How to Build a Food Cache for Survival

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Survival caches are not just for survivalists. Many people built small caches for Y2K, and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina show how useful it is to have at least a few days of food and water handy at all times. For the outdoorsman with a campsite or cabin in a remote area, having a large cache of food can be a matter of survival. These areas can become isolated for many days by floods, landslides or heavy snowfall.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Cool, dry, elevated storage location Bottled water Water purification supplies Canned goods Dried fruits and nuts Coffee and tea Dried grains Cooking oil and fuel Multivitamins Mushroom farm (optional)
Cool, dry, elevated storage location
Bottled water
Water purification supplies
Canned goods
Dried fruits and nuts
Coffee and tea
Dried grains
Cooking oil and fuel
Multivitamins
Mushroom farm (optional)

Step 1

Consider your storage space. Even canned goods are liable to corrosion, and many dried goods or root vegetables can be invaded and consumed by pests. The best storage space for survival supplies will be in a cool, dry location that features elevated shelving and is sealed away from where rodents can get to it.

Step 2

Stock bottled water and/or water purification supplies. Disaster caches should stock enough water to last a set number of people for several days. Normally, a person needs 2 liters of water per day. If your cache is for an isolated cabin with a reliable water source, a distiller or carbon filter and boiler are more important than a large supply of bottled water.

Step 3

Select and purchase a wide variety of canned goods. Most vegetables, many fruits and all meats are best stored in canned form, and the typical canned food product has a shelf life measured in years.

Step 4

Supplement the canned goods with dried fruits and nuts. These do not have the shelf life of canned goods, and should not form the core of the supply cache, but they are a good source of nutrients and break up the monotony of eating canned goods.

Step 5

Consider adding root vegetables. Vegetables like onions, carrots and potatoes and herbs like garlic can last for months if stored properly. Whether to add these depends on how long they will be stored. If you will visit the location only once a year, then omit root vegetables. But if your cache is in your home, then include them. Even slightly shriveled root vegetables provide excellent nutrients.

Step 6

Stock coffee and tea. These treats will boost morale, and they have a long shelf life.

Step 7

Stock cooking oil and extra cooking fuel. These are critical for cooking in the long haul.

Step 8

Store dried grains, such as flour, rice and corn or corn meal. Beans are also a good idea. These items will last almost as long as the canned goods.

Step 9

Add jars of multivitamins if your cache is heavily dependent on canned goods and dried grains.

Step 10

Consider growing mushrooms. If you have a cool, dark space (such as the cellar of an old cabin) you can set up a mushroom farm and let it take care of itself for months at a time. This is the only food that can be put into a survival cache that will partially replenish itself.

Resources

Article Written By Edwin Thomas

Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.

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