Apartment and Condominium Prepping Is Easier Than You Might Think
Every once in a while we’ll get a note from one of our customers saying something along the lines of, “I’d love to stockpile all the different things you recommend in order to prepare for an emergency. But I live in an apartment (or a very small home) and have a limited storage area. What should I do?”
As you might guess, the key is to stockpile the most important things for which you have room. Eventually, if your living space becomes larger or you are able to secure a storage area outside of your apartment or small home, you can add to your emergency supplies.
But that’s just part of the answer. The other part is figuring out what you can creatively do with your small space to make every inch count.
Let’s tackle those most important items first. Here’s a list of 10:
- Survival food. The more you have room for, the better. Seventy-two hours’ worth is a minimum. Aim for a week’s worth, then graduate to a month, three months and a year.
- Clean drinking water. Because it takes up so much space, you can limit yourself to 72 hours’ worth if you also purchase some water purification straws and pills.
- Flashlights and plenty of batteries. Knowing where you keep these items will be helpful when it’s dark in your apartment.
- A weather radio. This will help you keep up with what’s going on even when the power is off.
- A multi-tool. You don’t want to be rifling through drawers looking for a variety of tools, so keep this item in a place where you can grab it quickly.
- Manual can opener. Nothing electric will work in a blackout, and you may want to open a few cans of food or other canned items.
- Portable power bank. This will enable you to keep your cellphone and other important electronic devices charged for a while.
- First-aid kit. In addition to all the basics, include an extra supply of over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
- Whistle. This needs to be loud. It could be what draws attention to you if people start panicking and try to take your supplies.
- Gun and ammunition. Of course, this weapon will provide greater protection if you ever need it. Remember, a crisis can bring out the worst in people.
There are many more items that could help you in an emergency, but the focus here is on the most important ones due to space issues.
Now, for the creative part. The key is to determine which areas of your apartment or small home you are not currently utilizing. Under the beds is a pretty obvious one. If the only items you have under your beds right now are clothes you’ve kicked under them from time to time, clean them out and use those spaces for long, rectangular totes containing survival food.
If you’re living in an apartment, chances are you don’t have a garden. But that doesn’t mean you can’t grow some of your own food in order to stay self-sufficient. Small container gardens allow you to grow a variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs that do well in an indoor setting.
It’s more difficult to conceal your preparations in an apartment than it is in a house, but you can still prepare covertly. Don’t talk about your supplies with anyone other than family members and trusted friends. And when you do have company over, try to put as many of your preparedness items out of sight as possible.
Living in s small space such as a typical apartment doesn’t mean you need a smaller bug-out bag than folks who live in a house. But you should still be smart about what you put in it. Stick to the necessities, and be sure to include items that have multiple purposes.
Finally, know your neighborhood. If a crisis forces you out of your apartment, you should know exactly where you’re going to go and what route you will take to get there.
It’s also a good idea to get to know shop owners in the neighborhood. Their stores may be structures that are better suited to weather a storm than your apartment is. If they know and like you, they may let you ride it out in there with them.
Frank,
Prepping in an apartment is not remotely hard! I have a year supply plus all of the added things such as protein, breakfast, milk, fruits and vegetables…In fact, it is your whole line of food. In addition to this, In the same garage is two boxes of MRE’s for immediate use in stressful conditions like immediate blackouts, five water straws, 3 solar kettles, a battery generator, a solar panel, and two hunting blow guns. In my home is the Alexa pure running two filters with two more on reserve, and ample protection/ability to hunt for game and two-legged coyotes. My garage looks nearly empty and I have no problems of space for my car. I do have another garage that has all of my camping supplies that are robust enough to handle a long-term, to a nearly permanent bag-out, to include the bio-lite camp stove and a few others. With a full tank of gas I can effectively set up a camp and have all of the supplies and protection I could ever need.
Considering I live in an apartment, preparation is not an issue. I live in Virginia and we get hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and sometimes snow heavy enough to affect our power-grid. Even with a week of no electricity we have always been comfortable while everyone else freaks out and loots the local store. We remain quiet, prepared, protected, and comfortable. I have also calculated that with the full year supply and all of the added food packs, that I can actually have my family of four subsist for an entire year with very little supplementation from fishing or hunting. Of course it would take proper rationing, but the packs really make it easy to do so.
So in reply to the concern to being prepared in an apartment setting…It is not only possible, but it is easy. A small closet is more than enough to do so appropriately. Even a small garage is enough to provide enough space without any impact to your home or parking. And this is with the idea that I could have to survive for the long haul because I also have three or four seed containers. With that said, a few essentials and a 72hr pack or two could be nearly unnoticed!
My thoughts on the need to survive:
1. Water
2. Shelter
3. Protection
4. Heat/fire
5. Food
6. First aid
7. Any supplies that enhance the first six that make survival more comfortable.
I have a question. I live in a very small house with my disabled child and bugging out could be a challenge. I have never heard this addressed but IF. there was a nuclear type explosion and we were out of the blast zone but needed to seal the house. We are ready to do that. But how long does a sealed house provide enough oxygen?
Buy or make risers for your bed. We bought 4 that raised the bed 4 1/2 inches. With this extra space you can store lots of things. The bottom of our bed is now 12 inches from the floor.