# Storage



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

I haven't seen a thread on storage, but feel one would be worthwhile.

Most of us have typical homes with perhaps a basement, attic, garage or storage shed in the yard. A lucky few are homesteaders with barns or other large storage capabilities.

I tend to plan a lot, as I think most of us do and have put some effort into storage plans but am not 100% satisfied and expect to put more effort into storage solutions over time.

I categorize my preps and prepping needs and see the following storage challlenges:

1) Water. Unless you have a renewable supply, and maybe even if you do have a renewable supply, then you need considerable water storage. The storage must be watertight containers and because of the weight you can't stick it in the attic due to floor loading issues. Temperature control must be sufficient to avoid freezing.

2) Food. Air tight containers are needed and the space should be very temperature controlled. The space should also be accessible so stocks can be rotated. Considerable cubic footage is required.

3) Energy. Liquid fuels require appropriate containers, create a fire risk and require substantial space. Ideally, the storage would be some distance from dwelings to reduce risks. However, this makes the storage harder to protect from theft.

4) Firearms: Ideally, this would be highly secure storage (safe) which again implies a floor loading issue. When you add ammo, magazines, parts, cleaning supplies, etc. The amount of storage required is substantial. Ideally the storage is cool and dry.

Most other supplies can be stored without special considerations but the amount of space adds up.

Suggestions would be appreciated.


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

I have a reasonable basement to keep stores in, but if it's wiped out I'm screwed. So I spread my stores out over a wider geographical area. This is with family and friends and I found when I do that I have a LOT more room to use.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

bkt said:


> I have a reasonable basement to keep stores in, but if it's wiped out I'm screwed. So I spread my stores out over a wider geographical area. This is with family and friends and I found when I do that I have a LOT more room to use.


Are the family and friends part of a group and do they also store stuff with you?


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

Geek999 said:


> Are the family and friends part of a group and do they also store stuff with you?


Yes, as a matter of fact.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I have gone to the wire shelving for most of my long term storage. It is easily adaptable to my requirements. Earthquakes are a real threat and the shelves are easily attached to the walls. I have found corner units. Not only do these make the corners cleaner and more secure but I can put a corner unit in every so often with a shelving unit run into the room making the entire system more stable. They also come with retaining bars to help keep my preps on the shelf.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

bkt said:


> Yes, as a matter of fact.


That sounds great, but I'm figuring the likelihood is so low of actually showing up either way that the smart thing to do is just stock for a larger number and they do the same. If nobody bugs out, which no one wants to do, then we aren't "raiding" each other's supplies if we wind up dipping into the excess on hand. Ultimately I think we're going to wind up doing it your way.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

I have a spare room in my house that I use as a prep room. If I keep it closed off it stays between 50 and 60 degrees. 

I too categorize my preps and almost all of them ,except for wood and other fuels, are kept in this room. 

I have shelving units that store my canned goods, which are categorized according to type. The shelves also hold bulk dry goods and other assorted dried goods, which are sealed in Mylar bags and kept in sealed plastic buckets or tubs. 

I keep a few plastic organizers with drawers that store smaller things like candels, fire starters, hygiene supplies, etc. 

Medical supplies are all kept in a large bag but I will be purchasing another plastic organizer soon. 

Extra ammo is kept in here too because I'm out of room in the safe. The safe is in my bedroom and is where I keep all the guns and valuables. 

Some water is also stored in this room. Not a huge quantity but about 20 gallons.

I will eventually add more shelves to go around the entire room and put in a folding table so I can work on things in there. 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum. Please forgive typos.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Geek999 said:


> 1) Water. Unless you have a renewable supply, and maybe even if you do have a renewable supply, then you need considerable water storage. The storage must be watertight containers and because of the weight you can't stick it in the attic due to floor loading issues. Temperature control must be sufficient to avoid freezing.
> 
> 2) Food. Air tight containers are needed and the space should be very temperature controlled. The space should also be accessible so stocks can be rotated. Considerable cubic footage is required.
> 
> ...


1). We have a well & a swimming pool but store a good bit of water. We store 10 2L bottles & 20 single serve bottles of water in the deep freezer. They help keep a constant temp if the power goes out & we use the small ones in coolers instead of ice. We store our water in a salvaged kitchen cabinet in a storage building, we've never had it freeze.

