Prepper Shipping Container Ideas

Shipping containers are fairly common throughout the port cities and major inland cities in America and Canada, and when you can buy containers at an affordable price it makes them a very attractive option if you need a strong shell and frame to be the structural building block for your prepper project. On top of the strength, shipping containers are fire proof, readily deployable, and mobile.

To start off, rather than rehash previous articles about burying shipping containers, or things preppers should know about containers, I'd just like to put out a few new ideas, and touch on some old ones that we've discussed with other preppers that visit the site.

Remote Storage/Stockpile Facility

If things start to come unwound and you need to get out faster than planned, you'll need to be able to get to a remote location as quickly as possible. Depending on the severity of the situation, you and your group may (or may not) have time to grab the bags and gear required to ensure your safety. A secured shipping container in a predetermined, discrete location makes an excellent predetermined rally point.

At the very least, a 20' container has enough space for survival gear, long life food supplies, and motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles; all of this will provide your group the time to meet at the point, restock, and move on. If you secure the doors well enough it should require minimal maintenance and little refreshing of supplies.

Bug Out Shelter

Without getting loaded down in details (it would be easy to write and diagram countless set ups); a bug out shelter can take many different shapes and forms to match the ground cover and foliage, topography, and requirements of the person or group building it.

For my needs, the basic modifications required for setting up a container bug out shelter are as follows – note, I'm skipping over food and other stocked items, and sticking to required modifications and enhancements to the shipping container itself:

Foundation: The smaller the footprint the better, but not smaller than the container itself. Read more about shipping container foundations and why they're important. Basic electric: Either a generator or simple solar power. You may not be able to build a fire outside, so having some way to heat food and water is essential. Ventilation pipe: A 3" to 6" inverted U shaped ventilation pipe. If you're required to cook inside, either with a propane stove or electric hot plate, any little bit of ventilation will help. Roof/Ceiling Hatch: Any industrial hatch on the ceiling will work. If the doors are blocked for any reason, you'll need a second way out (or in). Make sure the hatch is sealed up tightly so that no moisture or other liquids (or gasses) can get in.

Hydroponic Farm

Providing a long term food source is a corner stone of independence and self-reliance, and a shipping container provides a great structure from which to start a hydroponic farm. This isn't a new idea, and several companies have already commercialized the process allowing you to buy fully functioning unit, however they can be expensive – upwards of $25,000. If you have a green thumb, or are willing to do research on hydroponic gardens, it shouldn't be a huge issue to set up a unit. Inside of a hydroponic container you can grow any leafy green vegetable, tomatoes, mushrooms, and other similar structured vegetables. What's more, depending on how you stack the lighting and growing racks a 20' container with 320 square feet of space can produce an acre worth of food. Along with the volume, instead of a normal 2-3 growing cycles per year a hydroponic container can provide 5-6 growing cycles.

One negative that is common when you're using shipping containers as a hydroponic farm is the heat signature given off. In a remote area, a square steel shape that contains a reasonable amount of heat isn't hard to spot.

Shipping containers are readily available in most parts of the United States, and have proven to be versatile building blocks for all types of structures. When deployed properly, they can last a life time and keep everything that's inside of them safe, dry, and out of harm’s way. If you're a prepper and thinking about how to deploy your remote storage facility, bug out cabin, or hydroponic farm, a shipping container is a logical place to start your planning from.

If you have any questions, need help locating a container, or help finding an expert that can help to better build your facility, don't hesitate to contact the staff at ContainerAuction.com.