Nowadays, everyone seems to expect the unexpected. No one wants to be taken unawares by unforeseen situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can still have basic supplies for emergencies, including food and water, in times of disaster, at least for the short term.
You don’t have to consider yourself a survivalist or prepper to plan for emergencies. For this reason, we’ve curated practical survival food storage containers that can come in handy during emergencies.
But before we delve into our unbiased review, here are a few tips on how much food to stockpile.
Consider these basic questions to help you figure out how much food to store during emergencies:
1. What type of emergency are you preparing for? For example, you need to stockpile lots of different foods that will last for a month or more if you prepare for pandemics or natural disasters. On the other hand, a power outage may last for only a couple of days in worse cases and won’t require stockpiling plenty of survival food. Storing survival food that will last for up to seven days is a good start for short-term emergencies.
2. Do you plan to feed extra mouths? You probably already figured out how much food your family needs for a week or even a month. But do you anticipate helping one or more people? Perhaps an elderly or a neighbor? It is a great idea to store survival food that will last for about a month or thereabout if you intend to share it with a few people during emergencies. It doesn’t matter whether it is a short-term crisis; having more than enough food will ensure that your family won’t go hungry while you share with others.
3. Do you have pets? You want to make plans for your pets, too, if you have them. Consider stockpiling pet foods with a long shelf-life, even if you are preparing for short-term emergencies. That way, your animal companions will have a dependable source of good food for a long time.
With that out of the way, let’s get into the review. Here are some of the best survival food storage containers currently on the market.
If space is not an issue and you’re in the market for fairly large food storage solutions, you may want to consider the MCIRCO Large Food Storage Containers. These canisters are great for storing sugar, flour, cereal, and more.
MCIRCO made this a set of four square-shaped containers constructed with BPA-free plastic material. The vessels are transparent. But for good measure, each set comes complete with 20 pieces of chalkboard labels and one marker for labeling. There are also four measuring cups to help you measure out the right amount of food.
While the containers are sturdy and stackable, be careful not to put one inside another during cleaning or washing. They can be difficult to pry apart since they have exact dimensions.
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Chef’s Path survival food storage containers are your best bet if you’re looking to store raw pasta, noodles, and spaghetti. These tall containers come in a set of four, allowing you to store more food.
Like other containers on this list, this option is also made from high-quality BPA-free plastic. The storage vessels are transparent, eliminating the need to label them because you can see the content of each container.
While they are tall, their use is not limited to pasta only. Of course, you don’t have to break noodles or spaghetti to store them, but you can also store different types of cereals.
Organizing your pantry is easy with these containers because they are the same size. You can even stack them to save space.
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It’s difficult to beat Blingco when it comes to high-quality, affordable survival food storage containers. The brand’s Cereal Food Storage Container comes as a set of eight transparent equal-sized plastic canisters.
The containers are made with high-quality, lightweight, and shatterproof materials that look like glass. This allows you to quickly see what’s inside each food storage container at a glance without opening the lid.
Whether you plan to store food in the freezer or pantry, this stackable set with a modular design makes it easy to save space when storing your emergency food supply. The containers are dishwasher safe, but it is best to hand-wash the lids.
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If dried herbs, spices, powders, coffees, and supplements are among the food items you want to store, consider buying pouches for this type of storage.
Mylar Bags are an excellent choice of small food bags. They are reusable, giving you plenty of value. The bags are the best in class when it comes to thickness. Constructed using 7.5-mil polyester film, the bag offers impressive puncture resistance. The thick Mylar ensures greater protection against moisture, odor, air, and light.
You can use this for both short and long-term food storage. Add food items to the bag and seal it using the zip lock for short-term use. If you prefer long-term storage, apply heat to the zip lock top to re-seal the bag. You don’t need any special equipment to re-seal the bag; any hair straightener or regular clothes iron will do.
These pouches measure only 5-inch x 7-inch x 3-inch, meaning they won’t hold much food. But the good thing is that the product comes in a pack of 50, so your purchase gives you plenty of pouches to store dry or freeze-dry foods.
The gusset design also means that you get extra 3 inches at the bottom, offering better value.
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The previous sets on this list are same-sized containers. If you prefer a set with different size canisters, you may want to check out the Airtight Cereal & Dry Food Storage Container Set from Wildone.
This airtight container option comes as a set of six – two medium and four small containers). It features a marker, 20 chalkboard labels, and one measuring cup. These allow you to easily organize your pantry.
You can conveniently store about three pounds of flour or two bags of snacks in medium containers, while the smaller ones can hold about one and a half bags of cereal. One set might not be enough for long-term food storage, but it will do for short-term emergencies.
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Got pets? You need to include them in your plans for emergency food storage, too! The Bergan Smart Storage is one of the widely-used survival food storage containers among pet owners, and for good reasons.
First, the plastic containers come in three different sizes: 10 lbs, 22 lbs, and 50 lbs, so you can easily find an option that fits your cabinet or wherever you store pet food. The multiple sizes also mean you get to choose the most suitable capacity to hold the ideal food bag for your pet.
Next, the stackable design means you don’t have to worry about extra floor space if you plan to get a few of these bins. Place one on top of the other if you need to stockpile food for your pet in case of emergencies.
Conveying the bin is a breeze, thanks to the lightweight construction. Although the container is lightweight, it won’t cave in or break because of excess weight when you stack them. It is made from high-quality, durable plastic. Plus, it is BPA-free, so it is completely safe to store food for your pet.
The lid is not airtight, but it shuts snugly, and these plastic containers are decent enough to keep insects out and food fresh for several weeks. An opening in the lid allows easy access to pour in or scoop out the food.
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There you have it. These are some of the best survival food storage containers you can purchase as you begin stocking up on emergency supplies and emergency food storage.
In addition to the emergency food supply containers above, you should also consider purchasing oxygen absorbers, shelves for canned food and dried food, plastic buckets, mason jars, plastic buckets, and a water storage container.
Following the information in this article will certainly help you on your food preservation journey and allows you to better prepare for whatever may come your way.
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