Seasoned preppers have storage solutions and creative ways to store food and supplies.
Some have root cellars, basements, hidden rooms, storage sheds and even underground bunkers. Those who are just starting out always have questions about storage solutions.
There are plenty of people who live in small spaces with little room to store a six-month supply of canned food and bottled water with questions about where to keep that much food.
One solution is hiding food storage as pieces of furniture! Here are 10 other storage solutions, suggestions and helpful hints in The Essential Preppers Guide to Storage.
- How to Properly store #10 cans
- Caching Food
- Emergency Water Sources and Water Storage
- Building a Year’s Supply of Food Storage
- Keeping Your Powder Dry—How to Store Ammunition Using a FoodSaver
- When Filtering Won’t Work: Storing Potable Water
- Quick Prepper Tip: How to Stockpile Canned Goods
- Keep Your Stash Out of the Trash
- Introduction to Stockpiling Non-Perishable Food for Novice Preppers
- MTM Survivor Ammo Can and DIY Desiccant Packs
Have you found a clever way to store your preps and survival gear? Share it with others in the comment section.
[suzanne]
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I find surplus ammo cans to be a good storage container with a little work. The large 81mm mortar cans are even capable of holding firearms (Broken down). Most of the cans I get might need some TLC, but making sure the gasket is still intact and usable is a must. I bead blast them to remove any outside and inside rust or corrosion, then repaint them using appliance epoxy (much harder to chip and peel than regular enamel paint).I use several coats (minimum of 3). Depending upon the intended use, I will line the can with 1/2″ closed cell foam. Using a metal can for a Faraday requires some additional work. The top has to be integral to the body. That requires copper tape over the gasket and a ground wire between the can body and lid. I have one can filled with dried rice and beans, that’s been in the ground for 6 years now. I dig it up once a year to check it and it remains bug free and intact still. Metal has one big advantage over the plastic as it is rodent proof. Some very good tips and advice in this column.
If you going to Cache with Electronics Inside the Container. Consider a 55-Gallon Open Top Drum. Steel Container will Act Like a “Faraday Cage” protecting the Electronics Within. Also consider a Poly-Pheyleneterephtalamide (C14H10N2O2/or simply Kevlar 49) Container Bag to Guard A Against Long Term Corrosion on the Steel 55-Gallon Drum. Kevlar, is Non-Biodegradable and will last for 10,000-years or Longer. But than Again Food Inside Probably WON’T…
I have a .30-.30 Win. lever action disguised as a Floor lamp with a shade. The shade is glued to a long dowel small enough to go down the barrell. The Butt Stock shoves and fits tight into a weighted block of wood like a christmas tree stand; and its loaded with one up the spout. Just pull out the shade and rod; stand on the base push gun away from yourself and pull up. Only 2 movements in the ready if you don’t count cocking the Hammer. It won’t fire unless you compress the Lever mechanism. Its already cocked anyway.
Also line 55 gallon barrels with 55 gallon contractors 3mm heavy duty black bags and over lap over top of barrel and keep in place with bunny cords.
That way no contact with barrels or water
If you use 55 gallon barrels to collect rain water these ideas may help…
Use tarps to cover your roof or make a rain water collection device to collect the the rain water.
If you tarp the roof clean gutters…
Gutter down spouts at end before it goes into the barrels cover it with fine cloth screen or used pantyhose which all can be clear and cleaned as needed…
Use a sliding screen covering the barrels as well… Lowe’s has these for about $6 each.
Use 2 pieces of 1/2″ 2ftX4ft piece of plywood…
One cut to fit the screen when collecting the water… Then second piece to cover rain barrels when not in use or has water in it.
Cinder blocks on top will keep board in place.
Use water for non drinking needs or treat water for drinking purposes…
Also have multiple means of cooking available
Propane
Wood
Charcoal
I have 2 100 lb propane tanks on dolly carts
7 cords of firewood stored
200 lbs of charcoal
Propane grills… Large and small…
Charcoal grills (multiple ones) all under $49
Grill grates 18″ diameter from Wal-Mart $15 each for camp fires.
Buy containers of charcoal lighter fluid especially if it’s on sale and stock up.
Get couple of bales of straw as well.
Place straw under small pieces of branches in fire put a little lighter fluid on it a small log and maybe 6 charcoals… That should start and burn for cooking and water boiling w/o using a lot of resources. & materials.
Chain saws, hand saws, bow saws with extra blades… relatively cheap to cut small firewood from nearby woods or from fire wood supply.
Cook food and then boil water at same time…
Maximize your use of fire and materials and purposes.
I’M BACK!!!…
I number of weapons & ammo on hand but no gun safe YET…
So I’ve needed to store my weapons as best as I can.
So I’ve decided to store every thing in “plain view ‘ more or less as well as making them easily accessible if needed.
So this has required some “creative thinking /ideas” on my part… So this is what I’ve done.
Put them in places that are not obvious to any one who might be breaking into my house…
First they have to get past my dogs… Not one, not two, not three, not four… But 16 dogs.
If they are successful after that then they have to find my weapons & ammo stash…
I have 9mm 40 cal, 380, 12 gauge & AR15… All hidden in plain view.
The 40 cal is hidden in a 50lb kibble bag which is part of 5 similar bags stored with stuff.
The 40 cal is in a case but all magazines loaded and ready to go… Rack and fire…
Then the 9mm is in a trash pile of boxes one of which is a box filled with Styrofoam but also in a case with mags loaded…
The AR15 is also concealed in a case in a trash pile.
The 12 gauge is in a 6″ PVC PIPE 4’ long but
cut in 4 pieces 12″ long which are connected with 6″ PVC collars all glued except one which I can undo and access the 12 gauge which is loaded and all I need to do is rack in and fire.
The End of the tube has glued end caps as well.
I know which collar is not glued… someone else would have to play with it to open it up.
I also have written in large black lettering the following notation…
“SEPTIC TANK
DRAIN PIPE ”
I’ve placed it in a location with other items which makes it blend in. I didn’t put it with the good China…
So with the ammo they are placed in seal boxes and stored with writings like 19″40″ magazines…so I know that box has 40 cal ammo…
Another box is marked “Field & Stream” magazines ” so I know my extra. ” mags” are there.
Another box is marked “9 inch used Colostomy bags”… That has my. 9 mm ammo.
Anyway that is what I’ve done until I can get a safe.
Hope this helps…