Storage; ideas & best results.

time lord · 09-10-2011 10:11pm #1

With your dwelling usually where you spend most of your time storing food or even non perishables will be in our attics or sheds most likely.

We're not a people with basements usually (would you trust a neighbour with a basement in Ireland ?

) so having regard to vermin and access being necessary for all members in the household tall and small what novel or practical experiences do you have to offer.

Things that didn't work are well worth mentioning too.

Personally I use those blue airtight barrels. They can be bought new in several differant sizes.I use one every day for storing dry dog mix. The container is air tight, waterproof (can float) and is squared so it lends itself better to storage than round ones especially on shelving. I will be buying many more but am a novice at what to store and how much to store to feed five etc over a given period.
I suppose putting tinned food in them is a waste of time but if you had to move in a hurry packing food for the family would be my priority and rolling or dropping several barrels would be fairly swift when you consider the alternative. Probably more a consideration for people who live in areas where floods are in any way likely.

waterboy15 · 09-10-2011 11:11pm

Where did you get your storage barrell ?.

time lord · 09-10-2011 11:18pm

waterboy15 wrote: »

Where did you get your storage barrell ?.

In an Agri stores. They sell the feed for horses and ponies etc and other stuff I know nothing about. its an independent but I think there is a chain called "Avonmore" too.

Grizzly 45 · 10-10-2011 11:01pm

TBH,if you were worried about flooding and moving quick.I'd use the barrel as a Bug Out Bag [BOB] In which you have enough supplies and the basics for a week or 72hours at the minimum.Cans in that mass and weight,will be almost impossible to shift in a barrel,[if it is the ones I'm thinking about.] Dont worry they will be there when you get back and are pretty industructable and impervious to floodwater..Well...For at least 3/5 years anyway.:)

Also,it isnt a smart idea to keep your stash of cans in one stockpile and never use them.If you keep them in the kitchen and keep a good rotation list.[IE buy one replacement for one used out of the stockpile] you can be sure they will be fresh and undamaged when you need them.Happened to me,had to ditch a months supply because two cans rotted out and contaminated the pallet of cans below them.

Storage is a biatch alright here.Yeah I have a cellar tho!:);).
Wouldnt store food stuffs in it tho,too damp and the odd four legged visitor of the rodental variety..
But if I was in the country and /or building a new house.I'd include a cellar as a matter of course in the design.If I couldnt do that,I'd consider getting small container,or vandal proof tool container, a JCB and earthing it up and over,so I have a small hill on my property that can be explained away as "building scrape" or "topsoil" that hasnt been removed.

Sticky_Fingers · 10-10-2011 11:47pm

time lord wrote: »

With your dwelling usually where you spend most of your time storing food or even non perishables will be in our attics or sheds most likely.

IMO food storage in an attic would be a big no no. Even in well insulated home the swings in temperature from Summer to Winter can be pretty extreme and may lead to problems down the road. Sheds may be slightly better in this regard but vermin is a big concern. If you have to store in a shed though put your pails/cans/whatever in a metal garbage can and seal the lid down with lashings of duct tape.

We're not a people with basements usually (would you trust a neighbour with a basement in Ireland ? )

Just be thankful you don't live in Austria:p

so having regard to vermin and access being necessary for all members in the household tall and small what novel or practical experiences do you have to offer.

If you live in a 2 storey house how about under the stairs, provides plenty of room, possibility of hiding your stores and is within easy reach should the need arise.
Another alternative is buying a cheap, but sturdy wardrobe and storing stuff in there. It has the advantage that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and won't raise suspicion at a casual glance.
As Grizzly mentioned rotation of stock is vital and be sure not to put all your eggs in one basket.

eth0 · 20-10-2011 9:37pm

All your houses must be very full with some of the places yer coming up with for storing food. These days I live in a shoe box and I'd have no bother finding space for cans + water to last me fer a few weeks.

Even if you had them all in the kitchen you'd still have plenty of time to bring them upstairs once the flood comes

BANZAI_RUNNER · 24-10-2011 1:04pm

Survival: Clay Pot Refrigeration

Have you ever wondered what our ancestors did without refrigeration? How were they able to prevent their food from spoiling? Some of our ancient civilizations did in fact have refrigeration and used simple items they had on hand to create it.

Flower Pot Fridge.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... SZH0K-Qhuw

The zeer, or clay pot refrigeration keeps food cool (icy cold) without electricity by using evaporative cooling. Essentially, a porous outer earthenware pot, lined with wet sand, contains an inner pot (which can be glazed to prevent penetration by the liquid) within which the food is placed. The evaporation of the outer liquid draws heat from the inner pot.

In a short or long-term disaster where power is out, knowing essential skills on how to prevent foods from spoiling will help you survive longer and stay healthier. Further, having this simple device can also help you have a diverse diet during a disaster and prolong food fatigue. The best part is that making this device is incredibly cheap, very effective, and doesn’t require any electricity, which is perfect for those disasters where the power is affected and you have no fuel to power your generators.

All that is needed to create a clay pot refrigerator is two terra cotta pots, one larger than the other, as well as some sand, water, and cloth. To make the “fridge”, you just put one pot inside the other, and fill up the spaces with wet sand, which keeps the inside of the pots cold. You will also need to put a wet towel over the top to keep the warm air and light from getting in.

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, perhaps we could learn a thing or two from our ancient ancestors. Using what they had available to them, our ancestors seemed to have many of the modern day conveniences we have today.

Grizzly 45 · 24-10-2011 8:47pm

Intresting..We have here on the farm an old "ice house" or cooling house.
TBH it looks like a old christian monks beehive hut made out of red brick and coverd over with earth.Even odder is it is a good 500 meters from the main house.So not very convient for a midnite snack.:p
However I cant see how it was cooled,as there is no running water/spring that I can see in the area.Maybe it worked on this principle??

Storage; ideas & best results.

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