open/form bonus/The Invisible Stockpile BONUS
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents DISCLAIMER…………………………………………………………………………………………….4
HOW TO HIDE YOUR STOCKPILE………………………………………………………………….5 Silence Is Golden ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Camouflage Your Stockpile ....................................................................................................................... 7
EASY DIY TO HIDE YOUR GOODS IN PLAIN SIGHT………………………………………….9 Main Floor Wall Storage Areas .............................................................................................................. 10 Closets ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Staircases ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 The Attic ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Attic Floor Storage Areas ................................................................................................................ 13 2. Attic Wall Crawl Space Areas ......................................................................................................... 14 Hiding Items Under the House in False Plumbing .......................................................................... 15 Under the House Between Floor Joists ............................................................................................... 15 Bury Supplies Under the House in the Dirt........................................................................................ 16 How to Hide Your Bug Out Supplies in Out Buildings .................................................................. 17
____________________________________________________________________________ 2
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ SMALL SPACES PREPPING TIPS - STOCKPILE IN A SHOEBOX…………………………..18 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 1: Think Compact .................................................................................. 19 Water ........................................................................................................................................................... 19 Food ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 2: Utilize Every Inch of Space ............................................................ 19 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 3: Consider a Storage Unit ................................................................. 21
5 LIFELESS ENEMIES OF YOUR STOCKPILE……………………………………………………23 Moisture ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 Exposure ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Lack of Space ................................................................................................................................................ 25 Inadequate Shelf Life ................................................................................................................................. 26 Not Storing the Right Foods ................................................................................................................... 26
____________________________________________________________________________ 3
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The purpose of the book is to help people with emergency preparedness. It is the goal of the author to provide the most accurate information possible. The material is presented for educational and informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented in this book is correct, no liability can be accepted by the author for any loss, damage, or injury caused by any errors in, or omissions from, the information given. The author makes no representations or warranties of any kind. References throughout the book are provided for informational purposes only.
____________________________________________________________________________ 4
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
How to Hide Your Stockpile Hiding your stuff in a societal collapse scenario is a basic rule for survival. Animals hide and hoard their food as a matter of course. Even your dog hides his extra food sometimes, by digging holes and burying it in the ground. Squirrels do the same; they stockpile and hide their stuff. Hiding your survival supplies from looters is a basic principle in nature, and one of the most important things to learn if you are a survivalist and you’re stockpiling like there’s no tomorrow.
____________________________________________________________________________ 5
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Hard fact: if you’re the only prepper in the neighborhood, when disaster strikes you may actually become a piggy bank for the opportunists and a target for the other 90+% that call you a conspiracy theorist now. Don’t fool yourself, you might have guns and ammo, but, especially in rural areas, almost everybody has guns and ammo. Don’t think that you can resist for long when faced with a horde of hungry and desperate (and armed) people. So, let’s assume that you have stockpiles of food, ammo and other stuff – enough for 90 days or for six months or whatever. Now, think about the unprepared sheeple in the neighborhood. What do they have? Maybe enough cheerios to last them for a day or two. And then what? When they’ll get hungry and there’s nothing else available to buy/steal from the stores, they’ll pay you a visit in no time if they know that you have a stash. What do you do then? Will share your supplies with those people who failed to prepare, or will you tell them to take a hike? This varies from person to person; there are no definitive answers, you know? Some will do what they can to share, while others won’t do so unless forced to.
Silence Is Golden How you react is up to you. We’re all different, and you’ll never know what you’ll do unless you’re in that situation. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
____________________________________________________________________________ 6
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Ideally, you must avoid these unpleasant situations to begin with. In order to do that, you must take a crash course in OPSEC, aka operations security. The first rule of the Fight Club is that you DO NOT TALK about Fight Club. The second rule of the Fight Club is that you DO NOT TALK about Fight Club. Well, the same “silence is golden” principle applies to stockpiling. You don’t talk to your neighbors about what you do and what you’re prepping for. All you have to do is to stockpile and shut up. Don’t brag. Just stay quiet and do your thing. If nobody knows that you’re stockpiling, you can always use plausible denial.
Camouflage Your Stockpile Now, you must hide at least some part of your stockpile, so it’s not too obvious. You can fill up your kitchen pantry with nonperishable foods, like a responsible adult, and the rest should be well hidden from the prying eyes of neighbors and visitors. The hallway closet won’t cut it. That’s too obvious. You can use your basement for that, but better use the laundry room or a secret compartment/room inside the house, masked by a false wall. Camouflage is the name of the game.
____________________________________________________________________________ 7
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Another more appealing option is to grow large bushes and put up fencing that keeps people out. When you’re buying something obvious, like a .50 Barrett or a kerosene heater, don’t bring them home on Sunday morning, when all your neighbors are outside washing and polishing their cars. When stockpiling, do it inconspicuously. These are the basic rules when it comes to stockpiling so that your neighbors remain clueless. The next best thing to do (or maybe even the BEST thing) would be to teach your close neighbors about prepping and surviving because united we stand, divided we fall. It would be ideal to live in a prepped up community, where everyone’s packed up and ready to go. If that’s not possible, then being quiet is, unfortunately, the way to go.