2) I usually buy it & find room for it later. Our home was built in 1908, they were taxed by the number of doors in their home so there's only a few closets in the 5 bedroom house. We have food storage everywhere. It's harder to keep track of this way but it's the only way to do it in this house. A single food storage room is on the top of the list for the new house!

3)We store charcoal in 5gal buckets in the attic of our storage building. We store enough wood to get us through 2 years. We have 1000gal of propane that we rotate through every winter & we also have several tanks for the grill & the 5th wheel. We store our kerosene in a separate building. We store 100gal of diesel on hubby's 1 ton truck at all times & keep the tractor full. We also keep the 2.5 diesel full & it has a storage tank on it as well. We have a few 10 gal cans of gas but that's about it. We have our fuel pretty well spread out.

4) there are lots of gun storage solutions besides safes. If a thief can't find them, they can't steal them. . When I move from this house, I'll post pics of our gun & ammo storage, until then it's top secret :sssh: spreading them out throughout the house may make them easier to hide as well as increasing the odds that you'll have one where & when you need one.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

tsrwivey said:


> 1). We have a well & a swimming pool but store a good bit of water. We store 10 2L bottles & 20 single serve bottles of water in the deep freezer. They help keep a constant temp if the power goes out & we use the small ones in coolers instead of ice. We store our water in a salvaged kitchen cabinet in a storage building, we've never had it freeze.
> 
> 2) I usually buy it & find room for it later. Our home was built in 1908, they were taxed by the number of doors in their home so there's only a few closets in the 5 bedroom house. We have food storage everywhere. It's harder to keep track of this way but it's the only way to do it in this house. A single food storage room is on the top of the list for the new house!
> 
> ...


You mention moving. I intend to move some time in the next few years as well. That limits what I am willing to do with the house for prepping. I already sunk money into a generator that is wired into the house, that most buyers wouldn't necessarily pay more for, so doing more that no one but a prepper would appreciate seems foolish if I'm not staying. For instance the fuel storage you mention would be worth nothing to most potential home buyers in this setting.

Once I get to where ever I move, then I'll be willing to do permanent improvements that are only valuable to me. Until then the preps need to be portable.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

One possibility that I'm considering is a cargo container. A metal container like this could store most everything.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

It would be difficult to control the temperature and humidity in a shipping container which would mean it wouldn't be ideal for your food. 


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Partially bury it


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Proper storage conditions.*

Before you think of underground storage you must do your homework,proper conditions most take effect in order for stores to remain in good condition,underground military storage facilities keep constant air rotation as well as goods rotation,a good source of information will be your state agricultural office.
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/EarthTemperatures.htm


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

Geek999 said:


> That sounds great, but I'm figuring the likelihood is so low of actually showing up either way that the smart thing to do is just stock for a larger number and they do the same. If nobody bugs out, which no one wants to do, then we aren't "raiding" each other's supplies if we wind up dipping into the excess on hand. Ultimately I think we're going to wind up doing it your way.


Yes, exactly. Our homes are all potential bug-out locations for the others seeing as we all live some distance from each other. That's why the sharing. And yes, if bugging out weren't necessary but tending to others was, the extra stuff would go toward those who need it.

(We have other BOLs as well and stores in those locations, too. It's good to prep.)


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

When we purchased our home the basement was a very large empty concrete rectangle with a staircase. I designed the floor plan myself and was able to put in a "man cave", a storage/utility room and a safe room/tornado shelter (as well as 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, hall closet, home theater and a computer room). The man cave eventually became the preppers cave and family arsenal + ammo storage. Preps overflow into the storage room and garage. We used fire resistant sheet rock and fire resistant insulation in those areas and even installed some marine automatic fire extinguishers. We also have a couple dehumidifiers that have drainage tubes so they can be left on to run whenever the humidity increases. I store almost everything in sealed buckets or heavy duty plastic totes, sans guns of course which are all in safes with reusable desiccants. 

Secondary to that we have a storage garage in a small community half way between my house and our BOL. It is a secure facility with 24/7 monitoring and access and is next door to a Sheriff's Office. Even with that we "camouflaged" our preps with crap we picked up for free (leftovers from garage sales and auctions) and use dual high security shim-proof padlocks. I also keep a few items in my office closet at work. It's a fairly large walk in closet that I was barely using. I have a large metal locker in there that would equal a solid 72 hours worth of essentials and protection for my family. Basically it's our old bug out bags with a few extras and upgrades. I intend to leave the stuff behind if I have to go but I like having it there just in case. 

