When you make your preps for a long-term survival situation, you want to make sure you cover the basics:
Water- check
Food- check
Shelter- check
Batteries- check
Oddball Items that You Should Stock Before SHTF
This list can go on for quite a while, but what about thinking outside the box?
A little forward thinking can really put you ahead of the curve.
If you have things that no one else has, just how powerful would that make you in any post-SHTF barter situation?
I found this article a while back on thesurvivalistblog.net, and I've gotta say there are some pretty interesting and “oddball” items on it that I never would have thought of and some I have never seen on ANY other survival checklist.
Check it out:
1. Shoe and boot laces – yes, you could use leather laces but why not stock some?
2. Fence posts – entirely too handy not just for fencing but for gardening
3. Barbed wire and chicken wire fencing
4. Cloth diapers – handy for so many things other than the obvious
5. Manual egg/batter beaters – whisks work, but the old-fashioned egg beater is hard to beat
6. Hoyle’s rule book for card games – lots and lots of entertainment in one simple book
7. Dice and dice games rulebooks – as above
8. Goggles – safety ones
9. A way to figure calendars into the future
10. Solar powered fencing – even if you don’t have livestock now, you may have it later. And it can be used as a “first line of defense” or used for parts for other uses
11. Canes – there will come a time when they are needed. Adjustable ones are better
12. Plant pots for starting seedlings. You’ll want various sizes
13. Metal rulers – because they last much longer. Different sizes
14. Rain gauge – for keeping track of rainfall
15. Barometer and something that tells you how to use it to get an idea of the weather
16. Candle molds and a double boiler for melting wax
17. Diaper pins – handy not only for the obvious but for securing lots of things
18. Kits to fix garden hoses – because you can stock 10 hoses but what happens when they break?
19. Cheesecloth – useful not just for cheese for all sorts of canning needs
20. Pea shellers, corn huskers, apple peelers and corers, etc. – all those “yankee tools” that our grandparents had but we no longer use.
21. Mimeograph machine and supplies – IF you can find one.
22. Chalk and blackboards. Blackboard paint isn’t a bad idea either
23. Goo remover aka Goo Gone
24. Eyeglass repair kits – they make handy little ones
25. Canoe – if you live near water or an inflatable raft if you’re not that close. If you get a canoe/raft, consider getting the big Duluth packs that outfitters use – they are waterproof (sorta) and good for packing
26. Oars/paddles – even if you don’t have one of the above, they can be handy for improvised rafts
27. Tire chains – if you live where it snows…
28. Swim goggles – not so much for recreational swimming, but for any time you might need to go into the water for whatever reason
29. Life preservers – if you need them, you need them
30. Reflectors and reflective tape
31. Pregnancy kits – I never see this on prepping lists, but it seems so basic… you want to know if you are so you can make sure to eat right, etc.
32. Neck and ankle braces
33. Canning funnel and jar lifter – often listed, but cannot have enough of these, in metal
34. Pack saddle for horses/mules
35. Liquid Smoke flavoring – my spouse swears by this stuff for nice flavoring
36. Powdered lemon and lime juice – an excellent way to store Vitamin C
37. Songbooks and simple instruments – for entertainment
38. Powdered buttermilk – useful for cooking
39. ClearJel canning starch – for canning pie fillings
40. Pet veterinary supplies – basic wound care is a must
41. Bottle corks of various sizes – for when you lose that bottle lid
42. Room thermometers
43. Bags/cloth to use to bag flowers for seed pollination
44. Clothesline and wooden clothespins
45. Clothes baskets that are actual baskets – they last longer and can be repaired
46. An inflatable kiddie pool – thousands of uses (okay, maybe I exaggerate, but useful nevertheless)
47. Lighter flints for refillable lighters
48. Fountain pens, inkwells and powdered ink – those Bic pens you stockpiled will run out eventually
49. UV window film – to help keep houses cool
50. Mailboxes – metal for all sorts of caches and other storage uses
51. Small paintbrushes – handy for many many things besides just painting
52. Pet carriers – one for each pet
53. Canvas shopping bags – handy for so many things
54. Posthole digger, manual – but try to get all your fencing done before … these things SUCK to use
55. Stovetop waffle makers
56. Wind vane
57. Spare glass bottles of various sizes
58. Mop wringer
59. Manual juicers – glass or metal will hold up better than the cheap plastic ones
60. Measuring cups – metal with engraved markings. Painted on markings will disappear with time
61. Measuring spoons – metal with engraved markings. The commonly used plastic ones with painted on markings will break and fade
62. Jar openers – the type that lets you get leverage on the lid
63. Stovetop popcorn popper – ‘cuz if the SHTF and the grid goes down, so does the microwave popcorn you have in the pantry
64. Leather punch and knife
65. Disposable ear plugs
66. Mechanical pencils and spare pencil lead – see above about pens. Pencil lead takes up a lot less space than traditional pencils
67. Folding cloth camping chairs – entirely too useful and easy to store
68. Microscope and slides
69. Old time photographic equipment – could be a new business!
70. Manual typewriter
71. Paper cutter
72. Manual hair clippers – human and animal
73. Steam juicers – stovetop variety
74. Slingshot and ammo
75. Hard hats
76. Sewing measuring tapes
77. Velcro
78. Sewing patterns – better to have them now … especially easy to sew shirts/pants/coats/outerwear
79. Window insulation foam – for keeping warm
80. Disguised safes – the “fake book” kinds
81. Nicorette gum and quit smoking supplies
82. Tomato powder – another good way to store Vitamin C
83. Citric acid, pectin, alum and Pickle Crisp for canning
84. Straight or safety razor for male shaving
85. Rennet tablets for cheese-making
86. Veterinary wrap – useful for not just animals, but people too
87. Autoclave or something that functions like one
88. Dental mirror
89. Walkers and toilet risers for the elderly and don’t forget bedpans
90. Carry yokes – the old fashioned water carrying yokes
91. CLR cleaner – or other lime/deposit/etc remover
92. Locks – combination, keyed, and other types as needed
93. Moth balls, cedar balls, and smelling salts
94. China markers/grease pencils – these are great for marking containers with what is in them
95. Safety vests
96. Fly paper – stores decently and is really handy. Researching a way to make this stuff is also probably a good idea
97. Foam camping pads for under sleeping bags
98. Winter scarves, gloves, mittens – its easy to forget these when it’s not winter
99. Wind up clocks – how else are you going to keep time if the grid goes down?
100. Tow straps for vehicles
101. Black and brown paint – useful for camouflage, hiding things, and making makeshift showers plus a myriad of other uses.
