Top 10 Emergency Food Supply Storage Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them) [Infographic]

Even the readiest of Ninjas can still find room for improvement when it comes to their emergency food supply and storage. In this handy infographic we list the top 10 most common emergency food mistakes and simple tips to avoid them.

Common Emergency Food Mistakes

Infographic created by the wise folks at foodinsurance.com

1 – 1000 pounds of wheat and no wheat grinder

Wheat is a staple of long-term food storage solutions, but it’s important to understand how to work it. Bread is the staff of life but that life will be short lived if you dont have a way to turn your wheat storage into bread. There are alternatives to a grain mill, so study your options carefully.

2 – Storing flour in the bag and not in an air tight container

Let’s say you do grind your wheat into a rich flour, or you bypass the wheat grinding portion and get ready flour. Do you have a reliable way to store it? In the bag, flour only lasts a few months so if you want to be able to make bread when an emergency comes, you’ll need a hermetic (air tight) sealed container.

Video: How To Store Flour Long Term (DIY)

3 – Waiting to plant a garden until after things go south

Being self-sufficient when it comes to food, or at least being able to supplement your emergency supplies with fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden is a commonly overlooked strategy since it takes a lot of hard work. But if you thought it was time consuming and hard to plant gardens when you had access to a Home Depot, just wait until you are on your own – or after a zombie apocalypse, as we discussed previously. Gardening takes practice and patience, so count on those nice orange apron folks to help you out.

4 – Water doesnt last forever: Not rotating your water supply

Water can last up to 3 years if stored in a stainless steel container and kept in a temperature controlled room (not your garage). But it only lasts 6-12months if stored in normal plastic bottles. When we talked about earthquake preparedness we suggested a few high-quality water bricks you can look into.

5 – Storing your water in the wrong containers

Never store water in containers that:

• Have stored anything else besides water
• Are clear
• Are in hot and humid places

6 – Storing store-bought cans in the Garage

You dont have to live in Phoenix for your garage to get up to 112 degrees in the summer. The cans you buy at the store arent made for that kind of heat, and prolonged storage temperatures above 75 degrees also increases risk of nutrient loss.

7 – Buying Low Quality Free-Dried Food

Columbia Food Laboratories has found extremely high oxygen levels (up to 18%) in some big-brand freeze-dried food. You’re buying freeze-dried based on taste and storage capabilities – make sure the company making the food is using the proper techniques.

NinjaNote: our selection of freeze dried emergency food supplies comes from Wise Food Company and are all nitrogen-packed, enabling up to 25 years of shelf life without rotating.

8 – Trying to bug out with 1000 pounds of Wheat

This mistake can also apply to gigantic supplies of freeze-dried food. If you’re able to remain in your home/shelter, having that much wheat stored is great. But if you’re forced to bug out, specially in an unexpected evacuation, you’re going to have some serious back breaking problems.

9 – Not having a plan for where you’ll store your emergency food supplies

You secured wheat, water, fuel, medicine, and weapons. The only problem is you didnt make shelves and instead made your son’s bed out of cans of beans and will have to shower with your bug-out bag.

10 – Buying hybrid seeds instead of heirloom seeds

Next time you’re at the store looking to buy preparedness seeds make sure you’re buying Heirloom not Hybrid. Heirloom plants produce seeds for the next generation, hybrids are one and done.

Common Sense Preparations

We can explore countless other situations where food storage could be improved, but the truth is that getting started your supplies is already a major step. Take these and other tips in consideration, but dont let that stop you from getting ready.

Stay Ready, Ninjas!