I don't post as much as I used to here, however I'm needing some advice and input.


My main living is off grid in the south. As such I don't have any climate controlled areas to store larger volumes of canned goods. I have been debating a few options.
These canned goods would be considered a second layer of food insurance. The land provides most of what I would need but wanted to make sure I had a few months worth of back up stored just in case.

Do I dig a root cellar? Build a solid shed with shelves? Or possibly just racks inside the cabin? All areas will be in the shade and protected from the elements.

The weather doesn't get below freezing (except a few weeks a year) but the heat and humidity is very high through the summer months. My best idea so far is to get several food safe barrels with removable lids, and stack the cans inside those. Then store under the house.. The house is raised on pillars so it's open all around but still protected. It's in the shade all year round and 100% dry.

Would this work and should I choose metal or plastic 55 gal drums. I have access to both kinds.

Any thoughts?

Any idea of things to watch out for or problems that might occur?

Build a basement.

Food storage does better with the temps you should get if you can dig a proper root cellar.  Or basement.



Plastic can be chewed through if something is determined.  I don't know what would chew through a plastic drum, but I tend to buy metal cause it is harder for something to get into.



Yeah metal can rust, when you buy some metal drums put another coat of paint on em if there are scratches or dents on it.  I tend to put a couple coats of paint on the bottom just because I roll drums around and this can scuff paint as well.



I would probably put the drums on a plastic pallet if available so the bottom is not in contact with the ground and trapping moisture.  Plastic pallet should last longer than wooden pallet.



There are different thicknesses of drums as well, I consider the plastic ones I got to be decently sturdy and have seen metal drums that were super heavy duty and other metal drums that were really thin and poorly made.



If you run searches you can find various way to do root cellars and what not.

Well come on down... I've got a few shovels. Lol

Obviously the cost and time to build a basement under an existing structure would out way the benefits of the cost of a few months of stored cans.

dark and cool

Georgiagun you might find some info at Mike Oehlers website. Also look on youtube.

$50 and Up Underground House Book – Underground Housing and Shelter

Root cellar . My grandfather had one it kept stuff for years . It was hand dug into a hill with a frame and a door built onto the front . It had shelves inside and food stayed good for years .

This or some sort of cooler underground area where the temps will be lower. Doesn't have to be fancy in that the cans are already vermin resistant. Larger animals are a factor.

A cool area will extend shelf life.

Of course, the cost of creating a 'cool space' has to be weighed against the earlier replacement of the food...

I'll go along with the lines that biere stated:
I'd build a root cellar if possible.
I don't remember the term for it; I think they use them up north sometimes. Larder maybe?  Basically a removable hatch in the floor with access to a storage area/bin under the floorboards.
Maybe make a hatch in your floor.  Take a 55 gallon steel drum and bury it 2/3rd deep (about 2 ft. deep).  I think I'd coat it with tar or roofing mastic to protect it more though.
You could probably do most of the digging with a post hole digger.
A 350-550 gallon steel IBC would be better maybe (a mini cellar). you could use several net laundry bags to make it easier to pull your stuff in and out with.  
iirc I think I read that the earth reaches a stable constant temperature about 3 feet deep.  
aypk rats and mice can find their way into just about anything. Rats will gnaw on plastic.

For those mentioning the root cellar:

How will the moisture effect the long term storage?

70-90% humidity isn't uncommon here 4-6 months out of the year.

The food is hermetically sealed in cans, correct...

The cans might rust  -you can spray or dip them with an acrylic paint.

Or put them in zip locks

go get some old refrigerators, put stuff in them on the backside of your cabin, cover with a tarp.

the mass of the food and insulation will keep the temp swings down

I hadn't even thought of that. I'm sure I can find a few old ones on Craigslist.

Temps will stabilize in the summer, inside, at maybe 85 degrees...

Laws of Physics and all that nasty stuff...  

If you are "off grid" or want to store food off grid.....then you have to live as people did when there was no electricity. IE.....food goes in a root cellar or similar. You need to harness the insulative thermal mass of the earth in some way.

