Where do you keep all the stuff?
Posted by etchekeva@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 18 comments
I live in a tiny apartment and I’m sure I’m not the only one, I barely have any space in my house to keep my normal monthly groceries.
Those of you with limited space, how/where do you keep all the stuff? Do you just don’t have it and follow a different strategy?
Ziggytaurus@reddit
My second pantry is in an under the bed storage drawer things i got from the dollar store, i have a small tote i hoard medication in this is on the shelf in my room, i have a second under the bed drawer im not too sure about what i’ll put in there just yet, i startedin a single bedroom apartment and one person knew i prepped, the one that knows is my gf and she writes me off as weird until we need something lol
newarkdanny@reddit
Prioritize until you get more space.
NateLPonYT@reddit
This right here. The more skills you have the less equipment you often need
echelon1776@reddit
I live in a small 1BR apartment. My bed is on a tall frame so I can get bins and store things underneath. My coffee table is half of a whiskey barrel with a wooden hinged top so I keep all of my outdoor gear stored in there.
KJHagen@reddit
Store what you need to get by for a few weeks in your apartment. Store some in your vehicle(s). Rent a small storage unit. Collaborate with others and see if you can store some things with them.
Virtual-Feature-9747@reddit
When I started prepping I converted a walk in closet to a prep room. Then I outgrew that space and took over a spare room. Now all the shit is in the basement with a keypad lock on the door.
I've spent a chunk of money on bins, bags, buckets, racks, and shelves. Everything is organized, labeled and inventoried - hard and soft copies and I'm not the only person who knows what we have, where it's at and how to use it.
Tips for limited space (and everything is limited):
- Only buy and stock what you really need. Skip the nice to have stuff for now. Buy tools and supplies that are multirole/multipurpose.
- Use your vertical space. If you have room, get shelves. If you use bins, get a rack to stack them. Stack your cans and buckets. We installed some hanging shelf platforms in the garage.
- Take advantage of unused space. For example, under beds, in closets, decks/patios, utility rooms, or attic spaces.
- Does your apartment offer an enclosed garage space, or even a shared storage room? What about a nearby storage facility? Less than ideal but better than nothing.
- Partner with someone in your area. This is difficult, unlikely and potentially dangerous... but perhaps something to think about.
- Some here will tell you that community is all you need, or skills are all you need. Maybe they can provide some insight. Those are important but you need to have the basics: food, water, shelter, sanitation, medical, communication, security, etc.
booksandrats@reddit
I have an apartment that's a little over 600 square feet. I've gone with buckets of water in the bathroom, and wire shelving in the bedroom. My cats don't care and my romantic partner either. Not many preppers are going for a minimalism look. Just last month I affixed my unused backpacks, 2 fishing rods and a hand net to my bedroom wall. Feels creative to make use of space!
Budget_Putt8393@reddit
I own my house, so I have more flexibility than some.
I built a stand under my washer/dryer. Now I can fit all our shoes, and most winter clothes in the same floorspace. As a bonus putting clothes into the Front-load machines is much nicer.
JustADutchRudder@reddit
My house has a little 6x5 rootceller type addition to the foundation. Coldest part of the house, just let the cats have run in there to keep mice away and it's a perfect spot for everything I want to store. Except cat food, I used to store 4 bags of cat food in there and my first cat got into one bag and his fat ass self ate like a king for days until I noticed.
Budget_Putt8393@reddit
Ha! That sounds like a cat. I get plastic buckets and put the bulk food in them to keep pests out.
JustADutchRudder@reddit
I need to get my pet food bulk back up. Got lax because of a plethora of game meat and fish, and an old dog that needs soft food. When I start again tho I should use buckets to keep the cats away this time.
Budget_Putt8393@reddit
The nice thing is that you don't have to have food grade buckets if the bags are sealed. I wouldn't recommend buckets that had nasty contents, but the 5gal from your local home improvement store work great.
JustADutchRudder@reddit
I've been thinking of getting couple 55 gallon water barrels. 2 for animal food might find their way in the other end of the room, cats and dogs all have tons of bags. If they're nice maybe even some soft food all around.
TheLostExpedition@reddit
Get used to unboxing and limiting the packaging . Then tetris it in to your space.
Finding new spaces is a challenge. Under a bed, on a book shelf, wherever it will fit. (Not near the water heater! ) but anywhere else is fair game.
glockshorty@reddit
Storage unit close by. It’s less then 8 min walking. I keep the good stuff at home for east Evac but if I’m gonna be hanging around I have a nice stash in a storage unit I keep my regular things with as well.
No-Garden8616@reddit
Had the similar problems. My solution was combined - custom storage boxes under beds&sofa, plus shallow shelves along walls not already occupied by furniture. Was able to squeeze in 3-month stock for 6 persons.
Budget_Putt8393@reddit
There is a lot of power in going vertical.
incruente@reddit
Step 1, triage. Sure, two is one and one is none, but lots of things are totally unnecessary. "Seventy-six guns" seems like a popular idea among some preppers, but really, it's overkill.
Step 2, think tiny. Backpackers, particularly ultralights, often have some interesting, small, compact, efficient things. Think a bidet that weighs 8 grams.
Step 3, store things everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Behind the books on your shelves. Under the beds. INSTEAD of the beds; just a mattress on top of rows and rows of 5 gallon buckets. Behind the TV.
Step 4; offsite. This is not just for apartment people, and can help with diversity; even if the building burns down, you didn't lose everything. I once had a VERY small living space, and made a deal with a friend to let me store a bunch of food in his basement which had access from the outside. I told him he could share in the storage is things ever went pear-shaped, and I gained a LOT of storage capacity. You might be able to make a similar deal, or rent a small storage unit, etc.