The green coffee shipment from MREDepot mentioned in my last post https://apartmentprepper.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/nothing-beats-the-smell-of-coffee-in-the-morning/arrived and I now have to find space for 12 #10 cans. The camp roaster for the beans arrived as well. The boxes have been sitting in our dining area for a couple of days. Now I have to find room to store them while waiting to buy the coffee grinder and French press when the budget allows.
As our emergency supplies increase, the storage space required keeps increasing as well.
I posted about space challenges in my June 1st post, “Finding Room for Supplies” https://apartmentprepper.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/finding-room-for-supplies/ I thought we were set with free space for a while, but I spoke too soon. The small pantry is already full to capacity, including the space-saving shelves that we had installed below the pantry. What’s an apartment prepper to do? Get creative! Every available space is now getting scrutinized.
Here is how we are adding space:
- Build two horizontal shelves in the laundry room above the washer/dryer. Checked the apartment lease and adding shelving is allowed, as long as we remove it and leave the wall in the same condition when we move out.
- Also added a narrow vertical shelf in the corner of the laundry area.
- Store items inside empty spaces in larger items. For example, empty suitcases can be used to survival supplies. Large pots can also be used for storage.
- Items that can be flattened, such as tent, sleeping bags etc. can be stored under beds.
- Added shelves in the garage.
One last thing, keep track of all your hiding places by making a master list of where everything is stored. This way, if you have to rush out of the house in an emergency, you can gather everything up as quickly as possible.
The Apartment Prepper's Blog 
I’m with you on this, being a fellow apartment dweller. We are storing quart size mason jars of dehydrated food above our kitchen cabinets. Our laundry room has shelves, and we’re going to add more. Also, we store large cookware (crock pots, roaster) over the kitchen cabinets, and we have small stuff, like extra matches, candles and batteries, stashed inside them. Apartment prepping IS a challenge, but it can be done!
Oh and, if TSHTF and I’m desperate for coffee, I’m coming to your place! : )
Don’t forget (if you have not already)
– under beds,
– behind furniture that may not be pushed against the wall,
– closet shelves in corners that might have some space,
– a coffee table that looks like a trunk or a chest is always some good extra storage space. Buddy of mine has one in NYC in his apartment, and he stashes a ton of stuff in one of those.
I too (being an apartment dweller) am looking at getting rid of stuff I have not used in a year or two and thinking about chucking it so I can create more storage space… I have considered a storage unit, but do not want the extra expense.
You’ve given me some more good ideas. Every little bit helps, thanks!
Here are two ideas you can (possibly) use for storage:
Click to access Canned%20Food%20Rotator%20brochure%206-1-06.pdf