Want more survival items? Check out these articles from our site:
- 10 Must-Have SHTF Survival Items
- 5 Survival Items for Your Bug Out Bag
- Multipurpose Survival Items to Use in a Pinch
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 16, 2013, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Good list. I would also add all kinds of hand gardening tools, hand saws, lots of sewing thread, needles, scissors and sharpener, paper for kids to draw pictures and learn writing skills on, etc. (you may be “home schooling” for awhile) A GOOD hand operated knife sharpener, bug repellents like citronella oil, fertilizer for gardens as well as bug control things for gardening, and a goodly stash of seeds. Leather and moccasin making tools and patterns for when your shoes all wear out. “Snoseal”, “Campdry”, and other footwear and clothing water proofers
I didn’t think about the homeschooling, but now that you mentioned it, dictionaries and sets of encyclopedias can be found extremely cheaply at thrift stores. Everyone uses computer search-engines these days, but if the grid goes down, people will have to learn to look it up the old-fashioned way again. Omg….people will be literate again….not that!
Martha, I love your last sentence! Classic!!
If the grid goes down..all the nuclear plants in the USA will melt down and the party is over.
Do you really believe what you said?
The nukes power the grid, not vice versa.
On a loss of all internal power, rapid shutdown occurs and emergency cooling is initiated to prevent core damage. Shouldn’t even come close to meltdown.
On the educational note, how about mechanical pencils with lots of leads? take up less space than a bunch of #2 wooden pencils. Solar powered calculator for the teacher to check the answers. compass, ruler, protractor, some graph paper (Hobby Lobby sells the Huge pads of 4×4, 8×8 and 10 x 10 paper (that’s squares per inch). I love it. great for doodling if you can’t figure out how to do orthogonal diagrams…
I’m sure I’ll think of something else after I stop . . . oh, hey, how bout one of those old microcassette recorders? still see them around . . . don’t forget tape. I know, you have a recorder on your iPod. So do I.
Actually, Chikken Little, you are wrong. The nuclear power plants get their energy from the grid or in an emergency from a temporary diesel powered generator to keep the system running. They don’t run on their own power generation. In a long-term grid-down scenario, the nuclear powerplants will go into ‘Safe Mode’ if there is still emergency power available. This takes the rods out and puts them into storage to prevent meltdown. The trouble comes in when the backup power source goes down as well, as could happen in an EMP scenario. If the system isn’t able to complete a full shutdown, the rods will eventually become exposed and can cause a massive radiation leak or even a meltdown. The plants have a LOT of safeguards, but they were never meant to go through a complete power shutdown. Without external power, either grid or backup generator, the whole thing becomes a danger to anyone nearby, for generations. While in normal power outages, which last a few days or even weeks, the plant could be put into standby mode and use the generator to provide the power to run the safety equipment, eventually that runs out of fuel and that would cause a nuclear emergency. Again, that would be something that would be highly unusual, where fuel would be unavailable for long periods of time and the grid wouldn’t come back up (especially since nuke plants have a higher priority than hospitals for power restoration). In any normal situation like a hurricane or earthquake, the generators would be more than adequate to keep the systems running long enough to get the local power back up and running. As to why the plants can’t be run on their own internally generated power? Because the plants go into shutdown for safety the minute the grid is compromised, so they wouldn’t be producing any energy to run their own equipment, I suppose. The very safeguards that are meant to stop bad things from happening in an emergency are what keep the plant from continuing to function and make their own emergency power.
The reactors aren’t the REAL danger, it’s the OUTDOOR storage facilities containing the spent fuel rods. Once the pumps circulating the water covering them stop, it’s only a matter of time before evaporization and massive radiation occurs. FUKISHIMA times over a hundred. That’s why an EMP would result in over 100 nuclear disasters!!! Get the picture?
I have an iPad with 3000 books, 750 games and every survival tip known to man on it. It’s in a waterproof case and I have a solar pad it can hook up to.
I bought it, put the case on it, downloaded all the stuff onto it and put it away in a hermetically sealed bag. Then, when whatever happens, happens, I can transcribe everything onto paper using one of my 5000 pencils and 600 notepads….I won’t have anything else to do.
Then when the iPad does eventually go down it won’t matter. I’ve got 100 decks of ‘newish’ playing cards and so many rechargeable and solar powered lights and extra bulbs I can see in the dark until I’m blue in the face.
The other 22 large boxes of supplies I have are all encased in water & dust proof industrial cases buried in the middle of a field that I own. In the middle of nowhere…….literally. It takes two hours driving on dirt roads to reach this field.
I think one thing that wasn’t mentioned and I never see is large gas tanks.
I have a 1200 gallon gas tank on my property as well. And speaking of wells there is one on my property as ‘well.’
Otherwise I never talk about prepping to anyone…..why alert anyone at all that I am prepared for anything? I think that’s important. If you act confused and scared when something goes down no one will follow you.
Jack M. I am soo glad that you have prepared so well!!!!! You are fortunate to have a place so far out, and prepared. But to know that you have to prepare, I give you a hand.
I unfortunately live at the time in the city, and am a co-organizer of a Preppers group. I do constant Newsletters of things going on, and meet-ups to go to like the LDS Cannery. And out of 238 people, only a few really get that they need to prepare. But I keep trying to open their minds, and feed them things that are truly going on.
As for prepping I have done a lot, but would rather be on a farm and getting things there set up. But sadly I am unable to do that at this time.
But I soo love hearing people who are taking what is going on seriously and have the property to get very serious about it.
My hats off to you. Vic
Vic, what state are you in? Our thinking is on the same page. Your prepping group is a “smart” idea. I hope that the 238 people get their act together as time is running out. A SHTF situation is right around the corned, and they do by all means need to be prepared with all the common sense items, and some that were on the long list.
One thing that believe it or not most people forget about is Prescription Medicines. Or, for that matter, over the counter medicines, first aid supplies, etc. Anyone that takes any type of medicine, oxygen, etc. needs to stock up before the SHTF. The delivery trucks will not be delivering any medicines to the pharmacy in that sort of scenario. The pharmacies will be closed and Walmart will have no food, dog food, or anything else for that matter. NOW IS THE TIME. Hope your people know that are better off safe than sorry, and they will certainly be sorry if they don’t prepare. I have studied the trends and written 5 books so the farther away from a city you and they go the better off you will all be, away from the water, away from all the cities that will become war zones. I want to be in a community that is prepared and will be able to survive no matter what. Comments are welcome. I’ll be lookin for you. Take care, and keep teaching them to “wise up”.
