I got extremely lucky during Hurricane Sandy

[thepennyfund]

I'm over in NJ, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons from the storm. I thought I was prepared with supplies and everything, but I realized there were things that I could've acquired that would've made things easier. However, I was extremely lucky all I experienced was a power outage for 2 days, while many others still don't have power to this day. The gas lines were crazy in the beginning, and going into the supermarket and seeing shelves completely empty was surreal. But food and water was not an issue for me. GAS was the biggest issue. Anyways, if any of you out there would like to discuss this, I'm down to talk.

[Thogey]

How much gas do you think would be enough to get you by?

[Bluegill]

I personally think gas should be the same priority as food. With gas I can drive somewhere to get food or get the hell out of dodge. There are scenarios where being light on food but with plenty of gas to be mobile would be preferable to be stuck in one place, but with plenty of food.

But as you realized, ideally you should have plenty of both.

Storing large quantities of gas is a bit of work and bit of a challenge, but by no means impossible. You have to rotate your inventory. I keep 20 gas cans at 5 gallons each, and never let my vehicle get below ¾ tank.

[Thogey]

What kind of gas cans do you store your gas in?

[AGCoinHunter]

What kind of gas cans do you store your gas in?

5 gallon Home Depot buckets of course!

[Numis Pam]

First, I am so happy that you were that fortunate in this situation. Even tho I prayed for all the people in the storms path, I sent up special prayers for our realcent forum members in that area.
I have been very concerned about the safety issue of storing that much gas..... How can it best be done safely?

Where do you store it in Proximity to the living quarters of your home?
Couldn't it be another real hazzard for an immediate explosion if sparks were to get near it?

I like the idea of having a good amount of it on hand at all times...but.....How to store gas safely is very important to me.....

[thepennyfund]

Gas became gold, and still is gold in NYC. Empty Plastic Gas cans and gas cans of any material are still gold in NYC. Gas is now a lot easier to obtain in NJ. I'd say it was difficult to get gas for at least a week in NJ. Some friends and many people waited 3+ hours only to be turned away from the gas stations stating that they were sold out. That was a lot of wasted time and frustration. Some people just left their cars on the side of the road because they ran out. Many people currently in NYC can't even drive their cars due to no gas.

Storing gas is not that dangerous if you have a back porch or garage. You can store a number of 5 gallon tanks next to each other, and it won't take up that much space.

Whenever I was able to fill up my tank, I didn't even want to drive. I had plenty of food and water stocked up, and my work place had no power, therefore I didn't have to go to work. In addition, a lot of my close friends live nearby. So I just had keep myself entertained at home with my gf, and sometimes we'd go out to nearby local bars to hang out with friends. We just had to wait everything out until power lines, internet, and cable were repaired.

[Bluegill]

What kind of gas cans do you store your gas in?

The standard everyday red plastic can.

[thepennyfund]

Empty Gas tanks/cans are near impossible to purchase, and once a store gets them, people tear open the plastic pallets and run with the cans to the cash register. Therefore, you have to know when the shipment comes in, and get there on time before other people can get there. So stock up on your gas tanks/cans now. Also, funnels etc. because you're going to have to find a way to pour it into your automobiles.

[thepennyfund]

A lot of the people were also purchasing gas to fill their generators because those were the only things supplying their homes power.

[Bluegill]

First, I am so happy that you were that fortunate in this situation. Even tho I prayed for all the people in the storms path, I sent up special prayers for our realcent forum members in that area.
I have been very concerned about the safety issue of storing that much gas..... How can it best be done safely?

Where do you store it in Proximity to the living quarters of your home?
Couldn't it be another real hazzard for an immediate explosion if sparks were to get near it?

I like the idea of having a good amount of it on hand at all times...but.....How to store gas safely is very important to me.....

Storing multiple cans is really no more or less dangerous than storing 1 can. It's no more or less dangerous than the large gas cans everybody totes around under their cars and trucks, with nothing more than plastic or sheet metal inches from the road.

I store mine in a detached garage where sparks and flame can't get to them.

If your still feeling uneasy, an option is to store them in a Flammable liquid cabinet.

[aloneibreak]

Empty Gas tanks/cans are near impossible to purchase, and once a store gets them, people tear open the plastic pallets and run with the cans to the cash register. Therefore, you have to know when the shipment comes in, and get there on time before other people can get there. So stock up on your gas tanks/cans now. Also, funnels etc. because you're going to have to find a way to pour it into your automobiles.

here in the central u.s. most of the bigger farm stores have had a limit of 1 five gallon gas can per customer per visit for at least a year now

not sure if thats the case everywhere but it seems more and more folks are stocking up...

[Engineer]

Buy your gas cans when you don't need them, and avoid storing gas in an attached garage. A shed or enclosed trailer is best if you don't have a detached garage.

One other thing to consider is keeping your gas fresh. I change mine out twice a year, and whatever doesn't get used goes into the car.

[mbailey1234]

Pennyfund, try and fill me in here if you can.

Once the lousy forecast came out, was there enough time/fuel supply to get everything filled up before the storm if you decided to?

Next after the storm was on it's way out...

