Thanks to member JW for sharing an article he found of storing fuel. The article is available by clicking the button on the Documents screen. The author provides insight into fuel storage. There are several problems with long-term storage of many common fuels. Gasoline is often a first choice because of the availability of portable generators. But gasoline storage brings a long list of issues. Gasoline is very flammable and has a short shelf life. The article indicates a shelf life of three to six months without stabilizers. Common stabilizers may extend storage life for a couple of years. This means that gasoline storage must be treated when purchased and fully rotated in less than two years. So all of that gasoline has to be burned and replaced regularly. For me, that is just one more job that has to be done. Since I wasn’t looking for more work, I chose other fuel sources. If you are choosing to store gasoline, I recommend Wavian storage cans. They make a 5-gallon, metal container that I think is one of the best available.
Propane has the best storage profile of any liquid fuel. Except for tank maintenance, you can put it on the shelf and ignore it until you need it. That is my kind of solution. If you are thinking of storing liquid fuels, I recommend you consider propane. This means that your emergency generator (if you are planning one) needs to run on propane. Remember, that fuel use numbers for portable generators are generally based on gasoline, not propane. You will burn more propane than gasoline per hour in actual use. Check the fuel burn rates to determine the quantity of fuel required. Propane is also very versatile. You can power your generator, cook, and heat with propane. You can even light with it, but there are much better lighting solutions that will not require this precious liquid fuel.
In a recent conversation with a friend, he concluded that wood should also be considered in our emergency fuel mix. It stores easily and is readily available right now. It cooks and heats and was a primary energy source of our ancestors. If you plan on using wood for heat or cooking, start thinking about how to do that. You will need a good cook stove. A pot-belly stove is small and can provide both cooking and heating. But you will have to figure out how to install the stove in your home when you have an emergency. If you have a fireplace with a zero-clearance flue, you can probably connect a pot-belly stove or a wood cook stove to that flue. But you will need to identify your flue size and make sure it will match with the flue of your stove. Also purchase enough stove pipe to make the connection from your cook stove to your flue. Also, check on a mat for the stove. You will want a fire-resistant mat under the stove before using it.
While we are on the topic of fuels, there is a new habit that you need to develop if it is not part of your life already. Starting immediately, never let your car get below a half tank of fuel. It doesn’t take any more trouble to fill up at the half tank level than at some lower level. Just get in the habit of filling up anytime you reach the halfway mark. This is a habit that will add piece of mind in some future day.
Peace of mind is that feeling that comes when you know you have done all that you could do. Spiritually, I believe that God loves righteous effort; He loves our desire and effort to do good, regardless of the outcome. I think that this attitude of God towards us applies in every element of our lives. So, do your best; do all you can do in wisdom. Then you will be at peace, and you can expect God to guide you for your good and the good of those around you.