My family also owns a nice farm with a large remodeled home not too far away from us complete with a lake, a well, a large garden, raspberry bushes, apple trees, dairy cows and other animals. My cousin owns the farm down the road and uses the barns, sheds, tractors, equipment, etc. in exchange for monitoring the property and keeping the lawn mowed, etc. He then leases the land from us which pays the taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. Between his farm and ours we own all the land around the lake which cannot even be seen from a road. Hunting is excellent in the area as well. My cousin is not only family but he is like minded and very close to my parents. He is well aware that the farm house will be our home if things go wrong in the world. We have a solid amount of supplies there as well.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

millertimedoneright said:


> One possibility that I'm considering is a cargo container. A metal container like this could store most everything.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


I used to read a blog that is no longer up and running. The guy had purchased 5 acres in an area with many 5 acre plots close to Ft. Garland, Colorado. It is a godforsaken area.

He built himself a cabin on weekends and worked and lived in Denver for years. His place was broken into and anything and everything that could be taken was. His solar system was taken. Floor boards were taken up in case he had hidden anything underneath. Wall boards were removed as well. He decided to not leave his stuff there if he was not there. He rented a storage unit fairly close and stored his stuff there until he finally moved there.

Being there full time, he saw many things of interest to all of us. Many of the people who purchased the 5 acre plots never lived there and never came to even check their properties. However, many people purchased shipping containers, filled them up with preps and left them there. Some were welded shut, some were padlocked shut.

At least once a year, a group of young men were dropped off in the area and searched out the properties. All of the shipping containers were broken into and anything of value was taken. Some were broken into with bolt cutters. Those that were welded shut had holes cut in the walls of the containers with cutting torches. He told about the stuff that was left behind, such as down jackets, blankets, etc., would be found blowing around the area. Animals would move into the containers and take up residence.

He has since sold his property and moved to another state where gardening and other aspects of homesteading are more successful.

I have seen some nice things done with shipping containers but I am concerned about rust and strength when using them.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

I am curious whether storage units would be accessible during a SHTF scenario. I also wonder how much time one could expect them to be secure from the beginning of an event.


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

A lot of truth in the Fort Garland area being godforesaken!


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## Mnrdnck (Jun 27, 2014)

I have a question/issue I have a nice cool basement but it is damp if I vacuum seal my food stores is this enough to protect them?:help:


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

Mnrdnck said:


> I have a question/issue I have a nice cool basement but it is damp if I vacuum seal my food stores is this enough to protect them?:help:


Protect them from what? Vacuum seal them in what?

There are layers of protection to consider.

If you vacuum seal them in a bag, are you going to set the bag on the shelf or are you going to add another layer of protection such as a 5 gallon bucket with a lid? Are you going to set the 5 gallon bucket on something like a board to keep it off the concrete?

You can store food in a vacuum sealed bags. You can store food in vacuum sealed bags with oxygen absorbers. Bugs and rodents can get in those bags.

You can vacuum seal food in canning jars. Oxygen absorbers add another layer of protection.

Also, sprinkling some diatomaceous earth in your food storage area will help keep insects at bay. Some people put some in their containers when storing food.

Orange jeep dad stored food in mylar bags, and nothing else. It was an easy mark for mice.

http://orangejeepdad.blogspot.com/2013/10/our-first-country-problem-rodents.html


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## Mnrdnck (Jun 27, 2014)

My idea was 5 gallon bucks on shelving and rodent and insect control with vacuum sealed dehydrated basic food items along with beans, rice, that type of stuff. using a standard kitchen vacuum sealer with an oxygen absorber and descant pack. grateful for any advice.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Mylar is a better bag than the basic plastic vacuum sealer bag but they should work. The regular vacuum bags will allow O2 pass through at a very slow rate where the mylar is an O2 barrier. The five gallon bucket helps protect the bag from rodents. The bags are relatively fragile. Make sure the bucket lid has a gasket seal. Better yet would be a Gamma Lid.


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

I'm a firm believer in inventorying your prep's, some I do on a monthly bases, others are quarterly, some are annual. Some items are in the "pre-SHTF times (todays times) used on our daily living. These are on a rotation. We have spread sheets on a clip board. The wife & I are very disciplined people and it take great diligence for this. 