A lot of this depends on what your resources are- do you have a backhoe or tractor with bucket or Bobcat? Would you have to shovel it all? What is your terrain like? Hillside to dig into or flat ground, big rocks in the way? Do you have or can you scrounge, beg, borrow or steal serious timber or concrete block to make a root cellar? Dirt is heavy, construction needs to be stout- especially the roof as it needs several feet of "insulation" over it......What are your skills as a mason?

One super cheap way of maybe getting some help- take those refrigerators you were talking about- and bury them, better than nothing.

I built one from wood:

 

ARCHIVED LINK

Excellent!

How is it holding up now 4 years later? Maybe some photos if you have them?

Holding up well. I had left the hallway open (never put on a door), and it is showing signs of needing replacement. I made the hallway a separate structure, so it won't be too bad to replace. The rest of it is holding up great!

 

Sorry, no photos. What I had was all lost, and I don't have any fresh. Although it was built as a storm shelter, and we still use it as such, it has turned into our food storage facility. It is standing room only actually, and only room for 1 or two in winter (all the produce down there). I have to change it up now for storm season so we have more people room down there.


My biggest regret is not making it longer, say 8x16. I am looking at building another one (may not be wood). If I do, I will certainly do a write-up and plenty of photos.

You know how I know you are "living the life"? Lol.....No shed/barn/garage etc.....is EVER big enough if you actually USE it seems like.....

That is VERY true! Can never build big enough!

 

It's funny how things change over time. These days most folks have just a very few buildings but they are large. In the old days there were MANY buildings, smaller though. For example, on my grandparents farm there was a barn with loft and milkhouse, root cellar, old spring house, chicken house, hog house, granary, several corncribs, silo, smoke house, canning kitchen, car garage and work shop (NOT the same thing!), machine shed,  as well as space for storage- attic, basement etc......

I think there were a few reasons for that.

 

Building code. The county here only lets you have 2 outbuildings, unless you have a "bonafide" farming operation.

Cost. Build small buildings as you go, as you can afford them (didn't have loans back then like we do today), as you needed them.

Heat. If you need to heat a building, small spaces are much more efficient to heat.

Redundancy. Buildings burning down back then was common. If you have all your eggs in one basket, you could loose everything. If you ONLY lost the hogs (for example), you didn't loose the dairy or the chickens.

If the drums have good seals on them and you don't plan to be in them very often then get something to absorb some oxygen and put it in when you seal it up.  



Some folks bought handwarmers from amazon when they were on clearance saying they are O2 absorbers, they heat up using the available oxygen and when no 02 is left they obviously cool back off.  Chemical reactions and all that fun stuff.



I like the concept of bed liner on a barrel, amazon and a lot of places sell various versions if you decide to go this route.  I still have a bit of paint around, I buy cheap super discounted improperly colored paint for uses like this.  Who cares if my barrel is sunset yellow with a tint of something else, if the sucker won't be seen once buried or put away or whatever?



These days I do somewhat worry more about the canned goods themselves.  I am learning to really dislike pop tops on my canned goods.  They are fragile and will break a seal if bumped hard while stacking or moving stacks and what not.  I am also wondering at more and more cans having thinner walls and a plastic like coating on the inside.



Oh well, I just posted in the canning question thread I am too lazy to spend my time canning stuff so I will take what I get.  Gonna build some plywood boxes for canned goods me thinks.  Need to finish moving some shelves and build in some more to fill what room is left then I will have stuff crammed in but organized to where I you can see labels and pull out the box for what you are after.

id dig a root celler. you can build a decent underground shelter pretty cheaply. I just got 8 hours of backhoe work done for $600.00. a backhoe can dig a big assed hole in a hour, probably cost you $100.00. drainage is the big issue. if your slightly elevated, or have sand in your location, your probably fine, as southern Georgia is basically the same as northern florida, and sand drains really well. only you can determine that. look up how to make a root celler, or civil defense plans for a small fallout shelter. basically the same thing.. but its better made. the temps are a lot cooler under ground, food will last longer, plus if you eventually have to garden, you will have a cool place to store vegetables for long periods of time.

In thinking about this, at the very least dig down a little and add some stuff to keep barrels well in the shade but let the air flow easily.



Enclosed stuff can heat up a lot hotter than the outside temps.  Good for cooking though.



I rather like the idea of the attic fans that are solar powered.  They run when they are most needed.