____________________________________________________________________________ 8
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Easy DIY to Hide Your Goods in Plain Sight Today’s Preppers spend a lot of time, money, and effort setting up their bug out plans and stockpiling their supplies. If you do not know how to hide your supplies in plain sight, all of your time and effort will be lost. Many years ago, my uncle (a now deceased bootlegger), told me “don’t keep all your moonshine in one place. Hide it in many small ones.”
____________________________________________________________________________ 9
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ I feel this advice is good for modern preppers, and have found the following places work well for these needs. That said, as you explore building and maintaining hideaways, always do your best to disguise them with care, and do what you can to make sure they are not easily detected by police, rioters, or thieves.
Main Floor Wall Storage Areas There is a lot of hidden storage space behind sheet rock walls and paneling.
Use heavy knotty pine wood planks of different sizes such as 4‘x 9“ with 4‘x6“, and 4′ x 4“ as paneling.
Mix and match these boards so the wall studs are covered.
When making the door sections use 1“x1/2“ strips of wood as tall as the paneling. This wood is used to hold and support the paneling when the doors are closed.
A little bit of hand fitting may be required to get the best fit. Remember the distance between 2 wall studs is about 16 inches. You can use those sixteen inches from the bottom to the top of the wall, or make small shelves that rest above or below zones where others may use axes or other tools to break into the wall.
Try not to have more than 2 hidden storage areas on the same wall.
Make each storage area no more than 3 wall studs in length.
Install hidden hinges on the inside of the wall stud and simple screw
down attachments on the lock down wall stud.
____________________________________________________________________________ 10
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ To have a more organized storage area, add shelves between the wall studs with shelf brackets and test the closing of the doors. Finally add a top trim board to the top of the paneling which can double as a knickknack shelf. You should also trim doorways to complete the effect.
Closets A bathroom linen closet makes a good hide away. If your shower or bath tub is next to the closet there will be a plumbing access door there. You can also store supplies behind and around the tub; but be sure they are stored in air, water and damp proof bags.
To hide the door into the plumbing area, place active litter boxes, used, but serviceable plungers, toilet brushes, bathroom supplies, or a dirty clothes basket. Take advantage of the “ick” factor and fear of disease to help you hide this particular storage area. The back of the linen closet also makes a good storage area.
Remove the sheet rock at the back of the closet.
Build storage shelves between the wall studs.
Replace the sheet rock and mount it to the studs with screws instead of nails.
Replace the shelves and replace the linen on the shelves to hide the back of the closet.
____________________________________________________________________________ 11
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Most linen shelves sit on top of 1“x 1“ wood shelf holders that are already attached to the walls. Most of the older homes are built with small bedroom closets. When you remodel these rooms include a large walk in closet that sits in front of the old one. The old closet is now the perfect hidden storage room. Remove the old closet trim, then install sheet rock over the opening with screws instead of nails. Return clothes and other personal belongings to the new closet. After a while the new closet will look and feel like it has always been there.
Staircases If your staircases are made of wood, carefully lift the top portion of the step and inspect the internal area to see how much room is available. You can always frame the hole with wood or metal, or use support brackets to create hidden shelves inside the steps. When closing the step back up, use screws and cover with carpet. This is also a good area to use hidden hinges that can be opened using pressure points and locking mechanisms.
____________________________________________________________________________ 12
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
The Attic 1. Attic Floor Storage Areas The attic floor is an excellent area to hide your survival supplies, and it does not matter if it is finished or not. If the attic has not been finished it is a lot easier to build the storage compartments into the floor. Between the floor beams, build in a bottom to support the items that are going to be stored there. These floor storage areas are for light items only, since you do not want heavy items falling through the ceiling. To cover the floor, use 3/4 inch plywood and secure with screws. To finish off, lay down area rugs that can be easily rolled up and rolled back down. In finished attics, it is possible to install hideaway compartments in the floor. First remove the old floor covering down to the plywood over the beams, and choose the area where the floor compartments are going to be located. Remove the plywood and install the compartment floor plates. These storage compartments should hold only light items. Replace the plywood floor sections and secure with screws. Lay down area rugs that fits wall to wall and
____________________________________________________________________________ 13
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ can be rolled up and rolled back down to cover the plywood floor.
2. Attic Wall Crawl Space Areas It is fairly easy to install hideaways in the crawl spaces of a finished off attic.
Build cubby hole storage areas 6′ x 3′ tall.
Frame both ends of the cubby hole. Install sheet rock with screws to secure it to the frames.
Hang a door across the opening that opens outward.
Trim this doorway for a final touch.
Use this cubby storage area for normal storage.
Keep some of your survival stockpile on the other side of each of the sheet rocked walls. To get to your supplies empty the cubby hole storage area, unscrew the sheet rock panels, and remove your supplies. If you have an unfinished attic with step down construction, take advantage of these steps. Extend the top floor and wall area to cover the step down portion of the attic, and make it look like there are no step downs in this section of the attic. Reinforce the floor and walls of the new section. This crawl space will be built with nails and hidden screws to give the appearance of a solid wall and floor. The survival supply area will be under the floor and behind the wall.
