How Much Food And Water Should You Store For Emergencies and Disasters?

First, let me just say that there is no definitive answer to this question. Personally, I always suggest that people store at least 2 weeks worth of food and water.

This is about what 2 weeks worth of stored food and water looks like for a family of 3:

However, there are a lot of variables when it comes to the minimum or max amount of food and water that someone can store. I’m going to go into detail about those variables so you can make an informed decision on how much would be enough for you and your family.

Space –

How much space do you have available to store food and water? Food should be stored inside and preferably in a temperature controlled environment. Get creative with where food goes. Place food into large bins or buckets and store the buckets in closets or make it into a side table.

Water can be stored inside, as well as in a garage or shed. It’s okay for water to get warm, we just want to keep it away from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight could cause the plastic chemicals to leech into the water. However, warm water is fine. If you’re concerned about it, you could cover/ insulate the water with blankets or inside coolers.

You can also fill your fridge and freezer with water bottles or ziploc bags filled with water.

Money –

How much money do you have each week/paycheck/month to devote to stocking up on food and water? Budget a specific amount of money for each week/paycheck/month to go specifically towards stored food and water. If you can only afford $5, that’s great! That’s $5 worth of emergency food and water that you didn’t have before. Right on! Keep at it!

People –

How many people are you storing food and water for? The amount of food needed for each meal may be increased due to the amount of people in your household. Prepping for a couple people is far different than prepping for 6. Understand the needs of your household which includes how many people you’re needing to feed.

Types –

What types of food are you storing? Freeze dried foods tend to store longer and pack down a lot easier than canned foods. However, freeze dried foods are a lot more expensive than canned goods. You can also dehydrate your own meals. There’s also MRE’s. There are a variety of food types that are acceptable to store. Store it all, if you wish.

Rotate –

Canned foods can usually last anywhere from 1-5 years, depending on how they’re stored (in a cool, dry place, with no dents), it also depends on the type of food. More acidic foods like tomatoes and pineapple won’t store as long, but they’ll still store for a long period of time.

Freeze dried foods will generally last anywhere from 10-25 years. Freeze dried foods will last best in cool temperatures.

MRE’s usually have a shelf life of 5 years, but people have opened up 20 year old MRE’s and they’ve been alright. Maybe a bit discolored, maybe the taste was off a bit, but it was edible. Or so they claimed.

Dehydrated meals are a great food storage option, as long as they’re stored properly, such as in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.

The point is, it’s best to rotate your foods regularly. You should be storing foods that you would normally eat, anyway. If you won’t eat canned shrimp, then don’t buy canned shrimp.

Rotate often (every 6 months to a year) to keep food as fresh as possible.

Yes, it’s true that when you’re starving, you’ll eat anything. But you’re getting prepared, which means you should prep food that you will enjoy eating. There’s no need to be forced to eat whatever when you can plan and prep foods that you’ll eat and enjoy. Morale is extremely important in an emergency or disaster scenario. Do your best to remain happy and keep the entire household happy.

One last thing, don’t forget about pets! Pets will need emergency food and water as well. And remember that water is used for cooking, cleaning, drinking and hygiene.

Also, click here to learn more about alternative ways to cook food without electricity.

Like I said, there’s no definitive answer to how much food and water you should store. Just do the best that you can. Set a realistic goal when you’re just getting started, like 2 weeks worth. Then assess and set a new goal after that.

Don’t forget to inventory!

Every time you add to your food storage, write down what you added in a spreadsheet, document or journal. Update the inventory whenever you remove food or water, as well.

Don’t be afraid to use your stored food and water for any reason.

You got this!

Good luck!