WEEK 25
Hidden Storage
Whether it’s silver coins, ammunition, or food, there are likely things you’d like to keep hidden from prying eyes. You certainly don’t want your valuables ending up in someone else’s possession if the house is searched for some reason.
Fortunately, there are many places inside the home that are easy to convert into covert stashes. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.
The basement is full of great hiding places. Ventilation ducts work well, as long as what you’re hiding won’t be adversely affected by heat or cold. Look for the vents that are on the side of the duct, open them up, and place your stuff inside. Be careful to not obstruct too much of the air flow, though.
If you look at the basement ceiling, you should find at least one run of large-diameter PVC pipe. This is for waste coming out of the bathroom. You could easily hang another run of this pipe somewhere else in the basement without it looking out of place. Try to match the same color of PVC, as well as the hanging hardware, to what’s already there. These pipes are large enough to use for storing extra ammunition, perhaps even a rifle.
Another option, and about as cheap and easy as it gets, is to fill a few cardboard boxes with your good stuff, then label them as “Grannie’s old clothes” or something along those lines. You could even take the extra step of placing some thrift store clothing at the top of the box, in case someone peeks inside. If you want to be even sneakier, use a specific color marker to label the “special” boxes, so you can know at a glance which ones to grab when needed.
Moving up to the main level, you can install a few additional baseboard vents in a room or two. Line up the vent along the wall so you know the dimensions, then cut away the wall, exposing the space between the studs. Put in a brick or two of ammunition, then screw down the vent. For quicker access, instead of screws you could use two-face tape or putty.
Instead of a baseboard vent, you could just leave the wall open and hide the hole with a small bookcase or other piece of furniture. This, however, makes rearranging furniture later rather interesting.
There’s often empty space inside closets, just above the door. This can be a great place for a shelf. While not as hidden as other places, few people think to look there. While you’re looking in the closets, if you have a fair amount of DIY ability, you could even create a false back to the closet. Frame in the space, put up drywall, and no one will be the wiser.
Slim items, like paper currency or coins, can be hidden inside photo frames. Tape the items to the back of the photo or the inside of the back plate, then replace it in the frame. Who really wants to steal your wedding pictures?
Bags of pet food, birdseed, or water softener pellets are all good places to stash some goodies. Freezers are another location, inside containers labeled cow tongue or perhaps pig feet.
If you have easy access to the attic, this is another place to consider. It bears noting, though, that this space is often subject to extremes of heat and cold, so avoid hiding anything perishable or temperature-sensitive there. You can just bury items inside the insulation. Just be careful you don’t do this with anything heavy enough to fall through the ceiling.
WEEK 25 ASSIGNMENTS
TASKS
1. Explore your own options for hidden storage and begin implementing them. Use these techniques to keep your goodies safe from prying eyes and fingers.
2. Revisit previous lessons and complete any unfinished assignments.
SAVINGS
Add $10 to your Prepper Savings Account.
TOTAL PREPPER SAVINGS ACCOUNT: 
WATER STORAGE
One gallon (or two 2-liter bottles) per person or a case of bottled water for the household.
TOTAL WATER STORAGE:
GROCERY LIST
3 cans vegetables, your choice
2 cans fruit, your choice, but stick with those packed in water or juice, rather than syrup
1 can chili or stew, your choice
1 package or jar of gravy mix, your choice
1 box baking mix, preferably the type that doesn’t require eggs, milk, or other ingredients
1 lb white rice
