Most food that you buy in the grocery store is only packaged to last a few months up to a year. The only exception to this is canned goods, which can last for years if the seal isn’t broken. Check how short the life expectancy is by looking at the expiration date on the package. Food manufacturers and processors don’t bother with the added expense of packaging it for long-term storage because most people don’t keep food around for very long. However, that doesn’t apply to survivalists, who may store their food stockpile for years.

This means that preppers need to repackage most foods they buy. With proper storage, those foods will last for much longer—as many as 20 years. That proper packaging will keep out insects, rodents, microorganisms, oxygen and moisture, keeping the food tasting fresh while retaining its nutritional value.