I'm not much of a DIY man, so I need so help there ....

I have problems rotating my food stock, mainly the tin canned supplies.
So I'm looking for diagrams, on how to build some kind of shelves where you insert the last bought cans at the top and you take the oldest can from the bottom .. or something along that line...

I have some ideas but before geting wood panels, hammer and nails, I'd like to find out if there are other possibilites which I have not thought of.. (well ... I'm sure there are... )

Tried to search the net for that subject, but did not get many results (maybe not using the correct words).

TIA.

I hope you get some answers, since I am interested in the same thing. Our home (the real one, not the RV we are currently living in) came equipped with a "cold room" for food storage. Lots of shelves. Since we have enough shelving, we just to the "new to the rear, old to the front" thing, but it seems that there should be a better way...

Yes, that's what I try to do, except I haven't got that much space, so cans are more or less mixed + it's difficult to move everything forth, to put new cans in the back ...

http://www.foodstoragerack.com/foodstoragerotationsystems

Hope this link gives you some ideas. I found the Cansolidator at Costco for $24.95.

The front feed flow rack makes stocking and rotation easy.

http://www.canracks.com/

Here is a link to plans to build it yourself.

Pretty neat rack. The only problem I see is that for it to work properly, you've go to have use one row for each flavor of Campbells soup (as one example). So if you want to keep several different flavors on hand, you're going to need the BIG rack. Something to add to my wish list for Christmas...

That's about the only web site I have found.
But I still have to send them an Email to check if "our" cans are of the same size ...

One thing I had not think of, is to build a complete shelf !

I was rather thinking along the Cansolidator design. But doing it myself ...
This Cansolidator is easily configured for different can sizes. But I still have to find out, if US cans and european cans are the same.

Should work for canned food, soups, etc.

If you have a bigger pantry you could divide up the shelves into 3 partitions on 4 shelves or 4 partitions on 3 shelves with cardboard or wood or whatever. The idea is to make 12 spaces, marked for each month, then when you buy canned goods you put them in the partition for that month. To eat up the oldest (1 yr), just grab what's in the previous month's slot. This would keep you from having to physically rotate around the cans, and you can pile them anyway you want in each month's slot.

We mix soups in ours ie. chx/rice and chx/noodles.

It adds a little chance to the selection. :-)

Measure each type can you wish to use and then make the slots to fit.

The Cansolidator adjusts to take any 2 1/2 or smaller can.

If you've got shelving or a cupboard that is suitable for monthly collections, don't try to change all of the food from one shelf to the next, just change the labels. Find some kind of label system that you can attach to the shelves (above or below) and be able to move.

Simple way: Got some old plastic 1" venetion blinds? Cut them into 4"-6" lengths and write a month on each one. Apply Velcro to the back of each one (soft fizzy side of the Velcro). Apply the hook side of the Velcro to the edge of the shelves. When you want to 'rotate' your food, just move the label.

Sue

Frenchy,
I put my food and water in plastic milk crates. That way they can be shifted easily. A pantry, a bug in stash and a bug out stash all in one simple system.

Cardboard goes on the bottom of the crates with the name of whatever goes there written on it. Then when something is taken, we know what is missing when it is time to make up the weekly grocery list. There is a missing item and a name at the bottom... makes it real easy and fast to make up the grocery list

Each item gets the month/year purchased written on it in marker where it is easy to see.
Every few months I check for old items and use/replace them.

I have used this system for years and it works well for me.

Jeff
Too organized

I wouldn't send those guys a single cent (US or Euro)! What a rip off. I'd just use my own ruler, measure my cans and draw my own plans.

Frenchy, what kind of pantry set up do you have?

If you're deep, look at the manufactured ones- it is a pair of angles with an opening in the back. Dowels, hardware cloth (wire mesh, fairly stiff) or canvas, a carpenter's stapler, something to make row guides, and closet rod brackets are you need if you are retrofitting an existing closet-like pantry.

If is wide but narrow, take out your existing shelves, and put in new ones that have about a 30* slope to them and run the full width of the pantry. Put them at the top, pull them from the bottom. Think one half of the above design.

If you are so narrow you can't put the cans in width wise, then you need some kind of guides- look at gutter material. Mount it running up and down in pairs with the hollows facing each other. Not the best description- look at this thing. On the left side of the door, the green soda cans. Follow that basic concept.

There is no reason to buy if you aren't going to be using metal.

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject.
I have now a few ideas to consider.

And maybe I should start to make an inventory :
- of the various cupboards I want to use (2 or 3 different places in the appartment + shelves in the basement)
- of the various cans (contents + sizes) I need to store.

I have various cupboards or shelves to equip.
That's why something like the Cansolidator design appealed to me, at first. It is easy to install and use on existing shelves, to change the configuration, a.s.o...

But now, you got me thinking : I may have other options by building new shelves or using other designs.
I.e., I have, in one pantry, a wall which usable depth is about 9cm. I will check and see if I can find some PVC pipe of the correct diameter. That would give a good vertical storage, against an unused wall ! Drilling of few holes would allow to check how many cans are in (like my .45 pistol magazine)

O.K., let's get back to the drawing board ...

Check out standeyo.com for thisd kind of info. The book: "Dare To Prepare" by Holly Deyo is a good referece on this subject.

Where in particular is this book? All I found was a lot of stuff on the edge of the black helicopter crowd.

If you have Microsoft Excel, there is a spreadsheet out on the web titled DFPlanImp.zip. It calculates the amount you need to store for your family size. items can be substituted, and has recommened shelf life for the items.