____________________________________________________________________________ 14
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Hiding Items Under the House in False Plumbing When hiding supplies in plain sight the use of PVC piping and end plates that screw closed. This material is water proof, air tight, and can withstand very cold and hot temperatures. After you build PVC containers, simply put them in and among existing plumbing. You can splice them into existing PVC pipes with T’s that allow for natural flow of water, and then disguise the supply pipe with a valve, cleaning trap, or some other fixture. Be creative, but always make it look as if the container is part of the plumbing system.
Under the House Between Floor Joists Hiding survival supplies under the house between floor joists is a good and safe strategy. Most people are afraid of spiders and snakes. If they were to go to search under your house, they will not want to stay for long. Make the entrance to under your house as uncomfortable as possible for unwanted visitors. When choosing a place under the house, take advantage of damp spots, or any other area where people will not want to go looking. Just be sure that your supplies are in water proof containers, and that you can get to the supplies. It is also important to use stainless steel straps to go under the containers to hang piping, which makes a good disguise.
____________________________________________________________________________ 15
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Adding insulation in the area between the joists can help you hide all kinds of things, and also keep temperatures more stable in the summer and winter.
Bury Supplies Under the House in the Dirt Most houses crawl spaces have dirt floors. This area is damp, dirty, smelly, and often home to many types of spiders and snakes. Most people just do not want to go under there. This is the perfect place to bury your air tight and water tight containers. Bury them near foundations or floor supports so you can always find them when you need them.
____________________________________________________________________________ 16
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
How to Hide Your Bug Out Supplies in Out Buildings When hiding supplies in out buildings or sheds it is important to make the buildings look abandoned, or at least not used very often. Keep nothing of value in plain sight. This building needs to be on the high ground of the property, and within sight of the house. Dig an underground storage area beneath the building, yet above the water table, and then reinforce the pit walls and floor to keep it from caving in. Store everything in air tight and water tight containers stacked on shelves. Use a lockable trap door to seal the underground storage site and replace the old flooring to its original location. In conclusion there are many places in and around you home to store your survival stores and weapons. The trick to it is to hide things in plain sight or in areas that might make a person nervous and afraid to continue the search. Never stop thinking and developing better hiding places to store your survival goods. And, of course, remember never tell others about your supplies or their hiding places.
____________________________________________________________________________ 17
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Small Spaces Prepping Tips – Stockpile in a Shoebox Trying to find space to build a stockpile when you don’t even have enough room to store your clothes can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. It just takes a little creativity. Fortunately, we’re not lacking there, so let’s put our heads together and come up with some ideas about how to build a stockpile in an apartment or small house.
____________________________________________________________________________ 18
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 1: Think Compact Water Instead of storing 300 gallons of water, consider storing enough for a few days, then supplementing with purification tablets and a bathtub liner such as a Water Bob for each tub. This gives you an extra 60 gallons of water per bag that you can fill up right before SHTF, assuming you get notice. A good filter should be in your water kit, too.
Food Instead of storing canned or boxed food, which can take up a ton of space, consider storing dehydrated food. You can buy actual food buckets that already have several meals’ worth of dehydrated packets in it, or you can dehydrate your own food, seal it in plastic bags, and make your own buckets. You can also store your dry goods in the bags, too. A sealed bag of pancake mix takes up much less space than a box and stay fresh longer. You can get great 5-gallon buckets from local restaurants. Remember that even the best dehydrated or sealed food still expires. Rotate!
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 2: Utilize Every Inch of Space If you open your closet doors, you’ll most likely see hanging bars, and perhaps one or two shelves. That needs to change, posthaste.
____________________________________________________________________________ 19
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ You have a couple of options here. You can either use stackable plastic bins or you can install shelving for just a few bucks. If somebody else has access to your home and you don’t want them to know what you’re storing, use the opaque storage bins. Most people will assume it’s clothing. Other places that you may not have considered as storage spaces include:
Under the bed
Free-standing cabinets that you can pick up at yard sales or thrift stores
Overhead crawl spaces (be careful though because these spaces typically aren’t temperature-regulated. Store non-perishables and toiletry/hygiene/first aid items there.)
Behind furniture
Overhead shelving – if you have high ceilings, install some extra shelving and hide with pretty curtains
Allotted storage space – some condos and apartments come with an external storage unit. Carry your supplies to it in black plastic bags or in opaque plastic bins.
Sheds – If you’re fortunate enough to have even a postage-stamp yard, you have enough room for a small storage shed. Watch Craigslist and other local sources for used ones. Again, go with non-perishables here unless you seal it and control the temp and humidity
Medicine Cabinets. You’d be surprised how many tubes of toothpaste, antibiotic ointment, etc. you can stack in your medicine cabinet if you leave them in the box. Paracord can be functionally stored as wearable bracelets, dog collars, light-
____________________________________________________________________________ 20
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ pulls or blinds cord. Food buckets can be covered with pretty doilies or cloth and used as plant stands, etc. Be creative!
