Storage Problems and Solutions for Preppers

When it comes to prepping, the longer you do it, the more supplies and food storage you are going to have. We wanted to do the show this week on storage problems & solutions for peppers this week because accumulating all this stuff is the easy part, making sure it doesn’t expire is a little harder. 

Depending on who you are, one of the hardest things to do (correctly anyway) is keeping everything organized. Food get’s lost in the back of the cabinet, and supplies seem to run off, and not be where you remember leaving them.

If you have been building up your supplies and food storage for a year or more, you know how easy it is to become disorganized and over whelmed. If you are one of the OCD type people, lucky you! I am not that lucky though…but I do try. With that being said, there are some things I do like inventory and rotation that force me to be a little more OCD.

SPp185 Storage Problems & Solutions for Preppers

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In this weeks show Lisa and I talked about quite a few storage problems preppers face, as well as some solutions for our storage problems. We talked about some supplies that have long shelf lives, proper storage conditions, life without refrigeration and much more.

Storage Ideas

Shelving Units:  If you are renting an apartment or plan on moving, building a shelving unit might not be your best option. There are quite a few options available if you need something more temporary or movable storage options.

Using Space Wisely: Storing large amounts in small places can be a challenge. Another challenge with this is that if you stuff your closet full, it’s going to be a SHTF event in itself just getting to what you need.

Your Spouse: Keeping the spouse happy is one of the most important parts about storage…especially if they are not on board with prepping. You might think that you have everything set up perfectly, but if they don’t it really doesn’t matter.

Organization: Filling your pantry can be an invitation for chaos. Mention Lisa’s step stool and other ideas. Side shelf refrigerator

Remove it: One thing I am really bad at (because it feels like throwing away money) is throwing out expired food. Don’t be afraid to throw stuff out or use it. If you are never going to use it, you might as well throw it out to free up space, and do a better job on rotation next time around.

Long Term Foods: For people who don’t have a lot of room, or people who just don’t want to deal with the challenges that come with food storage, long term food is also an option. We sell Legacy Food Storage products at the SHTFShop.com. These are easy to store and offer a 25 year shelf life.

Refrigerator Foods

Wasting Money: If you have no way of keeping your refrigerator running during a power outage, don’t waste your money filling your freezer with steak and chicken. Instead, learn skills like canning and dehydrating. Focus on alternatives to refrigeration.

Stable Foods: Some refrigerator foods have a very long shelf life when refrigerated. Garlic, salad dressings, yeast, condiments etc. can all last a year or longer. This is great for food storage reasons, but without refrigeration the number drops to zero.

Pre Refrigeration Storage: Some of these same refrigerator foods don’t need refrigeration until they are opened. If you use a lot of ketchup, go ahead and stock up, but once it’s opened the clock starts ticking faster. Also pay attention to where the grocery store puts it. Velveeta, salad dressings and mayonnaise all go on shelves, not in the refrigerated section.

Unleash your inner OCD

Treat Your House Like a Grocery Store: we know that grocery stores carry a limited stock because in order to reduce costs they need to sell products quickly. FIFO (first in, first out) is the method they use to go through inventory the way it came in. A store only buys what it thinks it can sell, so store what you eat proportional to how often you eat it.

Warehousing: Shelving units (storage areas) is like a stores warehouse, and your pantry is like stocking the front of the store. Once your food hits the pantry it should gets used or thrown away. It’s much easier to restock a storage area where everything is more organized, than a pantry where things can get moved around.

Everything Has a Home: I have a major problem with this, and I know I’m not alone. Remember to put things back when your done with them. Having a bunch of flashlights is great, but if you can’t find the batteries they are useless. Make sure everyone else in the house understands this too!

Storage Ideas: Keeping everything in one place will make your life a lot easier. Plastic storage totes (or similar storage systems) will help you to organize supplies. I use these for my power outage supplies, and other prepping supplies that I want to keep in the same place.

Know What you Have: It’s important to do a detailed inventory at least twice a year, and a less detailed inventory monthly if possible. The smaller inventory will help with your shopping lists, and the larger (detailed) one will reduce waste from expired food. Here are a few lists that will help with your inventory and rotation of you prepping supplies. 

Don’t Set it and Forget it

Nothing Lasts Forever: Some supplies will last for years, like batteries or even water. These supplies pose a challenge because we have a tendency to “set it and forget it”. Water might last forever, but  the container you put it in won’t. Rechargeable batteries have a long shelf life, but will slowly lose their charge over time. Keep these supplies in mind when you do your bi yearly inventory.

Follow the Rules:  Most people don’t pay a lot of attention to how they store supplies, but as preppers we are always trying to maximize shelf life…and then some. Pay attention to best storage practices on each of these products to get the most out of them.


Dale
Dale

Survival and being prepared should not only be a passion, it should be a lifestyle. The definition of a prepper is "An individual or group that prepares or makes preparations in advance of, or prior to, any change in normal circumstances, without substantial resources from outside sources" Like the Government, police etc. I don't believe that the end of the world will be the "end of the world" I believe it will be the end of the world as we know it now. You can also find me on Google Plus and Twitter

    8 replies to "Storage Problems & Solutions for Preppers"

    • Chuck Teal

      I love the concept and will be looking to buy one soon.
      May I suggest: Try advertising through TheBlaze TV
      ( http://www.theblaze.com/advertise/ ) It’s Glenn Beck’s network, which has around 10 million subcribers, many of whom are prepper-oriented.. They typically test and approve products that they sell, and it’s a conservative market to begin with.

      • Chuck Teal

        Forgot to mention I was talking about The Blaze Grill. Sorry.

      • Dale

        That is a great idea! Thanks Chuck

    • Robert

      These look like a terrific alternative and backup system. Have a couple of questions on them. Can these be broke apart without negatively impacting the burn? Obviously the less material the less total heat generated. But would a ‘chunk’ say a quarter of it, burn for less time and still be able to cook or does it need the entire brick? The next question is how heavy are they? It looks like it has a ‘self starting’ ingredient built in, is that correct? Thanks and keep up the great work!

      • Dale

        Hey Robert, I’m not sure about cutting it into chunks…but that sounds like a good video for me to do. I assume that if you were able to keep the quarters in tact they would burn fine, just not for as long.

    • Mustang

      Check out Thrive Life for their first-in-first-out (FIFO) can storage systems. Absolutely awesome, solid products, but a little on the pricy side (approx. $450.00 for a rack that holds over 270 various size cans. After seeing my brothers, I recently ordered one so I don’t have to routinely cycle through all the canned goods verifying expiration dates…the oldest is ALWAYS up front! They have a nice 5 gal pail storage rack, but I’ll make one myself with some angle iron from Home Depot for less than $50.00.

    • Ambrose

      Dale
      Where is the blaze grill available? Your amazon link is dead.

      • Dale

        Sorry Ambrose, the grill is not available anymore. Amazon would not stock it because of OSHA rules.

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