Food: I keep all in a large walk-in pantry. Their is food items we use pre-SHTF as well as storage for post SHTF. its all prepped for long term storage. You never know when it will happen SHTF. I believe you store what you like to eat, which is a 2 yrs supply. We "wife & I" keep a strict inventory on our food. Monthly checks on all items vacuum seal in bags & jars for leaks, all canned meats & veggies (home canned) checked seals for bad seals, store bought can goods checked for leaks or bulging cans. Any item used in pre-SHTF get replaced followed by 1 more can. Anything used from the pantry is written down on a replace list.

I like smoking & salt curing meats. I keep a large inventory of the items needed for this type of meat curing along with plenty of wood for the process. We can all our meats and live on it whether its store bought meats, our farmed raised or wild game.

Flour (I freeze for 1 week to kill any larva or bugs) we sift all of our flour, Corn Meal, Sugar are kept in their original packages stored in 5 gal. food grade buckets lined with 6 gal. mylar bags w/gamma lids labeled on the outside of the bucket & dated each packaged that resides inside of the bucket.

Dry Goods, bean's, white rice, peas', egg noodles, pasta's, are stored in their original packages with a small cut and re-package with a Uline vacuum bag and vacuum sealed. Dated, I very seldom have leaking do to keeping them in the original packaging and using the vacuum bags & sealing them.

Water: I keep in 2 locations, 48 single gallons jugs stored in milk crates in a large utility closet. (4) 55gal blue drums stored in a large shop on wood pallets. 

Electronics: survival radio, solar chargers, hand held CB, walkie talkies, flash lights, batteries (all rechargeable), lithium batteries, & Ni MH batteries and other battery powered electronics are stored in a faraday cage in the same utility closet. ALL batteries packages are dated

Misc. Items: oil (fuel), lanterns, matches, survival lighters w\their fuel & fire starters, cordage, water purification system w/extra filters, medical bag, candles, and other misc. items are stored in large plastic tote. 

Firearms: (prepper guns & ammo) stored in a 36"deep X 6ft. long X 8ft' tall secret room I built many years back. Very well stocked.
Prepper Guns: (3) Type 56 SKS's, (2) pistol carbines chambered in the same caliber as the handguns, (4) handguns all chambered as the pistol carbines, 1 Tactical shotgun & (1) .22long rifle. All ammo is store with rechargeable Desiccant Silica Gel Dehumidifiers. The ammo is check quarterly this is when the moisture absorbers are recharged. All my ammo is stored in military ammo cans with good seals. 

Fuels: Propane gasoline, various 1lbs bottles & several 100 bottles propane, checked annually by weight and recorded. I have one heck of a scale system to weight my large bottles. Gasoline, 40gals on hand always, with ethanol additives & fuel stabilizers added. 5gals 2cycle fuel for chain saws. Their rotated and replaced as used. I stock extra ethanol treatments & fuel stabilizers, extra spark plugs for chain saws, generators & for (1) vehicle (BOV) if needed. 

I find that most items we use on a pre-SHTF bases are in rotation & everyday use in our lives. Maintenance is a must BUT! its a must to replace what you use & I suggest to replace it with an extra also. This practice is a good one for the fact its just one more times you didn't have before. We all do things different in our prep's, whether it is how we prepare food for long term storage, to ammo storage, to what firearms are good, to sit tight or take flight (bug-in or bug-out). The results are the same. Were in it for one thing only.....Again I can not stress enough about spot checking your inventory, I hear too many people loosing their prep's to whatever; pest, weather conditions, to improper preparing for long term storage. This is why inventorying your good, food, ammo, fuel, water, and etc. is important, this way you can make any corrections needed before you loose your prep's to spoilage


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

ARDon said:


> I'm a firm believer in inventorying your prep's, some I do on a monthly bases, others are quarterly, some are annual. Some items are in the "pre-SHTF times (todays times) used on our daily living. These are on a rotation. We have spread sheets on a clip board. The wife & I are very disciplined people and it take great diligence for this.
> 
> Food: I keep all but very little of my preps in a large walk-in pantry. Their is food items we use pre-SHTF as well as storage for post SHTF. its all prepped for long term storage. You never know when it will happen SHTF. I believe you store what you like to eat, which is a 2 yrs supply. We "wife & I" keep a strict inventory on our food. Monthly checks on all items vacuum seal in bags & jars for leaks, all canned meats & veggies (home canned) checked seals for bad seals, store bought can goods checked for leaks or bulging cans. Any item used in pre-SHTF get replaced followed by 1 more can. Anything used from the pantry is written down on a replace list.
> 
> ...


