# Long Term Storage



## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm at the point now where I want to start building some food stores. I don't think I'm going to get too hardcore like they are on Doomsday preppers but I do want something in case of a short term disaster situation. I was thinking of starting with some stuff with a long shelf life like peanut butter, rice/rice dinner mixes, oatmeal, powdered eggs, pasta, pasta sauce, canned vegetables things of this nature and storing them in those big plastic storage bins you can get from walmart. Since I am on a budget and I'd prefer not to put everything on my credit card picking up a little bit every time I go to the store is how I'm going to do this.

Am I in the right ball park here or is this a bad idea?


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Your in the ball park. Check out some previous posts on couponing. It will really stretch your dollars. Just make sure you rotate your stocks. Use the oldest expiration dates first.


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## ReignMan (Nov 13, 2015)

And if you want truly long term storage stick to such things as white rice and dried beans (at least 15 years) and hard red winter wheat (at least 30 years). If you invest in Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and a sealer some things will outlast you. From experience I've opened Mylar sealed bags of rice and beans over a decade old they were fresh as a daisy (ate pounds of ten year old rice and beans and it was good stuff).


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

A nice compromise may be some of what Camel suggested and some freeze dried meals like Mountain House makes. Those things are are enough for a family supper and can store for years.

I agree, worth going into debt over but worth having.

Then, once or twice a year grab long term beans and rice in long term storage cans or pails.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Good luck, and think diversity in your food stores; Short Term, Medium, Long Term and Self Sufficient.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

A good way to start. Start with the essentials first that address your immediate and most likely events. Then expand concentrically.


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## KA5IVR (Jun 11, 2014)

Looks like you are in the Ball Park. 

I would suggest you start with storing what you normally eat and store the most of that then rotate in & out of that stock. Also, start out small like a 2 week supply, then expend to like a month or more supply for your family as budget, sales, and time goes on. It also depends on the size of your storage room. Let me see if I can explain... We eat a lot of Peanut Butter, Tuna, and Pasta/Sauce, so we store more of that than something like cranberry sauce, which we only eat once or twice a year. I've never ate a Ramen Noodle in my life, so I don't store any of that.

You might look at your normal menu for a normal week or two and start there. The menu building method is easy if you are like Dr. Sheldon Cooper and have set menus for the week, but we never have so it is a little harder to judge the menu needs. Some guys just want to store #'s & #'s of rice and beans. I guess that is OK, but why not use the Rice & Beans to make your normal menu go further. You won't get as board with the menu as fast, if SHTF.

Some items I do buy in bulk and rotate out of that. Costco normally sells larger quantities than 2 people need, but the price is cheap. So things like Oatmeal, I buy one of their 10# box to keep in the pantry and just refill the little 18oz box which is kept in the cabinet next to the stove. When I get down to the last couple of pounds, I buy another 10# box.  I do the same thing with spices, beans, rice, peanut butter, dog bones, etc.

The last thing I would suggest is to keep an Inventory of what you have stored. I've been guilty of buying something I thought I was out of only to find the my wife moved what we had to another spot. 

Good Luck!


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

What RM said. Its the right thing to do. And the right way to do it. And adding in MREs and mountain house erltc is good too.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Sorry about sliding sideways, but I see people talk about peanut butter being a long last food product. My peanut butter lasts at best a year beyond the Best Used By date. Anyone have better luck?


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

Keep an eye on web sites like Augason Farms, Honeyville Farms, long term food storage places like that. They run specials and whatnot. And from what I've read, their stuff is good. I have yet to try any, I do have some stuff coming in from Augason that I will try now to see if it's good.


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## ReignMan (Nov 13, 2015)

paraquack said:


> Sorry about sliding sideways, but I see people talk about peanut butter being a long last food product. My peanut butter lasts at best a year beyond the Best Used By date. Anyone have better luck?


I try to stay away from anything "wet" or "sticky" when it comes to long term food storage. Moisture is your enemy when it comes to long term food storage; so I start with dry and try to keep it that way. I wouldn't attempt to store something like peanut butter long term, but that's just me.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

ReignMan said:


> I try to stay away from anything "wet" or "sticky" when it comes to long term food storage. Moisture is your enemy when it comes to long term food storage; so I start with dry and try to keep it that way. I wouldn't attempt to store something like peanut butter long term, but that's just me.


agreed - buy cans of dried peanut butter powder for long term .... 15 years without a problem .... Emergency Essentials® Peanut Butter Powder Large Can


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Long term storage for a short term emergency... ya right.. you have been hooked.. pretty soon you will have cases of soup and spam and hundred weight of rice and oatmeal... 

prepping is like crack cocaine once you get the feel for it you see more reason to prep...

ya I know... it starts with "I will just get some extra peanut butter for a hurricane" and the next thing you know you are prepping for a 3 years dollar collapse with martial law... just skip the heartache - max out the credit card and get the basement shelfing unit to hold the cases of freeze dried food and canned LDS sugar and rice


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## KA5IVR (Jun 11, 2014)

paraquack said:


> I see people talk about peanut butter being a long last food product. My peanut butter lasts at best a year beyond the Best Used By date. Anyone have better luck?


What brand? 
How is it not lasting? Separating or drying up? 
The "Best By Date" on my Jif is like 2 years out.
Today's PB will separate, since they took the transfats out. It is still good if you just stir it up.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

If you are able to replenish your cupboards from bulk purchases that you keep in a pantry, you can save money. 

So, buy what you eat, eat what you buy. Practice a First in, First Out policy to prevent food spoilage.


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)




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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

> My peanut butter lasts at best a year beyond the Best Used By date. Anyone have better luck?


I like peanut butter in my protein shakes. A jar never lasts more than a month.


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

Maine-Marine said:


> Long term storage for a short term emergency... ya right.. you have been hooked.. pretty soon you will have cases of soup and spam and hundred weight of rice and oatmeal...
> 
> prepping is like crack cocaine once you get the feel for it you see more reason to prep...
> 
> ya I know... it starts with "I will just get some extra peanut butter for a hurricane" and the next thing you know you are prepping for a 3 years dollar collapse with martial law... just skip the heartache - max out the credit card and get the basement shelfing unit to hold the cases of freeze dried food and canned LDS sugar and rice


Your right I do have the bug lol but I'm going to try my best to exercise some discipline though. I'm not too worried about water due to sources in my location, I'm going to get a lifestraw or some other filtration device.

I did pick up some extra stuff at the store today though, nothing major just some extra packages of pasta/rice dinners and they had some pork loin on sale so I bought some to put in the deep freezer.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

KA5IVR said it best. As you are shopping keep in mind that you will have to eat that stuff eventually (unless you're so rich you can throw it away.) so shop with an eye on using the stuff down the road. 

I stock my camping pantry so that the food serves dual uses. It's there for TEOTWAWKI, and I drain it in FIFO manner on camping trips. If you go and buy a buncha that dehydrated stuff (that costs $$$) then plan on eating it or you will have buckets of stuff.


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## Vlad37 (Jan 22, 2016)

Buy pure raw Honey,caned food i was eating caned food 20+ years old and MRE (military food packs)
Penat butter,rice etc.


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