According to the National Multi-Housing Council, about 34% of the US population lives in apartments. That’s 40,119,000 renters. If we were to include condo owners I’m sure the stat would be at least twice as large. The point is that there are quite a few people who are prepping who share space with other individuals. Apartment residents have special considerations to keep in mind while stockpiling for uncertain times. Less space than a traditional home offers and reduced privacy are two of the main contributing factors which make prepping more of a chore when living in an apartment. Fear not for there are still ways to implement an effective prepping strategy, below are some tips for your consideration.
Maximize space.
Chances are if you live in an apartment space is already tight. You don’t have a basement or attic to utilize and the few closets you have are already filled with winter clothes, Christmas boxes, that VCR you refuse to throw away and sports equipment. If you live in an apartment I would suggest using large stack-able plastic bins or Rubbermaid tubs/boxes to store your non-essentials. The goal should be freeing up an entire closet, or even half of a closet to use for prepping supplies. It’s best not to co-mingle your preps with other things around the apartment, this will help you to keep an accurate inventory of what you have on hand.
Privacy.
I’m not talking about the fact that you probably share your walls, ceiling, and floors with total strangers. What I’m more concerned with is the fact that you are not the only one with a key to your apartment. While it is expected that the management office should contact you in case someone has to enter your place that is not always the case. Maintenance workers are the most common individuals that might have to gain access to your apartment, and the last thing you want is for them to see everything that you have. This is why it is essential to (if possible) keep your supplies hidden and out of sight.
Redundancy in your plan.
If you live in an apartment you should maintain a storage locker within walking distance of you place. You will be able to keep a backup cache of supplies there, another bugout bag and replacement food/water/medical supplies. You should also keep items for personal security/defense and a change of clothes/shoes. You need to have a backup plan in case you are gone from your apartment and something goes wrong. Maybe your whole complex burns to the ground and you cannot get inside to retrieve your supplies. Maybe while you are at work the S really does Hit The Fan and for whatever reason you cannot gain access to your apartment. Maybe you are fortunate and able to stay in your apartment after a major economic collapse, but you only were able to store 30 days of supplies in your closet. The storage locker will give you great piece of mind. Lastly always try to get a locker with outside access and utilize a combo lock versus one with a key for obvious reasons.
Have a water plan.
Space in your apartment is limited so I doubt that you will be storing a 250 gallon water tank on site “just in case.” Keeping 10 to 20 extra gallons of water on hand would be great to get you through a small crisis, but eventually you will need a way to filter water. Find local sources of fresh water and have a way to get some of that water back to your apartment for filtering. Pick up a good water filter, like the Berkey, and get familiar with it. In addition you can also look into items like the Water Bob which you could utilize to store 60 gallons of water in your tub for drinking/sanitation purposes. Never underestimate the importance of water. If the power goes out, the taps run dry and the S Hits The Fan you will see people going crazy looking for fresh water.
Food buckets are easy to store.
Food buckets which contain a variety of meals are great because they are stackable and easy to move around. Lots of companies sell food buckets with dehydrated meals inside, just tear open the package and add hot water. In an apartment you do not have the luxury of extra space, by utilizing food buckets you can maximize every available inch of storage room in your closet.
Have a good exit strategy.
While you could stay in your apartment after a major collapse I would suggest against it. Your door and lock system are most likely cheaply built and so are your windows. Post collapse you would have desperate neighbors and looters crawling all over your complex and there is simply no way you could fight all of them off. Have a good well planned exit (read: BugOut) strategy by car and foot. Know where to stop for water and to rest, and obviously have a destination in mind which gets you away from the city.
Stay insured.
This last point should be common sense but it is still worth noting. Make sure all of your items, especially high dollar items, are covered by your renter’s policy. Keep receipts and good records so that if your building is destroyed in a natural disaster or fire you can get reimbursed for the damage. Sometimes insurance companies have dollar limits on what can be claimed when it comes to valuable personal property or guns. Make sure to read your policy and know what is covered and what is not. It would be terrible to lose $10k worth of guns in an apartment fire, only to find out that your policy will only cover you up to $2500.
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