Chapter 22 · Pantry and cooking without power
22.1 Emergency pantry vs. long-term storage
They are two different things, and for your household the first one is what matters.
| Emergency pantry (rotating) | Long-term storage | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Normal supermarket food, ready to eat or nearly so, that you eat and restock | Grains and dry foods sealed in buckets, Mylar bags, or #10 cans with oxygen absorbers |
| Duration | Months to a few years (label date) | Years or decades, only if kept cool and dry |
| For what emergency | Blackout, freeze, hurricane, illness, job loss: days to weeks | Disruptions of months (chapter 23) |
| Needs water and cooking | Little or none | A lot: rice and beans require water and fuel |
| Priority for you | First. Complete the 2 weeks from chapter 2 | Afterward, and only if you have cool space |
