Food! Glorious good! Keep it safe and tasty. You may be involved in a disastrous situation but there is no reason not to eat well. Here are some great tips for stockpiling!

1. Keep it cool Storing your food in a place that is prone to temperature variations must be avoided. Heat accelerates bacterial activity and enzymatic processes. These are known to cause food spoilage regardless how you packed your food supplies. Food storage requires a space where heat sources shouldn’t be present. Many people store food in their basement and they forget to notice that even a water heater can raise the temperature in the entire room.

2. Keep it airtight If your food is exposed to oxygen it begins to break down and nutrients degrade rapidly. Fungi and microorganisms need an oxygenated environment to thrive. Leaving behind an environment without oxygen will make it impossible for bacteria and fungi to occur. Oxidation will cause rust and your cans will degrade causing leakage. Use a vacuum sealer to seal food tightly in plastic or mylar bags.

3. Always rotate your stock Food storage implies you should feed your family with the foods from your pantry. You should do so regardless if you’re facing a crisis or not. People are storing foods without knowing what to do with it. You should put your pantry to the test and I suggest you do it sooner rather than later. Try to live one week with only what you can prepare from the items available in your pantry. Write down what went wrong, what you are missing and how the overall experience was. Make sure you replace what you eat to keep a constant food storage.

4. Store spice and seasonings Your food storage plans should include dry seasonings. For example, dry herbs have a long shelf life if stored properly. It is important that you store flavorings such as tomatoes, bouillon and onions. Make sure you also include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These can make a world of difference when you are forced prepare bland foods. They help young ones and old people to better deal with a restrictive diet and can change their mood if used properly.

5. Don’t make it a one man effort Learn how to get all your family members involved into your food storage plans. Everything can be done easier if you have moral support and if others are giving a helping hand. For example, drying jerky with the kids can be a fun and educational experience. Involve them into checking the pantry’s temperature, cleaning it, rotating the food, checking and discarding compromised food items, etc. If you have kids you can do it together or ask them to do it, once they get the hang of it. It will make them more responsible and it will keep your pantry safe.

To learn more, including how to buy cheap and spread the cost, go to Prepper's Will.

We feel, in the end, more is better. If you can stockpile enough good foods not only will you and your family live a better life, you will also have items to bargain with. After the SHTF, bargaining power may be as important as – stockpiled food!