the bed. If you have a king-sized mattress, you can even fit numerous #10 cans under it! These cans have a long shelf life and can potentially provide additional sturdy support for your box spring.
Inside Walls
Storing food within walls can be a practical way to utilize limited space effectively for long-term survival food storage. However, it is important to have the skill to repair these walls since they will ultimately need to be accessed.
The 5 Gallon Bucket Table
By cutting a slightly larger circular piece of plywood than the diameter of the 5-gallon bucket lid, you can attach the plywood to the lid using bolts or screws. When you secure this lid onto a 5-gallon bucket containing food storage, you can simply cover it with a table cloth that reaches the ground, transforming it into a practical side table. With 20lbs of food inside the bucket, the table will be remarkably strong and stable.
