Unique Food Storage Ideas: The Most Surprising Locations

By SS Contributor | Updated: 08/23/2023

Unique Food Storage Solutions - Bed that top hinges to reveal a hidden storage location Today I’ve got something really important to share…

A List Of Unique Food Storage Locations For Those In Tight Spaces 

Because not everyone has a bunker, basement or even a closet to spare…

But you don’t have to let your dwelling size ruin your passion for preparedness!

IF you think outside the box with these unique food storage locations…

TOPICS IN THIS GUIDE…    ↓(click to jump)
Food Planning Guide eBook Cover - with dried foods and grains spilling out onto a wooden table

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Go Under Furniture For Food Storage

“Under the bed” is a great location to store things, right?

Well, why stop at just the bed?Under Couch Food Storage

Look around your space and find every piece of furniture taking up space.

Does it have legs that give you a few inches of room between the floor and the unit?

That unused gap is an excellent space for dried foods or cans.

Maybe your office desk has enough space for a couple of food buckets underneath.

Or your couch can hide a couple of low-profile boxes full of dehydrated goods.

The kids’ furniture isn’t out off-limits.

Do you have a new bundle of joy in your small apartmentUnder Baby Crib Food Storage?

There is plenty of room for both the princess and your peas.

Slide boxes of canned goods underneath the crib or toddler bed.

Food Planning Guide eBook Cover - with dried foods and grains spilling out onto a wooden table

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Look Up For Food Storage Ideas

When you’ve run out of floor space, then it’s time to go vertical.

Make the most of wall space by installing shelves that go up all the way to the ceiling.

You can even utilize space above windows and doors by installing single shelf brackets above the door or window frames.

High kitchen ceilings allow for some open space above the kitchen cabinetry.

Rather than use this design for decorating, try keeping some items from your stockpile up there.Above Kitchen Cabinets Food Storage

Don’t want to see boxes or cans out in the open?

Fill up a few cloth or wicker storage baskets first, then place the baskets on top of the cabinets for a less cluttered look.

Always keep in mind that a little bit of re-arranging of non-food items can give you more space for your emergency food storage.

  • Can you hang your pots and pans from the ceiling?
  • Mount a spice rack on the door?

Relocating your spice drawer can give your food pantry more room for your long-term food storage.

Now use that free drawer wisely with food good organization practices.

Food Storage Ideas In Plain Sight

Have you ever seen those restaurants that decorate with cans of Italian tomatoes, fancy olive oils, or dried garlic ropes and peppers hanging from the ceiling?

Why not store your items the same way?

An added benefit is you can spark a conversation about preparedness when friends are over and see your food stash.

Of course, it pays to think wisely about what’s out in the open.

Oils, foods kept in mason jars, and other foods break down more quickly when exposed to light.

Keep on display only the items you are rotating out to use first, and keep the rest of your bulk storage in a darker place.

Hanging In There With Your Food Stock

Everyone knows you can stuff the floor of your closets with food-grade buckets and stacked cans.

But did you know you can also hang your essentials next to that old motorcycle jacket?

Just fill an oversized zip-top storage bag with pre-sealed packages of pasta or dehydrated foods (think lightweight).

Place the handle of the bag over the “hook” part of any regular plastic hanger and hang it on the closet rod.

Alternatively, you could utilize a hanger with pants clips, clipping them on the edges of one or even several bags, and hang them up.

Shoe Rack Food Storage LocationAlso, try installing a tension rod behind the clothing rod in your closet for even more hanging space.

Over-the-door pocket shoe organizer is also a wonderful way to sort and stock your surplus food items.

Clear pockets can give you an idea of how much you’ve accumulated with just a quick glance.

A hanging shower caddy can be mounted in places other than just the shower.

Try mounting it in a closet or hallway, on the back of cabinet doors, or on the side of your kitchen island.

It’s the perfect place for extra salt and spices.

Food Planning Guide eBook Cover - with dried foods and grains spilling out onto a wooden table

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

The Perfect Survival Food Storage Hiding Place

One place that is often overlooked is the wall behind a perpetually open interior door.

Stack some food bins if there’s enough room or create slim shelving about the depth of a mason jar to hide your canned goods behind the open door.

Think about your appliances like the refrigerator or washer and dryer.

Do you have a small space between the appliance and the wall?

Stack extra cans to your arm’s length deep.

You can create an entire preparedness pantry by dividing off a section of your bedroom or living area.

Simply hang a dividing curtain about 2 feet from an existing wall.

This area can house all of your bulk food supply, without sacrificing a ton of your already limited space.

If you have invested in larger preparedness storage containers, like stackable buckets or bins, this is the perfect place to house them.

If there is no room to create your own curtained closet, consider using your existing window treatments.

Place your buckets on the floor by the window so they are out of sight behind the drapes.

By being creative with your decorating, you might find a few more unique food storage hiding places too.

Buy Storage Friendly Furniture

Try trading simple furniture for storage-friendly pieces.

How about swapping that tiny TV stand for a full-sized dresser?

The spacious drawers can store dry packaged foods and essentials, and you still have just as much room for your entertainment essentials.Living Room Trunk with Food Storage Potential

Trade the coffee table for a large trunk and fill it with your emergency food cache.

Swap a regular ottoman for one that opens up for storage.

Try storage-friendly bench seating in your dining area instead of chairs.

When you switch your furniture out for high-capacity pieces, you’ll find more ways to store the foods you’re stocking.

Low Profile and Stackable Storage Bins

In order to utilize low profile spaces such as under furniture, you need the right kind of containers…the lower the better.Low Profile Storage Containers

Check out this small food storage container that will easily slide under furniture and it looks good too.

The Last Resort Solution

If you live in a small apartment or house, odds are there are some affordable storage units not too far away.

If this is true for you (and you can afford it) you can store a lot of food buckets, dried goods, and cans in a small rental unit dedicated solely for this purpose.

The biggest downside to this is when SHTF you’d have to leave your home periodically to acquire more of your stash.

Not an ideal food storage idea but better than starvation.

Food Planning Guide eBook Cover - with dried foods and grains spilling out onto a wooden table

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

How Much Food Do You Really Need?

In tight living quarters you really only want to stockpile the amount of food you need…no more, no less.

If you can be strategic and lower the amount of food you actually need then the less food you’ll need to find store locations for.

In order to find out how much food you should have stockpiled, you need to figure out how many calories you and your family need each day.

So I put together a “family first food guide” to help you do just that.

Food Planning Guide eBook Cover - with dried foods and grains spilling out onto a wooden table

Want a free family-first food planning guide?

Click here to instantly download this Complete Checklist PDF. No purchase necessary.

Then once you know your family’s total calories needs, you can decide how many days, months, or years you are stockpiling for.

Based on these 2 numbers you can figure out how much survival food your family needs for any given emergency time frame you decide.

If you need to get creative with your prepper food storage, the best tip out there is to inventory your stash.

With hiding places like behind the curtains, it would be easy to forget about some foods until it’s too late, which is certainly a waste of your time and space.

Be sure to list not only the foods you have stocked and the dates but the creative place you have stowed your treasure.

And keep a copy of your list (on paper) in an easy-to-find location.

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