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 3: Consider a Storage Unit You can get a decent-sized, temperature-controlled storage unit for around $30 per month. Get one within walking distance of your house and use it as a back-up facility. This not only gives you a ton more space, but also gives you a back-up place to build a stockpile in case your house burns down or your building is destroyed or captured.
A couple of tips, though.
Use a combination lock for the added security, though it won’t help
against a pair of bolt cutters.
Carry your stuff into the unit in bins or black garbage bags so that people don’t know what you’re storing.
Use sealed plastic containers to keep out rodents. 5-gallon buckets are great for this.
Get a unit that is accessible from the outside, if possible. If not, make sure that the facility has manual doors so that you can still gain access even if the power is out.
If you choose to use a unit that isn’t temperature and humidity-controlled, only store non-perishables in it and make sure that everything that you store is completely dry in order to avoid mold and mildew.
____________________________________________________________________________ 21
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Store an extra docs box, weapons (if you want) and bug-out bag here, too. Finding ways to build a stockpile when you live in a shoebox is tough but no impossible. Prepping in a small space just means that you need to carefully choose what you store and put a bit more thought into what you’ll actually need versus what you just WANT. Just as we tell everybody else, the worst thing that you can do is put it off. It doesn’t matter how small your stockpile is right now – HAVE ONE and think of ways to build it!
____________________________________________________________________________ 22
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
5 Lifeless Enemies of Your Stockpile In preparing against eventualities, it is important to be aware that incorrect storage and cold weather can wreak havoc on your stockpile. While you are busy getting your emergency items ready, here are a few lifeless enemies that are lurking around to make a mess of your efforts.
Moisture Perishable items should be stored in a cool dry place away from moisture. Exposure to moisture may cause your cans to rust, thereby predisposing them to spoilage. Your
____________________________________________________________________________ 23
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ stockpile should be kept away from locations where the temperature is likely to reach below freezing point. As much as possible, keep your stockpile in some hidden areas of your basement or an indoor room. If you must store your items in a garage, make sure they are well insulated by using plywood or pallets beneath and above your stockpile. Try as much as possible to build around the pile to prevent moisture from getting to them. Another option would be to use old blankets and newspapers to cover your stockpile to prevent spoilage. If your canned foods exhibit any of the following appearances, it is likely they have been exposed to moisture and have spoiled as a consequence; bulging lid, milky liquid, rusting at the edges of the can, corrosion, slimy texture, rancid odor, mold and off smell.
Exposure This strictly applies to stored water. If you are going to store water in any quantity, make sure it is at least covered to protect it from spoilage. Even in times of emergencies, water safety should be a top priority. Storing water in open containers without covers can attract mosquito larvae and other life forms like algae; these make it unfit for drinking and other domestic purposes. You need pure water to survive in emergency situations without adding disease pathogens into the mix. It is best to keep your water covered at all times. Your stored water should be obtained from clean and uncontaminated sources and then sealed and covered for optimum
____________________________________________________________________________ 24
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ safety. Using nonfood grade materials to store your drinking water may also cause some of the materials to leach into the water. For example, lead in water containers can easily make your stored water poisonous. The rule of thumb here is to make sure that your storage containers are made from food grade materials like glass, stainless steels and food grade plastic gallons
Lack of Space If your entire stockpile is cramped together in some little space, there is every chance that you will have a snowball reaction on your hands. Imagine placing your water, canned foods, dried foods and other emergency stockpile in a 2×2 meter space with your canned foods going on top of your storage water facilities. You are simply asking for trouble if this is the case. There is every probability that heat and humidity will quickly set in and spoil your stockpile in a split second. It is important that your stockpile has as much space as possible to enable it to breathe. Keep your perishables as close to the floor as possible and canned food should be stored closer to the top of the shelf. Keep your items away from sunlight as this will facilitate spoilage. If space is going to be a problem, make shelves that will hold your stockpile at different sections. Your stockpile should be kept in a cool dry place.
____________________________________________________________________________ 25
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Inadequate Shelf Life The shelf life of your canned foods is very important. Foods and other perishables with their expiration dates close by will quickly deteriorate sooner than you expect. It is far preferable to have foods that are dehydrated with little to no water content as these can last up to 25 years with proper storage. Change canned foods regularly as their expiration dates draws nearby rotating your stockpile. Keeping foods in airtight containers should help to prolong their shelf life.
Not Storing the Right Foods Storing the right kinds of foods is very important in case of emergencies. Not storing the right kind of foods can lead to disaster. For example, dried or canned milk, honey, salt, dried beans and wheat are usually advised for emergency stockpiles. On the other hand, consecutive wheat meals are not entirely good for the human body. It is advisable to have a variety of foods available in your stockpile and not rely on a particular food staple. Include foods that no one in your family or group is allergic to. Your body needs all the nutrients it can get, so don’t short change yourself. Considered having a variety of foods such as powered eggs, dehydrated and freeze dried foods, canned foods and grains.
