Thanks for the recommendation for the collapsible water jugs. Going to pick one up.  Scratch that. Horrible reviews.

My place is overrun with diving gear. I don’t ever have anyone over as I have no place for them! LOL.

@TomJefferson

I've seen those on YT and they are so neat. I would love something like that, but I don't have a truck (I drive an Escape) and that sort of thing is just too damned expensive. Even places to keep a little trailer are very expensive near me.

Just ordered one, thanks!

Different take from my own personal experience/preference;

I realized I don’t really like all-in-one rechargeables, ESPECIALLY for preps.

I’d rather have equipment that takes batteries.

FWIW, I use a battery caddy to store AA, AAA and D cell NiMh. I also have a couple dozen 18650 LiIon batteries for the headlamps and flashlights that use those.

I stopped buying or even using alkalines 2+ decades ago, due to them leaking in, and damaging electronics, and finding brand new batteries that had leaked in the unopened packaging, well within their use dates (and they were in a drawer in the kitchen. Not subjected to wild temperature swings).

The thing with small rechargeable devices is that
1) if you aren’t using and charging them frequently, you have to ensure you maintain a schedule of periodic charging. If you don’t, half the time, they’re either flat when you need them, or dead, as in they went so flat, charging them doesn’t revive them.

The more of these you have, the more likely you’ll forget some of them.

2) they’re inconvenient if you have to rely on them for extended use. Devices using replaceable batteries, you just pop out the flat battery, and pop in a fresh one and you’re good to go. A dedicated rechargeable, now you have to charge it and that could mean hours, depending on the device.

There are, of course, hybrids. They use replaceable batteries (either NiMh, or LiIon) and simply have a charging circuit and port built-in to the device, so you can just plug a USB cable into the port to charge the battery, or unscrew the battery compartment to remove the drained battery and pop it into a battery charger, and put a charged battery in. The main downside to these is the added weight, bulk and cost of adding the charging circuitry.

Just some considerations, from someone who’s been into prepping at various levels, for… decades, I guess.

I”m not being edgy by saying this, but the best prep I made as an Apartment dweller was to save money and buy a piece of land before I bought my house. Having a place to go if SHTF is not the same thing as having a place to BE, so that’s what I focused on. Over time, I added to the property by putting up a cabin, well, solar power, etc. as I was able to with the eventual purchase of a house. It wasn’t easy, but now I have a place to go if the world goes to shit. Nobody can tell me to leave, nobody can tell me I shouldn’t be there, and it will never be worth nothing so it retrospect was a great investment for me…. And I get to retire in it later in life.

I’m single and I’m not the outdoors type, except for diving. With my bad knees, I’m really restricted in what I can do anyway. A rural cabin is not my idea of fun.

I’m largely a city boy, the cabin is an insurance policy I can retire in. I like my modern comforts and conveniences, and with cell based high speed internet up there, it’s really no different than being at home aside from looking at trees out the window.

Good info so far, but there is going to be a limited amount you can do for prepping in a long period of power outage or whatever, simply due the things that have been listed already - limited storage and being up a few floors.  We have hurricanes here and if they are predicted to hit, most folks bail out of the area and go upstate to a hotel or somewhere with family or friends.  We also have these ice storms which aren't really bad themselves, but freaks everyone out and the power lines go down due to trees falling, drivers hitting them etc.  The cities generally get power back first I'd guess, so we have to do with out for a while.  We've gone to the inlaws during an outage before since they have a wood stove, pretty handy in such a situation.

A prepping version of this would be that you find family or close friends that live in the country, or suburbs, that are trustworthy that you talk with about such an event.  Maybe you leave a small camper there and a stash of stuff you need for a few weeks if the power goes out.  Go help them with stuff around their property several weekends a year, or whatever so you are part of the "team", go spend the night in the camper and grill out inviting your hosts.  Whatever works for you, but think out of the box.

Marie-rethinking my post, here are what I think are your biggest liabilities, based on the Rule of Threes:

1) Oxygen-you’re good on that.

2)Shelter-if you are still in your apartment you have that. But if the power isn’t on, how will you heat it? I once had a 2 day power outage in the winter in an apartment and being able to run a white gas backpacking stove with the window cracked in a bedroom with the door closed warmed it right up. If you go with a kerosene heater (recommended), run it every year or so-the wicks can become plugged with polymerized oil and they will smoke like a bitch and ruin your stuff.

3) Water-my experiences with my cabin were exactly like being stuck in an apartment with no water until I got my well this year. Every drop I consumed on the property from 2007 until early this year was brought in by me carrying it in. Water and everything to do with it (getting it, heating it, storing it etc. ) is a major pain in the ass. But you’re only good for 4-5 days before you die a not-very-nice death. Have some stored-figure a what you need for a week and triple it. You need it for food, cleaning dishes, hygiene etc and there never seems to be enough when it doesn’t come out of a tap under pressure.

4) Food-If you are bugging in and eating from your stash in an apartment, it likely means nobody else is eating either. You don’t want to be the only one in the building that smells like dinner is cooking-pre-cooked, processed foods like soup, freeze dried pouches etc. are probably the safer way to go. Even firing up the microwave for Mac and Cheese will have everyone in the building smelling it when they are hungry.

5) Hope-have books and photos to keep your mind occupied and active. And it will be better if they don’t use batteries.


Definitely have flashlights and emergency lighting. One of the most practical things I ever bought for prepping have been solar yard lights and those $20 inflatable solar lamps that REI sells. Some of mine are pushing 20 years old and we STILL use them at the cabin for light in the evenings. The solar yard lights are probably a better buy as they come in 5 packs for $20-30 and you can rotate them or move them from room to room. I typically get more than a night out of a full charge. Blackout curtains might also be a good idea, lest you get a bunch of people knocking on the doors asking for batteries or to charge their phone.

You’ll want a radio with weather channels built in.

You’ll want digital copies of all of your important documents on a thumbdrive.

You’ll want a few thousand in cash in case you need to fly somewhere to get away.

snip-

As a farm kid, I'd encourage you to grab a couple of those ears this fall, boil the everliving hell out of them, and see if that's something you'd consider relying on.

Have dental insurance before attempting to rely on eating feed corn.

I’m mostly Kindle books these days, but my Paperwhite is pretty energy efficient. I do have a number of favorites in hard copy. I also like to write and have the supplies for that. I have a radio (various ways to charge including solar) with weather alerts. And a regular battery radio.

I do need to get a Little Buddy heater.

I’m good on lighting. Food is canned soup/stew/ravioli. Tuna/chicken pouches, crackers. Some boxes of the soft breakfast bars. A Mountain House bucket. I buy cases of Progresso or Campbell’s Chunky soup off Amazon. Cheapest way to get it.

I do keep some cash on hand. I won’t be flying anywhere.  

Thanks for the post.

Do you have plans on how to harden your place?

Being in close proximity to others and on the ground floor, I'd want a way to better secure windows and doors, if possible.

Also have black out curtains for night time light usage.

Already have blackout curtains. I have one of the door jammer things that goes under door knob. Forget what the real name is. Windows are large double hung ones. They do have the tabs that pop out to prevent someone from getting in from the outside. It hasn’t been something I’ve thought about.