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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.
Another tip:
I have several things that work on propane and propane has a very long shelf life. My generator will run on propane as well. So I have several portable tanks that I rotate. I use use them and refill.
In the US you can buy BBQ propane tanks in many hardware stores. It is cheaper to get them refilled at a propane provider (many gas stations do this) vs. swapping them at a hardware store. Propane will result in lower horsepower for your generator but it burns cleaner and stores longer. I can cook with it and generate power. This is not a replacement for automotive fuel but it is a good addition to your fuel preparedness.
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5 gallon Jerry cans are perfect for this. They stack, they pour without sputtering, and good ones are near indestructible.
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Indeed they are.
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This was my dream as a kid. Live in a cabin in the middle of a forest. The older I get the more I get back to the appeal of this.
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That was just the meme... This is my real place (like in the meme) of my citadel. Down there into the deep valley. Will be ready soon.
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Happy for you @DarthCoin. Its beautiful. Cities have value but nothing matches the beauty of the natural world.
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Looking forward to updates on your hobbit home
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100 sats \ 4 replies \ @OT 26 Mar
Besides fuel, how much of your time is spent prepping?
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I keep thinking of things. So one habit we have is to never only have one of things we really need. So if it is perishable we buy two unless they will spoil. I have a large freezer. I date things and rotate. This isn't time consuming. Just requires thought and a few minutes here and there.
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Honestly, I would say being prepared is really all about thinking about the future and making a plan for when shit hits the fan. Priorities should be based on likelihood, impact, difficulty to solve. If something is highly likely but easy to fix, fix it. If it is highly unlikely but high impact but also very difficult to fix maybe you solved that later.
The anti prepper stuff shows dumb people preparing for unlikely things in extreme ways while ignoring likely things that have huge impact. Food for example. Guns over food for example. Why not both? Are you gonna steal food from your neighbour with your guns?
Another thing is when you have an event like storm or power outage what happens? Afterwards figure out what you could do different.
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I don't divide my tasks by that category so I honestly don't know. If it is worth doing I try to do it. Garden season is here so I will be spending more time there but even that is mostly a weekend or two and minimal effort after. I try to be systematic in what I do and efficient.
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Impossible to answer. It varies with the season. Not much of my time though. I think what you are asking is, is it worth my time? That is subjective to your risks where you live and your standard of living.
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Thank you -- I definitely found this useful.
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Interesting. I assume it's illegal (and probably unsafe?) to store in your garage? So you really need an outbuilding of some sort?
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Well... I can't comment on legality. That depends on where you live. I have stored gas cans in my garage. One or two. To my knowledge I can store gas anywhere I want to on my property. Do your own research on that.
As far as safety, I'd say do your own research. Many factors to consider. I mean your car probably has 15-20 gallon tank. Its more about the cans. If my garage wasn't connected to my house that would change things. I store my in a shed because it makes sense storage wise/space and I don't need access to it all the time.
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99 sats \ 3 replies \ @kytt 26 Mar
This is actually a really good idea. I have some old gas (~2 years) in some plastic cans.
  1. Can I still use it somehow?
  2. What kind of gas can would you recommend?
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2 year old gas? Not sure if it will still be good. You could try mixing it with other gas and see if it works. I wouldn't just dump it all in your car. If you have a lawn mower you could try it in that first.
Get fuel that works for what you have. I don't know what you have. I get regular octane gas. That works in my stuff.
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33 sats \ 1 reply \ @kytt 26 Mar
Sorry, not what kind of "gas", but what kind of "gas can" would you recommend?
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I like Jerry Cans. These are very affordable.
You can easily spend $100 a can for higher quality cans but I think these are better than most plastic cans. I do have some plastic cans because I was able to get them for free. Over time I plan to phase them out but they hold gas. I have also bought old metal jerry cans I've found in thrift stores, yard sales, and antique stores but you have to make sure they don't have rust. I would say buy one and try it out. How do you like it?
Good question. I'm always learning but be careful that you don't over think it. It can be easy to not do something because you are still figuring out how to do it perfectly.
One of these fuel siphons is also good to have. I can't find the one i have but it looks like this one.
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I loved this. Thank you. I'll mention it on NOSTR too.
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I do this, for the same reasons, but for 30 gal, each of my six gas cans have a label with two months on them (Jan/July, Feb/Aug, Mar/Sept) etc.
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Makes sense
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