____________________________________________________________________________ 26
Table of Contents DISCLAIMER…………………………………………………………………………………………….4
HOW TO HIDE YOUR STOCKPILE………………………………………………………………….5 Silence Is Golden ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Camouflage Your Stockpile ....................................................................................................................... 7
EASY DIY TO HIDE YOUR GOODS IN PLAIN SIGHT………………………………………….9 Main Floor Wall Storage Areas .............................................................................................................. 10 Closets ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Staircases ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 The Attic ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Attic Floor Storage Areas ................................................................................................................ 13 2. Attic Wall Crawl Space Areas ......................................................................................................... 14 Hiding Items Under the House in False Plumbing .......................................................................... 15 Under the House Between Floor Joists ............................................................................................... 15 Bury Supplies Under the House in the Dirt........................................................................................ 16 How to Hide Your Bug Out Supplies in Out Buildings .................................................................. 17
____________________________________________________________________________ 2
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ SMALL SPACES PREPPING TIPS - STOCKPILE IN A SHOEBOX…………………………..18 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 1: Think Compact .................................................................................. 19 Water ........................................................................................................................................................... 19 Food ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 2: Utilize Every Inch of Space ............................................................ 19 Small Spaces Prepping Tip 3: Consider a Storage Unit ................................................................. 21
5 LIFELESS ENEMIES OF YOUR STOCKPILE……………………………………………………23 Moisture ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 Exposure ......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Lack of Space ................................................................................................................................................ 25 Inadequate Shelf Life ................................................................................................................................. 26 Not Storing the Right Foods ................................................................................................................... 26
____________________________________________________________________________ 3
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The purpose of the book is to help people with emergency preparedness. It is the goal of the author to provide the most accurate information possible. The material is presented for educational and informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented in this book is correct, no liability can be accepted by the author for any loss, damage, or injury caused by any errors in, or omissions from, the information given. The author makes no representations or warranties of any kind. References throughout the book are provided for informational purposes only.
____________________________________________________________________________ 4
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
How to Hide Your Stockpile Hiding your stuff in a societal collapse scenario is a basic rule for survival. Animals hide and hoard their food as a matter of course. Even your dog hides his extra food sometimes, by digging holes and burying it in the ground. Squirrels do the same; they stockpile and hide their stuff. Hiding your survival supplies from looters is a basic principle in nature, and one of the most important things to learn if you are a survivalist and you’re stockpiling like there’s no tomorrow.
____________________________________________________________________________ 5
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Hard fact: if you’re the only prepper in the neighborhood, when disaster strikes you may actually become a piggy bank for the opportunists and a target for the other 90+% that call you a conspiracy theorist now. Don’t fool yourself, you might have guns and ammo, but, especially in rural areas, almost everybody has guns and ammo. Don’t think that you can resist for long when faced with a horde of hungry and desperate (and armed) people. So, let’s assume that you have stockpiles of food, ammo and other stuff – enough for 90 days or for six months or whatever. Now, think about the unprepared sheeple in the neighborhood. What do they have? Maybe enough cheerios to last them for a day or two. And then what? When they’ll get hungry and there’s nothing else available to buy/steal from the stores, they’ll pay you a visit in no time if they know that you have a stash. What do you do then? Will share your supplies with those people who failed to prepare, or will you tell them to take a hike? This varies from person to person; there are no definitive answers, you know? Some will do what they can to share, while others won’t do so unless forced to.
Silence Is Golden How you react is up to you. We’re all different, and you’ll never know what you’ll do unless you’re in that situation. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
____________________________________________________________________________ 6
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Ideally, you must avoid these unpleasant situations to begin with. In order to do that, you must take a crash course in OPSEC, aka operations security. The first rule of the Fight Club is that you DO NOT TALK about Fight Club. The second rule of the Fight Club is that you DO NOT TALK about Fight Club. Well, the same “silence is golden” principle applies to stockpiling. You don’t talk to your neighbors about what you do and what you’re prepping for. All you have to do is to stockpile and shut up. Don’t brag. Just stay quiet and do your thing. If nobody knows that you’re stockpiling, you can always use plausible denial.
Camouflage Your Stockpile Now, you must hide at least some part of your stockpile, so it’s not too obvious. You can fill up your kitchen pantry with nonperishable foods, like a responsible adult, and the rest should be well hidden from the prying eyes of neighbors and visitors. The hallway closet won’t cut it. That’s too obvious. You can use your basement for that, but better use the laundry room or a secret compartment/room inside the house, masked by a false wall. Camouflage is the name of the game.
____________________________________________________________________________ 7
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Another more appealing option is to grow large bushes and put up fencing that keeps people out. When you’re buying something obvious, like a .50 Barrett or a kerosene heater, don’t bring them home on Sunday morning, when all your neighbors are outside washing and polishing their cars. When stockpiling, do it inconspicuously. These are the basic rules when it comes to stockpiling so that your neighbors remain clueless. The next best thing to do (or maybe even the BEST thing) would be to teach your close neighbors about prepping and surviving because united we stand, divided we fall. It would be ideal to live in a prepped up community, where everyone’s packed up and ready to go. If that’s not possible, then being quiet is, unfortunately, the way to go.