Cheryl: How about prescription drugs. Without them people will die. Stock up now if possible, or be without. Also raincoats will come in handy, and perhaps umbrellas as well as rain boots. Plenty of blankets for cold weather, and hand fans for warm weather when there is no air conditioning. Solar powered generators are great, then you can plug in an electric fan and hopefully breathe. They may even run small electric heaters. Some come with hand cranks incase there is not enough sun power to charge um up. Food for thought. A SHTF situation will come and maybe sooner than we think. I wonder how many people are totally prepared? Or, even partially prepared. Most people procrastinate and it doesn’t get done, then the store shelves are empty and uh oh it’s over then. Best to act while you still can and at today’s prices too. Be “smart”, prepare “smart” and die eventually, but at least you tried.
wandakate: It’s kinda hard to get prescription medications without.. you know… a prescription… But alternatively you can stock up on Fish Antibiotics and they are just as effective on humans, and you can get them at any pet store.
.177 Airgun and ammo.
Better to get a high-quality one, and much better to get one in .22 caliber. The regular .177 is largely worthless against larger predators (coyotes, wolves — or humans), but a good .22 airgun can do serious damage to a human — and if it’s a target-type model with decent power, you can probably hit humans in the vulnerable areas and do serious damage, perhaps kill them. For a small investment (around $200), you can have a very versatile weapon that you can easily afford to stock many thousands of rounds of ammo.
I chose the well-known RWS (formerly RWS-Diana) Model 34 in .22 caliber, becuse it has been around for many decades and has a reputation among airgunners for being extremely accurate, sturdy and reliable. Prices vary from about $175 on sale or refurbished, and $200 to $220 full retail. Scopes for them are extremely cheap, too, though it’s accurate enough with just the open sights that I’ve never installed the scope. At about 50-75 feet I can put most of my shots within a 1″ circle, and hit running foxes and coyotes at 100 ft … farther if standing still. With a scope and much younger eyes, I could probably do even better. So far, since 1988, I have probably shot thousands of pellets through this air rifle with ZERO problems. I originally bought it to drive off “trash birds” like sparrows & starlings that were eating way too much of my chicken feed & dog food in the kennel, since shotgun ammo costs so much, even if you load your own, and the shotgun blasts scared the livestock. That’s another serious advantage to a hi-powered airgun — it’s relatively quiet and won’t let everyone for miles around know you’re here.
I suppose you could make a simple mold and cast your own pellets out of old wheel weights or sash weights, but the commercial pellets are so cheap …. why bother? I seldom use the rifle now, but still buy ammo & “cleaning pellets” every month, so now I have around 15,000 pellets (of several types) tucked away in G.I. ammo cans. If I need to use these in a SHTF situation, I figure they will stretch my regular .22 rimfire ammo incredibly, for far less cost.
They also make .25 caliber airguns, which I am thinking about buying since I assume it would be even more effective against human predators. They also make VERY powerful airguns (very expensive) capable of taking big game, even bears or moost, but they all seem to require air tanks for recharging, which would limit their long-term use in SHTF. That’s actually old technology: Lewis & Clark shot deer and elk with an airgun that was pumped manually on their journey across the continent. If someone is still making pump-operated powerful airguna I’m not aware of it.
I also have some “regular” BB & pellet guns that may be useful for small game like rabbits or squirrels, but they’re nowhere near as accurate or reliable. I just picked them up at yard sales because they were only a couple of bucks apiece.
Those with a serious approach to prepping should definitely consider a rifle similar to the RWS Model 34, or even the higher-priced, more accurate target or competition models. Considering just the cost of the regular .22 ammo it will save you in the long run, it will pay for itself in no time, and permit you to afford a HUGE ammo stash.
Good things to ponder. I would add bungee cords-a bajillion uses-, a product called Shoo Goo which is excellent for repairing not only shoes but any cloth or leather. I have used it on hiking boots & to attach velcro strips.
To the paint list I would put grey primer & good old Olive Drab at the top of the list.
I was going to add Shoe Goo too, it’s like liquid duct tape.
Better than duct tape!! Totally waterproof, and good on all kinds of materials, and is UV ray proof..won’t shred from exposure to the elements.
Shoe goo… oh my I have to have some of that
I have read through this list and find it to be quite extensive. I do have some suggestions on a few items.
#2. I assume the fence posts are steel. A driver is needed as well, holding a post in your hand while another swings an 8# sledge or trying to drive them by myself with a 3# blacksmiths maul are events to avoid repeating.
#31. I am assuming a pregnancy kit is not limited to human use so a choke chain and whatever pulling aide you might find useful. I have broken a dog leash pulling a calve. Double bag the chain shot of ‘Wild Turkey’ to keep it sterile and drink the ‘Turkey’ before you start delivery. ‘Waste not–want not’.
#33. I think it is called a ‘canning wand’. It is a small magnet, glued to the end of a plastic stick, for the removal of canning lids from boiling water and application to top of jar without touching. Also useful to locate and retrieve sewing needles dropped in the haystack as it were.
#64. A sewing awl with waxed thread, spare needles & bobbins or replacement spools. The fine needles for this tool are difficult to locate, as is the smaller waxed thread but useful to manufacture leather garments.
#68. Radio Shack used to carry two small models of pocket magnifiers at Christmas. One had a slice out 4x lens on one end and a 20x tubular with LED. The other model would receive slides and was adjustable enough to serve basic 100x microscope functions with the LED mounted below the slide platform and directed upward. These were great for our kids on Forestry field trips.
#74. The wrist rocket type with wrist brace has more power than the slingshot. The marbles from the ‘Chinese Checkers’ game make great ammo for practice but they are too easy to lose and too hard to replace.
#87. I don’t know why the 23Q pressure canner won’t serve as an autoclave. The formula P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2 doesn’t change. The newest wobbles have two removable rings to achieve 5#, 10# or 15# of pressure.
#102. With all the stuff you are hauling, the addition of a solar charging system and an inverter to charge the Lithium batteries of power tools, I would be taking the 1/4″ impact wrench, the hammer drill, masonry drill bits, saws and extra blades for crude construction as well.
I hope this proves helpful
For the steel posts.. there is an item called a “post pounder”. It’s essentially a piece of large pipe, open at the bottom, weighted and closed at the top with handles on 2 sides. It’s slipped down over the post and lifted and rammed down by 1 person, no smashed hands. I am a small woman and have fenced it 3 acres myself in an afternoon in fairly rocky soil.
Go to stores like the Everything for $1.00 store or 99c store or any low end toy store (K-mart?)and buy bags of marbles. I have not checked, but Amazon and/or Ebay will probably have them too. Not a very popular game anymore, but a little scrounging will get likely results. Of course, somewhat circular stones work too!
Pretty wicked slingshot ammo too. …
Also steel ball bearings for slingshot ammo.
