Apartment Prepping: Survival in Small Spaces
You don't need a bunker to prep. We share creative storage solutions for apartment dwellers, from under-bed storage to closet organization. Learn how to stash weeks of food and water without cluttering your living space.
Prepping advice often assumes you have a basement or a barn. But millions of people live in 600 sq ft apartments. Can you prep in a studio? Absolutely. You just have to be smarter about space.
1. Water: The Heavy Problem
You can't fit a 55-gallon drum in a 3rd-floor walkup.
- Under the Bed: Use "WaterBricks" or flat storage containers. A Queen bed hides 40 gallons of water easily.
- The Closets: Push your shoes forward. Store gallons of water along the back wall of the closet floor.
- Furniture: Use an ottoman with storage inside. Put water jugs in there.
2. Food: Disguised Storage
- Bucket Stools: Buy 5-gallon buckets of rice/beans. Put a round piece of plywood and a cushion on the lid. Throw a tablecloth over it. Congratulations, you have a new end table that holds 30,000 calories.
- Over the Door: Install "over the door" shoe organizers on every door (pantry, bedroom, bathroom). These are perfect for cans, medical supplies, and gear.
- Under the Couch: Flat, rolling storage bins fit under most sofas. Great for canned goods (cans are heavy, so keeping them low is good).
3. Security
Apartments have thin doors and shared walls.
- Door Jammer: Buy a "Buddybar" or door jammer bar ($30). It wedges under the doorknob. It makes kicking the door in extremely difficult.
- Privacy: Blackout curtains. If the power goes out, you don't want your neighbors seeing your candlelight and knowing you have supplies.
4. The "Bug Out" Reality
In an apartment, you are more likely to have to evacuate (fire in the building, neighbor causes damage).
- Go-Bags: Keep your Bug Out Bags right by the door, not buried in a closet.
- Pet Carriers: Have them accessible.
5. Sanitation
If the building water shuts off, you cannot flush.
- Stockpile heavy duty trash bags and kitty litter. You will be using the bucket method (see our Sanitation guide) on your balcony or in the bathroom.
Conclusion
Don't let lack of space be an excuse. A crowded closet is better than a hungry belly.
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