maybe i'm slow, but i don't get it:

for a quarter century, we've lived off the grid on solar. because town is hours away, we only go once a month (or every other month in winter) for supplies. we just have a tiny propane frig (with mini top-freezer) to hold fresh milk, eggs, butter, cheese, veggies and maybe some ice cream as a special treat. most foods we have don't need refrigeration.

seeing that most people live within a few minutes of a supermarket, what's the point of keeping so much food in your huge personal refrigerators and freezers?

in other words, i'm wondering why you need to have so much perishable "stuff" on hand, that then requires expensive generators & fuel to protect it once the power goes out?

please explain.