How To Store Your Emergency Preparedness Items
Today I want to share how to store your emergency preparedness items. I met with Eric from Back Stage Pass about seven years ago to do this Food Storage Moms behind-the-scenes interview. I met him at a Down East Blogger Mixer. Eric really wanted to show the world what bloggers do every day. I was honored that he asked if he could do an interview with Food Storage Moms and do a YouTube as well. He asked why I started Food Storage Moms and why I was so passionate about food storage and emergency preparedness.
This is my desk area where I write, research, and answer questions. This is an updated post so new followers can see what I do each day and how I store my emergency preparedness items.
Why I Started Food Storage Moms
I explained the situation when I was about 16 years old and living with an aunt in Illinois when an ice storm hit. The highways were shut down for two weeks. The grocery stores rationed one quart of milk and one pound of hamburger a week per family. We were a family of seven (including me). My aunt had two cans of food in the cupboard and a new baby without extra formula. I vowed that would never happen to me again, or to my family in the future. I was scared, I mean really scared. So this is why I will never be without extra food.
I started my blog six years ago to teach the world how to use food storage every day, and to teach the world to be prepared for the unexpected. I actually started teaching my neighborhood and friends. It’s a way of life for me and it always has been. My husband and I have always taken care of ourselves on a shoestring. I am a HUGE budgeting person. I can make almost everything from scratch. I use my food storage every day.
I wondered for some time why people liked to blog. I realized it was a way for people of various backgrounds and interests to reach out to others who have similar ideas, values, and priorities, and to help them connect. The people who share my passion for planning ahead and doing what they can to prepare for disasters and emergencies of all kinds started following my blog and reaching out to me with their questions, comments, and suggestions.
I have made so many new friends in the past six years, people who I care about and who care about me. I appreciate the strong following I’ve been able to develop and the support I receive from people and companies all over this wonderful country of ours. Thanks so much for being here today and reading this blog post, it means the world to me.
Please check out this YouTube and subscribe to Eric’s channel on YouTube! You will enjoy what you see! Thank you so much, Eric! Here are the two YouTubes he did for Food Storage Moms.
Food Storage Moms Interview
How To Store Your Emergency Preparedness Items
How To Store Your Water Storage
I have four 55-gallon barrels stored outside on the side of my house. I put UV protector bags on them based on the heat we have here in Southern Utah. I keep the water level about 6 inches below the top in the event the water freezes here in the winter.
More Water Storage
I have several cases of Blue Water Cans stored behind this dresser in my bedroom. This is my all-time favorite water. I keep adding cases as my budget allows. A reader told me the cheapest place to buy them is at Brownells. Watch for the sales, this water tastes better than any water I have stored. And I have a lot of water stored, trust me. Brownells Website
I called the company to figure out how to buy cases for my daughters for Christmas. I can sleep at night knowing they have water stored in their homes. Please keep in mind, if you use bleach you will need to rotate your water every six months. I only use Water Preserver because I can rotate my water every five years. Yay! Water Preserver Link
Large Water Tank 250 Gallons
How To Store Your Preparedness Items
These are shelves I bought from Costco ONLINE, the ones at the store do not have the heavy-duty wheels these have. They are 48 inches wide/72 inches tall/18 inches deep. They are extremely sturdy. I buy the bags from Amazon or Bed Bath, and Beyond to protect what I store in my garage. They are quilt bags. I use sweater bags for my smaller items. We have a lot of dust where I live. Amazon Quilt Bags and Sweater Bags.
How To Store Your Preparedness Items #2
This rack below has everything labeled. If you haven’t seen my portable kitchen which can be taken to a church or school check out the link. You could even take it camping. Full Stocked Portable Kitchen
How To Store Your Preparedness Items #3
My 72-hour kits have a cardstock sheet in each bag (in the front) that shows what is in my bag and what is in Mark’s bag. I have tags attached to remind us to grab our prescriptions, dog 72-hour kit, and emergency binder. When you must flee, you may forget some very important items.
How To Store Your Preparedness Items #4
Garage Hanging Racks-Laundry Equipment
I actually have four wash buckets, two 24-inch sizes, and two 32-inch buckets. All four are galvanized made and made by Behrens. They are leakproof. I have 6-gallon buckets (two per set) with mobile washers to do laundry. I just purchased a Lavario portable washer. I will post a picture when I can. It’s awesome and it works!!! Plus, it’s fairly inexpensive and sturdy.
