Food-grade buckets are one of the top three containers for DIY emergency food storage, but buckets alone are insufficient for storing most dry foods for decades.
We can’t talk about using buckets for food storage without mentioning Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Buckets are only part of the container solution for maximum emergency food shelf-life.
Emergency Food stored in 5-gallon food-grade buckets has a shelf life of 2 to 5 years with the exception of salt, sugar, and honey which last indefinitely. Dry staple foods like dried beans, polished white rice, rolled oats and wheat will store for two to five years in just a bucket and thirty or more years if buckets are lined with Mylar bags and treated with oxygen absorbers.
It’s good to know that the plastic in a bucket is not an oxygen barrier so food will spoil quicker via oxidation and, bugs eggs and pupae may not be irradiated so they can spoil your food.
Salt and Sugar will store indefinitely in just a plastic bucket because they are not affected by degradation via oxidation or the transfer of oxygen in and out of the bucket.
Removal of…oxygen in food is crucial to provide extended shelf-life of foods that may become deteriorated through enzymatic, microbiological and biochemical mechanisms
“Oxygen Absorbers In Food Preservation,” Simon Angelo Cochello, La Trobe University, Victoria Australia
Let’s take a look at Emergency foods commonly stored for long-term survival.
Shelf Life Emergency Food In A Bucket
If stored in buckets most of the suggested emergency foods in the list below will last twenty to thirty years.
The LDS church suggests storing 400 pounds of dry staple food, “starvation food” for each individual in your family or survival group for a year’s supply.
The backbone of my survival pantry is hard white wheat, polished long-grain white rice, dry pinto, and black beans, and rolled oats. Stored properly, in buckets, these foods will last 30 years in storage without rotation.
Chart 1: Shelf-life of 19 Suggested Emergency Foods
| Emergency Food Type | Shelf-life (Years) Oxygen-Free Bucket Storage |
| Non-Fat Powdered Milk Alternative Augason Farms Moo | 20 |
| Dried Powdered Eggs | 10 |
| Dried Beans | 30 |
| Dried Lentils | 30 |
| Split Peas | 30 |
| Dried Macaroni | 30 |
| Dried Spaghetti | 30 |
| Corn Meal | 30 |
| Popcorn | 30 |
| Flour | 10 |
| Table Sugar | Indefinite (do not store oxygen-free) |
| Table Salt | Indefinite (do not store oxygen-free |
| White Rice | 30 |
| Hard White Wheat | 30 |
| Hard Red Wheat | 30 |
| Rolled Oats | 30 |
| Hard Grains | 30 |
| Soft Grains | 8 to 30 |
| Dried Potato Flakes | 30 |
To learn more about the types of food, you can store in a bucket, check out the Ready Squirrel article, “What Foods Can I Store In a 5-gallon bucket?”
This article isn’t for the casual food saver; it is geared toward the aspiring long-term food storage warrior. Someone interested in preparing for the possibility of a severe long-term event like societal or economic collapse or job loss.
Get started with emergency food storage. Read on.
The Downside of Buckets For Food Storage
Food stored in 5-gallon storage buckets without using Mylar bags and Oxygen absorber(s) will not last as long and has a higher chance of going bad before maximum shelf- life is attained.
Salt and sugar are the acceptions.
How Long Will Food Last In A Bucket
Why Buckets aren’t Enough Protection For Shelf LIfe
Two of the main elements that kill food in long-term storage are oxygen and moisture, and buckets don’t do a great job of protecting food from either element.
The plastic in food-grade buckets is not actual oxygen or moisture barrier, and oxygen and moisture will enter a 5-gallon bucket at some point over 30 years and degrade your food.
Plastic lids have spotty construction and tend to leak at some point.
Buckets stored for 30+ years are inevitably damaged. You might not see cracks, but air will get in. Sealed Mylar bags act as redundancy in protecting food in long-term storage.
Grains and flours: wheat, white rice, rolled oats, dried beans, and other hard and soft grains have dormant bug eggs that will hatch under the right conditions.
Killing bugs, eggs, and pupae are one reason grains are repackaged into oxygen-free storage.
Experiments were conducted to determine how long the oxygen content of 5 gal buckets filled with wheat could be held below 1% when various numbers of oxygen absorber packets were packaged with the wheat. Although it was possible to use oxygen absorbers to reduce the oxygen level below 1% for 12 d, this treatment was shown to be an unreliable disinfesting [kill bugs] method because the oxygen levels in the samples exceed 1% too frequently.
Ogden, Lynn V. and Griffin, C., “Can Grain Be Disinfested In 5-Gal HDPE Buckets Containing Oxygen Absorber Packets?” (2010). Faculty Publications. 91.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/91
If oxygen gets into a food storage bucket, the bugs don’t die, and they multiply. The stored food becomes a nursery and outhouse for weevils and other pantry pests.
Learn how to store hundreds of pounds of rice on the cheap. Check out the Ready Squirrel article, “How to Store Rice in 5-gallon buckets.”
The Upside of Food-grade Buckets for Shelf Life
Buckets are part of a super-storage trifecta, the perfect DIY method of storing dry foods. Buckets, Mylar, and Oxygen absorbers.