How large a group are you prepping for? Obviously the larger the group, the more storage space required.


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

Geek999, to be quite frank, just the wife & I. we live in a very small town less than 500 population. Not many preppers in the area. My friends whom I talked about are NOT interested in prepping. So for Sally & I our families are spread across the United States and they are not interested in prepping either. We know theirs power in numbers and group is a good thing. But were we live their aint many preppers. So were alone.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

ARDon said:


> Geek999, to be quite frank, just the wife & I. we live in a very small town less than 500 population. Not many preppers in the area. My friends whom I talked about are NOT interested in prepping. So for Sally & I our families are spread across the United States and they are not interested in prepping either. We know theirs power in numbers and group is a good thing. But were we live their aint many preppers. So were alone.


I understand. I was just trying to reconcile in my head what sounded like adequate preps with limited storage requirements. I'm only trying to prep for extended family and rapidly get to 16 as a good number to prep for. A year's food for 16 people rapidly translates into a significant space requirement.

You might want to consider what to do if some of those geographically distant relatives show up.


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

easier said than done my friend. Like I said my family isn't into prepping nor they have any interest. I the wife & I ware a % of many preppers world wide that will be lone wolf's at the beginning of the SHTF, not because we choose to, but like I mention not many if any in our area. I would imagine their will be survivor's that were sheep that turned in to like minded from post SHTF after the fact in our areas, or smaller communities like mine where the population did survive would rebuild and form then I could see were the wife & I would join in. But until then were alone.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

When prepping for larger numbers, the storage problem becomes acute. For instance, if one 5 gal pail will hold food for 1 person for 1 month, then a year's supply of food is 192 pails.

Now assumng you've gotten past payng for that, where do you put it?


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

for one my bulk items are in food grade 5 gal pales flour, sugar corn meal, ally my food is in the walk-in pantry. We use what we store. Even though I repackage it for long term it is still used for everyday use "pre-SHTF" plus I do not store for groups, the wife & I are Lone Wolfs

I have no idea how you want me to answer your question


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

ARDon said:


> for one my bulk items are in food grade 5 gal pales flour, sugar corn meal, ally my food is in the walk-in pantry. We use what we store. Even though I repackage it for long term it is still used for everyday use "pre-SHTF" plus I do not store for groups, the wife & I are Lone Wolfs
> 
> I have no idea how you want me to answer your question


No problem. I just wanted to understand. Our situations are qute different.

For instance, I just floored my unfinished attic. I intend to move some stuff that doesn't require temperature control up there, freeing up space elsewhere. Ultimately I will fill that and have to come up wth another plan.


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## ARDon (Jun 28, 2014)

My pantry is cooled & heated , its part of the house. I don't worry about post SHTF, cause it aint here. Even if it hit their aint much we can do about it then except for the fact what happens. All you can do is do the best you can for what you have to work with.


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## kelee877 (Jul 9, 2014)

Hello everyone from Northern Ontario...I call the area I live in goomerville and I say that because we are in far North and do not have a lot of city advantage when it comes to getting prepared. So I would like to share some of my idea's and how I have managed to put food up for the long term, I have done a lot of trails and tests for preps..and I have some great hiding spots for some of those canned goods and extra items..

First I would like to start with dried foods...freeze,freeze,freeze we do not [email protected] absorbers or mylar way up here and when it is found it is very expensive. So all of dried preps get frozen for at least a week if not longer, this will kill any of the remaining larva on food..so pasta,flour,rice etc all get frozen, brought to room temp, flour is stored in canning jars,pasta in zip lock storage bags and then they are put in totes or margarine buckets that I get from restaurants in town,rice,corn meal,barley etc is stored in 2 litre pop bottles that have been washed and dried.

Now canned foods. I have built shelves in a couple of my dressers and I hide canned foods and misc item on them here is a pic of the space behind my own dresser



Use your inner wall space...This is my laundry room



I covered it up to look like this..



I had to add walls in my basement to make seperate rooms for my 2 teenage children..I filled the walls, dry walled one side and paneled the other, here is a picture of the finished panel side


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## kelee877 (Jul 9, 2014)

Also in my laundry there was a corner space with the studding..I have incorperated 2 book cases in front..behind the book cases are 2 liter pop bottles filled with food..I had to build some supports,but it all worked out..

