Latter-day Saints have been counseled to prepare to care for themselves and their families in time of need. Provident living involves being wise, frugal, prudent, and making provision for the future while attending to immediate needs.
Making those provisions for the future is called home storage. Basic storage, emergency storage, and expanded storage are the three categories of home storage.
Basic Storage
This type of storage includes basic food items such as grains (storing a variety of wheat, rice, corn, or other cereal grains), nonfat dried milk, dried fish, legumes (dried beans such as soy, pinto, navy, red, or split peas or lentils), sugar, salt, fat, and water.
Amounts needed for one adult for one year:
| grains - 300 pounds | nonfat dry milk - 75 pounds | sugar or honey - 60 pounds |
| salt - 5 pounds | shortening or oil - 20 pounds | dried legumes - 60 pounds |
Emergency Storage
Each individual in the family should have a portable container with emergency supplies that will sustain life for 72 hours. It should be kept where it can be picked up at a moment's notice.
Items needed for one adult:
| 3 day supply of food that doesn't require cooking or refrigeration | non-fat dry milk - 1/2 pound | graham crackers - 1 pound |
| dried apricots - 1 pound | canned orange or tomato juice - 46 ounces | peanut butter - 1/2 pound |
| water - 1 gallon | bedding - blanket, cloth sheet, plastic sheet | one change of clothing including two pairs of stockings |
| toiletries | sanitary supplies | first aid supplies and booklet |
| cleaning supplies | matches | candle |
| flashlight | signal flare | can opener |
Emergency items needed for the whole family:
| dishpan | dishes |
| utensils | ax |
| shovel | bucket |
| radio | paper |
| pencil | medications |
Expanded storage:
This type of storage includes foods and other daily essentials to supply total nutritional needs and allow for variety and personal preferences in diet and living.
Items that could be included:
| baking powder | yeast | Jello |
| spices | soups | jams/jellies |
| canned milk | canned and bottled foods | canned nuts or peanut butter |
| freeze-dried/dehydrated foods | smoked, canned, or freeze-dried meat and fish | plastic bags |
| soaps and cleaning supplies | sleeping bags, pillows | clothing of various kinds and sizes for all seasons |
| personal supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving supplies, comb, brush) | medication | a variety of fuel and light (paper logs, hurricane lamps, candles, etc.) |
| equipment such as wheat grinder, battery-powered radio, coal stove, sewing machine | facial and toilet tissues | aluminum foil |
(You might also want to store unflavored gelatin so you can make an egg substitute that can be used in baking. To make a mixture that will substitute for 1 egg in a recipe combine 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon boiling water.)
Water Storage
You also need to store water. The approximate requirement per person on a two-week basis is 14 gallons (seven for drinking and seven for other uses).
Storage may be in plastic bottles, to which sodium hypochlorite (bleach) may be added if the purity of the water is in doubt. Generally one-half teaspoon per five gallons if the water is clear and one teaspoon per five gallons if the water is cloudy.
Because it is impractical to store a year's supply of water in most places, it may be wise to store water-purifying agents.
First Aid Supplies
Basic Emergency home storage should include first aid supplies. It should be in a container with a tightly fitted cover.
Standard first aid supplies:
| medications prescribed by a physician if needed | adhesive tape | ammonia |
| antibiotic ointment | bicarbonate of soda | calamine lotion for sunburn and insect bites |
| diarrhea remedy | elastic bandages | gauze bandages |
| hot-water bottle | hydrogen peroxide | ipecac syrup (induces vomiting) |
| knife | matches | measuring cup |
| medicine dropper | needles | paper bags |
| razor blades | rubbing alcohol | safety pins |
| scissors | soap | thermometer |
| triangular bandages | tweezers | first aid instruction book |
| consecrated oil | ||
Fuel and light
If possible, a reserve of fuel such as coal, oil, or wood should be part of your storage plan, at least for cooking purposes.
Suggestions for storage
Home storage should consist of a year's supply of basic food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel. After this goal has been reached, emergency and expanded storage should be begun.
If your job requires you to move often or you live in a small home with limited storage area, you should prepare as best you can for emergencies. It is wiser to have food storage sufficient for only a few weeks or months than to have no storage at all.
General suggestions:
1. The choice of foods for storage depends on availability, nutritive value, cost, storage qualities, and other considerations.
2. Store a variety of foods since no single food has all the essential nutrients in the correct proportions.
3. Store the highest quality or grade of food obtainable. Wheat should be cereal grade, double cleaned, at least 11 percent protein, and no more than 10 percent moisture.
4. Foods should be stored in sturdy metal, plastic, or glass containers with tightly fitting lids. Sturdy wooden, straw, or earthenware containers may also be used, but a plastic bag liner should be used to protect the food from possible contamination. Do not use garbage bags.
5. Foods should be stored in areas that permit easy access and allow control of temperature and humidity. In general, cool temperatures prolong storage life and quality. Not all storage items should be located in one area of the house. Not all should be stored in one type of container.
6. To destroy insects that may infest grains, nuts, dried fruit, or other foods, place the food in a home freezer and keep it at zero degrees Fahrenheit (or below) for four days. As an alternative, the food may be sterilized by being heated in an oven at a low temperature (setting of warm or 200 degrees Fahrenheit) for about one hour, depending on the nature of the food.
Spread the food on shallow pans so that the heat can penetrate easily. Stir the food occasionally to keep it from scorching. Dry ice kills most adult insects and larvae, but it probably will not destroy the eggs or pupae. Pour two inches of wheat into the bottom of the container. Add dry ice; then fill with wheat. Eight ounces of dry ice is recommended for one hundred pounds of grain, or one pound for each thirty gallons of stored grain. Seal the containers loosely for five to six hours; the seal them tightly.
7. Storage should be acquired according to an orderly and systematic plan consistent with the family's needs. Borrowing money to acquire food storage is discouraged.
8. Food costs can be minimized by budgeting and shopping wisely.
9. Store foods that the family is willing to eat. In times of stress, it may be difficult to eat unfamiliar or disliked foods.
10. Stored foods should be used and replaced o a regular basis to maintain quality and minimize waste.
11. Maintain a food inventory and replace items as they are used.
12. Specific information regarding appropriate foods and optimal storage conditions in given localities should be obtained from local universities of government agencies.
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