silica gel packs

Just though I'd let everyone know that you can often buy silica gel cheap near the cat litter of the big box stores. It's sold as an odour reducer for cat litter. I just bought a 2 lb. bag for $8. Says "Dust free, non-toxic" on the bag, and has the blue indidcator crystals in it. I'm gonna use...

I am just now starting my long term food stores. I bought 20# of long grain rice and I have a 5gal. pickle bucket that I have cleaned (dish soap/ bleach water soaking for 3 days/ dish soap/ sun dry). I want this to last a really, really long time so I ordered some O2 absorbers and some...