Also Check local Railroad tracks. In Pennsylvania, as a boy, I used to pick up all the iron ore I could carry. They used it as ballast on the rails. The steel plants were there. The ore makes super wrist rocket shot. I killed many a rabbit with ’em. If you are near a gravel quarry. check to see what stones they have you may find suitable “shot” there as well. – BK
pressure cookers take a lot less fuel and anything gets tender.
I would recommend buying central air A/C filters. Not overly useful when the power grid is down, but if chaos reins for months but the grid remains up, even in an intermittant pattern, you need to have these to keep central air and heating going if you do not want to destroy it.
I would also recommend a natural gas conversion kit for your generators. Natural gas runs on it’s own pressure, and will continue to run even if electric and water go bye bye. You can utilize the natural gas and save your gasoline for cars, tools lawnmowers, etc. at least until someone shuts off the NG valves…. It’ll stretch your energy options immensely. Roughly $175 for a kit, and an easy install. You’ll have to buy hoses, fittings and such…..
A couple of window A/C units that you can run with the above generator. If you have young children or elderly with heart conditions, any cardiologist will tell you to keep them cool. Unless your parents were born and lived in the tropics like the southern Phillipines and are acclimated to high, uncomfortable temperatures, you need to keep em cool.
Ammo, Ammo and MORE Ammo. Bullets of virtually ALL calibers are an outstanding barter item. Keep what you need for your own uses, but if you can buy it in bulk NOW for anything under $.50 cents a round, when it becomes unavailable, you can turn it around in a severe shortage for as much as 2 bucks a round equivalent. If you store ammo correctly, it can last for literally decades. If you can find it, buy ammo with the sealed necks and sealed primers. Those will last a long time in storage.
Any scrap wood or steel plating you come across. You can ALWAYS find good use for scraps when the bottom falls out.
Small cooking stoves that will run on wood, charcoal, or any wood scraps you can gather. For a last resort…..
Learn to use an old fashioned sling, the rubber bands on any slingshot will break.
One can make a sling out of leaves & vines. Very good idea to learn survival skills on the weekend as well. If you practice using something you have or teaching yourself how to do something once a week if something bad does happen you will be better prepared.
So often I see people get a lot of stuff but they do not really know how to do anything. I know a guy who own four guns and can’t hit the side of a barn standing 20 feet away. He doesn’t know how to clean them or anything. It’s an extreme example as I know all here know better, but you get the picture.
What do I have to do to get a book of directions on the four food garden.
I donate to two Indian tribes (small amount once a year’),they have sent me packets of these seeds and explain how to plant them.
Have’nt tried them yet,but have kept them to try when I can’
Very Good Lisa 🙂
Start gardening now.
You mentioned some sewing items, but did not include a (non electric) peddle sewing machine. The old Singer machines – if you can find one — can work, but there are updated models made for Amish women that fit into the Singer machine cabinet. Also, there are hand pumps (my granddaddy had one in the yard.. and there were shorter ones sometimes on the porch..we called them pitcher pumps) that can be installed alongside your existing electric pump and into the existing well casing, so that water is always available.
You can also purchase hand crank sewing machines…Good for barter …easier to ship and cheaper…I have three…plus…some electric machines can have a treadle set up put on with a little inginuity.
I think flashlight bulbs would be good for bartering. I have just under a 1000 different kinds just for this purpose.
They’re light, easy to store, won’t go bad in storage and everyone will eventually need them.
I have 2 treadle sewing machines. What you need for these is NEEDLES AND BELTING. Both can be gotten at Lehmans.com. The belting is crucial as are the needles as if either breaks, you’re screwed.
A good supply of heavy needles is really important too. Sewing canvas, denier and other durable cloth would be a lifesaver, and an excellent barter skill. …
In a pinch you could make drive belts out of leather.
Just a comment that this is the most positive set of comments I have read in YEARS. Great discussion.
Don’t forget little things like nails (various), screws (various). Bolts, nuts, washers etc.
And every type of screwdriver one can find.
You can still buy the type of screwdriver that have the geared section that will rotate the head by pressing forward on the handle. Also, they make a bent shaft screwdriver that can be turned like a crank that really speeds things up…
I like the Kobalt double drive screwdriver from Lowe’s hardware… it’s only $19.95 and has an ingenious drive system that allows you to drive forward or backwards by turning the handle back and forth without letting go of the handle…like it drives forward even when your hand is going in an unscrewing direction…and well made and heavy too. Comes in two sizes and fits all standard 1/4″ screwdriver tips…it’s awesome.
Spare new clothing and shoes & boots- especially winter hats, gloves,coats, etc. Socks, underwear, sweaters- misc. old clothes for “guests”, toothbrushes & paste & floss, Iodine for sterilizing wounds, some sort of minor surgical gear and first aid: bandages, tape, etc. An autoclave is an unlikely find- plan on boiling stuff that needs to be sterile, Rubber gloves from hardware store. check farm supply store for antibiotics and other vet/medical supplies. Extra soap, recipe for home-made soap. collect free matches in ammo can or jar. Lots of small bottles of booze, cigarette packs for trading (trading bullets is VERY risky I think- best not to let anybody know what you have.) Bow & arrow, axe, sharpener. Seeds & gardening tools, spare fuel -treated to increase longevity-rotate. Night vision gear if affordable. Nylon kite string, nylon cord, rope. metal pots to cook, boil water. Warm blankets, towels. Dutch oven. old newspaper for “guest” toilet paper. Leather work gloves. Extra meds. pet food-unless you are going to eat pet. Geese make great watch dogs & lay eggs. Instant tea to stop bleeding. the list is very long- depending on the length and severity of the emergency.
You mentioned instant tea to stop bleeding. For small wounds you can use chapstick. Cayenne pepper and cinnamon both work well if you are a bleeder.
Just as an overall, you might want to print out a collection of the remedies and generic natural things that can be used for insect repellants, weed killer, health remedies.
You can also start now if you live where you have space and the means to grow stuff. Natural herbs and spices are often perennial plants that can be planted once and will come back year after year. The more you have of these the less you have to intentionally grow and keep seeds for.
you can also use sugar…plain white sugar to stop bleeding…makes a “candy” coating that stops the bleeding…dissolves in water with out any burn or sting…
Cloves work well as a ‘topical’ to numb up toothaches, or, prior to stitching – if you don’t have the ‘Jack Black’ med, you must be careful with injectables, Lidocaine, as it does cause the surrounding tissue to swell, and may occlude an airway, also, unless you are familiar with structure and anatomy, you may unknowingly introduce this into a vein.
I also have used super glue on larger wounds to close them.
