Food Storage - Where to start?

Overwhelming right! Are there a million questions that start popping through your head when you think about food storage? Like, where do I start, what food should I store, how much food should I store, and on, and on, and on.....

I'm here to tell you that there is no exact science to going about implementing food storage in your home (a.k.a. your castle). But it is not that difficult and is easier to get started than you think. I have a few suggestions below along with some links to help you get started.

As I always tell my students, preparedness is based on where you live and your current situation. It is also extremely important that you evaluate your current mindset and make sure it shifts if needed into planning to be prepared. You may live in an apartment, condo, your house, or even a college dorm. It is always developed around your current circumstances and environment. It is also not just for the family unit and can be for single individuals, the elderly, and so on. But for this exercise let us just use my scenario as an example.

In my world, it is just my wife and I with no kids and a cat. Yes, I know, a cat. We live in a home and are both employed. We live an active lifestyle and are both into fitness and outdoor adventures. The cat, not so much!

First, suggestion when sitting down for the first time is to evaluate your current situation. Take a look at what food you normally eat, medications you may need to stock up on, water usage, toiletries and how much room you have to store items. Make a list (see included example spreadsheet at the bottom) of these items. Don't worry about quantities until you get to the next step. The included list is only for food. You can add as many tabs as you want for things like first aid, medications, etc. This is only to get you started!

Second, once you have your initial list you will want to do some research on the usage of each item based on how many people are in your tribe. There are several links below that you can use to research and thousands more online. Just sanity check what you find with what you would actually use - my list included. Everyone uses and consumes items at different rates.

Third, now for the fun part! Identifying how to store items and where. As an example I've included a picture below on how we store our dry items and in the type of bags. We use 10-15 Mil thick Mylar bags to store our dry goods. They come in different sizes and brands. We ordered ours on Amazon and they also came with Oxygen Absorbers. These bags can be vacuum sealed and heat sealed. Here is the link to what we ordered:

Finally, after you have completed steps 1 - 3, start purchasing the items at your own pace and that your budget allows for. Keep track of what you have (use spreadsheet example) and store accordingly. We typically will buy 1 extra item or more each week at the grocery store as needed. Then when we get home we will repackage and store. Below are a few pics as examples:

Additional Resources and Links (we are not associated or affiliates). Just some references to help you get started:

Hope that this helps you get started and on your way in emergency preparedness. We will be posting more topics in the weeks to come surrounding all things self-reliance and personal preparedness. Check back soon!

Food Storage Checklist.xlsx

Download XLSX • 27KB