Food and Water Survival Storage
August 19, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
Once you have acquired extra survival preparedness items, where is a good location to keep these things? More specifically, with regards to food and water, what are some ideas for storage locations?
Food Items Storage Locations
When it comes to food storage, it is very important to find locations that are ‘cool’.
High temperature is the worst enemy of food storage and will drastically reduce the shelf life expectancy. If you have a basement, and unless it is excessively damp, it will be an ideal place to store your extra food while keeping away from excessive heat. Excessive basement dampness though will rust your cans and will ruin foods that are not sealed, so, if necessary, one solution is to use a dehumidifier or find another location.
Find locations where the foods are not in the Sun’s rays at all during the day. Avoid attic spaces because they often get quite hot during summer months.
If space is hard to find, consider unconventional storage locations for your food items. One simple solution is to purchase plastic storage bins that are sized such that they will fit underneath a bed. You can fit a lot of canned food items (or other) that are in storage containers under your bed!
The variability in sizes of plastic storage containers will allow you to efficiently and neatly store foods in places like closets, under a table, corners, shelves, or inconspicuously stacked and perhaps covered or hidden with something decorative.
Another consideration is, ‘convenience’. Since successful food storage requires effective food rotation, keeping some or all of your food storage within easy access will help to maintain that practice. Food rotation shelving systems like those offered from Shelf Reliance.com, are a big help to a successful setup.
Water Storage Locations
Depending on where you live, and your risk of losing your drinking water supply for a time, you should consider storing some amount of drinking water. It’s simple to do. You can clean and use plastic ‘soda’ bottles, you could buy purpose-built water storage containers (they’re usually colored blue), or you could use food-grade buckets such as 5-gallon pails (Avoid using ‘used’ 5-gallon pails in this case).
Where should or could you store these water containers? Again, keep them away from heat sources. Soda bottles are perfect for shelves, but won’t hold a lot of water (they are convenient though).
I like stackable containers. Personally, I like to use 5-gallon pails (with the screw-top lids) because it’s about the maximum weight that one can handle when filled, and they can be stacked, and 5 gallons is a decent amount of water. You may consider water treatment first.
Keeping 50 gallons of drinking water for example, is very doable – stack two 5-gallon pails, five along a wall, and it will only take up about 5 feet of wall space by 2.5 feet tall. You could cover it with a decorative or non-descriptive blanket and it will fit right in to the room. You could even place a finished board across the top to hold other items.
Water storage locations could include the bottom of a closet, in the corner of a spare room, in the basement (ideal since it is cool there), or hidden in plain site.
The point is, if your living space is limited, by being creative you can still find ways to store extra food and water.
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There is something called the Aqua Pod Kit that allows someone to use their bathtub to store water, it was developed in regards to hurricanes knocking out the fresh water supplies. It says you can store up to 65 gallons on water in a regular bathtub and pump out water as you need it. Cool places to store food are so important, along with darkness if possible to extend the shelf life.
Water bobs hold 100 gal in your tub
It doesn’t even have to be creaative, just get some food and water stored somewhere in your home !!! We have something stored in almost every room in the house and several closets too. Not much time left……..
Of course, your water heater is full of potable water. Although a lot of people say you can use toilet tanks for emergency water, it’s not the best idea, especially if you have ever put a deodorant tablet or any type of cleanser in there.
Tom Brown Jr claims that with some work, you can get about 5 gallons of water in the morning from dewey grass, using a sponge and a bucket.
Tractor Supply sells storage tanks, and if you pipe your cold water supply through one, you could have a nice reserve on hand. Just a couple of thoughts. Peace.
Great idea that you suggested regarding piping your cold water supply through a tank! So long as you have the room for it (no problem if you have a basement), then that could potentially add quite a reserve.
Most homes have ample space for food and water storage; just get rid of that old exercise equipment you never used or perhaps your wife’s collectibles and, voila! For those of us who are limited on space, you can use dead space to store items such as under a bed, behind a couch or under a coffee table.
I like to keep all my survival supplies out of sight, out of mind. Leaving these items in plain view, especially with children around, can cause them emotional problems and doubts about their future if not thoroughly explained by their parents.