QUESTIONS:  (1) Why does a 5 gal bucket need to be "food grade" for food storage (beans, rice, flour, etc.)?  (2) Can a regular non-food-grade 5 gal bucket from Lowes, etc., be used for food storage if the food is placed in a sealed 5 gal Mylar bag in the bucket first?  (3)  What is your opinion of using Mylar bags for food storage (pros & cons)? (4)  Is using five 1 gal Mylar bags a better idea than one 5 gal bag per bucket?  

There has already been lots of flooding around here and it's not even hurricane season yet, so I'm thinking of stocking up more than usual.

If food directly contacts the bucket, it must be food grade (chemicals you don't want leeching in your food from non FG buckets)

If food is in mylar and the bucket is merely a protective shell, than go for it.


Food buckets are cheap: They are free to $1 at bakery shops. Just clean them out.


Mylar is great for LTS of food, if packaged properly with O2 absorbers. Mylar keeps elements and small bugs out, and has ZERO protection from vermin. I get mine from the LDS online store. They are gallon size, thick, and I have never had a bad one yet. They also sell appropriately sized O2 absorbers. Haven't found a better deal than the LDS online store.


I like using gallon sized mylar bags so I have smaller portion sizes. A 5 gallon bucket full of something could take weeks to use, where a gallon is about right for a family of 4 to use in a few days (depends what it is, of course).


More folks will chirp up soon too.

FPNI

My 2 cents: If you are just concerned about storing food for a small family unit, go the 1 gallon route. If you are set up in a group, go for the big 5 gallon bags.

I've used a 1X4 board with an iron to seal the bags and it works great-both big and small bags

I tend to use medium sized absorbers and place one in the bottom then another 1-2 on top for a 5 gallon bag. I seal the absorbers in a mason jar between buckets to keep them closer to their full capacity and/or give me the ability to take a break from time to time.

Don't forget variety. Pinto beans and white rice are great but you can get Great Northern, Black Beans, Red Beans, Variety bean packs, several different grains etc...etc...etc

Don't forget spices. Most are salt based and way overpriced. You can do a lot with salt and pepper, cayenne and a few herb seeds (for long term gardening)

If you're not by a source of salt, go overboard on it. We have no sources of salt in MN. I have planned abundantly for this need. It's cheap and your body won't work without it....

1-(and 2) whoever told you that is a dipshit. As posted by rat if your using Mylar its a non issue. THAT DOESNT mean use a bucket that held degreaser!  A new bucket from Lowes..HD..or used restaurant bucket will work perfectly.
3- Mylar is both a light and vapor barrier. This means nothing besides bag damage will allow stuff in or out. This is what makes you're LTS lts and not "ohh fuck gotta eat 200lbs of rice this week ".! I have pics and know of rice that was forgotten about and in a flooded area for a few years that was good to go.....no Mylar would have meant rot!
4- I'm to lazy for 1 gallon bags. When I pack its 8-10 buckets at a run (2-300 lbs) ...1 gallon bags work great though for spices..dedicated buckets for a location...hand out or say pre planned meals (1 buckets 15 bags at x servings for x people for Y days) follow?

As posted a hard surface and a clothing iron is all you need to seal the bags.
Don't over think it...there's a huge thread here on how to pack buckets and not to self plug but on my YouTube channel there's a several part series showing how to pack plus results of storage on certain lts foods. (PAW productions -delta69alpha) ....something not many show ...there old 06-07' but the info hasn't changed...

No get packing... :)

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an option if you don't desire to open a large bucket (I'm single).... not quite as good as metal can, but vacuum sealing in a canning jar with a jar adapter... jars store in their original box under the bed... about $1 a jar, and can be re used for actual pressure canning if needed...