It’s better to be prepared than to be caught off guard. Wouldn’t you agree? Storing food for survival seems ever so important with every day that goes by.
When storing food for survival, you may want to buy in bulk. I have found and linked to many bulk items in this post. Most of these links go to Amazon and they are affiliate links. Other links in the post you will find how to’s, recipes, and other helpful posts full of information.
Cooking Tools
When storing food for survival, we need to remember in many SHTF scenarios we won’t have electricity. Having the knowledge and tools to cook over a fire, or with a sun oven is going to be just as important as having the food itself.
Cooking Tools For Cooking Survival Food
When storing food for survival, we need to remember in many SHTF scenarios we won't have electricity. Having the knowledge and tools to cook over a fire, or with a sun oven is going to be just as important as having the food itself.
Lodge Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
When SHTF we will most likely be cooking over a fire most of the time. Having pans that are prepared to take the flame is very important.
The dutch oven is a versatile pan and a must-have!
Lodge Wildlife Series - Seasoned Cast Iron Cookware
You'll also want a good set of cast iron skillets. This is a favorite of mine. I don't have this set, but it's the one I want!
Sunflair Portable Solar Oven
What I love about the solar oven is that it's portable. It's so lightweight, and you could even bug out with it.
Have an oven everywhere you go!
Lodge Camp Dutch Oven Tripod
You don't have to have one of these, but it's nice for slow cooking beans, meat, etc...
Wood Utensil Set of 5
Wooden utensils are nice when cooking with cast iron. If you treat them kindly they should last many years too.
Hunting & Game Processing Knife Set
Get everything you need if you don't already have it to hunt and process your own meat.
Adjustable Campfire Swivel Grill
This grill stands up on its own over a fire. This can also be helpful for cooking stuff like meat, corn on the cobb, etc...
Storing Food For Survival
When storing food for survival, remember to only keep stuff that you’ll actually eat or barter with. Also, be very mindful of expiration dates, and how long things typically last unopened vs. opened.
It’s also very important to remember to use FIFO (first in first out) method of storing. When you get new items to make sure they go to the back of the shelf at the bottom of the bucket. That way the oldest items get eaten first and foods are rotated properly.
Storing Food For Survival
Learn how to store food for survival and storing your long term food supply.
1. Place food inside a mylar bag.
These come in all kinds of sizes. I usually get gallon size because I know I can always cut them to whatever size I need.
2. Add an appropriate amount of desiccant packets to the mylar bag.
These help reduce moisture that gets inside the package of food. This is my favorite brand. They even have moisture indicators to let you know when they've taken on water.
RECHARGEABLE! These can be recharged by putting them into the microwave. Follow the directions of the package to do this.
3. Seal the bag using a bag sealer or an iron. Squeeze all of the air out first.
An iron also works for sealing mylar bags. You have to be careful and quick though. If an iron is on the mylar bag too long it will tear.
A bag sealer is nice too, but it costs a lot more money to buy and is really not necessary.
4. Store sealed mylar bags inside of 5-gallon food grade buckets.
These can range in price anywhere from $40-100 for a set of six. So try to buy low!
FIFO Method
Use the FIFO method. First in first out. When you buy new supplies make sure they go in the back of the shelf, or the bottom of the bucket. That way the oldest food is out front and will be eaten first.
Take Stock & Throw Out-Dated Foods
Expired foods that are bad should be thrown out. Dented, swollen, rusty, or leaking canned food is dangerous and should be thrown out.
Liquids
There are some liquids that you might find are necessary to stockpile. Some liquids like soy sauce come in handy for adding some much-needed flavor to rice.
Liquids: Storing Food For Survival - Foods To Hoard
There are some liquids that you may want to stock up on believe it or not. Some items may help you flavor bland food and some will keep your hydrated.
Spring Water 24 Pack
Water - is obviously a really important source of liquids. Read Backup Water Supply for how to store water properly. Also, think about having a manual pump for your well.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is good on rice, and well we will probably be eating a lot of rice, so stock up!
They also sell powdered soy sauce, I haven't tried it, but I'm kinda curious!
Soy sauce has an indefinite shelf life if left unopened, however once opened it will last 2-3 years.
French's Worcestershire Sauce
I use Worcestershire sauce in some of my marinaras and other recipes. You can also buy powdered Worcestershire sauce.
Worcestershire sauce has an indefinite shelf life if left unopened, however once opened it will last 3-4 years.
Organic Maple Syrup
If you plan on stocking up on flour or pancake mix, you may want some maple syrup. Although, after opening maple syrup is supposed to be refrigerated. So keep that in mind.
Buy maple syrup or learn how to tap trees and make your own.
Maple syrup may last indefinitely in the fridge.
Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce
Hot sauce - You can buy 1-gallon jugs of hot sauce. Hot sauce keeps pretty well. They say it will keep for about three years, but I suspect that most of them will keep a little longer than that. Grab some of my favorite brands in bulk.
