Most every prepper knows that an adequate survival food stash is what’s going to keep them going through a major emergency. And usually this is all people feel they need to know.
However, think about the times when thieves and looters break into your home. Try as you might to secure it, if people want in bad enough, they’ll find a way to break in. And, once they discover your survival food stockpile, well…you can say goodbye to all your preps.
A survival food stockpile doesn’t just magically happen overnight. It takes months, even years to accumulate that much food. And all these hard-won preps can be gone in an instant.
There’s not much you can do about people breaking into your home or bug out shelter. However, you CAN control what they find (or don’t find) when they get there.
That’s why, in order to truly prepare for disaster, you’ll need to utilize these…
8 Clever Hiding Spots For Your Survival Food Stash
In The Box Spring
A thief may head into your bedroom and check your sheets and pillowcases for valuables. But very few are going to have the time or the energy to check the box spring. That’s why this can become an idea place to store your food (especially cans).
Behind The Headboard
This is perfect if you have a large headboard. Pull the bed about a foot out from the wall. Then, stack boxes and buckets behind the headboard. Make sure to make the piles level with the top of the headboard.
Then grab an enormous blanket, and cover both the headboard and the food supply with it. The plan is to make it look like you have a very thick, monstrous headboard, covered with a blanket. Looters will likely be in a hurry, and so at a glance they likely won’t think to check under the blanket.
In The Loose Panels
Got loose panels in your wall? These can be a great place to put survival food in. Think about it – thieves are typically wanting to get in and get out. Which means they grab what they see, and what’s out and available to them. Which means they’re very unlikely to start searching in your walls.
In Labeled Boxes
If you’ve got old boxes with labels on them (say from electric appliances, pet food, etc). these can be great places to hide your food stash. Stuff survival food inside, and then place them up high, where you’d normally keep your other appliances, pet food, etc.
If a thief takes a peek in the room, they’re less likely to bother going through old boxes – especially if they have labels like “toaster oven” or “dog food.”
In The Floor
Loose tiles or floorboard can be ideal place to hide cans and freeze-dried food. Hide what you can underneath the flooring, and then place a rug or heavy furniture item (like a couch or dresser) on top. Looters won’t suspect a thing.
Under The Plants
Potted plants can be an ideal place to store cans of food. Simply place the food in a sealed container (like tupperware) and put it at the bottom of a large flower pot. Then cover the container with soil, and plant a flower at the top. From the outside, it’ll just look like some pretty flowers. And thieves won’t know they’re walking right past your food stash.
In The Garden
If you’ve got a survival garden, there’s little you can do about thieves going out and taking your freshly grown produce. However, you can make sure that’s all they find.
One way to hide survival food is to hide them in large PVC pipes. Cap the ends if possible, and then bury them deep in the soil under the plants. The looters will likely be so busy gathering your peppers and tomatoes, they’ll have no idea they’re walking over your stockpile!
In Old, Dead Technology
Giant TVs that don’t work, outdated radios and computer monitors…on the outside, they’re nothing but junk. But these may just be one of the best places to hide your stash.
If possible, hollow out the devices and hide some of your stockpile inside. Then cover it back up, or hide the spot you were hollowing out. When thieves come to rob you, they’ll be wanting things they can use – not a dead TV they can’t carry, let alone use.
No matter where you place your food, remember that the key to a hidden stockpile is diversify, diversify, diversify. Don’t put your entire stash in one spot – otherwise, if the thieves find it, they’ll leave you high and dry. Hiding your food in a multitude of locations gives you the best chances at keeping at least some of it after the looters leave.