____________________________________________________________________________ 8
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Easy DIY to Hide Your Goods in Plain Sight Today’s Preppers spend a lot of time, money, and effort setting up their bug out plans and stockpiling their supplies. If you do not know how to hide your supplies in plain sight, all of your time and effort will be lost. Many years ago, my uncle (a now deceased bootlegger), told me “don’t keep all your moonshine in one place. Hide it in many small ones.”
____________________________________________________________________________ 9
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ I feel this advice is good for modern preppers, and have found the following places work well for these needs. That said, as you explore building and maintaining hideaways, always do your best to disguise them with care, and do what you can to make sure they are not easily detected by police, rioters, or thieves.
Main Floor Wall Storage Areas There is a lot of hidden storage space behind sheet rock walls and paneling.
Use heavy knotty pine wood planks of different sizes such as 4‘x 9“ with 4‘x6“, and 4′ x 4“ as paneling.
Mix and match these boards so the wall studs are covered.
When making the door sections use 1“x1/2“ strips of wood as tall as the paneling. This wood is used to hold and support the paneling when the doors are closed.
A little bit of hand fitting may be required to get the best fit. Remember the distance between 2 wall studs is about 16 inches. You can use those sixteen inches from the bottom to the top of the wall, or make small shelves that rest above or below zones where others may use axes or other tools to break into the wall.
Try not to have more than 2 hidden storage areas on the same wall.
Make each storage area no more than 3 wall studs in length.
Install hidden hinges on the inside of the wall stud and simple screw
down attachments on the lock down wall stud.
____________________________________________________________________________ 10
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ To have a more organized storage area, add shelves between the wall studs with shelf brackets and test the closing of the doors. Finally add a top trim board to the top of the paneling which can double as a knickknack shelf. You should also trim doorways to complete the effect.
Closets A bathroom linen closet makes a good hide away. If your shower or bath tub is next to the closet there will be a plumbing access door there. You can also store supplies behind and around the tub; but be sure they are stored in air, water and damp proof bags.
To hide the door into the plumbing area, place active litter boxes, used, but serviceable plungers, toilet brushes, bathroom supplies, or a dirty clothes basket. Take advantage of the “ick” factor and fear of disease to help you hide this particular storage area. The back of the linen closet also makes a good storage area.
Remove the sheet rock at the back of the closet.
Build storage shelves between the wall studs.
Replace the sheet rock and mount it to the studs with screws instead of nails.
Replace the shelves and replace the linen on the shelves to hide the back of the closet.
____________________________________________________________________________ 11
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Most linen shelves sit on top of 1“x 1“ wood shelf holders that are already attached to the walls. Most of the older homes are built with small bedroom closets. When you remodel these rooms include a large walk in closet that sits in front of the old one. The old closet is now the perfect hidden storage room. Remove the old closet trim, then install sheet rock over the opening with screws instead of nails. Return clothes and other personal belongings to the new closet. After a while the new closet will look and feel like it has always been there.
Staircases If your staircases are made of wood, carefully lift the top portion of the step and inspect the internal area to see how much room is available. You can always frame the hole with wood or metal, or use support brackets to create hidden shelves inside the steps. When closing the step back up, use screws and cover with carpet. This is also a good area to use hidden hinges that can be opened using pressure points and locking mechanisms.
____________________________________________________________________________ 12
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
The Attic 1. Attic Floor Storage Areas The attic floor is an excellent area to hide your survival supplies, and it does not matter if it is finished or not. If the attic has not been finished it is a lot easier to build the storage compartments into the floor. Between the floor beams, build in a bottom to support the items that are going to be stored there. These floor storage areas are for light items only, since you do not want heavy items falling through the ceiling. To cover the floor, use 3/4 inch plywood and secure with screws. To finish off, lay down area rugs that can be easily rolled up and rolled back down. In finished attics, it is possible to install hideaway compartments in the floor. First remove the old floor covering down to the plywood over the beams, and choose the area where the floor compartments are going to be located. Remove the plywood and install the compartment floor plates. These storage compartments should hold only light items. Replace the plywood floor sections and secure with screws. Lay down area rugs that fits wall to wall and
____________________________________________________________________________ 13
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ can be rolled up and rolled back down to cover the plywood floor.
2. Attic Wall Crawl Space Areas It is fairly easy to install hideaways in the crawl spaces of a finished off attic.
Build cubby hole storage areas 6′ x 3′ tall.
Frame both ends of the cubby hole. Install sheet rock with screws to secure it to the frames.
Hang a door across the opening that opens outward.
Trim this doorway for a final touch.
Use this cubby storage area for normal storage.
Keep some of your survival stockpile on the other side of each of the sheet rocked walls. To get to your supplies empty the cubby hole storage area, unscrew the sheet rock panels, and remove your supplies. If you have an unfinished attic with step down construction, take advantage of these steps. Extend the top floor and wall area to cover the step down portion of the attic, and make it look like there are no step downs in this section of the attic. Reinforce the floor and walls of the new section. This crawl space will be built with nails and hidden screws to give the appearance of a solid wall and floor. The survival supply area will be under the floor and behind the wall.