They use superglue in animal surgery. Works great
I use superglue all the time when I cut myself working on a car or in the shop. Closes the wound right up!
Sugar was known in WW1 as the battlefield stop bleeding remedy. It helps clotting, pulls put infection by osmotic force and provides a matrix for skin cells to grow upon. Even diabetics can use it. I also suggest getting a Chinese remedy to stop bleeding called Yunnan Baiyao which stops both bleeding and breaks up internal bruises, a good combination. It comes in different forms but I like the capsules which come on a sheet with a little red pill. You can take them orally for internal bleeding (stomach, excess menstrual), sprinkle them on an external wound and the little red pill is for serious wounds like gunshots. The Viet Cong used to carry this and I keep one in my ECB.
Richard, seems you have a lengthy list too. Some I have some not. Thanks for the input
Another item would be a reel mower since gas may not be available and will be useful to keep snakes from hiding in tall grass not to mention tick, chiggers, etc.
I would also stock DEET based bug repellent since citronella isn’t enough for ticks and no one wants Lyme, especially if antibiotics are not available. Or Dengue and Malaria which are already in the southern US. Guinea hens will eat ticks and cats will catch mice that carry them, and you need to inspect frequently, especially after walking in kneehigh grass or hunting deer. You can get bug repellent clothing that will last for 70 washes- the expected life of the garment. http://www.insectshield.com/ourTechnology/FAQs.aspx and they make pyretherin infused ground blankets and mosquito nets. Grow Artemesia annua (Wormwood/Sweet Annie), St. Johnswort, Lemon balm, mint, teasel , echinaceam chappparal in the SW, catnip (good repellent for bugs) or valerian which will also repel.
If one is getting needles to suture small wounds, surgeons use curved needles. It is really hard- but not impossible- to try to use straight sewing needles for that. Sewing supply stores should have them. Walmart did not at last check. Maybe a farm supply store. One will need a needle holder too. It looks sort of like a pliers or hemostat. Be careful to not break needle when clamping with the holder. I get this stuff from a wholesale medical supply outfit. Sorry. Maybe you can talk your Doc into ordering stuff for you.
There are sites on the internet that sell all sorts of medical and dental items to anyone. and I found out that there are dozens of kind of sutures including disolving kinds..If you know a nurse, you can get an amazing text book with pictures that shows you how to suture anything and excellent pictures for tying suture knots. ..You definitly need dental pliers in a medium size to pull teeth with and dentist strength of lanocain is available on Amazon (even in flavors) to help numb the area. On ebay, I got a large amount of used surgery tools and a field surgery kit with scapples. Good investment.
Also on Amazon, I got a case of betatine for medical purposes.
Try carpet needles ( the curved ones ) a little larger but they work . Don’t forget steri-strips purchased every where.
Look into Yarrow (achilles miofoleum) I think that’s the right proper name. Anyway Yarrow, powdered, can be placed onto a bleeding wound to stop bleeding as a coagulant. Make into a salve or liniment put on cuts/infections, it has 12 anti-inflammatory/antibiotic properties. For toothache, root applied to the gum will numb tooth, as making a tea for a gargle will numb the mouth. Drink tea for colds, flu-like symptoms, diuretic, internal bleeding and “woman” issues, like heavy flow or cramps, and as an analgesic for pain (topically). Also look up narrow leaf and broad leaf plaintan (not the banana) it closes wounds like you wouldn’t believe and has been used as a folk remedy for cancer as well. It is antimicrobial and stimulates healing. Peterson’s field guide Eastern/Central American medicinal plants by Foster/Duke. Also goldenrod. staghorn sumac, smooth sumac,red clover, white clover all have their own medicinal properties. Most, like yarrow, come up year after year on their own without need of replanting. There’s a little homework for you. You can also consult WebMD for a lot of these kinds of things…hope this helps you and all who read this long-winded assault on your eyeballs!
What a wonderful list and some of these items I did not even think of. A million thanks!
Our local landfill has a Hazardous Waste building where residents can go to drop off any type of chemicals: paint, cleaners, glues, propane bottles, fertilizer, weed & bug killer, etc. The really great part is you can shop and take ANYTHING FOR FREE!
Check with your local landfill to see if they have something like that, if not suggest they do that instead of dumping the chemicals into the landfill. My garage now resembles a hazardous waste center,
as FREE stuff can be addictive 😉
Another thing that could come in real handy that isn’t listed would be some coffee filters, you may be able to boil water to make it safe to drink, but if it looks dirty you’re not going to want to drink it. you can filter out quite a bit of debri with a coffee filter, then you can distill it and the result isn’t too bad. But there are alot of things you can use coffee filters for.
Rabbit skins make a good filter as well… fyi
Hugh?????
Use several layers of cheese cloth for the initial filter, removes larger chunks & is reusable over & over. I suggest a swimming pool test kit (for chlorine ) to get the proper chlorine amount in any size container/drum. Test tap water first to find out what your used to & at least 1 gallon of unscented bleach to store.
These are all fine, but as an old fat guy, I have resolved myself to sit it out when TSHTF. I have some concerns. First I have been playing with Hydroponics, and I think that I can make this work. How do I keep my garden safe from looters? Yes a Glock would do it if I did not have to sleep. I am in a more populated area with little land. I have got bars for the windows, along with a shutter system. How do I keep my garden safe?
Dog
Big dogSSSS
Everything will be wrong side up. Put up a sign that says “free to the public”.
1. Electric fencing….
2. String system that surrounds your garden and will awaken you if yanked, pulled or tripped upon.
3. Get a chemical or something that emits a foul smell….When people look over your fence or start to engage in shenanigans to obtain your vegetables they the smell more than likely will drive them away.
1.dogs are good you can always eat them if they fail.
2.boobytraps,crossbows,mousetraps, heavy weights etc. Mount heads on poles. 3.grow enough extra to trade with neighbors to help protect your garden
A dog is a good idea, a small one that is loud but not threatening, so no one will try to kill your ‘early warning system’, and not so much to feed (also, not tempting for someone to steal to eat) then, grow enough to share, keep seeds, and teach your neighbors to grow, so they will have their own, this will empower them, endure them to you, and be protective of you.
Grow it inside. You’d be suprised how much you can grow indoors in even a tiny apartment…there’s a lot of this on YouTube.
you readers are the best with great ideas. concrete blocks and rebar make an instant cooking/canning fireplace, a ‘wagon’ from harbor freight will be very handy for hauling. gallon can of vm&p naphtfa is lighter (or handwarmer) fluid.you can buy a 100#propane tank and have it filled, no renting, no contract. let’s all keep thinking—the best ideas haven’t been thought of yet. -bp
Infection, keep it at bay. Soap, band aids, bandages, feminine protection pads, bandage tape antibiotic ointment, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, shampoo, injectable antibiotic, syringes and needles (animal grade from ag store),suture packs(eBay), bleach, cloths/dish detergent, ammonia, aspirin, Tylenol, Imodium AD, cold relief. Be clean, stay clean, be healthy. In the old days, infections would kill you. When TSHTF, infections will kill you again.
