Olive oil is one of the best things to stockpile for a time when you will be in in a state of long term self-sufficiency.  While it is not the cheapest oil out there, it is worth the investment for a number of important reasons.  Let’s take a look at why you may want to add a couple of gallons to your preparedness checklist.

Health Benefits

Olive oil has been proven to be one of the healthiest oils to cook with.  People who incorporate olive oil into their daily diet, mainly from the Mediterranean region, tend to live longer and healthier lives than we do here.  This is primarily because olive oil replaces many of the other sources of harmful fats that get accumulate in our bodies.  Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and a host of other ill-health effects are all linked to too much fat in our diet.  While we focus on disaster or SHTF preparedness, it’s important to remember that our health, in addition to our circumstances, plays a central role in our survival. 

However, a lot of emphasis seems to be placed on stocking up on lard or shortening for cooking during a long term crisis.  Maybe it’s because it’s stored in can, so it’s logical to think that it belongs in our stockpiles.  Perhaps it’s because it’s cheap, or because you can use it as an emergency candle.  No matter the reason, it’s definitely not the healthiest thing to be using for cooking on a daily basis.  Go with olive oil, which you can obtain in bulk cans very easily, and accomplish what you can do with butter or shortening.  It’s also much more nutritious, and contains compounds that can help to fight disease while supporting many systems in our bodies. 

Good Medicine

Olive oil is also a key ingredient in many home remedies that we may end up needing during a long term crisis.  While you can make tinctures, creams, salves and ointments now for use over the next year or so in many cases, what happens after the grid collapses or the SHTF and you run out?  Keeping a good supply of olive oil on hand can help you to keep making remedies for a long time to come.  Olive oil can also be used in its natural state to help resolve a number of maladies as well.  Softening ear wax is one example.  Using it to soothe dry and cracked skin is another. 

Long Shelf Life

If you are stocking up on organic olive oil that has been properly-filtered and placed in appropriate containers, you can expect it to have a shelf life of a few years.  It’s best to get them from reliable sources than canning your own, and as long as you keep it in a cool and dark place, you shouldn’t have to worry about degradation or rancidity.  You can also transfer olive oil into smaller dispensers or containers as needed while you rotate out the product to minimize waste as well. 

Household Products

Olive oil is also a common ingredient in a lot of homemade health and beauty products, for reasons similar to why it makes such a good base for remedies.  You can also use it as a lubricant if you run out of oil, WD-40 or simply want a cleaner alternative.  There are a lot of other surprising uses for olive oil around the house as well, as you will discover over the course of time.

These are just a few general examples to illustrate why having a supply of olive oil on hand is a good idea.  There are thousands more, and doing a little research will reveal why olive oil should be an integral part of any long-term survival stockpile.