Getting yourself and your family better prepared can feel overwhelming especially in the beginning. One of the most common laments is “I don’t have anywhere to put all these preps!” Afterall, not every one has a basement available to them. So lets take a look at five creative ways to find space.
Remember food items needs to be stored in a cool dark space without a lot of temperature fluctuation so a garage or other unheated space is not the best option. Non food options do not have those same restrictions so feel free to store those in the garage or attic.
Under the Beds
I know this seems obvious, but I doubt you are really taking full advantage of the space under the beds in your home. If you switch the frame for your master bed to one is slightly taller than the average frame and a lift top you will find you have a lot of concealed room in there. Exactly how much room depends on how big your bed is and how high of a platform you wish to install. You can buy storage bed frames or if you are handy you can make your own. There are many different configurations to choose from and some are more concealed than others.
If you choose to prep with dehydrated food like what is available at MyPatriotSupply you can probably fit it a years supply of food for at least one person maybe two under your master bed.
For kids bed look for a captains bed that has cupboard access to opposite side from the drawers. When my children were little and prone to getting into things, I placed three good sized tubs – the one furthest in the back held long term storage food, the one in the middle held clothing that was still too big for them and the one closest to the access door functioned as a toy box. It kept their room neat, and only once did they get into the clothes tub, and they never made it back to the third tub.
Under the Stairs
Is the space under your stairs fully utilized? You can create access points form the lower level or if you are handy you could create access points from the treads. There are many options for making the most of your stairs.
In Your Walls
If you rent your landlord may not be agreeable to this tip, but if you own your own home this is one that is well worth looking into. You can create shelving between the studs in your walls. You can also purchase metal units designed to go between your studs that allows you to store canned food and easily rotate it. Or of course there is always a DIY option for can rotation. No more finding expired stuff pushed to the back of your pantry.
Furniture
You can create “coffee tables” out of 4-6 5 gallon buckets with a wooden top covered by a cloth or you can add sides and basically make an upside down box to cover the buckets. Some people have moved their sofa out about 6 inches and have stacked #10 cans topped by a appropriate length and width of wood.
Closets/Pantry/Cabinets
Use organizers and shelves to get the most out of your space. Eliminate items you no longer use or need but haven’t gotten around to throwing out yet. It is amazing how much space you can create when you organize it.
Bookshelves
If you’re the kind that likes to keep books around the house, you may have a trove of empty space that’s just the right size for canned food and sealed pouches.
You’d be surprised at how much food a single shelf can fit.
Bookshelves come in a range of sizes, but for the sake of discussion let’s say yours is 30 inches long and 11 inches deep—just an average-sized bookshelf.
Most books range from 6 to 8 ½ inches wide, meaning you’ve probably got enough space to fit canned food behind your books. If you have nice, tall hardbacks you can easily stack a row two cans high behind them without anyone being the wiser.
Pouches are an even better fit. The pouches in our year kits are creased on the bottom to stand up on their own.
Finally, make sure you take inventory so that you know exactly what you have and where holes may be in your preparations. Also make not of what is stored in which location.
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