The food-grade bucket is armor for Mylar bags and limits the possibility that Mylar will be damaged.
Buckets are stackable and easy to store and organize.
Re-use food-grade buckets for fetching water, fermentation, pickling, and other food-related uses.
Let’s take a look at how long common foods will last when stored in the trifecta.
How Much Food Fits In a Bucket?
Below is a list of foods commonly stored in buckets to maximize shelf-life. You will notice that almost all of them are dry staples. Use the list to plan how many buckets, lids, oxygen absorbers, and Mylar bags you need to maximize the shelf-life of your food stockpile.
The amount of food you can store in a bucket will vary because the size of the food and air volume varies. I suggest having 1-gallon Mylar bags and extra oxygen absorbers on hand to repackage extra food that won’t fit in your food pails.
Chart #2 How Much Food Fits In a 5-Gallon Bucket
| Food Type | How Much Food Will a 5-Gallon Bucket Hold |
| Non-fat Powdered Milk | 29 lbs |
| Dried Eggs | 20 lbs |
| Dried Beans, Legumes and Pulses | 33 lbs |
| Dried Macaroni | 20 lbs |
| Dried Spaghetti | 29 lbs |
| Corn Meal | 33 lbs |
| Popcorn | 37 lbs |
| Flour | 33 lbs |
| White Sugar** | 35 lbs |
| Iodized Table Salt | 50 lbs |
| White Rice | 36 lbs |
| Hard White Wheat | 33 lbs |
| Hard Red Wheat | 33 lbs |
| Rolled Oats | 20 lbs |
| Hard Grains | 29 lbs |
| Dried Potato Flakes | 12 lbs |
| Dried Whole Corn | 37 lbs |
Learn to store sugar in a 5-gallon bucket, check out Ready Squirrel’s article, Storing Sugar in Long Term Storage
Oxygen Absorbers
The chart below will help you choose what size bags and oxygen absorbers you need to store food in buckets.
For example, I typically store wheat and rice in a bucket lined with an 18 “x28” Mylar bag, with a 2000cc oxygen absorber placed inside the bag. The bag is then sealed, and I put an inexpensive lid on top of the bucket.
Chart #3 What Size Oxygen Absorber Do I Need?
| Mylar Bag Sizes | Oxygen Absorber Size(s) Wheat/Flour/Grains/Rice More Compact/’Less Air | Oxygen Absorber Size(s) Pasta Beans Less Compact/More Air |
| 20″x30″ 5 & 6 Gallon Buckets | 2000 cc | 2500 to 3000 |
| 18″x28″ 5 & 6 Gallon Buckets | 2000 cc | 2500 to 3000 |
| 14″x20″ (2 gal) | 1000 cc | 1500 to 2000 |
| 14″x18″x6″ (2 gal) | 1000 | 1500 to 2000 |
| 12″x18″ (1.5 gal) | 800 | 1200 |
| 12″x16″x6″ (1.5 gal) | 800 | 1200 |
| 10″x14″ (1 gal) | 400 | 400 |
| 8″x12″ (1/2 gal) | 200 | 400 |
| 6 “x10” (1/4 gal) | 100 | 200 |
| 6 “x8” (1/4 gal) | 100 | 200 |
How Much Dry Staples Per Person
Below is a list of food suggested by Brigham Young University to supply one person with enough food for one year.
| Long-term food items with a 30 Year Shelf Life (Unless Otherwise Stated) | Approximate Storage Weight | Approximate # of 5-Gallon Buckets |
| Wheat | 132 lbs | 4 |
| White Rice | 65 lbs | 2 |
| Rolled Oats | 29 lbs | 1 |
| Pasta | 21 lbs | 2 |
| Legumes (Beans, Split peas, Lentils) | 62 lbs | 2 |
| Milk (Nonfat-Dry, 15 yr shelf life) | 62 lbs | 2.25 |
| Sugar | 70 lbs | 2 |
| Dried Apple Slices | 6 lbs | 1 |
| Dried Carrots (10 Year shelf life) | 8 lbs | 1 |
| Potato Flakes | 22 | 2 |
| Dried Onions | 2 | 1 |
| Iodized Salt | _ | 1 |
| Vitamin C tablet (90 mg) | _ | 365 Tablets |
How Much Short-Term Foods To Store (non bucket food)
These are foods that don’t go in buckets but that you should store. The amounts are based on how much you need for one person for a year.
| Short-term food items | Approximate unopened shelf-life in years | Per Person Amount Per Year |
| Cooking/Salad Oil (e.g., soy, olive.) | 1+ | 2 Gallons |
| Shortening or Frying Oil | 1+ | 3 cans or 3 lbs |
| Butter/Margarine (stored in the freezer) | 1 | 6 lbs |
| Mayonaise/Salad Dressings | 1 | 3 quarts |
| Peanut Butter/other nut butter | 1+ | 6 lbs |
| Fruit Drink Mix | 2 | 3 #10 Cans |
| Spices/Bouillion/Condiments | 2+ | _ |
| Dried Eggs For Baking | 3+ | 2 #10 Cans |
| Yeast | 5+ | 2 lbs |
| Other Sweeteners (e.g., Honey, molasses, brown sugar, jams, jellies, syrups | _ | _ |
Bucket Type For Food Storage (food or non food grade)
When storing food long-term, you want to use food-grade buckets if the food contacts the bucket.