Texas Pete, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Frank's Hot Sauce, Tabasco Hot Sauce, Sriracha, Crystals Hot Sauce
Best by 2 years unopened - Should last 3-6 months in the pantry when opened or 2 years in the fridge
Tahitian Vanilla Extract
You can buy vanilla beans, and make your own Instant Pot Vanilla Extract.
Organic Almond Extract
You can also make your own almond extract.
Distilled White Vinegar
White vinegar should last indefinitely. It can be used in cooking, cleaning and much, much more.
Alcohol
Alcohol (21+ONLY Drink Responsibly!) - Beer and wine don't have much shelf life and don't provide other positive benefits like other alcohols do. Liquor or spirits like vodka, gin, brandy, whiskey, and tequila last indefinitely and may provide first aid for wounds (although some science disputes this).
Liqueurs are sweetened alcoholic beverages such as triple sec, Amari, Chartreuse, and their shelf life and alcohol percentage varies. You can also use liquor for cleaning around the home.
Coconut Oil & Other Oils
Coconut oil and other oils – Coconut oil should last at least a year. Maybe more. Oils aren’t some of the best Foods to Hoard, they tend to go rancid. Ghee or powdered butter will last much longer.
Dry Goods & MISC
Dry Good & Miscellaneous Survival Foods
Foods like rice and beans can keep for a long time and they are among the cheapest foods you can buy. In this list, you will find dry goods and some other random stuff.
King Arthur Flour, Unbleached Flour, 20 lb
It's a good idea to keep a good variety of flours. Whole wheat, all-purpose, and even pancake mixes. You can help extend the shelf life by freezing flour for 48 hours. This can help kill any weevil eggs that may develop. It's important to know, that those weevils are edible. So if you do get them in your flour it's not a total loss!!
Powdered Drink Mixes
Powdered drink mixes - like Koolaid, tang, sweet tea, lemonade, etc... These are not necessary but it would be a nice treat if SHTF.
I'm not sure how long these will last, but if you keep the powder free from moisture it should last quite a while.
Long Grain White Rice 25 lb.
White rice tends to have a much longer shelf life than brown rice. Since brown rice has a higher amount of oil content in it, it tends to go bad more quickly.
Rice can get weevils or other bugs. Most of these pests are actually edible.
Costco has a 50 lb. bag for around $17.
These can possibly last for up to 30 years when properly stored. Some people say indefinitely?
Bulk Black Beans 24 lbs.
These are a little expensive. It's cheaper to buy bags of black beans instead, like this 4lb. bag of black beans.
However, having the pail is nice too and that's worth some money, so it all depends on what your needs are.
These can possibly last for up to 25 years when properly stored.
Augason Farms Lentil Beans 24lbs.
So again, you may be able to buy these cheaper in bags. However, the pail is nice for storage of other foods and jobs once you've finished off the food inside.
These can possibly last for up to 25 years when properly stored.
Augason Farms Pinto Beans 24lbs.
Pinto beans are really popular. These tend to be a little more expensive than other beans.
These can possibly last for up to 25 years when properly stored.
Instant Potato Flakes, Bulk 40 Lb. Case
40 whole pounds of instant mashed potatoes! That's quite a lot!
These can possibly last for up to 20 years when properly stored.
Mountain House Classic Bucket
Freeze-dried meals can easily last a long time. Mountain House makes some of the tastiest meals that I've had. My favorite one is turkey casserole!
May last up to 30years if properly stored.
Spaghetti Pasta, pack of 8
I don't know about you, but I love pasta and bread! Pasta is another thing you can keep in your long term food supply.
May last up to 20 years if properly stored.
Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
This is a pretty large container of dry milk. Dry milk can be used in many different ways. You can drink it like you would milk, use it in baking, soups, and more.
May last up to 20 years if properly stored.
Augason Farms Quick Rolled Oats
This 10lb. pail is fairly priced most of the time. I think I bought one for about $20. Prices fluctuate though, so watch for price changes.
Up to 30-year shelf life!
Yelton's Best Stone Ground White Grits - 5lb
You may be able to find a better price in a grocery store, but all in all, this is not a bad price for 5 whole pounds of stone-ground grits.
Stone-ground grits may last up to a year after the best buy date. Quick grits should last for about 2-5 years.
Dutchman's Popcorn - 4lb
I bought some of this popcorn last Christmas. I used to buy at Trader Joe's but I never get over there anymore. We've tried this popcorn and it tastes great!
Corn Starch - 1 gallon
I typically use cornstarch to thicken soups & sauces. Many times I prefer this over using flour.
Amazing Grass Green Superfood
Make sure you are getting plenty of vitamins and nutrients during SHTF. This superfood powder is my favorite. It contains all kinds of green foods, but it tastes delicious. It's really good in smoothies but you can add some to water too.
Augason Farms Vegetable Stew Blend 2 lbs
I actually have a recipe that uses this. I made a regular recipe and a camp recipe that would also be good for survival situations.
Naked WHEY 5LB
You can use protein powder in many different ways in a survival situation.
Augason Farms Chicken Flavor Bouillon 4 lbs
Whether you are making soup or just a cup of hot broth for a sickly person, this is great to have.
