Stockpile Supplies at Multiple BOL

Everyone knows how important it is to stockpile supplies such as food, water and other necessities for an emergency. A small percentage of people are well prepared, many are somewhat prepared and most aren’t prepared at all. But nobody can say they weren’t warned that they could be without these crucial items should a crisis occur.

There is much less awareness of the need to have stockpiles of food, water and other items in at least two different locations, preferably three. Preppers who have gathered large amounts of bottled water, canned food, toiletries and a host of can openers, flashlights, batteries, radios, blankets, clothing, first-aid kits and weapons are putting all of their eggs in one basket if they keep everything in the same place.

A home is a great place to stockpile food, water and other essentials. That’s where I keep my largest supplies because that’s where my family and I are most likely to be when the stuff hits the fan. And even if I’m not home at that exact moment, I will probably be in a position to return there shortly.

My home is not only where I keep the majority of my emergency supplies, it’s also the place that I’ve spent time and money to secure. If a breakdown in society occurs following a disaster, I want to be as prepared as possible to protect my family and belongings.

But what if my home is destroyed or severely damaged by whatever crisis occurs? If that’s the only place where I have my emergency goods stockpiled – and either I can’t get to them or they’ve been destroyed by the disaster – I will have wasted a huge amount of time and money preparing for the exact scenario in which I find myself.

It is absolutely essential that you keep supplies in multiple locations. If you have a year’s supply of goods at home, keep six months’ worth in at least one other place. If you have six months’ worth of goods at home, store at least three months’ worth at a secondary location.

Now the question becomes, exactly where should my second and perhaps third locations be? There are several important factors to consider. For one, these other locations need to be close enough to get to, yet far enough away that they’re unlikely to be affected by the same disaster that just did a number on your home.

Just as important, these locations have to offer the same features that your home does – a cool, dry place where food and water won’t be negatively affected by sunlight, moisture and extreme temperatures.

Of course, it’s up to you to decide where those second and possibly third locations will be, but among the possibilities are a storage unit that you can rent, a root cellar or storage bunker on your property but away from your house, inside a separate building that you own in town, within a building that a trusted friend owns, or buried in a remote area where only you would think to look.

Finally, as all good preppers know, don’t advertise the fact that you have stockpiled food and water for an emergency in your home and at other locations. People will remember that, and you could have some unwelcome visitors following a disaster.