10 survival items for beginning apartment preppers

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Motomom34, Feb 23, 2017.


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  1. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    This is a good list to give to friends and relatives that live in the city. This is a basic list, not in-depth for long term survival but it is a great starting place. I have all but the crank flash light because my bulb burned out and I am having trouble finding a replacement. I mainly have all solar flashlights now and they charge so easily.

    http://survivalcommonsense.com/10-survival-items-for-beginning-apartment-preppers/ Please follow the link for the rest of the list.
     
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  2. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I'm thinking more along the lines of a good bug out plan.
    Why?
    Because of other people's stupidity and land lord frugality. Mainly because of fire.
    2 examples recently come to mind.
    My cousin in Maine was living in a converted 3 plex. Well it burned down and the people next to her died, no smoke detectors in the one where the people died. She, here baby daddy and 3 kids all got out with PJs only. Cousin's place burned down because nothing was any where close to being up to code. They think the middle one where the people died a plug in heater over heated the aluminum wiring which sparked the fire.
    Near where I live some meth heads had one of those back yard fire places in their apartment for heat and cooking after their gas and electric got turned off when getting meth became me more important than paying the bills.
    Guess what happened next.
    That apartment was pretty much up to code so no one died and it didn't completely burn down.
     
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  3. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Renter's insurance. Photograph every high dollar item and record all receipts and serial numbers, keep inside safe deposit box, or better yet, scan them and store them digitally on a secure cloud or private ftp.

    Real high security deadbolts and locks, not fake high security locks. We have threads on this. If your landlord doesn't allow private locks, have the existing ones re-keyed. If that is not allowed, don't live there.

    Maintain your stored items in wheeled containers or small totes which can be moved quickly. Stay organized and try to keep your stored foods below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A bug out is more likely than a bug in situation, unless you're the friendly, naive type who is willing to trust all your new neighbors and "friends".

    If you don't have one yet, invest in a quality external storage unit for long term use. Check the place out you intend to use, find out how long they have been in business, how many times it has changed hands, and how long this particular storage business will be in business (ask owner). Ensure you can safely and quickly get to your storage unit and plan alternate routes. Try to find a unit that is not in the open by a main road, but is close enough to a highway or train track/rail system for you to use in case of an emergency. Set it up to be on automatic payments (you don't want them to auction your stuff) and make certain you maintain your contact information to stay in touch with the rental company.

    Battery powered motion lights. Yes, you have to replace the batteries, but use solar if that's an option, too. Most will not turn on in daylight, only at night (low light), saving battery power. They can save your life if the power goes out and it's dark. Use outside the apartment if possible, in hallways, and inside your dwelling's main area.

    A pump action (or auto) shotgun with scatter shot.
     
  4. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    If you search there are LED replacements for most flash lights ,superior to the incandescent .
    But it should be SOP, to kept the incandescent handy, in the event there is an EMP.
    I keep both in reserve.
    As for apartment reserves that's difficult call . every situation needs it's own assessment.
    Storage in a building you don't own is chancy, and renters insurance may not cover it all.
    However when I was renting, What I did was build a trailer my vehicle is capable of hauling .
    Basically a boxed in shop trailer .
    My wind and solar are on top and the 6500 watt diesel generator on back and battery bank are below deck in a box between the axils .
    The provides as secure a structure as one can haul with them home to home or in the bush as required.

    As for storage i found square 5 gallon buckets that are practical for storage sensitive situations ,and I would not store any thing in any thing more than 5 gallon buckets because moving larger and heavier containers is rough on the body.
    Emergency situations usually have ones energies well spent ,one does not need greater strain to the task.
    Water in square containers store well and will weigh roughly 8 lbs per gallon+ the container.
    Personally i do not throw any vessel capable of cleaning and filling with water. both for storage and providing water after the event .
    Some things may need filtered after long term storage but it is still a bird in the hand, no matter how you slice it.
    Canned food is king , stuff that actually needs no cooking to eat right out of the can .
    "Dry" Rice and beans are OK but need soaking and cooking ,you ca't eat them raw and their life span is shorter then that of canned food, no matter how it is stored.
    Honey is probably the most valued food being an antibiotic and a better sweetener than sugar and stores indefinitely .
    second rule of storage is eat what you store, and store what you eat.
    don't forget canned vegetable and fruits.
    At the store if your buying 2 of something get 10 , put the 8 in storage.
    Lastly .
    look through your dressers and cabinets and see if there is dead unused space you can use , you'll be surprised at how much wasted space there is .
     
  5. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    The 5-gallon container is a wise & practical limit for size and weight. Square 5-gallon containers stack with less wasted space, but the dead space between round ones can be neatly filled in with cans or jars.

    Apartment dwellers above the first floor can load out in a hurry by way of the balcony. Tie one end of a long rope to the rail, put a pulley hook on the rope, and wrap the free end once around the rail. Instant winch for swinging down 5-gal. buckets or similar bundles quick & easy.

    A fire ladder let's people load out, too, if the front door has to stay locked.

    Inside an apartment, an amazing amount of storage can be accommodated by replacing bed frames with a layer of buckets, making draped coffee tables and end tables, and corner stacking in various rooms. Add a drape and long mirror to the corner stacks.

    G2G.
     