I keep a medical kit that has sewing apparatus, penicillin and liquid morphine. Learning how to fix yourself after being shot may be a good idea as well.
Where do you find penicillin & liquid morphine?
“animal grade” penicillin avail at tractor supply- this should work on people too; idk, im allergic to penicillin. also shots for your animals health. 22 plus bullets. shoot small animals acting odd. rabies will make a return if we arent careful. find a friend with horses, breeding animals, for transportation
Wow, great list. really gets you thinking.
anyone who has a surgical kit, the disinfectant to go with it and anything to sedate or reduce pain for any kind of procedure will be a valuable ‘asset’ to any group as long as this person has the knowledge to use it all. Hats off for having something to reduce the pain- lidocaine would be great as well for suturing. If you can fix yourself after being shot, well you’re my new hero. And I’m not kidding either.
What a great list! We were blessed to inherit 3 generations of household stuff from people who rarely throw anything away, so after sorting and cleaning, there are only 21 items on this list we don’t have! I would add Leather working tools to this list. They don’t take up much room,and leather can be used for so much! If the stuff hits the fan badly, there will be a lot of dead cows….
I am an artist and have worked with leather a lot…Make sure to have a good book on how to tan the hides or else they will be worthless…for hundreds of years, the native americans chewed the leather to a soft stage and then tanned it with their urine.Everyone should know how to take the fur off a hide and use this method. Whats coming is going to take us back to the 1800’s and things will not get better for many, many years. We all need to pray that we don’t get a solar flare or an EMP because none of our preps will help us.
There’s also Brain tanning that the Indians used. Nothing went to
waste,which I’m sure it will come to again. I was lucky to live with these wonderful people for several years and still visit when I can. A learning experience ‘There are a lot of books that teach how to tan leather’
As I am reading this, I can’t help wondering what warehouse you’re planning to store all this stuff and still keep control over it? Sitting it out or staying in place, this is a lot of stuff! What happens if society doesn’t come back? How much will all that stuff be worth? Better to learn some skills which you can survive with minimal stores because someone or some ones will find a cache like this and take it w/o barter. Looting is looting and greed will be the order of things. Sorry for the damper, as an old country bred gal, there just seems to much “material” stuff here. *readying for the onslaught of disagreements*
What I find amusing is how most preppers are not in good shape. Being able to climb a rock face, run five miles or do a hundred push ups is going to save you far sooner than a makeshift stove.
Maybe so, but if you’re old or somewhat disabled,you may want to
be in good shape,but it’s not possible. Not everyone is healthy or young’
there in lies a problem… a lot of people who are believing and prepping are of the older generation. sure there are a lot of younger people prepping but……. i am of the older, heavier and less athletic set. i am trying to prep the best that i can with very limited money. i have been a tent camper since very young and even tho i am now a lazy camper (travel trailer) i still have my tent and all the basics for that type of camping. it will just be a very hard adjustment and horrible effort to not only sleep on the ground again? but the effort it will be for my knees to get me upright standing again. 😀 i do have adult kids tho. plus i do know how to cook on a campfire, to hunt, fish, to grow a garden and how to live without any power what so ever. love the light from candles. i also helped built the house i use to live in. i can built an outhouse with the best of them. sewing,yep i sew and can construct clothing without a pattern so i will have a large sewing kit in my supplies. this would also serve a double purpose to patch up 2 and 4 legged critters too. we have guns and ammo plus my son has a crossbow. i will be picking up a good slingshot and ammo for it. when younger i small game hunted with one and was pretty successful with it. you can also get adapters now and use small bolts with them. now that would be called stealth. need to really buy the food stuffs to store. one area i really fall down in is canning. it’s been 30yrs since i have done any canning. and now i see that they have reusable lids available. YAY! have also been buying books on homesteading, pioneer living and skills. amazon has been making good money from me lately!! LOL
meant build not built! ~sigh~
They’ve been making money on me as well and so has ebay. I found crank hand mixers, a paddle type butter churn, a nice solar lantern that doesn’t require batteries (yay! Got one for each of my kids too)right now I’m trying to find a push cultivator for the garden. Don’t forget those garden tools. By the way, if you’re going to stitch up a horse man you better have a good twitch or sedation and be able to clean it up good. Antibiotics might be essential there, syringes, meds, betadine. This Fukishima thing has me looking for an affordable geiger counter too. I’m kind of new to ‘prepping’ sorry to say but I’m relentless despite my family thinking I’m totally nuts. “You’re into all that end of the world crap, aren’t you?” “Oh here we go with the apocalypse now, right?” “One Second After what?” :sigh: really happy with my rocket stove though. Think I want one more as it won’t need propane or large amounts of biofuel.
I hear you echo – twice even 🙂
Canning? Gardening? Leathercraft? … …. start now.
I was thinking along the same lines’ Who has the room to store all the food,water,and all this added stuff??? I have lots of places to stash stuff,but a lot of it is unneccesary’ I keep everything to survive in my camper (except the food,gets too darn cold in winter’).I can hook up and be gone in minutes to wherever. I’m sure I’ll have to forget a lot of the things on this list and other stuff I might need,but I only have room for the basics and what I need to survive’ (I’ll throw the food in the last minute’)
5 Gal plastic buckets with lids !! You can get “Food Grade” free or dirt cheap. They work as waterproof storage and cannot be beat for a (sometime) toilet.
Free food grade buckets at your local grocery store bakery!
I’ve gotten quite a few from Albertsons bakery. They just
throw them away so you’re helping the poor baker who has to
haul them out to the dumpster!
you’d be surprised at how heavy a filled 5 gallon bucket can be… at least 40 lbs and a little unwieldy. Great for some things but I’ve been cleaning clear 1 or 2 liter soda bottles, drying them, and storing rice, beans, split peas, lentils, and drinking water in them. They are easy to pick up, easy to make a ‘care package’ with for a family member without breaking into a big supply like a 5 gallon bucket. The key is clean them first- I don’t drink soda anyway, just seltzer water so it’s a little easier but you want them clean to start- the lid too.
The 1 gallon plastic milk jugs you throw out are free ! I have several dozens cleaned out with lids & strung up like fish hanging in my attic crawl space. Some many uses I won’t even start to list them but it will come to you when you are deep in it ! The best part is they are Free.
