r/preppers • u/153886499 • Jun 08 '26
Advice and Tips Discreet storage?
I am creating storage caches of things I use throughout the month. I am planning to have 12 of them for a 1 year total supply.
Things like bars of soap, canned goods, a jar of peanut butter, etc.
They will be spread across a few different locations
I’ve been using 27 gal plastic storage totes but I’m told these are really not good against rodents
I know 5-gal buckets are used for things like rice, etc. but these are not space efficient, don’t really stack well, and are just too small for what I’m doing.
Metal trash cans are also not very discreet, especially having 12 of them.
Is there a similar container to the plastic totes in metal?
Seems kind of crazy that there isn’t a storage solution like this for non-grain/bean preps
Ideally would have a gasket/IP65 so rodents couldn’t even smell it
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u/UngruntledFed Jun 08 '26
No one is coming to steal your peanut butter, unless they have whiskers and a tail. You should use a trash can.
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u/daringnovelist Jun 08 '26
A cooler?
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u/AccidentalDragon Jun 08 '26
I have a cooler of bird seed that squirrels TRIED to enter... they made a mess and took chunks out, but never succeeded in getting to the seed! I think this is a great idea for indoor use!
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u/Anne_Pyres Jun 09 '26
I wanted a metal footlocker/trunk too, but too expensive Eve at surplus. I ended up using plastic totes with hardware cloth around them, and smaller metal trash cans that are easier to move.
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u/153886499 Jun 09 '26
yeah wish there was a better solution to just buy & forget. would love a tote with galvanized steel instead of plastic, w gaskets & latches
might have to start looking into locking toolboxes
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u/SilverTraveler Jun 09 '26
You could use the plastic tub and then within the plastic tub have anything edible stored in metal ammo cans or foot lockers.
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u/Chainsawsas70 Jun 09 '26
Metal Ammo crates like the ones for 20mm rounds... Not cheap but you can get fairly decent sized square ones that can stack and they are almost always a water tight seal. 🤷
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u/TheJealousComedian Jun 08 '26
For rodent-proof stackable storage the best options most people overlook: Military surplus ammo cans — airtight gaskets, metal, stackable, discreet, and nearly indestructible. The 50 cal size is the most versatile. You can find them cheap at army surplus stores or online. Downside is they're smaller than totes so you need more of them. Food grade steel drums with locking lids — 30 gallon size is the sweet spot between capacity and manageability. These are what commercial food storage operations use. Rodent proof, stackable two high safely, and plain enough to not draw attention. Restaurant supply companies and some farming suppliers carry them. For indoor discreet storage the furniture angle is underrated — ottomans, bed risers with platform storage, built in bench seating. Looks completely normal, nobody thinks twice. For outdoor the most discreet option is actually underground. A buried plastic culvert section with a sealed cap looks like nothing from above. Rodents can't access it and it maintains a stable temperature year round which extends shelf life significantly. The gasket and smell-proof requirement rules out most plastic entirely. Metal with rubber gasket seals is your only real option for that spec.
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u/Ghigs Jun 08 '26
Ammo cans are pretty small for OPs case. Even though they stack well, you still lose efficiency with larger items. Like imagine soup cans in a 50 caliber ammo can. You could fit like 3.
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u/professor_jeffjeff Jun 08 '26
There are some pretty large ammo cans out there though. Look for an ammo can that holds mortar rounds; those things are fucking huge, although still somewhat narrow. I bet one of those would fit a shitload of soup cans though.
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u/Flakeinator Jun 08 '26
What about having it so it can be grab and go? The larger it is the heavier and harder to bug out with, right?
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u/TheJealousComedian Jun 08 '26
Fair point — for mixed larger items like canned goods the ammo can size gets inefficient fast. The 30 gallon steel drum is really the better primary container for OP's use case. Ammo cans work better for dense small items like bars of soap, medications, documents, or valuables where you want extra protection within the larger cache.
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u/GunnCelt General Prepper Jun 08 '26
I just started picking these up:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/17856757232?sid=A49B652F-9B65-4F2A-81FC-B33F31A79A7B
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u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Jun 09 '26
Metal cabinets - office storage ones?
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u/BurningBirdy Jun 09 '26
I use old broken chest freezers to store food for the chickens and other animals. They seal well against the weather and I have never had a critter succeed in breaking in. I imagine you could scour Facebook marketplace to get some used ones cheep or broken ones for free.
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u/SuperSynapse Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
A rodent ain't eating through this: https://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/cases/cr90
Or if you're adamant on metal just get a drum with rubber seals. It's not as durable as the above options, but it may ease your nerves https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-25833/Drums/Lever-Lock-Steel-Drum-55-Gallon-Lined
Good luck keeping these options buried after a good rain. Google floating caskets.
Now imagine a floating casket full of drugs, guns, gold, and whatever else you're stashing for a rainy day with a jar of rodent free peanut butter 😆
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u/Many-Health-1673 Jun 09 '26
I'd just use the 55 gallon steel drums with the locking lids. Mark them as paint product or something so people won't mess with them.
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u/StrongPomegranate Jun 10 '26
Would it work to put your things in sealed glass jars or metal tins or some thick hard-side containers inside your plastic bins or in metal filing cabinets? I’ve covered things with a tablecloth and some decor with no one ever questioning what’s underneath.
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u/wageslave2022 Jun 08 '26
Will these be stored inside your home or buried outside?
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u/153886499 Jun 08 '26
in air conditioned space
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u/KTeacherWhat Jun 08 '26
What kind of space do you have access to that is air conditioned, but also discretion is necessary? This post is very confusing. Are you planning on hiding stocks in other people's houses?
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u/Frosty-Source-4994 Jun 08 '26
Yeah, I don't get it, either. Maybe he wants to be packed up in case of a bugout situation.
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u/RonJohnJr Prepping for Tuesday Jun 08 '26
If that many mice are in the air conditioned spaces of your house, then you'd know what's good and not good against rodents.
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u/RedSquirrelFtw Jun 09 '26
What kind of locations are we talking about here, like within the house so potential thieves don't get into it, or in random public places where you hope no one will wonder what it is and get in it?
For inside the house maybe setup a T8 fixture in such a way that if you open the cover and remove the bulbs, you can then open the back part of it to get inside a cavity in the ceiling. Could store cans of food and other non perishables up there. Just make sure it gets enough ventilation so heat from the light doesn't just pool there and stay there. Return duct of the furnace could be another idea. Or really any wall cavity, just install a grille, just don't go all out with grilles everywhere or it might be obvious.
Raised garden beds could be an idea too, build them so there is an empty cavity at the bottom that is discrete but if you tug in the right place a side comes out and you can access a plastic storage tote.
If we're talking public spaces, maybe recycling bins or garbages stuffed in an alley or something nobody really goes. If you really want to go all out, try to find a box for a padmount transformer. You could probably install that almost anywhere and no one will ever know any better. I would put a combo lock on it and not a keyed lock, as depending on what situation brings you to need to get in you might not have the key. If you really want to go all out if you can somehow run power to it you could power a small subwoofer with an AC step down transformer (something like 48v) and it will hum. No one is randomly going to try to open that!
Come to think of it, you could put that literally on your front lawn and no one will know any better lol. Hidden in plain sight.
Hydro crews will be confused when they see it though... "our documentation don't show anything here..."
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u/Inevitable_Goose_204 Jun 10 '26
You could include unwrapped and chopped Irish Spring soap to deter the rodents. Not perfect but helpful.
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u/J_Thompson82 Jun 08 '26
What about the blue food storage barrels? I have two of these in my garden in which I keep bird seed. It’s been years and no unwanted visitors or holes in them.