Up to a 10 year shelf life
Beef Bone Broth Powder
Bone broth is full of nutrients, this stuff is great in soups, stews, sauces, and more.
I have no clue how long this can last, but it's a powder so take a guess!
S.O.S. Rations Emergency 3 Day
These dense bars are packed full of calories which is great for a bug out situation. They are heavy though and will add quite the weight to your pack.
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon #10 Can
Maybe I'm weird but I like powdered eggs! Mountain House's egg with bacon is especially good.
Bread Crumbs
Mix in with veggies or use to bread veggies or meat.
Canned Goods
Most canned foods are good for about 2-5 years. For foods with high acidity such as tomato products and canned fruit will naturally be good for about 18 months.
DON’T: Please don’t eat dented, swollen, rusting, or even leaking cans! These are warning signs of a possible botulism contamination inside of the can.
Commercially canned foods should be stored in a cool dry place. Don’t store them near the stove, or in damp areas such as under the sink, garage, basement, etc…
Also, don’t store them where they might experience extreme temperatures whether high or low, like the attic or shed.
- Canned butter
- Canned cheese – Bega is like a very mild cheddar.
- Canned veggies – Corn, beans, peas, etc…
- Canned meat – Chicken, spam, ground beef, etc…
- Canned Seafood, like tuna.
- Canned soups
- Canned Bread
- Canned Fungi – aka mushrooms.
Condiments & Spices
You will find other condiments in the liquids section of this post. Here are the solids. Some condiments like salad dressing and mayo don’t last long. Pickled condiments will have a longer shelf life.
- Mustard – Yellow mustard can last for around 1-2 years unopened, but dijon and honey mustard are said to last about 2-3 years unopened. Most mustard will last 1 year after opening.
- Ketchup
- Pickles/Relish – Pickles can last up to 2 years whether opened or not.
- Pickled Peppers – Peppers that are pickled in vinegar can last up to a year in the fridge.
- Ghee Butter – Ghee is good for about 9 months unopened they say. You can also stock up on butter powder. It has a 10-year shelf life.
I love herb gardening. I have plenty of herbs dried and stored to keep us flavoring our food for many years. This is a great way to go, but if you can’t grow your own. You could buy in bulk.
When I worked in a natural food grocery store, we often purchased BULK herbs and spices by the Frontier brand. They also had great quality items, and even offer organic!
You don’t have to keep all of these herbs and spices. When storing food for survival, you should only store what you’re willing to eat or barter.
- Rosemary whole leaf and powder
- Oregano
- Ginger Root Powder
- Garlic powder – You can also make your own garlic powder.
- Onion powder – You can also make onion powder at home.
- Basil
- Turmeric
- Curry
- Thyme
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Sage
- Cumin
- Bay leaves
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Sage
- Salt – *This is also on the barter list.
- Pepper
- Dill
- Nutritional Yeast
- Cloves
- Yarrow – Yarrow has many amazing uses.
- Cinnamon Sticks
Tea & Coffee
You may also want to think about buying tea and coffee in bulk. You can make tea by adding 1-2 tsp to an infuser and steeping it for a few minutes.
- Peppermint leaves
- Raspberry leaves
- Spearmint leaves
- Chamomile Flowers
- Echinacea
- Eucalyptus Leaves
- Black Tea – Early Grey is one of my favorites and you can buy a big tin of earl grey for cheap. I also suggest buying some black tea for making sweet tea.
- Lavender
- Coffee – * Also on the bartering list.
- Powdered creamer
Bartering Food Items
- Salt
- Alcohol
- Coffee – Whole beans keep for longer supposedly.
- Dry Milk – Nonfat milk powder, or whole milk powder
- Pasta
- Honey
- Chocolate
- Vinegar
- Water
- Flour
- Sugar
- Canned Food
- Other shelf-stable food
- Herbs & spices
- Seeds for gardening
Homemade Items to Make Yourself
These homemade items aren’t just for storing. You can make most of these even after SHTF. Knowing how to make them after SHTF will be a valuable resource.
- Jam & Jelly
- Pemmican – A dried mixture of meat, fat, and berries. They say it will last for 20 years in the freezer and 3 to 5 years at room temp.
- Hardtack – is like a hard biscuit. It’s a mixture of flour, water, and salt. If kept in an airtight container, some say they will last indefinitely.
- Fruit Rolls – Or fruit leather, is pureed fruit spread out on parchment paper and then dehydrated.
- Vegetable Broth
- Bone Broth
- Bread
- Jerky
Manual Kitchen Gadgets
- Manual meat grinder
- Pasta roller
- Coffee Grinder
- Manual can opener
- Hand powered food chopper (I have this one and love it!)
- Manual Juicer
I think I’ve compiled a pretty good list. If you think of something I’ve missed let me know in the comments!
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Good list, but you might include alcohol in the bartering items
Ahh yes. I thought about it, maybe I will label it differently. The category says food. Alcohol would be a great bartering item. Thanks Greg!