Unless you enjoy the 19th century lifestyle the chances are fuel plays a big role in your prepping. After the SHTF you’ll need fuel to power vehicles, generators and a range of outdoor power tools and agricultural equipment. In the USA, the most common fuel is gasoline. That means most preppers have some stocks of it laid by for emergencies.
Unfortunately, there’s a problem with that. Modern gasoline is pretty high quality, with few impurities in it. That means it can be stored for a long time, if you look after it properly. It won’t last forever, though. Eventually, even in the best containers, the most volatile hydrocarbons in the gasoline will evaporate and escape. As that happens it loses some of its stored energy – and, worse, it gets harder to ignite. With only less volatile oil left, it won’t fire as reliably when your engine tries to spark it, and eventually it will get to a point where it won’t run an engine at all.
Avoid problems by keeping your gas in good, well-sealed containers. Fill them as full as possible, giving less space for anything to evaporate into, and don’t open them until you have to. Store all fuels in a cool place that doesn’t get direct sunlight, and avoid moisture as much as possible – water absorption is a bigger issue with diesel, but it can affect gas too. Finally, rotate your supply. Fill vehicles and generators from the oldest containers; when you go to the gas station, fill up the empties, not your tank. Taking these steps should keep your gas usable for at least two years, and possibly a lot longer.
What if some does expire, though? Gas is highly flammable, so it’s difficult and dangerous to dispose of. Luckily there are some other uses for it.
Mix it With Fresh Gas
Use it in Stoves or Lanterns
A Coleman multi-fuel stove is a great example, and also a really useful survival tool. It’s not much bigger and heavier than a gas stove, the fuel is a lot more compact, and it’s as powerful as the burner on your cooker at home. Coleman lanterns are also great if you need light.
In an emergency, you can make a Benghazi burner – fill a paint can or large coffee can with sand, soak it with gas and carefully drop in a match. That makes a good heater, and you can even cook on it.
Kill Weeds
Gasoline isn’t a perfect weed killer. It runs off into the soil and can contaminate the ground water, so don’t use it anywhere near your well. It also isn’t very discriminating – it kills pretty much any plant. If you have a weed problem, though, it’ll do in a pinch. Use it for spot treatment of stubborn weeds – don’t spray your whole yard with it!
Poison Fire Ants
Good news – gas will do it. Even old gas. It can kill ants, and it also repels them. Slowly pour gas onto a fire ant mound, letting it soak in well. A lot of ants will die. The rest will bug out as fast as they can. Watch for them to set up a new mound, then soak that too. If you get a mound while it’s small you have a better chance of killing the queen. Do that and you’ll finish the colony.
Start Fires
Need to make a firebreak in a hurry, to help control a wildfire? Douse a strip of ground with gas, give it a few minutes to soak in, then light it. Soak rags in gas and use them to help damp firewood along.
Improvised Weapons
Need something with a bit more oomph to deter those thieves? The Molotov cocktail is a classic. Just fill some bottles with your old gas, stick a rag in the neck and tilt the bottle to soak the rag. Then light the end and throw it hard enough it’s going to smash on impact. Instant firebomb. You can also dissolve foam packing peanuts in the gas to make improvised napalm.
Restore it With Additives
Sea Foam and Stabil are gasoline stabilizers that will help preserve gas for longer before it starts to degrade. If it already has degraded they can at least partly restore it by restabilizing the separated components. Old gas is often contaminated with water, which can stop it igniting and even cause serious engine damage. HEET gas line antifreeze and water remover will sort that out.
Proper storage, and use of stabilizers, will do a lot to keep your gas in good condition. If it does deteriorate, though, additives will probably be able to make it usable again – and even if they can’t, there are plenty other things you can do with it.