Gas Storage For When The SHTF

From Survival and Beyond

Everyone knows that having food and water storage is crucial for your SHTF plan, but gas storage is of almost equal importance. I always tell my readers and listeners to keep their gas tanks full and never let it get below half a tank without filling up again. It may be difficult to break the habit of letting your car get down to running on fumes before you fill up again (it was for me), but you’ll be grateful that you have that fuel if you need to bug out and gas is hard (or impossible/expensive) to come by.

Even if you do keep your gas tank full (or near full) at all times, you may need more gas than your tank will hold if you need to get out of Dodge to your designated bug out location or your pre-arranged stay with an out-of-town friend or relative. This is one reason it is so important to have a number of filled gas cans ready to use.

Conversely, if you’re not bugging out but instead find yourself far from home when disaster strikes, you should have enough fuel to make the trip back home to safety. Just as grocery store shelves will empty out in record time after a disaster, there will also be a run on the gas stations when the SHTF. Even if you don’t live in a disaster-prone area, a power loss or grid collapse – due to a solar flare or EMP – will make it impossible to get gas from your nearest filling station (gas pumps kinda need electricity to work).

Plastic gas cans or “Jerry Jugs” are readily available, and cost a lot less than metal cans. DO NOT store gasoline in containers that are not intended for that purpose!

Five-gallon cans are recommended. Gasoline weighs a little over 6 lbs at 72 degrees F (slightly more at colder temperatures) so a 5 gallon container will weigh a little over 30 lbs, which is fairly manageable to carry around with you.

How much gas you should keep on hand is largely dependent on how much space you have to store it. There’s only so many cans that you’ll be able to fit in your vehicle along with your other essential items. Store as much as you can, but not to the detriment of food, water and other vital supplies.

It’s important to note that gas will become a valuable barter item in a post-collapse scenario, but it will also make you a target for thieves and looters. So make sure you keep your gas reserves stowed away out of sight. If your plan is to strap your gas cans to the roof or outside of your vehicle, you might as well put a sign on your car that says “Free Gas”, because that’s ostensibly what you’re doing. If you’re carrying gas in the back of a pickup truck, keep it covered with a tarp, or better still, put a lockable cap/camper shell on the back of your truck to protect your belongings. This won’t completely stop a determined thief from stealing your gear, but it could deter him or delay him long enough for you to do something about it.

Proper gas storage practices are essential for safety as well as keeping your gas stable and viable for a maximum length of time. A properly sealed can that is designed for storing gasoline should not leak vapor, but it’s still recommended that you store gas in a well ventilated area. Keeping the gas can out of the sun and excessive heat will minimize the expansion and contraction of the can. Add a fuel stabilizing product like STA-BIL or PRI-G (PRI-D for diesel) to the gas for long term storage and it will keep the gas fresh for 12 months. Just as with food and water storage, make sure to mark the cans with the storage date (the date that the fuel stabilizer was added). As your gas storage approaches the 12 month mark, pour it into your gas tank and refill the can with fresh gas.

So don’t neglect storing gas in your preparedness plan. Even if nothing disastrous happens, with the way gas prices have been fluctuating over the last year, buying gas while prices are relatively low means you won’t get pinched as hard when that roller coaster peaks again.

As a final note, make sure to check with your local fire department about any fuel storage regulations in your area.

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