# Small or big whats best



## theuksurvivalist (Feb 4, 2010)

Hi
Im new to prepping but ive a survivalist for years. Whats best for long term storage small packets or big packets?.
My thinking is small packets rather than large bags. My reasoning is that once opened it will be used quicker. You will be able to stagger the shelf life better.
the uk survivalist


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

My thoughts are...

If you buy bigger containers, you usually get a better price. If you are stocking things that you will use consistantly than you will go through it quite quickly. If you look at the shelf life of some things they will last 6mths -1yr after opening. You just have to make your decisions on your familys eating patterns.

For my family dry milk, eggs, potatoes and onions would go fast. I would buy LARGE containers of those.But things that the kids will not eat (broccoli) I would buy in smaller containers because we just would not go through that much.

Perhaps others will have a different view of things.


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## Jerry D Young (Jan 28, 2009)

For myself and for bartering I get small size containers. For my family's use, I get larger sizes. For things that don't deteriate quickly like sugar and salt, I get the large containers.


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## SaskBound (Feb 13, 2010)

theuksurvivalist said:


> Hi
> Im new to prepping but ive a survivalist for years. Whats best for long term storage small packets or big packets?.
> My thinking is small packets rather than large bags. My reasoning is that once opened it will be used quicker. You will be able to stagger the shelf life better.
> the uk survivalist


Depends on the size of your family, and whether or not you plan to rotate the goods into everyday use. For instance, we use a lot of oatmeal here, so we buy it by the 22 pound bag. However, we do tend to repackage stuff for everyday use; that 22 pound bag of oatmeal stays in a rodent-proof container in the basement, and is used to refill a smaller container we keep in the kitchen.

However, for canned goods, we buy the serving size containers rather than, say, #10 cans of katsup and pineapples, because those things would rot before we used them, so they are not a very good deal at all. In general, I agree with JDY, the non-perishable stuff like sugar and salt, as well as the long-life storage stuff like rice and wheat and beans should be bought in large containers, as it can save you a ton of money.


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## lanahi (Jun 22, 2009)

I buy small containers, thinking that refrigeration might not be available, and this would save waste. But larger sizes are cheaper per pound. Get large packages if you are going to repack them in mylar bags with CO2 or if it has an indefinite shelf life after opening. I would buy canned goods in sizes where you could eat it all right away.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

If it's winter and you're in a cold climate, you have refrigeration. We use both pint and quart jars when canning, and use the pints in the summer and the quarts in the winter when the cold weather will allow the extra to "keep" another day or so.


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## goose (Jun 12, 2010)

I'm doing a combination of big and small.

I pack my preps in mylar bags w/ O2 absorbers. I pack some in large mylar bags in 5-gallon 90-mil foodgrade buckets. Larger containers are easier, but if the bag or seal is breached, I'll lose 5 gallons of stuff (I have rice and wheat berries packed this way). It's easy to see how it's sealed; if I do it right, the bag pulls in on the wheat or rice, creating a partial vacuum which is very evident. Presumably then, the bucket will protect the bag from further damage.

I also have packed beans and lentils and pasta (spaghetti) in smaller gallon-sized mylar bags (w/ O2 ABs). I can get about 5-6 pounds in each. My thinking on these is they'll be able to be used in smaller batches, and even be tradeable if that would be desirable. And if one package is breached, I'll lose only 5-6 pounds of food, not the whole bucket. I can only get about 25-28 pounds in a bucket this way, as opposed to about 33 pounds with one large mylar bag.

So I'm trying to get the best of both worlds. I have some basmati rice in smaller bags, in addition to the larger buckets-sized batches of long-grain white rice.

I also have some small mylar bags of spices, peppercorns, dehydrated onion and garlic. Smaller batches so they can be used w/o compromising an entire large batch.

Hopefully that helps in giving you some ideas.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I like the idea of buying in bulk, storing safely for the future but stored packages are broken down into serving size that will be used per a meal.:scratch When shelf life ends on stored food stuffs unused portions get donated to the local food bank.


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## pdx210 (Jan 8, 2010)

-big for freeze dried & grains 

-small for canned rotation food


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