Is there any Furniture that you'd recommend for hiding #10 Cans of Freeze Dried Food & Water?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by ED GEiN, Jul 4, 2025 at 18:59.


  1. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

    I live in an apartment not a house with a backyard. Is there any kind of furniture I can buy that one can hide #10 cans of freeze dried food & bottled water in? Only thing I can think of and I'd have to have it custom made are bookcases with hoolow backs to put #10 Cans of Freeze Dried Food and Water in. Anyone have any other ideas? Thank You
     
  2. Out in the woods

    Out in the woods off-grid in-the-forest beekeeper

    I recommend a 'deacons bench'. They are like a hope chest but with the added back.
     
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  3. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Under the bed.
     
  4. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

    I think thats the first place they'll look
     
  5. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

    Thanks I will look that up I never heard of it before
     
  6. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Cedar chest at the end of your bed with a dog bed on top. If you don't have a dog, buy your dog owning friend a new bed so you can get their used one.
     
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  7. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    Are you trying to hide food ??
    Are you thinking someone will break in and steal it when you're not home ??

    If that's your case ,, do you have an attic ??
    Anyway ,, this could take a little work,,not to much ,, and a little skill ,,if you're needing a hiding spot ,, have you got any construction/handyman skills ??
    Find a wall in your apartment where you can cut out a 4 X 8 piece of sheet rock off your wall , and you can stack cans between the studs in the wall. Cut it out in a closet . You can cover the seams with mullion strips ,, it'll just make it look like a decorative design on the wall . Put some velcro strips on the studs and sheet rock to hold the sheetrock to the wall. And if you move out ,, take out the food,, put the rock back up , mud it up ,,or just leave the million strips up. You should also put up some mullion stips up in other areas so the one area won't draw attention.
    You can even hide your guns and ammo in the wall .
    Cut the sheetrock out behind your bathroom mirror,, that way ,, the mirror is usually held up with special clips that are easily flipped up for easy removal of the mirror,, this way,, you wouldn't even have to patch the sheetrock when you move,, 'cause the mirror won't be looked at when you get a home inspection for deposit refund when you move out .
    That's just if ya want to put little work into it .
     
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  8. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    Here's the thing:
    If someone's going to get close enough to search your apartment, you better already be long gone, otherwise it means your already Dead!
    Hiding your stash only makes it harder for You to get to it and use it, worse if you have to bugout and have to leave it because you couldn't take it with in the short amount of time you had before you absolutely had to bug! So no, for all practical reasons, I wouldn't bother, instead, spend that money on a good 4X4 of some sort to get you out of that shit hole of a city and to the mountains or desert as far as a tank of gas will take you! Like in the other thread a Jeep Cherokee would be a awesome affordable choice for a REAL DEAL 4X4!
     
  9. Illini Warrior

    Illini Warrior Illini Warrior

    WHO??? - if it ever gets to the SHTF point that raiders are going thru apartments >>> you better not be trying to live in an apartment

    in regard to using a bed for concealed storage - they make beds that are hinged at the headboard end - shocks to assist with the weight - the entire spring/mattress platform opens up with a concealed latching lock - elevated off the floor for a goodly amount of space underneath - the entire bed unit is lagged to the floor ......

     
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  10. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Yeah, there really isn't much sense in hiding them to be honest. I understand your thinking but...it's sort of worthless. First, if your place in burgled now, those thieves won't care about your #10 cans as they are looking for laptops, cash, etc. stuff they can sell quick. Second, in a bad scenario, a SHTF scenario, you will either be at home to repel burglaries or be gone, hopefully with your #10's. More important to keep those #10 cans in an environmental control area.
     
  11. hot diggity

    hot diggity Monkey+++ Site Supporter+++

    Good ideas so far. I've been trying to put myself in your shoes. My ten month stint in a hotel a few years back helps. Really depends on how much food and water you want to conceal. In a literate society some might be hidden in plain sight using misdirection.

    BOX_CREKIT1-L0.
    Too many of these would look weird.

    Since #10 cans are a standard size you could probably build some simple book shelves with painted or decoupage decorated cans as shelf dividers. It sure wouldn't look out of place in an apartment.
    Like this, but with decorated cans in place of bricks. Fill an opened can with sand and leave it slightly ajar and the rest would go unnoticed, especially if your decoration hides the fact that they're new, sealed cans. Some books and small framed pictures complete the illusion.
    R (74).

    There's also the paint can option. If you put paint can labels on #10 cans they're very convincing. Slop some paint down the sides, throw in a few real paint cans, some brushes and an old paint splattered tarp and nobody will give the mess a second glance.
    OIP - 2025-07-05T133050.542.

    If it looks more fitting you could put them in a recycle bin, looking like it's just waiting to be taken out.

    I'm thinking that your plan is more to wait out the situation and evaluate your options rather than an Omega Man style existence where you never go out, or only for short excursions.

    The recycle bin might also work for concealing a case of bottles water in your apartment. Put the water on the bottom and put glass beer bottles on top. The shifting of the beer bottles will help distract from the added weight of the bottled water. A bin full of empty glass bottles is heavy.

    After a week of eating freeze dried food and drinking warm bottled water you'll be ready to get on the road anyway, just to find something to break up the monotony of the survival diet and life in an apartment with no running water. Maybe you can install some large potted plants on the balcony to use as a composting toilet.
     
    SB21 likes this.
  12. Polecat

    Polecat Monkey

    Get an old water heater. Take just the outside cover off and make a frame to hold it, and hook some fake pipes to it. If you are lucky you end up with a shell that opens kinda easily or has a panel you can take off to get to the inside without having to lift the whole thing off. Then hide your stuff in that. Same with an old oil furnace shell or something, in the basement, with fake ductwork. Hide stuff in that, and in the fake ductwork too.

    Edit: Oops, sorry, didn't see the apartment part. You could still probably put the fake water heater in a closet and thieves wouldn't think twice about it though.
     
    SB21 likes this.
  13. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    Good idea,, I can making this work,, if done right,, it could be made to work like a Cabinet Lazy Susan . Could make a nice gun rack ,,
     
    mysterymet likes this.
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