Any recomedations on long term fuel storage. I was contemplating using a 55 gallon drum for storing gasoline for the generator. With the price of fuel I would like to make sure that it doesn't go bad.

Fuel stabilizer

Another question: For long term storage purposes, is diesel better than gasoline?

diesel still needs a stabelizer in the winter. in cold weather it turns into a gel , not good if it happens after you fill up your tank.
I keep about 300gal. and about 50 gal of gas on the farm. long term storage tanks with hand cranks and filter are avable at most agways. cost of a tank is around $500. they last forever. my tank is over 20 years old. I keep it out of the rain and snowand paint it every so often to prevent rusting.

Can't you add kerosene to diesel in the winter so it doesn't gel?

Having previously stored stabilized gas in a 55 gal. drum I have switched to multiple cans. You must rotate fuel no matter what. I find that 6 months is about max. for me. I've had to replace fuel filters before from gunked up stabilized gas.

Cans are just handier to rotate fuel with. I can dump a can in the truck and then refill it beginning a rotation of one new can every 2 weeks. With a drum I have to wait until it's empty.

The down side is it takes more storage space with cans.
YMMV.

Plus Gerry Cans look cool and they're easy to transport.

True dat! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

In almost any situation, propane is going to be your best answer.
Being in Mo., you can pick up a Warm Morning LP stove at almost any farm sale. If you need to circulate the heat, put a Sterling engine with fan on top of the stove, no electricity needed.
Get a propane water heater, cheaper to run than electric, and more effecient.
An on-demand water heater saves gas, and never runs out of hot water. A Poloma 55, starts with a D cell battery, or a pilot light.
A few propane lights, like a Humphries, gives you great room and area lighting.
A propane kitchen stove and a gas clothes drier, and you don't need electricity for much at all, however, a porpane conversion kit on your generator will make it run longer, cleaner, and you can still change it back to gas anytime you want.
Watch for Servel or Dometic refrigerators and freezers for sale, they run off propane, and quite economically, too.
I buy propane tractors, because they are cheaper to buy, last longer, and the fuel doen't go bad.
I have a 1000 gallon tank for the house, and a 500 gallon tank for the barn, and have the hose kit mounted to fill vehicles, 100 and 20 lb. cylinders, and the little brass adapter to fill 1 lb. tanks.
The 100 lb. tanks run tank heaters for livestock, and the swimming pool heater. If you have a propane furnace, a little 20 lb. cylinder will fuel it all night long in an emergency. The line on your tank regulator screws right in.

Propane sounds like it might be the direction I want to go in the long run. Thanks for the idea.
I am however unsure how the piping from the tank to the house will stand up to an earthquake. I'm closer than I want to be to the New Madrid fault line. Moving has to wait a few years until retirement. Again thanks.