I have been living in an apartment for the past 5 years. Although my apartment is a decent size, it is not ideal for prepping. The longest I can prep for, while still being able to live comfortably and have free range of movement, is approximately two months. Apartment living more than likely will not lend you a dedicated area for prepping. You should also keep in mind, your life should not revolve around prepping. Allow me to explain. No matter how long you are preparing to be in survival mode, prepping should be secondary. It doesn’t make much sense to center your life around being able to live in survival mode while missing out on what life has to offer right now. Prepping should have minimal impact on your daily life. For example, if you have a room that is rarely used and it collects a hodgepodge of junk, this room could be used for prepping. On the other hand, you should not have your kids double up in a bedroom so that the extra bedroom can be used for storing your prepping supplies. Additionally, you should not have any difficulty moving around your apartment because of your prepping. If you have limited space, like most in an urban setting, co-prepping may be a viable alternative to doing it on your own.
What I mean by “co-prepping” is sharing resources with others who have the space you require. Your co-prepper should not be located very far from you and should have the storage space for both your needs and their needs. Keep in mind that they are not prepping for you, they are merely providing space for you to store your supplies. But do not simply think of your co-prepper as storage space. If your partner feels like they are being used, you may lose their trust and ultimately your partner and possibly your supplies. You should emphasize that you are working together for the common goal; your mutual survival. Some preppers currently operate under the communal philosophy. That they stand to have a better chance of survival if they work with neighbors or family members. I am more inclined to have this approach with family members than I would with neighbors. I strongly believe that no one should know what your plan is or what supplies you have. The more outsiders know about your prepping, the more likely they will target you in a true SHTF scenario. I hold this view because in desperate times, people do desperate things. All you need is for someone to share your plan or divulge what supplies you have to put you high on the resource-rich list. Once you have been identified as being resource-rich, you may have to either share your resources or defend them. Protecting your resources will be covered at detail in subsequent articles.
If you have a close personal relationship with some of your neighbors, it may be better to work together. They may have extra space in their home that may accommodate your needs. Even if a neighbor can not store much, they may bring other skills that will aid in the group’s survival. For example, hunting, meat preparation, first aid, and self defense skills make up for their lack of storage space. The more skilled people in your group, the greater your chances are at long-term survival. Allowing people into your group has its downsides as well. Will the members turn on you and try to keep your supplies? Who will be the leader? You get along great now, but are their personalities going to change once you enter survival mode? These are things to consider before co-prepping.
Black Prepper 