I believe in being prepared for likely emergencies / disasters. This can be something big or even small/local. With many of these events it is a good idea to have a reserve of fuel. This is a simple thing that any homeowner with a out building should be able to do.
Goal: Maintain 60 gallons of fuel
The goal is to have a reasonable supply of fuel that can be used in your vehicle and generator if you have one ( you should have one btw). Our vehicles use gasoline. Most of our lawn equipment also uses gas and most importantly our generator uses gas.
Why maintain 60 gallons of fuel?
- Generators run on fuel. I want to be able to maintain power to preserve my perishable food during a long power outage.
- Fuel shortage: This is rare but has happened in my lifetime. 60 gallons should get me through a short lived shortage of fuel.
- I always have fuel for equipment, generator, and automobiles. This means I don't have to go to the gas station if I need fuel right away. Also means I can help others quickly.
How I do it
Gasoline will perish. It will go bad but usually it will be usable for over a year without gas additives. With additives it can last longer on the shelf but my method eliminates this issue.
I have 12 5 gallon gas cans. I number them 1-12. Each month I take one to the station and fill it up until I have all 12 can full. I store these in a out building on a shelf sheltered from the weather. I set a monthly reminder to use one of these cans. I sometimes put the fuel in my truck or use it for lawn equipment. Then I refill it. With this method I avoid having bad fuel but always have 60 gallons of fuel on hand if I need it.
I recommend good gas cans. Don't cheap out on them but also don't avoid doing this just because the cans are to expensive. Buy one a month if you have to.
Hope someone finds this useful. I really like practical preparedness. I'm not a doomsday prepper but I really despise the modern cultural disdain for being prepared. Yeah, its dumb to have closets full of TP but it isn't dumb to have two or three of things you always need and will not go bad.
Let me know if you 'd like to see more posts like this.