The bucket should be clean with no prior use to hold chemicals or non-food-grade materials.
Store food in a non-food grade bucket and a sealed Mylar bag should be used.
Unless you are getting free buckets, I don’t see a reason to use non-food grade buckets, they aren’t any cheaper, and they aren’t as helpful in a survival setting.
Food-grade buckets can be re-used for food-grade purposes like moving water, fermenting, or pickling.
If you want to learn more about the differences between food-grade and non-food-grade buckets, check out the Ready Squirrel article, “What’s the difference between food and non-food grade buckets.”
13 DIY Emergency Bucket Ideas
5-gallon buckets with a lid are waterproof—the perfect way to separate and organize gear necessary for a specific survival or emergency task.
5-gallon Buckets are excellent for storage because they are waterproof and keep anything stored inside dry. Ok, lets get to the list of Thirteen emergency kits to store in buckets.
#1 First Aid Kit (25 Items)
- adhesive tape
- ace wrap bandages
- bandages
- super glue
- tourniquet
- cloth bandages
- an arm sling
- aluminum finger splint
- instant cold packs
- cotton balls
- duct tape
- petroleum jelly
- plastic bags
- safety pins, scissors
- tweezers
- hand sanitizer
- antibiotic ointment
- antiseptic towelettes
- eyewash solution
- thermometer
- turkey baster for flushing wounds
- hydrogen peroxide, sterile saline
- PPE mask
- first aid manual
- medications like calamine lotion, antidiarrheals, laxatives,s, and pain relievers.
Information Compliments of the Mayo Clinic
#2 Ammo and gun cleaning kit
Go “gray man” and store pistols, ammo, gunsmith tools, cleaning kit, and other range gear in a bucket.
Include knives and a sharpening kit.
Consider moving long guns in corrugated boxes.
#3 72-Hour Emergency Kit
FEMA suggests 1 gallon of water per person per day and 2000 calories of non-perishable food per day.
Store canned foods or the more expensive freeze-dried backpacker meals
Emergency Lighting: flashlight, headlamp, extra batteries, light sticks, matches, candles, battery-operated lanterns, and LED string lights
Hygiene supplies, including soap, shampoo, hand lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, washcloth, and 5-gallon contractor bags
First Aid Supplies, including a first-aid manual
Communication, Hand-crank radio, whistle, can-opener, paracord, gloves, emergency charging station, paracord, safety glasses
#4 Water Filtration and Cleaning Kit
Use to move water or store water treatment chemicals, water filters, hand pumps, pots for boiling water, and anything else you need to get water in a power outage or the event groundwater is contaminated.
Make sure to include directions for treating and boiling water.
#5 Hygiene Kit
Soap, shampoo, washcloths, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, water filter, hair cutting kit, disinfecting wipes, nail clippers, and feminine products.
#6 Sanitation Kit
Include sawdust for an emergency toilet, toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, and contractor-grade trash bags. Throw in personal protection equipment (PPE) for good measure.
#7 Poo Kit
Include extra trash bags, pool noodles for your seat cushion, a fold-up shovel, pinewood chips & soap
#8 Fire Starting Kit
Matches, candles, Ferro rods, kindling kits, long burning candles, dura-flame logs, fire starters
#9 Emergency Shelter Kit
Store items such as an ultralight tent, Mylar sleeping bags, military poncho, hammock, emergency blankets, lightweight tarps, bivy sack, sleeping roll, tent stakes, and parachute cord.
#10 Power Outage Kit
Includes flashlights, headlamps, batteries, candles, matches, a lighter, extension cords for a generator, and directions on disengaging your garage door or using special equipment like generators.
#11 Emergency Tool Kit
Store wrenches and other tools for emergency water and electrical shut-off. Make your tool buckets for specific types of vehicles like your car, or a bug-out boat, or for particular scenarios like power outages at home or a transition from electric to manual utilities like generator usage, hand-pumping well water, or for physical damage like water shut-off in case of a pipe burst.
Also, have a list of directions on setting stuff up with the location of power and water shut-offs.
#12 Emergency Seed Sprouting Kit
Keep sprouting seeds, ball jars, and lids for sprouting. Sprouting can be used at any time but is most useful during the winter months.
Store seeds specifically for sprouting. They are processed differently than seeds you plant in the garden.
#13 Emergency Fishing Kits
Fishing lines, hooks, and lures include a cast net to catch live bait. Crawdad traps, clam digging gear, snorkel gear, or any other tools that will help you forage aquatic wildlife in your area.
Have directions on how to fish or catch specific species in your area, notate seasons, locations where you have had luck in the past, and the best fishing methods.
Store the gear to make and repair what you need, like specific types of plastic bates, jig heads, hooks, and repair kits for the tools you depend on to catch food
Sources
A Guide To Food Storage For Emergencies, Brian Nummer, Food Safety Specialist, Utah State University. Link