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  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Remember that apartments are designed for typical floor loadings. It's worth the effort to spread the load out across all rooms. Check with the landlord, if the floors can handle a hot tub or water bed, or a grand piano, you should be good to go.
     
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  7. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    One of my sons has just moved into a 1 bedroom apartment with his GF....
    among other things I gave him a basic tool kit Supatool 105 Piece Tool Kit In Tool Bag, augmented with a number of extras

    1X tape measure
    1X roll duct tape
    1X roll electrical insulating tape
    1X tube glue
    2X small G clamps
    2X rolls different gauge baling wire
    1x small LED torch
    1X pr scissors
    1x box cutter with spare blades
    2X carpenter's pencils
    1X mini hacksaw
    1X mini hand saw with combination of various blades
    1X 6" mini L square

    It's a start, and should see him through most minor make and mend tasks.....as well as surviving TEOTWAWKI...;)
     
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  8. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I keep thinking I need plywood for the windows but that seems like too much for a short term rental.

    Because I know the rules of 3's, I found water. It is a trashed drainage ditch but it is flowing. I would not want to drink from it but it does have the possibility of collecting water for use.
     
  9. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Something I have done over the years is exactly that. The very first thing I do is to ask myself, "Now what would a burglar do?" and fix it. I would go to the back of the apartment/house and cut plywood for every accessible window and door with windows. I would paint the plywood white or surface with a material to match the exterior and fasten tight. Add deadbolts, extra throw security. Reinforce the frame and hinges of back door. Secure basement access permanently (a welder comes in real handy here) with added steel and I have even fashioned a steel cage door bolted to the foundation as a secondary security protocol. Add the lighting --a motion sensor light can chase away all but the most desperate and costs almost nothing. The only downside to many rental locations is pets, or not having them allowed. A dog really can be the best defensive measure. Before long, you will be looking at windows like a criminal (they're just shopping placements and easily defeated) and thinking of ways to secure them. *Keep in mind many areas have regulations in place to prevent folks from blockading windows due to fire emergencies* I only ever block off windows and doors which are at the rear and hidden from neighbors, because this is the number one point of a break-in to occur. Also, check your ceiling (I can speak from experience here, too) and ensure there's no way a meth addict can crawl from one apartment to another from above by cutting a hole in the ceiling of one unit and gaining access to another.

    Apartments are really just temporary places to sleep and store crap. Always plan for a bug out.
     
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  10. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Best other option is to develop friendships with people that trust can be nurtured so you have a place to go if things go south .
     
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  11. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I have never heard of this. We had someone allegedly cut into the roof of a gun shop out here but people really do that to apartments? Problem is that I do not think like a thief.
     
  12. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Start. :cool:
     
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  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    There have been a couple cases where access to one apt was thru an attic ceiling from an adjacent apt.. Top floor, but still ---
     
  14. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    My bed/mattress sits on plywood and 5 dressers about 30" high each, and the vacant space between has storage as well as the cavities below the bottom drawers.
    If you have the courage to build , false walls are not that difficult in which you can hide things . keep in mind you can't show these things to any one ,not even your best friend.
     
  15. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    The link at the OP was for apt dwellers and power outages. The linked article was well written and covered almost all the bases.

    All I would add is a decent first aid kit with some extra gauze (4x4 or larger) and at least one pressure bandage.
     
  16. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

    Can you please elaborate on this. I have 2 locks on my front door to my apartment which I can lock from the inside and also have an inside chain lock on top and it never occurred to me to inquire about them
     
  17. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

    One thing I don't understand people not doing is not buying in advance and keeping on hand a 6 to 12 month supply of food they eat anyway like Spaghetti, Canned Soup, Rice, Beans, etc., all of which have a shelf life of 1-2 years and don't cost much money. You can just eat them as you normally do and restock them as needed. You can also keep canned Freeze dried Ground Meat, Potatoes, etc. that lasts 10-25 years from places like Mountain House and Saratoga Farms, albeit they are more expensive but not prohibitive. I also store about $200 worth of Campfire Food Barbecue Beef and Rice and Chilli packets which last about 10 years. Of course preventing people from trying to steal them from you in SHTF situations is another story. I make it a point not to advertise the fact that I keep a years worth of food on hand to my friends and neighbors.
     
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  18. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

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  19. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    There is NOTHING that is going to prevent the "Zombies" from breaking down your Door, if they choose to get in, PERIOD. No Lock, or Chain is going to stop a determined BAD Guy.... This is nothing more than Security Theater, which make you feel better but in reality, all you will do, is slow them down a bit... If a Fireman, or Police Squad, can do it, So can a bunch of determined "Zombies"... Start thinking in the REAL World.... Does you Door have a Gun Port? If NOT, then you are toast, because you can't stop someone outside from bring to bear, any and all things to smash in your Door.... Remember, in your senerio, 911 doesn't exist... No one os coming to save your Skin...and even if they were, the "Zombies will have you for lunch, before they can even get there....
     
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  20. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    Getting into a typical apartment. Maybe 20 seconds. No tools required.
    Going through the drywall.

    A little quieter .. actually a lot quieter. pocket knife, score the drywall, push slowly into wall cavity. score along studs and push into apartment. There ya go, instant door.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2017
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  1. Bunker Bob
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  10. Yard Dart
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