Used my overwinter collection of 1 gallon plastic milk jugs, 2-liter soft drink bottles, and bottled water (16 oz.)containers to start my garden seed after cutting off tops. Am urban gardening so took advantage of plastic storage bins on sale, kid’s wading pools (Dollar General for $8.00 each), and 5-gallon buckets from Lowes ($2.78 per bucket)…drilled drain holes and placed on southside of house patio space. No cut-worm problems or slugs or potato bugs yet, but am keeping an eye on cabbage butterfly activity around the broccoli. Birds avoid the peas sprouting in container, I’ve discovered.
You don’t need all the expensive materials and equipment like tillers and such to feed your family. Look into vertical gardening and potato towers made from 35-50 gallon trash cans. Mother Earth News has all the DIY articles you need!
I would recommend the use of homemade compost and/or earthworms for natural fertilizer, and peat moss/potting soil mix to grow healthy crops.
Wonderful, Just Wonderful Ideas, Just one Question, How many of you have the Thousands of Dollars to Purchase these Very Expensive Items?
Did you Know, That on the Average, Fewer than 10 out of 100 people have the Knowledge, To use most of those items listed in this report?
Take this test, when you return to the office, Take with you a Hand Operated Can opener, Like those WW2 P-5’s We use to carry, along with that, a Simple needle & Thread, see how many Men can Thread the Needle & Sew a Rip in cloth?, It’s Fun to watch these Otherwise intelligence Workers, Make Fools of themselves, trying to Sew a Torn piece of Cloth, or Open a Can of beans without making a mess.
These are those that more often than not, Die within the first Weeks of a Survival test.
Likewise, All of the Tools in the Book, will not save your Life, Without the Knowledge to use them!
That’s enough for now, I’ve said all before, Get the Books on these topics of Wilderness Living & the books on How Things Worked & where made in the past, Then Study, Study & STUDY!
I didn’t see much on the list that I don’t know how to use. My kids will learn how to use it all too before they move out of the house. Great list!
After you study, study & study then you practice, practice & practice ! Before the SHTF ! It’s called muscle memory & will help in times of high stress which you will experience.
That, Jim, may be the best advice yet on this board.
Get your stuff and learn to use it now. It’s a little late to start learning to garden in September.
I would also add safety pins of all sizes. Never know when you may need to temporarily hold something together. Also, never hurts to have a little container of regular paper clips both big and small. They can bent to make a temporary flat head screwdriver or can be used to temporarily fix things or hold things together.
I would add silicon to the mix. The clear kind one uses around a bathtub and the like. Lasts forever, easily stored and would/could have many, many uses.
Yes, but do NOT let those tubes of caulk (any kind)freeze. Those tubes have a lot longer shelf life if they are in stable temperatures, not too hot or too cold. I had a couple of tubes in a garden shed over the winter and by Spring they were rock-hard lumps you could only cut with a hacksaw.
Screw eyes, fishing line, Air Horn – for rigging perimeter trip wires.
For Lice: home-made items to kill lice – such as Gasoline, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tea Tree Oil. For Ringworm: Fresh Garlic; or Coconut Oil mixed with Tea Tree Oil. (You may need to take honey w/Garlic to consume it). My mom was in WW2 – The importance of Fresh Garlic cannot be stressed enough, to preserve your health & prevent parasites.
Not Gasoline! Kerosene!
Great ideas! Does anyone know where I can buy an old fashioned MANUAL carpenter’s drill (called a “brace”) for boring holes in wood when no electricity is available? I’ve tried tool catalogs and hardware stores but they seem to have no idea what I’m talking about.
In a prolonged crisis, being able to build a shelter is going to be a primary necessity. Stock up on lots of hardware items and HAND tools.
I stocked a lot of hand held manual tools from eBay. Very easy and inexpensive.
Yep, I got 2 fer one on eBay, along with a bunch of the drill
bits!
I’ve seen them at auctions and garage sales’
check the flea markets, i’ve seen them there! along with a whole slew of “old fashioned” hand tools!!!!
Braces or hand wood drills at: Lee Valley & Veritas
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,180,42337&p=32300
I have gotten every penny I paid for mine back several times over.
I wrote an article once on them. Sears still has them online. I also find them at surplus second hand stores and garage sales.
I would try a place called Harbor Freight Tools. They’ve got stuff I have NEVER seen anywhere else. I know what you mean about a brace and bit. Most people just stare at you and say “A what?”
Rick, maybe we’re related? I’ve only ever seen Shultz spelled this way except for family!
Lohmans (Lohmens?) Non-electric tools Catalog. An Amish thing.
You can order a lot of the older style hand tools from ACE Hardware. The hand drill comes to mind.
You can also order those very cool, old fashioned fly swatters made of wire and net.
Check the flea markets and auctions… that’s where I found mine.
Someone asked, “Where you gonna store all this stuff?” Look into buying an ocean shipping container — basically a big steel box (you own it thus no rental fees). I bought a refurbished one 10 years ago for about $2500 (plus $200 to have it delivered). IF your lot is big enough and if zoning laws will allow, they are GREAT! They are very secure and will store TONS of stuff. Standard size is 53ft. long x 10ft. wide x 8 or 9 ft. high. (Smaller sizes also available). Maybe several trusted neighbors and/or family members could go in together and buy one.
Another item re Ocean Shipping Containers: If my house were to be destroyed, I could live in the thing. I live in the Phoenix area so summer heat is a big problem. So, I lined the interior walls and ceiling with 1 1/2 inch Styrofoam sheets and installed an evaporative cooler on one end. Stays reasonably comfy and is tornado, earthquake, etc. proof.
Toilet paper!! LOTS of toilet paper!
Use a magnifying glass to start a fire. A lot easier than rubbing sticks together.
A good magnifying glass will start a fire quickly, but only if the sun is out (and preferably strong). On very cloudy days, or at night (when you are more likely to need a fire), you need another method. There are a number, but for at least the first few years of SHTF, I have stockpiled a very large supply of Bic disposable lighters. Their shelf life is many years, at least — I have had them work fine after sitting in the bottom of a drawer for several years. Don’t trust the cheap Asian imports; they are total junk. Another name brand like Ronson is probably OK but I have never tried them since Bics perform so well. I bought a box of 100 Bics on eBay for $75 and plan on using some for trade goods. Someone who has no good means of starting fires will trade almost anything that will light his fires and candles a thousand times or more. I also bought a huge store display of Zippo flints, as trade goods. Lots of people havr Zippos or similar lighters but don’t have a big supply of extra flints. Gasoline will work tolerably well as Zippo fuel, but flints will trade at a real premium. I believe my price per flint was under 6 cents.