Damage-- I know it takes a while to get back to normal after a hurricane. Are we talking blocks of major damage from the shore or would it be more like miles in off the coast? I'm talking like homes that won't ever be lived in again or possibly will be fixed up but it won't be until spring gets here and how many.

I know the storm part of the gas shortage but we out in the midwest are hearing a lot of stories about, for lack of a better word, politics slowing it down. For instance there was a refinery that was not in your area that had a bunch of extra supply they could send and they weren't allowed since the refineries in your area (that are now offline) had negotiated it to where they were the only ones that could supply certain areas. So bringing in fuel from the available source would be a breach of contract. (This is coming from a friend of one of my buddies that has a brother that works at the refinery (In Ohio I think) that wasn't able to send their extra supply.....whew that was confusing!)

So is there anything to this BS? If so and I was out of fuel out there, there would be a revolution.

I also heard on the major networks the Attorney General of NY was investigating like 400+ cases of price gouging. Some of these may have been legit but they said stations that were trying to get $6 were on the list. I say F that. They have a product that is in high demand, name your price. If it's to high then people can go to the next stop and get gas.

Wish you well out there and good luck. Everyone better be praying for a super mild winter.

[Numis Pam]

Thanks Bluegill and Engineer for the tips. Now... to find a few gas cans to buy.... metal or plastic best? If plastic, can it be empty laundry detergent containers?

[Engineer]

If plastic, can it be empty laundry detergent containers?

Possible, yes...but definitely illegal.

I bought a bunch a while back and paid around $1/gallon of storage capacity. Just keep your eyes out for a good deal and eventually you'll find one.

Another option is to look on Craigslist for a used aluminum tank for the bed of a pickup. I wouldn't recommend a steel one due to rust issues.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

You have to keep gas fresh. It goes bad surprisingly fast.

Currently, I keep 100 gal diesel, 60 gal kerosene, 40 gal propane, and maybe 2 gal of gas in storage. I store everything but the diesel inside a detached shed as far from the house as possible. The diesel is in the dump truck which is kept full. Propane lasts the longest.

Store highly flammable liquids like gas in an old refrigerator, or up-right freezer. The magnetic seal will keep dangerous fumes leaking to a minimum.

This is my ultimate goal: http://driveonwood.com/

[Lemon Thrower]

Buy your gas cans when you don't need them, and avoid storing gas in an attached garage. A shed or enclosed trailer is best if you don't have a detached garage.

One other thing to consider is keeping your gas fresh. I change mine out twice a year, and whatever doesn't get used goes into the car.

do you put any sort of preservative in it, or just get regular and let it sit for 6 months?

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

I rebuilt the carburetor on an 8 hp Tecumseh motor for my chipper/shredder last year. I kept Stabil gas preservative in the gas tank. After 6 months, the gas still went bad and I had to re-clean/re-build the carb again. Lesson learned for me. ALWAYS drain the tank of all gas motors before they go into storage! The gas stabilizers are not that good.

[IdahoCopper]

I have a diesel truck and a small diesel Mercedes. The truck gets 18mpg, the car is getting around 35mpg. I also have a diesel 6Kw backup generator for the house. It will power the most important appliances, but not everything.

I keep four 5-gallon jugs of diesel in the tin shed where the riding lawnmower is parked. I keep one 5-gallon jug of gas in there also.

Just yesterday I pulled out the 5 jugs to refill the gas, and cycle the old diesel into the vehicles. Also planning on running the genny for 30 minutes, this weekend and topping off its fuel.

I'd like to get a 250 gallon diesel tank that is something like this:


But 250 gallons is quite a lot of fuel and it would take me a long time to use that much.

After reading this thread, I will get some more diesel jugs soon.

[Mossy]

I've kept gas for years in nothing more than plastic jugs sitting on the moss under the trees. It worked very well in my chain saw and outboard. Constant shade, temperature probably about 40 to 45F, except colder in the winter. Depends on where you are and how hot it is.

[Engineer]

I rebuilt the carburetor on an 8 hp Tecumseh motor for my chipper/shredder last year. I kept Stabil gas preservative in the gas tank. After 6 months, the gas still went bad and I had to re-clean/re-build the carb again. Lesson learned for me. ALWAYS drain the tank of all gas motors before they go into storage! The gas stabilizers are not that good.

Stay away from ethanol blends for small motors. The ethanol carries water which will rust up your needle valves even with a dose of Stabil.

[Engineer]

I've kept gas for years in nothing more than plastic jugs sitting on the moss under the trees. It worked very well in my chain saw and outboard. Constant shade, temperature probably about 40 to 45F, except colder in the winter. Depends on where you are and how hot it is.

+1

Keeping it cool and pressurized so the volatiles can't evaporate will keep your gas fresh for years. Vented cans are not your friend.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Cool info, guys! I learned some things here.

The carbs on some old lawn mowers almost never gum up, and other carbs are very sensitive. We used to never use vented gas cans, and the gas did last longer. Now I know why. Thanks.

[frugalcanuck]

good thread
Also, you dont want to store your gas in an area that has large temperature swings. I kept two cans of winter gas in my basement and after two weeks the cans were under such great pressure that they are now warped a bit.