____________________________________________________________________________ 14
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Hiding Items Under the House in False Plumbing When hiding supplies in plain sight the use of PVC piping and end plates that screw closed. This material is water proof, air tight, and can withstand very cold and hot temperatures. After you build PVC containers, simply put them in and among existing plumbing. You can splice them into existing PVC pipes with T’s that allow for natural flow of water, and then disguise the supply pipe with a valve, cleaning trap, or some other fixture. Be creative, but always make it look as if the container is part of the plumbing system.
Under the House Between Floor Joists Hiding survival supplies under the house between floor joists is a good and safe strategy. Most people are afraid of spiders and snakes. If they were to go to search under your house, they will not want to stay for long. Make the entrance to under your house as uncomfortable as possible for unwanted visitors. When choosing a place under the house, take advantage of damp spots, or any other area where people will not want to go looking. Just be sure that your supplies are in water proof containers, and that you can get to the supplies. It is also important to use stainless steel straps to go under the containers to hang piping, which makes a good disguise.
____________________________________________________________________________ 15
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Adding insulation in the area between the joists can help you hide all kinds of things, and also keep temperatures more stable in the summer and winter.
Bury Supplies Under the House in the Dirt Most houses crawl spaces have dirt floors. This area is damp, dirty, smelly, and often home to many types of spiders and snakes. Most people just do not want to go under there. This is the perfect place to bury your air tight and water tight containers. Bury them near foundations or floor supports so you can always find them when you need them.
____________________________________________________________________________ 16
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
How to Hide Your Bug Out Supplies in Out Buildings When hiding supplies in out buildings or sheds it is important to make the buildings look abandoned, or at least not used very often. Keep nothing of value in plain sight. This building needs to be on the high ground of the property, and within sight of the house. Dig an underground storage area beneath the building, yet above the water table, and then reinforce the pit walls and floor to keep it from caving in. Store everything in air tight and water tight containers stacked on shelves. Use a lockable trap door to seal the underground storage site and replace the old flooring to its original location. In conclusion there are many places in and around you home to store your survival stores and weapons. The trick to it is to hide things in plain sight or in areas that might make a person nervous and afraid to continue the search. Never stop thinking and developing better hiding places to store your survival goods. And, of course, remember never tell others about your supplies or their hiding places.
____________________________________________________________________________ 17
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Small Spaces Prepping Tips – Stockpile in a Shoebox Trying to find space to build a stockpile when you don’t even have enough room to store your clothes can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. It just takes a little creativity. Fortunately, we’re not lacking there, so let’s put our heads together and come up with some ideas about how to build a stockpile in an apartment or small house.
____________________________________________________________________________ 18
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 1: Think Compact Water Instead of storing 300 gallons of water, consider storing enough for a few days, then supplementing with purification tablets and a bathtub liner such as a Water Bob for each tub. This gives you an extra 60 gallons of water per bag that you can fill up right before SHTF, assuming you get notice. A good filter should be in your water kit, too.
Food Instead of storing canned or boxed food, which can take up a ton of space, consider storing dehydrated food. You can buy actual food buckets that already have several meals’ worth of dehydrated packets in it, or you can dehydrate your own food, seal it in plastic bags, and make your own buckets. You can also store your dry goods in the bags, too. A sealed bag of pancake mix takes up much less space than a box and stay fresh longer. You can get great 5-gallon buckets from local restaurants. Remember that even the best dehydrated or sealed food still expires. Rotate!
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 2: Utilize Every Inch of Space If you open your closet doors, you’ll most likely see hanging bars, and perhaps one or two shelves. That needs to change, posthaste.
____________________________________________________________________________ 19
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ You have a couple of options here. You can either use stackable plastic bins or you can install shelving for just a few bucks. If somebody else has access to your home and you don’t want them to know what you’re storing, use the opaque storage bins. Most people will assume it’s clothing. Other places that you may not have considered as storage spaces include:
Under the bed
Free-standing cabinets that you can pick up at yard sales or thrift stores
Overhead crawl spaces (be careful though because these spaces typically aren’t temperature-regulated. Store non-perishables and toiletry/hygiene/first aid items there.)
Behind furniture
Overhead shelving – if you have high ceilings, install some extra shelving and hide with pretty curtains
Allotted storage space – some condos and apartments come with an external storage unit. Carry your supplies to it in black plastic bags or in opaque plastic bins.
Sheds – If you’re fortunate enough to have even a postage-stamp yard, you have enough room for a small storage shed. Watch Craigslist and other local sources for used ones. Again, go with non-perishables here unless you seal it and control the temp and humidity
Medicine Cabinets. You’d be surprised how many tubes of toothpaste, antibiotic ointment, etc. you can stack in your medicine cabinet if you leave them in the box. Paracord can be functionally stored as wearable bracelets, dog collars, light-
____________________________________________________________________________ 20
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ pulls or blinds cord. Food buckets can be covered with pretty doilies or cloth and used as plant stands, etc. Be creative!
