Storing 5-Gal Buckets

[Edgemont]

My wife and I are moving to a large city where we will be most likely renting a 600-700sq ft apartment. We're young and newly married so we don't have a ton of crap yet. We don't have a bed, couch, table, chairs, ect... So I was thinking about where to store some of our preps with the limited space that we'll have and maybe plan things out before we start accumulating stuff. Like maybe instead of getting a bed frame we could just stick a board on top of our five gallon buckets of food and then stick our mattress on top of that! Pretty clever (Or so I thought), anyway... Anyone have any ideas???

[protus]

the bed deal will work.depending on bed size, you should be able to fit all of your buckets under there.(since your talking packing 18 of t hem) i think iirc 36 will fit under a king size.
as will many others.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

When i started out i had the tv on a 2x4 and 2 concrete blocks so 2-5 buckets aughta work for that too. She can drape a colored cloth to make it less ugly or whatever and on the bed they make them fancy things that hang down from the matress to the floor which also works for opsec, them things come into play when you get hooked up LOL so I found out rather quick by the look on her face at my perfect apt I set up in Germany after we got married and she joined me 26 yrs ago!

[claymore]

Good idea ! Don't forget water storage and maybe one of those toilet kits for a 5 gal bucket. Good luck.

[Edgemont]

Yeah... Opsec for the neighbors... AND HER! haha... Good ideas. Water storage is a real pain in the arse!...

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Water storage is a real pain in the arse!...

Use the same buckets, should still have room under the bed but watch the weight on the apt floors

[miked2345]

The only down side I can think of is maybe temp.... If it gets hot in the apartment in the summer, high 80's or more, may affect long term shelf life, other than that, sounds like a good use of wasted space.

[claymore]

If you can find a couple of buckets just a hair shorter then the others, you can move them around (slide them out then back under the bed) might make for a secure hiding spot.

[adoy]

Use 7 gallon buckets for the corners, and middle and other load bearing areas,,, and then the 5 Gallon ones would be freely available to slide underneath.

[eeyore]

Use 7 gallon buckets for the corners, and middle and other load bearing areas,,, and then the 5 Gallon ones would be freely available to slide underneath.

Thanks for the tip Adoy. That would work for me as well although thats gets you up pretty far off the floor with good mattress. I do they five gallon buckets under the children's beds now.

One thing i have been contemplating is pulling the couch out from the wall and building bookcase behind it, to use for storage and then put shelves above it for nick nacks, that way it appears the top of the book case is just a spacer so you don't hit your head on the sheelves, when sitting or getting up.

[adoy]

Thanks for the tip Adoy. That would work for me as well although thats gets you up pretty far off the floor with good mattress. I do they five gallon buckets under the children's beds now.

One thing i have been contemplating is pulling the couch out from the wall and building bookcase behind it, to use for storage and then put shelves above it for nick nacks, that way it appears the top of the book case is just a spacer so you don't hit your head on the sheelves, when sitting or getting up.

That sounds like it would work well!

[Grinnan Barrett]

Be careful putting 5 gallon buckets as your bed frame. The weight factor is a big deal when dealing with 5 gallon buckets. If you stack them full of water for example more than 4 or 5 high the bottom buckets can buckle under the weight. I had a picture but was unable to down load it. raise up the frame and put the buckets underneath your bed. In your closet or closets use the lowest level under your hanging clothes to put boxed foods (example number 10 cans). If you have a couch pull it just away from the wall and place buckets and boxes behind it and cover them with a throw of some sort. You just have to get creative. I had the same problem years ago. Don't go out and use a storage locker. You can't get to it when you need it. It will be broken into. It is too hot in there. Good luck. GB

[tarheelsman71]

You could always, discreetly, put your bed up on a loft. Kind of like a bunk bed, but with no bottom bunk. When I was in the Marines, that is how I slept. That enabled me to bring in a loveseat to slide under my bed. Just a thought.

[610Alpha]

they do the lofts a lot in college

[georgia]

If it's just two eating, push your dining table against the wall. That should give enough room for four - six buckets against the wall, with enough leg room for two, depending on table lenght.