Bugging in in an apartment: how to stay home for 7, 14 or 30 days (with quantities to buy)
A practical guide to staying put in a flat during a crisis: what is different in an apartment (lifts, water pressure, sewage, heat, neighbours), how to organise room by room, and how much water and food each person needs for 7, 14 or 30 days.
Part of:Bug In
In short
- In an apartment building the biggest problems in a crisis are water (pumps stop without power), the toilet, heat and the lift.
- Fill the bathtub and containers at the first sign of trouble and keep a bucket toilet with bags ready.
- In winter, retreat to one room, insulate the windows and sleep in warm layers. Never a grill or open-flame stove without ventilation.
- The table below gives per-person quantities for 7, 14 and 30 days.
Bugging in means staying home and getting by with what you have. In most crises it is the best choice, see bug in or bug out. In an apartment building, though, a few things work differently from a house, and knowing them in advance makes everything much easier.
What is different in an apartment
| Problem | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Pumps that lift water to upper floors stop without power | A water reserve; fill the tub at the first sign of trouble |
| Toilet | No water to flush; sewers can back up | A bucket with a lid, heavy bags, sawdust or cat litter |
| Heat | District heating or the boiler stops without power or gas | One heated room, warm clothes and sleeping bags |
| Lift | Does not work without power | Keep supplies upstairs, not in the basement; help older neighbours |
| Cooking | Electric and induction hobs stop | No-cook food; a camping stove only with ventilation |
| Neighbours | Many people, the same problems | Organise by stairwell or floor |
The first hours
- Fill the bathtub, buckets and pots while water still runs (tub water is for flushing and washing; keep drinking water in closed containers).
- Charge everything: phones, power banks, power station.
- Listen to the radio or check official alerts.
- Check on older or single neighbours on your floor.
- Take out of the freezer what needs eating first.
Organising room by room
- The warm room: the smallest, best-insulated one, ideally without outside walls. Everyone sleeps here in winter. Hang blankets over the windows and put a rug on the floor.
- The kitchen: food by day, drinking water, dishes.
- The bathroom: the emergency toilet, tub water, hygiene.
- The hall: the go bag, flashlights and shoes, in case you need to leave.
Keeping warm: heating without power.
Quantities per person
| Item | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking and cooking water | 28 l (7 gal) | 56 l (15 gal) | 120 l (30 gal) |
| Rice | 1 kg | 2 kg | 4 kg |
| Pasta | 1 kg | 2 kg | 4 kg |
| Oats | 0.5 kg | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Cornmeal or flour | 0.5 kg | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Crackers, crispbread | 0.75 kg | 1.5 kg | 3 kg |
| Canned beans, chickpeas, lentils | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Canned meat or spread | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Canned fish | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Canned vegetables | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Canned fruit | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| UHT or powdered milk | 3 l / 250 g | 6 l / 500 g | 12 l / 1 kg |
| Honey, jam | 1 jar | 2 jars | 4 jars |
| Nuts, seeds, dried fruit | 0.5 kg | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Bars, chocolate | 7 | 14 | 30 |
| Oil | 0.5 l | 1 l | 2 l |
| Instant soups | 5 | 10 | 20 |
Plus salt, sugar, coffee, tea, spices, pet food and any special food (babies, diets). A full menu: the 14-day pantry meal plan. For the whole family, use the supply calculator.
The rest of the apartment list
- Flashlights and LED lamps, batteries, power banks
- A battery or hand-crank radio
- A camping stove and gas (only with a window open, never at night in the room where you sleep)
- Carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
- Sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothes, hand warmers
- A bucket with a lid, heavy bags, sawdust or cat litter, disinfectant
- A first aid kit and a month of personal medicines
- Duct tape and plastic sheeting (broken windows, sealing)
- A fire extinguisher
- Cash and copies of documents
With the neighbours
- Make a list of who lives alone, who is elderly, who has small children or medical needs.
- Find out who has what: a power station, a generator (used only outdoors), a doctor or nurse.
- A building chat helps while the internet works; after that, a note on the noticeboard.
If things change and you need to leave: evacuating in 15 minutes.
Recommended equipment
What to look for when buying. The links open a search in an online shop; we earn nothing from them.Details.
Water containers with a tap
Stack easily in a flat and empty without lifting.
- Food-grade plastic
- 10–20 litres (3–5 gallons)
- Tap and handle
Frequently asked questions
Where do I keep all this in a small flat?
Under beds, in a closet, on high shelves in wardrobes, in the basement storage unit (only things damp will not ruin) and in boxes that double as a bedside table. Water cases fit under a bed or in a hall cupboard.
Does water reach upper floors without power?
Often not: in many buildings, pumps push water to the upper floors and stop when the power goes. The higher you live, the more your water reserve matters.
What if the sewer stops working?
Stop flushing if there is a risk of backflow or if authorities say so. Use a bucket lined with heavy bags and sawdust or cat litter, tie the bags and keep them closed in a separate spot until they can be disposed of.
Sources and further reading
Preper is for general education and does not replace instructions from your local authorities or advice from a doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.