Small Spaces Prepping Tip 3: Consider a Storage Unit You can get a decent-sized, temperature-controlled storage unit for around $30 per month. Get one within walking distance of your house and use it as a back-up facility. This not only gives you a ton more space, but also gives you a back-up place to build a stockpile in case your house burns down or your building is destroyed or captured.
A couple of tips, though.
Use a combination lock for the added security, though it won’t help
against a pair of bolt cutters.
Carry your stuff into the unit in bins or black garbage bags so that people don’t know what you’re storing.
Use sealed plastic containers to keep out rodents. 5-gallon buckets are great for this.
Get a unit that is accessible from the outside, if possible. If not, make sure that the facility has manual doors so that you can still gain access even if the power is out.
If you choose to use a unit that isn’t temperature and humidity-controlled, only store non-perishables in it and make sure that everything that you store is completely dry in order to avoid mold and mildew.
____________________________________________________________________________ 21
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ Store an extra docs box, weapons (if you want) and bug-out bag here, too. Finding ways to build a stockpile when you live in a shoebox is tough but no impossible. Prepping in a small space just means that you need to carefully choose what you store and put a bit more thought into what you’ll actually need versus what you just WANT. Just as we tell everybody else, the worst thing that you can do is put it off. It doesn’t matter how small your stockpile is right now – HAVE ONE and think of ways to build it!
____________________________________________________________________________ 22
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
5 Lifeless Enemies of Your Stockpile In preparing against eventualities, it is important to be aware that incorrect storage and cold weather can wreak havoc on your stockpile. While you are busy getting your emergency items ready, here are a few lifeless enemies that are lurking around to make a mess of your efforts.
Moisture Perishable items should be stored in a cool dry place away from moisture. Exposure to moisture may cause your cans to rust, thereby predisposing them to spoilage. Your
____________________________________________________________________________ 23
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ stockpile should be kept away from locations where the temperature is likely to reach below freezing point. As much as possible, keep your stockpile in some hidden areas of your basement or an indoor room. If you must store your items in a garage, make sure they are well insulated by using plywood or pallets beneath and above your stockpile. Try as much as possible to build around the pile to prevent moisture from getting to them. Another option would be to use old blankets and newspapers to cover your stockpile to prevent spoilage. If your canned foods exhibit any of the following appearances, it is likely they have been exposed to moisture and have spoiled as a consequence; bulging lid, milky liquid, rusting at the edges of the can, corrosion, slimy texture, rancid odor, mold and off smell.
Exposure This strictly applies to stored water. If you are going to store water in any quantity, make sure it is at least covered to protect it from spoilage. Even in times of emergencies, water safety should be a top priority. Storing water in open containers without covers can attract mosquito larvae and other life forms like algae; these make it unfit for drinking and other domestic purposes. You need pure water to survive in emergency situations without adding disease pathogens into the mix. It is best to keep your water covered at all times. Your stored water should be obtained from clean and uncontaminated sources and then sealed and covered for optimum
____________________________________________________________________________ 24
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________ safety. Using nonfood grade materials to store your drinking water may also cause some of the materials to leach into the water. For example, lead in water containers can easily make your stored water poisonous. The rule of thumb here is to make sure that your storage containers are made from food grade materials like glass, stainless steels and food grade plastic gallons
Lack of Space If your entire stockpile is cramped together in some little space, there is every chance that you will have a snowball reaction on your hands. Imagine placing your water, canned foods, dried foods and other emergency stockpile in a 2×2 meter space with your canned foods going on top of your storage water facilities. You are simply asking for trouble if this is the case. There is every probability that heat and humidity will quickly set in and spoil your stockpile in a split second. It is important that your stockpile has as much space as possible to enable it to breathe. Keep your perishables as close to the floor as possible and canned food should be stored closer to the top of the shelf. Keep your items away from sunlight as this will facilitate spoilage. If space is going to be a problem, make shelves that will hold your stockpile at different sections. Your stockpile should be kept in a cool dry place.
____________________________________________________________________________ 25
The Invisible Stockpile ____________________________________________________________________________
Inadequate Shelf Life The shelf life of your canned foods is very important. Foods and other perishables with their expiration dates close by will quickly deteriorate sooner than you expect. It is far preferable to have foods that are dehydrated with little to no water content as these can last up to 25 years with proper storage. Change canned foods regularly as their expiration dates draws nearby rotating your stockpile. Keeping foods in airtight containers should help to prolong their shelf life.
Not Storing the Right Foods Storing the right kinds of foods is very important in case of emergencies. Not storing the right kind of foods can lead to disaster. For example, dried or canned milk, honey, salt, dried beans and wheat are usually advised for emergency stockpiles. On the other hand, consecutive wheat meals are not entirely good for the human body. It is advisable to have a variety of foods available in your stockpile and not rely on a particular food staple. Include foods that no one in your family or group is allergic to. Your body needs all the nutrients it can get, so don’t short change yourself. Considered having a variety of foods such as powered eggs, dehydrated and freeze dried foods, canned foods and grains.
____________________________________________________________________________ 26
