In this article I’m going to discuss storing away your Food Stores. In other articles and videos I’ve discussed how to overcome space constraints and still amass a food store, however below we’re primarily focusing on the basic requirements that you should look for when storing away your Prepper Food Stock.
Basic Requirements For Prepper Food Storage
The basics are really quite simple. Your food storage area should meet three criteria.
- Cool
- Dry
- Pest Proof
That’s really it. If you meet those three requirements your food stores will fare well over time. Beyond those you have a lot of leeway in how you make that work, so let’s consider some various options.
Where Should I locate My Food Stores
There is no hard fast rule for this, although we tend to create rules in our mindset from what we’ve become conditioned to believe as normal. The two primary rules we need to (potentially) break free from are that the food has to be stored in a dedicated type food area (eg. Kitchen, Pantry, Cellar, etc..). The second rule that we need to break free from is the belief that all of our food stores have to be co-located in one location. Neither of the above are a necessity. While it is certainly nice to be able to meet those ideals, it shouldn’t hinder your ability to store up food if you can’t.
Obviously, if all things are equal you’ll want to place your stores in a convenient location for access when cooking and such, but if you have to walk a little further around the house it’s not the end of the world. Virtually any space you’re not utilizing could serve as a Prepper Food Pantry. Areas such as spare bedrooms, closets, and more should all be considered. Also don’t neglect considering areas a little outside of the box. Places like under stairs, chest of drawers, and other places that offer empty space that meet the 3 rules. Spend a little time on line researching creative organization systems and you’ll likely find some great inspiration that meets your situation.
Places You Don’t Want To Use For Food Stores
You want to avoid places that have a lot of temperature fluctuation and humidity. Places like bathrooms, attics, outdoor sheds and the like should be avoided for those reasons as well as the fact these type of places are also much more prone to bug and rodent pests. All of which will put a ruin to your prepper food stores. While you do have a little more leeway with non consumables (shampoo, equipment, etc..) caution should be utilized when using these types of areas as even those items can still suffer from mold and rust and potentially ruin as a result.
Organized and Tidy Food Storage
Regardless of where you situate your food stores you want to adopt a good organization system. While not items all need to be stored in one location, item types should be grouped together for simple organization. Make sure to label everything, and if you have storage in a number of places around the house it is ideal to create a master list identifying inventory, and location. Having a good organization system will allow you properly rotate your food stores and minimize waste and spoilage.