Some Of My Fuel In Air-Tight Gamma Lids/Buckets
This is some of my fuel, my propane tanks are stored outside my garage for safety reasons. Let me explain what these buckets are. Everything in my house is colored-coded. The blue buckets are charcoal briquettes without the fluid starter. The red buckets are oak hardwood lump charcoal. The black buckets are filled with clean pine cones, and the green buckets are filled with raw unstained blocks of wood.
This is how they are stacked in my garage. I have two fire pits, Dutch Ovens galore, and a Volcano stove I can cook many, many, many meals. Don’t forget matches and fire starters. The pine cones are great for my Kelly Kettle. You can collect them for free almost everywhere and then clean and store them.
My First Aid Kits Are Stored In My Home
I have several first aid kits, I will show you my two most popular ones.
#1 Fishing Tackle Box
Here is the post on this fishing tackle list. I NEVER charge for lists, all of mine are free. First Aid Kits
Fishing Tackle Box on Amazon ***Printable for Supplies To Fill First Aid Kits: First aid kit
#2 Stanley Max First Aid Kit
Stanley Fat Max Container on Amazon
I want you to know I did not do my preparedness plan overnight. I could see how crazy our world has become, and I knew I had to find the tools, preps, fuel, headlamps, you name it, to be prepared for the unexpected. I wish I lived in a like-minded neighborhood, but I do not. It’s very frustrating for me. A few get the picture but 95% of my neighbors do not. Am I nervous, yes I am, I cannot take care of everyone.
I sometimes think people may see me as over the top or believe they will all come to MY house. STOP, we must all be able to take care of ourselves. Period. I am not a selfish person, but people, please be self-reliant. We have some significant issues coming very soon. The government cannot take care of everyone.
I can look immediately and find my snake bite kit, for instance, in seconds. Everything is labeled in my garage. Please stay tuned, let’s get all our preps organized rather than just throwing them in a closet. Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world. Linda
Wow Linda! That was fast! You look great and the information was wonderful! I like how you showed how you photograph things for your blog.
Just watched part 2 — where did you get your grow boxes? I really want to have a garden and couldn’t get anything to grow before!
These videos were so informative–great job and thanks for sharing them!
Linda, this is a fabulous video. I learned so much. You are a natural in front of the camera.
I love your OXO containers. Do they do a good job of keeping food dry for a long time? I have humid summers.
Wow! I learned so much great information and ideas to kick my preparedness up a notch. Thank you for your effort, time, and
for sharing with us all that need some more direction. You and
Kendra have been a great inspiration for our family. My husband’s
family originates from southern Utah and we love it there. Thanks
again!
Linda, you are so organized! I loved your first video, and I’m moving onto number 2. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you! Gave me some great ideas.
I have been trying to figure out how to use a pressure cooker since I have a glass stove top. Your presentation on this subject was greatly appreciated.
Hi Jacqueline, I saved my money for three years to get a gas stove. I had to have a gas line run and luckily it only cost $300.00 to have it run to my kitchen. I called Camp Chef and they said they can’t recommend that we use that Explorer one for canning because it not watched someone’s awning could catch on fire. It’s like our gas barbeques don’t leave them unattended. I use it far away from my patio awning. Thank you for your kind words, Linda
Oh my goodness Linda! You are so pretty, more so than your picture! I have thoroughly enjoyed these video’s! So full of information to help us and I learned so much. Please do more of them! Your house may be small (as you said) but very well organized and very pretty. It makes me want to get even more stock although I have been working it for about a year on a small budget. The way you give away food and help people with your knowledge God will really bless you and your husband. Please tell us the recipe for everything and the appliances you use. Show us video’s on how to make things. I hope you get many viewers and do very well. Thank you ever so much!!!!!Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, thanks so much for your kind words. I was worried about sharing the videos because I didn’t want to be too showy. But with your encouragement I am going to do even more video’s. Thanks again, Linda
I loved this Linda and now I feel like I have met you! I am putting together curriculum to present to the state for disaster preparedness for the home care worker. There were some great resources here. You are an inspiration!
