How to Organize Your Prepping Supplies in Small Spaces

[@bradlafferty]

Excellent points! You should have more subs. These videos’ contents are so much more useful than many other like channels who seem only to rehash from each other.

[@PrepHERedness]

I appreciate that! I’m hoping for slow and steady growth. And I’d love it if you share with your friends 😁

[@Katesharpandvoice]

I'm in a studio apartment with an open floor plan and large closets. My storage is simply having more and extra of what I use on a day to day basis. My food is organized by best by date with the closest date being the most accessible and in my working pantry. My longer term pantry is on the upper shelves. I have a closet by my "safe area" which has 2 weeks worth of food, my long term 30 day food bucket, my covid era panic shtf bucket (in a kitty litter pail), all my bed linens and toilet paper. I could get my 2 minute bug out bag, the cat and his bag, and my teotwawki bag in that small room in 5 minutes. In another 5 minutes I could fit more water and my working pantry in along with some of the contents of my fridge and freezer. I'd be ok if I had 15 minutes to shelter in place. I've timed it. I have also timed (kind of) getting the cat into his bag, grabbing my purse, coat and shoes and getting out of the apartment with the numerous fire alarms in my apartment building. I haven't gotten my mini bug out bag with me yet, but I know that unless the door is hot, it's a false alarm. My order is to get the cat into the bathroom first if I can't get him in his bag. Then I get the bag, my purse, and my clothes on. Go into the bathroom, grab the cat and put him in the bag. Grab the rest of the stuff and go outside. If it was a shelter in place not active shooter the whole thing is the same at the beginning with more added. If it's an active shooter I have a different place to be which is safer. TMI, sorry. My under the bed is blocked off with a trundle unit and mattress for guest usage and to keep kitty out, no room for anything under there. I did however, get two rolling shelves from IKEA to use as nightstands which double as extra pantry/kitchen appliance storage. It is so easy, I just roll them out to get at the tins of flour or noodles, to sweep and mop or make the bed, then I just roll them back. I still need to de-clutter and organize. I have come to the conclusion that my emergency preps, first aid kit, bug out bag, kitty bag etc., need to be really accessible. The long term storage of food doesn't...unless I want some canned black olives. I also recommend having a can opener in every area where you store your cans. I have two plastic stackable bins (on the floor, not stacked) under my china cabinet filled with my working pantry. Cans, pasta, rice mixes and whatever is not opened yet in those. I just slide them out to get what I need and slide them back. Easy. If I had a ride to long term evacuate, I could just load them in a car as they are with my other bags and the cat. Thanks for the labeling reminder, my cat can't read that I know of, but if I had a guest and there was a situation where no one could leave the apartment, labels might be handy. I just labeled some buckets. I'll stop now.

[@PrepHERedness]

Okay, first, I’m impressed! You clearly have your things together, organized, and well-thought out. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that you have actually practiced all your emergency plans. I think this is often overlooked, and honestly something I could continue to get better at, so thanks for the nudge. And your label comment made me smile! Thank you for your suggestions, encouragement, and preparedness.

[@sassypineapple]

A twin bed will hold 90 single layer #10 cans. I can’t stand the weird top shelves of closets, so that’s probably my favorite place to put longer-term prep supplies. When people say they have no room, my opinion is that what they really mean is that preparedness is not currently on their priority list. Because many of us would rather have it in every corner than not have it at all. (Clearly I’m not an interior designer 😄) It’s a mindset shift for sure.

[@PrepHERedness]

I love that you know how many #10 cans fit under a twin bed! And incompletely agree, part of the journey with prepping is the mindset shift. What’s important, what do we really want to store, etc. Thank you for your thoughts.

[@acerrubrum5749]

The other advantage of organizing supplies, is if you need batteries, they are in the battery bin, the candles are in the candle bin, the first aid is in the first aid bin, handy and organized for every day life. Closets that have that end that is hard to get at for clothes, put in shevles. Easy peesy, hardware stores sell the brackets and will cut the shelving to size. Thank you, always excellent and practical.

[@PrepHERedness]

Yes! So much easier when things are together and you know where to find them. In emergency situations the comfort of knowing where to get things can’t be overstated! And love the idea of using the extra space at the end of closets. Thank you for the add!

[@t.michaelsalter5700]

I try to keep most of my various layers of equipment, food, supplies, etc in bins that are the same size. That way they stack conveniently. Everything is labeled on the front outside of the bins. I have a spare room where most of my supplies are stored, although I do have "prep stuff" in every room. A friend uses boxes of #10 cans to build tables in various rooms with a piece of plywood as the top and they are covered with a cloth. Use all of the available space.

[@PrepHERedness]

Love the stacking bin idea. I do something similar, although I do like mine in shelving units and not stacked more than 2 deep. Makes it easier to get to evening and rotate stuff as needed. Great idea on the #10 can tables. Thanks for continuing to follow the channel.

[@CreativeRedundancy]

Hello Lora ❤ listening especially here 5:25 Yes the grouping helps. Adds in box to the basket and bin :)

[@PrepHERedness]

Yes it does!

[@krymsonshenk6050]

Thanks for the tips

[@PrepHERedness]

Of course!

[@barbaram4487]

Thank you so much! Great ideas that will help me get more organized.

[@PrepHERedness]

So glad it helps Barbara!

[@garystroud6153]

I live in a tiny house in the UK and I am slowly reducing those "I'll hang on to that just in case" mostly at the prompting of my son. He and his wife tell me they are not looking forward to having to sort it out afrer the inevitable end for me! Not helped by the fact that my late wife was the "family archivist" and we collected all the old photo albums and such as people passed on. This, along with our own albums, takes up over 14 feet of shelf space, there is more stored electronically. My son will be the "last in the line" for both sides as there is nobody to follow on. Closest I get to being a prepper is in my caravan along with a bail out bag that I carry in the car.

[@PrepHERedness]

Family heirlooms and history are the hardest for sure! I find trying to keep some of the stuff in digital format helps reduce the bulk. But as a historian, I know the value of actual paper and photos as well! And your caravan sounds perfect. Thanks for your perspective.

[@Utah_Mike]

Cool, dark, & dry. I am fortunate to have a basement that meets all 3 requirements.

[@PrepHERedness]

One of the lucky ones for sure! Thanks for always being an active part of the community.

[@mellosings6180]

Inventory. A simple inventory template in Excel will save you a headache! And you can keep track of where you have stores everything.

[@PrepHERedness]

Yes! I love my excel spreadsheet. I also print mine so I have a hard copy in case my computer gets messed up, or I don’t have power for a while.

[@mellosings6180]

@@PrepHERedness yes, me too. 🥳And i print it when i shop to see what i need! They are so helpful. Glad im not the only one. ☺️

[@NothingToNoOneInParticular]

Oh man, if I had the cash, I'd pay you to organize my apt. I have Asperger's and do no thave he neural mapping for organization. I always end up with more organizers than actually being organized. I've tried hiring people to help but I live in a blue state and don't want towork for $20-$30 hr. So my apt is a storage unit. :( I have all the stuff for shtf but only have a rough idea of where stuff is. lol

[@PrepHERedness]

That makes it extra tough for sure. Perhaps you could get a friend or family member to help? And remember your organization scheme will look different than mine. Just do what works for you!