Food Storage Pr0n (hot or not) show us your pics!

[rbeau30]

I'm going to start with my meager start at food storage. Post your pics!


I have been concentrating on firearms until this point. This is about two trips to the Commissary with what I have bought extra.

I figure I'll just buy a few extra cases each time I go shoppping for groceries. However, I gotta figure out more canned goods that I think the family will eat that have protein in them so I can add to the pallet.

[OneGuy67]

Eeeewwww, peas!!

[StagLefty]

Good start but I'm with OneGuy on the peas I have a lot of stocked canned veggies but not one can of peas
King Soopers has good can sales on their generic brand from time to time.

[rbeau30]

I love peas! My kids don't, so I enjoy making them eat them! LOL

[KevDen2005]

I love peas too...but I really hate green beans

[rbeau30]

So when the Apocalypse happens, I can only have corn when I invite you three over then, right?

[theGinsue]

I'm so far behind the power curve on my preps it isn't even funny.

I've got 3 plastic shelving units downstairs full of food stuffs, mostly canned goods. I've found that the plastic shelves are smaller and while they've held up okay, just aren't as sturdy as I'd like and don't have the square footage of storage space I want. Additionally, the storage of items looks a lot like the pic Jerry posted above. This has taken more of my time than I like for can rotation. I needed something better.

A few months back I purchased a couple of metal shelves from Sams Club to organize some of the junk in my basement (the type with the keyhole slots to mount the shelves). They are longer, sturdier, and have one more shelf than my plastic shelves. After getting them loaded with boxes I decided that this would be a more ideal way to go for my food storage than the plastic shelves. Yesterday I bought 4 more of the metal shelves, 2 for food and 2 for more junk (I really need to start purging my junk), they were only $56/ea which is about what you have to pay for the plastic shelves. My plan is to get 1 more for food and several more for junk storage.

Okay, the shelves will solve the basic storage issue, but not the rotation issue for loose (non-cased) cans. I've been looking at those commercial can rotation racks for years now but golly are they expensive. I'd end up spending a couple of hundred dollars to buy enough for the cans I have now, not to mention expanding my stores. Not an option so it's time to DIY it.

I found several videos online about how to make your own can rotation devices out of cardboard &/or foamboardfor little $$. These options aren't robust enough for #10 cans so I'll need to build those out of wood or metal. The first video below is my favorite but it requires top loading the cans and they feed from the back, but it'll handle 3 levels of cans, 3 cans wide. The second video shows a front load system but it seems a bit bulky for only 2 layers of cans, 1 can wide. I think I'll be trying the type in the first video.

I hope you all find this useful. It may take a while, but I'll post pics when I get it all completed.





ETA: Regarding coffee, Bobbyfairbanks said the following which drew a bit of negative response:

Just store instant. It will work out better for you in the pocket book

Consider this: Cans of coffee are good for short-term shelter in place situations where you have the ability to brew it, but instant coffee last years and just needs water (preferably hot) to make a cup of coffee. If you're on the move, or doing scouting/guard work, the imstant stuff is your friend for those who meed their coffee. Starsucks (yeah, yeah) has those small single serving tube packs called Via which are expensive but great for carried coffee. I believe other companies are making similar instant coffee products now too. I was recently TDY in a semi remote location where coffee was expensive. A couple of guys brought Via packs and were enjoying their coffee while we were still brewing our pot - and the Via was cheaper than what we were buying locally.