Hi Gaye, oh thank you so much for your kind words. I work really hard to show the world how to be prepared. Let me know if you need any help with anything. Linda
Linda. Thank you so much for sharing your very organize preparation for life..where did you purchase your indoor solar ground zero Generater..I need 2 of them..please do more preparedness videos.So Helpful to me.I love all of your ideas very Helpful.Cabot Thank you enough.Rebecca…Fremont In.
HI Rebecca, I have hired a friend that is going to start doing some videos for me. I want to teach basic skills and I will NOT charge my readers to view them. I feel God wants me to teach the world but not for profit. I am working on it now. Thanks for the encouragement, Linda
This was a very good post, Linda! There were alot more things in there that I need to do and I’ve done quite a bit. Obviously not enough, tho. However, I don’t know that one can be prepared for “everything” :o) but I try! I thought I was the only one who used a fishing tackle box for my medical supplies. Obviously we think alike ;o)
I agree with you about the neighbors. I’ve lived at my address for most of my adult life. I’ve seen young families move in, I’ve seen most of my neighbors die! However, the few left know I have supplies and I always worry about what would happen in a disaster, etc. Living in Northern Nevada, we do get snow, albiet not enough anymore. That doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen because it has in the past and will in the future. I have a woodburning stove and all the neighbors know we keep warm and toasty when the power goes out. I worry about getting converged upon.
Thanks again for all you do! Your site still is the premier one out there that I go to for answers.
Robbie
Hi Robbie, you made my day!! That means a lot to me. I really wish we had a woodburning stove, but living in Southern Utah we can bundle up with blankets. Plus, termites love Southern Utah! I couldn’t stack wood on the side of my house! I love hearing you use a fishing tackle box for your first aid supplies! I love it! Stay well, stay safe, and keep on prepping. Linda
Very impressed with the bags you use to keep your stuff dust free. Hadn’t thought of that, although I’m more concerned with moisture in my area than dust, but the same idea applies.
One thing that worried me was your picture of stacked fuel buckets. You said they were gamma lid buckets? Normally only the top bucket in a stack gets a gamma lid since they can’t take much pressure and tend to crack over time if other buckets are stacked up on them. I have a bunch of gamma lids stored for when I have to crack open a 5 gallon bucket, but all of my stacked buckets have regular lids so I can have flexibility when reorganizing my LTS.
Hi Dmwalsh, I have had these buckets for over ten years and none have cracked YET, fingers crossed. Moisture is a concern in some states. Keep on prepping! Linda
My brother and I just purchased a stand for a dutch oven. It was priced so ridiculously low that we had to get it. And then he grabbed a Dutch oven (5 quart pot) from Walmart about a week ago and last night we were looking at a set of pans. I noticed lids and there was one 10 and 1/4 inch fry pan…. then I realized they had a lid to fit and figured now he could keep the pan covered (Protection from bugs) and it makes it more versatile. And we got it all for about $40 total.
I downloaded your Dutch oven coal and temperature chart, your Dutch oven pizza recipe and homemade dough in a jar recipe for him which we will print out and present in a little folder from the dollar store.
He doesn’t think of himself as a prepper or survivalist, but has been slowly… very slowly sort of learning. I hope he sees the utility of the cast iron stuff for indoor or outdoor cooking and emergency use outside with the stand or maybe for special barbecues or to take food to another place wrapped in a blanket and put in the trunk. I believe that cast iron hold the heat for a long time.
I love the videos. It was like an overview and a crash course for people new to preparedness. I wish I had those same shelves with wheels for my room and for survival gear. In time I hope. Anyway, you’re kind of a badass prepper Linda. You don’t go over board, but you got your bases covered.
HI Frank, Oh, I had to read this one to my husband!!! Once I asked my daughters, do you think it would be okay to say, “I’m a badass prepper?” They got the giggles so bad, I didn’t post it. BUT now I’m going too!!! I always LOVE your comments!! Linda
Hi Linda,
Thank you for sharing. I’ve learned so much from you. I truly enjoyed both videos 1&2. I like your idea of stashing $4.00 a week. This is a very good idea. I want you to know that you are appreciated and I am learning a great deal from you. Tomorrow, I’m going to get the M95 masks. One thing at a time.
Hi Sabrina, oh my gosh, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! I work so hard to help others, this means the world to me. Hugs from Utah, Linda