One of my New Year's resolutions is to improve my emergency food supply. As part of that, I am regularly visiting the local warehouse store to buy more items in bulk and increase my stores of water, canned foods (people and pet) and bulk staples.

I recently bought a 4.4 pound container of Carnation dry milk powder. It is in a bag. Should I empty this bag into a large, Tupperware-like container? Should I just place the bag of powder into a secondary container? How do ETS members handle this?

I am looking at bags of beans, rice, etc. and they present the same situation.

Thanks in advance for your help.

A lot depends on the quantites you will accumulate, your plan for rotation, the space available for storage, and the temperature and humidity of that space.

For example, dry non-fat milk will keep for a year at 70 degrees F, but only three months at 90 degrees F. This assumes that no atmospheric moisture or other contaminants get into the container. Every time you open any container, you run the risk of contamination. For this reason, we only stockpile foods we actually use regularly, and then only in family-size packages (not the huge survival store bulk packs).

We don't have a small fortune to spend on food stockpiles, but we are fortunate enough to have a dry cool room in the basement to use for storage. In our cache, everything is kept in its original dated container, and positioned grocery store style on wire racks. Cans, bottles, and bags are lined up so that the oldest of each item is pulled to the front of the shelf and used first. Don't forget to load up (sorry) on toilet paper. You will also have to have a plan to check for and control stored-product pests: mice, mealmoths, grain beetles, even the family dog...

I am not certain, but I think it would keep better if it were stored unopened in the original container. I had a similar box a few years ago which I kept long past its "best by" date. I eventually used it all up with no ill effects. It tasted kid of funny, but it worked just fine when used in recipes.

The next boxes I bought were smaller.

I'm still learning but I keep my dry goods in their original packaging, and put that in airtight containers in the pantry in the basement until we're ready to use it. Once open, I keep rice, beans, oats, milk, etc in airtight containers in the kitchen.

I keep beans, rice, and flour in Rubbermaid screw top jars to keep the bugs out.

If you're looking for something you can store, Backpackers Pantry makes great powdered whole milk. It comes in small packages and lasts a few years. Or, you could buy powdered whole goats milk in cans. Meyenberg brand I believe. Last about 5 years and tastes even than cows milk IMO.

I'm not as advanced nor knowledgeable as some members here in terms of long food stroage, but because of the high humidity here in Florida, vacuum seal my dry stores...I double seal the seams, and then place the package in a fairly opaque 5gal bucket...it does waste a lot of space conpared with using a mylar bag and oxygen absorbers for an entire bucket of one item...

the dried milk I've stored is not a regular use item rotated like some other supplies, so decided to repackage it from its original waxed paper box container....

if the stores are not needed in 3 years, then they have given me peace of mind, and were worth the cost

I do rotate regular used stores, especially mindful during hurricane season

I personally have a one weeks worth supply of food for a single person in a 5 gallon bucket with a few extra items such as soap mouthwash toothpaste and comfort items like cigars. Ive actually attempted to last a week on minimal supplies doing no high calorie work and it was fairly easy. My supplies can easily be cut in half to last two weeks with no high calorie work and while not comfortable Its better then nothing.

Any longer then 1-2 weeks and I think A food supply is gonna be the least of the worries. Moving on and locating more food would be a best option by then in my opinion. This theory of mine is mainly based on current income and size constraints as well. If I could afford more money aside and more space for another 2 buckets I would prolly do so.

While it looks small Its all in the portions. And yes those are Chocolate santas =D

Not a bad start...Throw a whole carton of ramen noodles ($2) five lbs whole wheat pasta ($4) and several more bags of dry rice and beans ($4) in there and for $10 you could go two to three weeks in subsistance mode.

Blackjack gum, a definite essential, but you need more than 6 packs to survive .

Pete