Apartment Dweller Prepping- Part 1

from Survival Blog:

Precious metals, dehydrated food, bug out cabins, and surplus everything are some of things that may spring to mind, thanks to pop culture and the media, when you mention prepping to someone who isn’t familiar with the topic. Those were the things that I thought of too, when I first began looking into how I could be more prepared for an emergency or disaster I might face back when I was fresh out of college.

When I Moved To A Big City

Back when I was a naive graduate who moved to a big city with student debt on my back, one room in a small shared apartment to call home, and extremely limited resources, a lot of the information I was finding did not apply to me or my living situation. I’m not starting a homestead or prepping a house for a family. I was one guy in his early twenties sharing an apartment and just squeaking by.  I had to cherry pick as much knowledge as I could and figure out how to make it work for me. Some information proved vital while others made me second-guess why I felt it was important in the first place.

What I’ve Learned From Experience

With several years of a preparedness mindset under my belt and experience in several long-term power outages and natural disasters (including Hurricane Sandy), I’d like to share what I’ve learned with other cash strapped, apartment dwelling, urban preppers. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s simply one man’s take on some highlights as to what he has found helpful.

Storage

When you might be lucky to have 150 square feet of private living space to yourself, stockpiling isn’t really an option. You have to work within the limits of the space that you have.  It can be difficult to find a balance for where you can comfortably work and live day to day but also have room for things you might need in an emergency. Nobody wants to live in a room surrounded by prepping gear and storage totes, so you have to figure out a solution that will work for you.

With one small closet and a bedroom to work with, I found I was able to get the additional storage space I needed by using generic bed risers along with some creative organization. These little accessories raise your bed five to six inches off the ground and give you some extra room to stash things out of sight and out of mind.

This gave me the extra room I needed to stack gallon water jugs and emergency storage bins against the wall the bed was aligned against. These larger items were then easily concealed with things like a small dresser, other organizing bins, and the general clutter that life brings your way.

Storage Section Summary: Find ways to maximize your storage space within your limited living area.

Food

When thinking about food storage and prepping, it is quite easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole. Dehydrated food and MREs are heavily marketed to the prepping community. Somehow you aren’t ready for a disaster unless you have emergency food in mylar pouches ready to go at a moment’s notice. Or perhaps the image that comes to mind is a pantry the size of a living room stuffed to its gills with canned goods. That would be living the dream for sure.

While dehydrated meals and MREs serve an important role in rounding out a layered system of food for a long-term emergency, the problem I found was the costs associated with purchasing food like this while trying to make ends meet. I couldn’t wrap my head around paying several hundred dollars for food I may not eat or need when I had a week of meals to plan and groceries to buy. And as much as I liked the idea of a dedicated pantry room, when you share an apartment you tend to just get a shelf in the fridge and the pantry and not the whole kit and caboodle.

What “Pantry” Means To An Urban Prepper

I learned that a well-stocked, conventional pantry really is an urban prepper’s best friend. “Pantry” becomes an all-encompassing word to mean the kitchen and wherever you might have spare space in your room if kitchen space is at a premium with your roomies. Having cans of food and vegetables I regularly would use in my daily life were things I could use in an emergency. Dry goods like rice, beans, and pasta are things you can eat during those tough times or when they are not. Some of these non-perishable items would live in the kitchen for regular use, while others lived in a storage tote under the bed to be rotated in.

During Hurricane Sandy we lost power for a week and were lucky to have gas to cook with. We never lost access to it. If you live in an area where you have an electric range or want to backup your gas range, it may make sense to consider alternative options, like a portable butane burner or a propane camp stove. There are inexpensive options for both that can keep hot food coming. You will have to use your best judgment on which is the best fit for your living situation.

Food Section Summary: Stock up on food you regularly eat at the grocery store that has a decent shelf life. Have a backup means to prepare that food.

Water

A row of 55-gallon water drums lined up in a garage is a fantasy for someone who doesn’t have a garage. Water bricks and the like are an option, but these can be expensive and take up more room than we might have available. Plus, with a lifestyle that might involve moving to a new apartment frequently, they make an awkward logistical issue.

I found it was easy and convenient to keep a week’s worth of water on hand by simply hitting the local bodega or grocery store and snagging a gallon container of water during each run. In a couple of weeks I had enough water to get me through a week. I discovered that gallon containers in the shape of a cylinder were worth buying, as they were easily stacked compared to water in a milk jug-like container. The built in feature with storing water in this manner is that in the lead up to a move, they can be rotated in and used for drinking water before the move. You can keep a few on hand to stay hydrated during a crosstown move and restock as you get settled into your new place.

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