Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Fuel rotation today. It’s like an annual holiday where you smell like gasoline and have $50 less in your pocket.

I keep a dozen NATO-style fuel cans filled with stabilized gas. Just in case. In a worst case scenario, I multiply (gallons*mpg)/2 to come up with the minimum range we can get out of here and go somewhere else if we have to. Why the conservative 50% cut in mileage? Because everyone else is going to be thinking the same thing and there’s going to be detours, idle time, and other problems that turn what would otherwise be a straight line from Point A to Point B to something resembling the Jews wandering the desert for 40 years.

So…truck has about a third of a tank so I pull two cans of the oldest gas and dump ‘em in the truck. I have the spout attachment for the cans but i’ve never been satisfied with them. I went to WallyWorld, found some automotive funnels for $2 each and paracorded one to each gas can. Just works better for me. After the cans are empty I dose ‘em with some PRI-G and fill ‘em up at the local station. The gas I put in the truck today was a lovely vintage from June 2010. heady, with just a hint of refinery, it went down smooth and had a vapory finish. I haven’t had any problems using treated gas that was a year or two old but to play it safe I usually ‘cut it’ 50/50 with new gas….meaning I put old gas in the tank and then top off with fresh.

You look at any disaster and while we like to think guns and ammo are the new currency the evidence shows that the thing people will really want in a big way is fuel. You cant get outta Dodge if you don’t have gas in your Dodge, y’know? Fuel represents a chance to get the frak outta wherever you are. After that, it’s also what runs your generators to keep your little island of civilization afloat. And if you are running something that is critical like a pump to keep your house dry, there is virtually no price you aren’t willing to pay. So…it’s a good idea to have some fuel set back.

Fifty bucks lighter in my pocket today but I feel better knowing we’ve got more fuel rotated and there if we need it.

A few previous posts on the subject:
Gas Rotation
Rotating Fuel
Daily McGyver-ism – Fuel ID tag