The bookcases also hold food and I used the back panels on the front and just used a staple gun to hold them in place, they are easy to remove



When I bought my home it had a built in closest, there was a ton of space under the last drawer and in the 2x4's at the side, behind all the drawers







Those are a few of my idea's I am always working on something and creating more space as needed..when I can I will post more pictures..look around your own home there has to be available space somewhere..and the cost for any of these projects is low


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## tc556guy (Apr 28, 2011)

I'm facing a storage challenge after recently down-sizing to a new home.
It's the right size for me in many ways, but storage of prep stuff is a challenge.
It doesn't have a proper basement, just a crawlspace. I can't even fit one of my water storage barrels through the door leading into my small pantry area. It sits on the back porch which does tend to get hot. My other option is the garage, but it'll freeze there.
I'm worried about storing food stuff in the garage. Theres plenty of space there in a second story attic, but I am worried about vermin. Bulk storage in the house in the pantry would be limited to MAYBE a six month supply, and that's if I buy one of those neatly packaged last resort food collections of #10 cans. For stuff I use on a regular basis, I need to come up with a better system, and even then I don't think I'll be able to hit the six month mark due to space limitations.

Bulk fuel beyond a few five gallon cans is not an option due to the village codes.

If I wanted to go solar there's room for roof or ground mounted panels, but I have other expenses eating up my extra cash these days
It has been a process of adapting.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

So all of dried preps get frozen for at least a week if not longer, this will kill any of the remaining larva on food..so pasta,flour,rice etc all get frozen,

Easier to use Diatomaceous Earth and less time-consuming.
I have opened many buckets stocked 5 years ago and not one bug...yet!!!
DE here at Tractor Supply cost $12 for 20 lb. bag and that goes a long, long way putting 3 TB in a bucket.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

We live in an old house so we've had to get creative finding room to store things. We found lots of room in our cabinets behind the pots & pans. It's amazing to me just how much wasted space is in those cabinets.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Progress: Since I started this thread, I have floored an attic area giviing me an additional 500 sq.ft. of storage, albeit not temperature controlled. Previously, I could put some boxes up there, but walkng was a balancing act to not put my foot through the ceiling.

I'm going to move some stuff around to see if I can get things that don't require temperature storage up there, and open up more temperature controlled storage elsewhere in the house. If unsuccessful, my next step woud be to insulate and then temperature control the space.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

tc556guy said:


> I'm facing a storage challenge after recently down-sizing to a new home.
> It's the right size for me in many ways, but storage of prep stuff is a challenge.
> It doesn't have a proper basement, just a crawlspace. I can't even fit one of my water storage barrels through the door leading into my small pantry area. It sits on the back porch which does tend to get hot. My other option is the garage, but it'll freeze there.
> I'm worried about storing food stuff in the garage. Theres plenty of space there in a second story attic, but I am worried about vermin. Bulk storage in the house in the pantry would be limited to MAYBE a six month supply, and that's if I buy one of those neatly packaged last resort food collections of #10 cans. For stuff I use on a regular basis, I need to come up with a better system, and even then I don't think I'll be able to hit the six month mark due to space limitations.
> ...


What kind of vermin's will eat through a metal can or mason jars? Another thing you probably can make an insulated storage box or cabinet for your goods and if you raise your bed and build a platform type of frame for it you will add another 100 cubic feet of storage if you just make it high enough, you can put lots of cans in an 8x12 wall just by taking 6 inches from the room floor space.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Geek999 said:


> Progress: Since I started this thread, I have floored an attic area giviing me an additional 500 sq.ft. of storage, albeit not temperature controlled. Previously, I could put some boxes up there, but wakng was a balancing act to not put my foot through the ceiling.
> 
> I'm going to move some stuff around to see if I can get things that don't require temperature storage up there, and open up more temperature controlled storage elsewhere in the house. If unsuccessful, my next step woud be to insulate and then temperature control the space.


If you keep TP in the attic, placing peppermint oil soaked cotton ball keeps the mice away--they hate it!!
Replace when you can't smell it.

I also made a plywood floor--only 12 X 12, and wish I'd bought more sheets of plywood @ $1 a sheet (4 X 4s not straight cut).


