Mottainai tip: “Rolling stock” reduces food waste and prepares for disasters

One of the most useful items to stockpile in the event of a disaster is food. It is recommended to stockpile at least three days to a week’s worth of emergency food, depending on the length of evacuation. Emergency provisions such as dried bread can be easily purchased at stores or online, but they are usually quite expensive. Since we don’t usually eat such food on a day-to-day basis, the expiration date can be an issue.

This is why the “rolling stock” method has become highly recommended. This process involves regularly consuming shelf-stable and frozen food that make up your emergency rations and replacing what you eat to maintain your stockpile.

What’s “rolling stock”?

Rolling stock is a method of regularly consuming items from your emergency rations stockpile and replacing what you have eaten with new items. Even items with a relatively short shelf life can be stored as emergency food. By using the kind of shelf-stable and frozen food you regularly eat as emergency food, you will feel more comfortable during an evacuation.

The rolling stock method of eating and replenishing

What’s the best way to consume and stockpile food at the same time in a rolling stock system? Simply consume the shelf-stable and frozen food that you usually eat daily and buy more when running low. Shelf-stable and frozen food is easier to find and replenish than standard emergency stockpile items. It’s a great way to incorporate emergency supplies into your daily diet and prevent them from being left past their expiry date. Easy-to-prepare retort pouches and frozen food are also useful when you are short on time.

The benefits of rolling stock

To stockpile enough food for three days to a week to prepare for the possibility of a disaster, you will need a certain amount of space in your house to store all the food, which can be difficult. Furthermore, if you don’t regularly check the food, it will likely pass its best-before dates. By adopting the rolling stock method into your daily life, you can enjoy the following benefits.

You can prevent food from passing its expiry date

Rolling stock allows you to incorporate food that is about to expire into your daily diet, therefore preventing it from expiring. This means there is no need to worry about food waste. As long as you replenish the food you have consumed, you won’t have to worry about food shortages in times of emergency.

You can eat what you usually do at times of evacuation

Many people have their own likes and dislikes, even with emergency food. In particular, small children may not like canned fish or vegetables and may not eat them, which can be very stressful for parents. By getting used to the taste of emergency food on a regular basis, you will be able to enjoy your emergency food comfortably in times of disaster.

The disadvantages of rolling stock

Adopting the rolling stock method is relatively easy to start, but there are some drawbacks. Here are some of the disadvantages.

Secure storing space

Food is not the only thing you need when you are evacuating. To stock up on daily necessities such as toilet paper, you will need more storage space. In such cases, it is recommended to store your stockpiles in unused boxes (shoe boxes, cans, etc.) and stack them vertically to keep them neat and tidy. You can be creative in your storage methods.

Emergency food is generally more expensive than fresh food

In general, emergency food for times of disaster tends to be a little more expensive than fresh food that cannot be stored for a long time. When choosing food for rolling stock, you can save money by purchasing food with a longer shelf life and good value for money.

It can be a hassle to consume things based on their expiry date

Rolling stock itself is a simple initiative to replenish what you consume. However, it can be annoying to have to check expiration dates regularly. Try to be a little more creative with your storage methods so that you can quickly notice food that is nearing its expiration date.
Place the items with the shortest expiration dates at the front of the storage area, and arrange the additional items in order of their expiry dates to avoid getting overlooked.

Points to keep in mind when adopting a rolling stock method

1. Use items with the shortest shelf life first:

Most of the food you will choose for rolling stock does not have as long shelf life as emergency stockpile food. Therefore, consume the foods with the shortest shelf life first.

2. Buy more stock on a regular basis:

To avoid forgetting to replenish your stockpile after consumption, check your stockpile periodically and make sure you buy more items. Also, try to devise ways to cook food that you don’t like as much so that you don’t end up leaving it to expire.

3. Prepare different storage areas:

If you store frequently used items and less frequently used items separately, you don’t need to keep them all in one place. Also, if the door of the storage area gets stuck or blocked due to an earthquake, you won’t be in so much difficultly if you have some stockpile items in a different place. Put food in cases or boxes so that it is easy to find and take out.

What should you have in your rolling stock?

Ideally, the food to be stocked should be stored at room temperature and require no cooking, but some food you have to cook is also recommended.
Instant noodles, freeze-dried food, sweets, retort-pouch foods, canned food and frozen food are good to stock.

In addition to food, other items that can be stocked on a rolling basis are dry cell batteries, portable gas canisters, toilet paper, and diapers (for those with family members that need them).

When stockpiling food needs to be cooked, store it with gas cookers and canisters. Sometimes, it is good to use your rolling stock for camping trips and other outdoor activities.

Rolling stock allows you to constantly stockpile emergency food in case of a disaster by repeatedly consuming and replenishing the food you use daily. No special preparation is required, and you can start right now. Rolling stock can also help reduce food loss. Think about what types of food would be suitable for your rolling stock, and have fun trying them out.

This article was originally published on Life Hugger.
Translated by Matt Lyne.