How to Stock Your RV Pantry

If you're one of the thousand of people who live fulltime in an RV then you know how important it is to have plenty of food in your kitchen, just like the people who live in regular houses do. Consider also the fact that many experts are advising everyone to stock up, in case of a weather or other emergency, and you'll realize the importance of stocking your RV pantry. It's far better to have too much food and other supplies in your pantry than to find out too late that, due to some natural or other disaster, the stores are empty and you can't get food. Being prepared for anything, including a more personal emergency like job loss, ill health, or other situation that affects your finances for weeks or even months, means that you'll be able to weather the crisis by eating, mostly, from the food you have stocked your RV panty with.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• an RV pantry
• time
• money
• a plan

1. The first thing you'll want to do is to take a look at what you actually eat and then start buying a few extras of those items every time you go to the store. For example you drink coffee every morning so be sure you have a few extra cans of coffee in your RV pantry.

2. 
   rice a basic food

   Don't forget to stock your RV pantry with basic food items like salt and other seasonings, condiments, flour, sugar, rice, beans, pasta, etc. A fifty pound sack of beans and a fifty pound sack of rice would feed several people for months if need be.

3. Stock your RV pantry with some dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, enough for several months if possible. These foods are tasty, take up little room and weigh far less than canned foods making them ideal for your RV pantry.

4. 
   canned soups

   Stock up on canned goods too, especially canned meats, canned fish, and soups, chili, stews and other prepared meals. Purchase a variety of canned fruits and vegetables, enough for several months if possible.

5. 
   honey

   Don't forget the smaller items like jams and jellies, condiments, peanut butter, honey, spices, and baking supplies like vanilla, yeast, baking soda, and baking powder. Buy at least one extra bottle or can of each for your RV pantry.

6. 
   water

   Make sure to stock your RV pantry with plenty of extra water too. You can live for quite awhile without food, but not water. So, don't be caught without enough water for a couple of weeks anyway.

7. Use your creativity to find room in your RV for all the extra food and water. Remember how secure you'll feel knowing you can eat out of your RV pantry for several months if you have to should make it easier to find places for everything you need in your RV.
   
   Don't just think of your RV kitchen or pantry literally either. There's no law that says food must be stored strictly in the kitchen area. Of course use common sense and don't store food next to chemicals or in areas that are cold or subject to heat or damp. You can store food anywhere in your RV that is dry and not subject to temperature extremes.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a little food at a time, every trip to the grocery store buy something for your RV pantry storage.
• Make a list of what you need for a few months food storage, and buy from that.
• Don't listen to people who tell you don't need food storage. In a disaster all the stores will be empty in about 48 hours, and if roads are blocked for some reason then no new food can get shipped in until they are cleared.

[teresasmall]

on 10/14/2009 I'm taking notes. Thankds

[femwriter]

on 8/30/2009 This is an informative article and thanks for sharing this. 5*

[veryirie]

on 8/16/2009 Still hope to take an RV trip one of these years. Good tips for the pantry so we won't go hungry OR thirsty. :)

[sanderdoe]

on 7/14/2009 I hope one day to have an RV pantry to stock! 5*

[Upon-Request]

on 6/23/2009 Good tips for stocking the RV. It's amazing how much you can get in a small space if you plan it out!