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

JayJay said:


> If you keep TP in the attic, placing peppermint oil soaked cotton ball keeps the mice away--they hate it!!
> Replace when you can't smell it.
> 
> I also made a plywood floor--only 12 X 12, and wish I'd bought more sheets of plywood @ $1 a sheet (4 X 4s not straight cut).


That is 144 sq.ft. so it is quite a bit of space. You could get a lot up there. I did mine all at once and it extends over the entire house. I haven't had a problem with mice but thanks for the tip.

The attic space has limitations. Not only do I want to avoid putting in anything that needs temperature control, but since access is constrained by a drop down door I don't want to put anything in there that I need to use with any frequency, or is difficult to get through the drop down staircase, etc. My goal is really to free up some temperature controlled space.

Nonetheless, the amount of space is huge. If it were temperature controlled it would be perfect for preps. I'm going to move a few things up and see how it goes. There is only so much luggage and Christmas decorations. 

Interesting you mention TP. That is a perfect type of thing for the space as it is light, takes a lot of space, and can be maneuvered up the drop down staircase.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Salt & sugar in 2.5 gal buckets. Not too heavy but heat won't bother it a bit as there are no vitamins or minerals to worry about destroying. You could put charcoal up there too.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Large plastic totes can provide significant protection from mice for TP and other products. Clothing, extra tools, and spare parts might also do well in that environment.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Geek999 said:


> That is 144 sq.ft. so it is quite a bit of space. You could get a lot up there. I did mine all at once and it extends over the entire house. I haven't had a problem with mice but thanks for the tip.
> 
> The attic space has limitations. Not only do I want to avoid putting in anything that needs temperature control, but since access is constrained by a drop down door I don't want to put anything in there that I need to use with any frequency, or is difficult to get through the drop down staircase, etc. My goal is really to free up some temperature controlled space.
> 
> ...


Oh, my TP is stored there---however, smarts tells one to store 3 months' worth in a closet and only make a few trips every year. And, I have shelving units in the attic and that helps a great deal.

I just organized the shed--put little shelves in between the exposed studs(took away a shelf or two on the shed floor) AND put dowel rods on closet pole holders in between exposed studs...I now have a 12 X 12 floor clear for a potting shed. Anything with a hole can go on a dowel rod--no hole?? drill a hole in the tool and use cable ties.
Until fall and then the mower will be stored there.

Those shelves in between studs make great places for spray paint cans, etc..


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## Servelan (Mar 21, 2010)

Geek999 said:


> 1) Water. Unless you have a renewable supply, and maybe even if you do have a renewable supply, then you need considerable water storage. The storage must be watertight containers and because of the weight you can't stick it in the attic due to floor loading issues. Temperature control must be sufficient to avoid freezing.


What about filtration? What about treating for drinkability? If you have a renewable supply, you need to consider those things as well. Just having a bazillion gallons of water around doesn't work if it's not potable.



Geek999 said:


> 2) Food. Air tight containers are needed and the space should be very temperature controlled. The space should also be accessible so stocks can be rotated. Considerable cubic footage is required.


You cannot store enough food to keep you going for years on end, endlessly. You need to be growing your own, and when you do, you have to have storage for those things like squash, carrots, leeks, garlic, etc., so it's not just 'air tight containers', but also storage for fresh produce and seeds.



Geek999 said:


> Most other supplies can be stored without special considerations but the amount of space adds up.


I don't store my extra toothpaste in some storage shed out back, it's in the house with the rest of my q-tips, cotton balls and other supplies so I can rotate it properly. Space isn't all that much of an issue if you think about it; there are usually a lot of things you can do to store supplies without taking up all that much room. I keep my bathroom/hygiene supplies in plastic containers with lids, all the same size, labeled as to contents even if they are transparent, and they are on shelves in the end of a closet. My bathroom has no storage to speak of, so this is a workaround for that as well.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Filtration is fine, but I don't have a renewable supply beyond rain barrels. I would like to store as much as possible for now. Water is voluminous and heavy. Hence storage is an issue.

Growing your own food is fine, but you still need to get through the first year until the harvest. I am preppng for 16 people. I need about 600 cu.ft. For food to get through the first year, more if I want to go longer or improve the diet. That space should be temperature controlled.

What I have been able to do since the iinitial post iis add flooring to the attic, adding to my non-temperature controlled space. The amount of water that can go there is limited due to weight. I am rearranging stuff that doesn't require temperature control to free up space elsewhere.

That will be an improvement, but not enough.


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