A reliable, long-term means of starting fires will be one of the most important tools when things get rough, ranking only behind water, food and firearms/ammo.
Along with those pregnancy kits, condoms and other birth control. Plus baby bottles, rings, caps, nipples, and pacifiers. Fabric of various weights. Iron-on embroidery patterns and thread. Yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, and patterns. Learn basis sewing and needlework skills. Handy for mending what you already have as well as producing more. And for trading skills or bartering the finished items. Yes, embroidery or knit/crocheted lace may seem unnecessary, but what woman leading an austere life wouldn’t be willing to barter to add a little beauty to an otherwise utilitarian item?
all tho bottle and nipples aren’t gonna do a bit of good if you don’t have a cow or goat handy! if it’s bad enough women are going to have to breast feed. so have good supply of cocoa butter on hand for smooth and sooth when your toughening up nipple and to use after breast feeding!!!!
Anhydorus Lanolin, your Pharmasist will fix it up for you, for the breasts, while breast feeding – things with ‘additives’ can be highly toxic to a newborn – who will be ingesting them.
pregnancy kits are also useful for diagnosing MENS prostate cancer, if its suspected use the kit, you get the blue line youre producing HCG cells = cancer developing.
dont know if this trick will work on past menses women, might, might not.
and Beeswax Lots of it for sealing jars candles and waterproofing etc melted warm NOT too hot, with small amt of kerosine etc added to thin it, add kero, when pan is OFF the heat and carefully!
lye for soap can be made by using fireash youu save and then adding water let sit and drain water off, when a potato floats its strong enough.
Salt Big bags to preserve meat tan hides and Alum for hides as well.
A fence post driver for those steel fence posts is a must. I once used a hammer and it was an awful task.
A geiger counter might be a good idea for testing for safe air after a dirty bomb or other nuclear attack or accident. I bought one on ebay after 9/11.
Even the radiation exposure tapes or tags could be useful.
Adding to my suggestion for a geiger counter. Make sure you do some research on them to be sure you are getting exactly what you want / need. I have been reading about them and the older Civil Defense ones, especially ones that are a Radiological Survey Device V-710,V-715 models 1A or 1B, V-717… are not worth buying. They sell for too much on ebay and are not accurate enough to give a true reading. Most of the older Civil Defense (CD) meters in a yellow can are not worth buying.
To your survival and God bless, Bo
If the power grid goes down, and you like your meals hot, a solar oven would be ideal. I made this one and it works amazingly well. http://solarcooking.org/plans/windshield-cooker.htm Folds up into practically nothing!
Wow, love the posts! I’d also include two of my GOTTA HAVE items: a man’s 2 sided mustache/beard comb and pure essential oils (Frankincense and Oregano).
Beard combs are great for getting ticks out of your skin. The teeth on the comb are very ridged. Choose the side (Fine/Close) you need according to the size of the tick. Slide the comb parallel to the skin until you get the teeth under the tick. Try to slide the comb all the way under the tick to the base of the teeth. Pull straight up to remove the tick.
I’ve done this quite a few times with my dogs and the entire tick comes off. It is stuck in the comb teeth and I can easily remove it to burn it.
I like the comb removal method best because I don’t have to touch or squeeze the tick to remove it. There is no danger of injecting more toxins from the tick into the bite area.
A prepper friend of mine introduced me to Theraputic Pure essential oils. I purchased a “physicians kit” from her and began learning how to use it. Discovered these essential oils are excellent for many uses to fight and ward off infection.
I recently treated a sick friend for tick fever using Frankincense and Lemon essential oil. The site of the bite was raised, red and infected. She had already started the fever and chills with bad vertigo. In 5 days she was fine. This woman didn’t have insurance or cash for a DR. It cost about 45 bucks total to treat her. That is a drop in the bucket compared to a office visit, RX and possibly ER fees.
These oils don’t take up hardly any room and are highly concentrated…a drop goes a LOOOOONG way. I am stocking up on them (signed up with the company to get a better discount) to treat my family and our animals. Pets and livestock can also be successfully treated with essential oils.
Wonder if Benjamin Franklin was talking about essential oils when he did the famous quote “An ounce of prevention is work a pound of cure.”
Great info from you. Can you tell me where you get Diaatamaceous and what the formula is for the ridding of parasites etc???(Pets & People’)
Thanks
Some dry cleaner suppliers still keep the big bags of diatomaceous earth. The Dry Cleaners that clean leather especially since they use petroleum solvents for that type of cleaning.
You can also get diatomaceous earth at any swimming pool supply store.
They call it D.E. for short.
good info and ideas from the writer and from everyone who commented!!! had to bookmark this one cause my printer crapped out on me. gonna be picking up a new one in the next couple of days tho, then i will print this off for my 3 ring notebook i’m assembling.
just thought of a couple of things. the comment about bottles and nipples got me to thinking. even if you don’t have a cow or goat at hand now??? it wouldn’t hurt a thing and could help at some point, find a local farm and learn about livestock care….. learn how to milk by hand. go horse back riding and learn how to utilize them as transportation and as work animals for plowing and dragging logs out. you can learn first hand or by getting the books. actually to learn how to milk by hand i would think, would be best done on a real farm setting. a lot of county fairs have milking contests, check them out too.
Amazing! Went down the entire list and didn’t see the most important thing! A Bible. (Unless I missed it!) Everybody is so worried about surviving an age that has so little time left. If someone can show me one thing in it that has not come to pass, I’ll never write in a blog ever again!
Perhaps we just thought it was a given that everyone would naturally have their Bible and maybe even their book of Christian Prayer. Being a Catholic myself I have a few books and items I wouldn’t leave out of my preparations for anything. To each his or her own of course, but I have a Bible, a pre-Vatican 2 book of prayer,sick kit, the full Liturgy of the Hours, my rosary (s), and holy water. Obviously not all are Catholic but to answer your question perhaps the Bible was just so essential it was taken for granted that it was included.
Scythes will be needed to harvest grain and hay fields.
First off let me say, This is the most informative discussion of an article I have yet to see. This page will be copied to a document and saved, And when condensed, printed!
What I will add is this. first, we don’t have to prep for 20 years, but we do need to plan for it. We do not have to buy everything new. For example. Cloths. Especially if you have children, keep cloths that are outgrown, for younger siblings, even those that have not come to be …yet. Yard sales, flea markets, and the like, is a great place to buy cloths very cheap. Stock up on different sizes for both winter and summer. Shoes boots and so on, same thing buy decent ones cheap. Keep the ones you don’t wear if in good condition. Lots of times kids shoes get to where they are not clean or pretty or what ever, and they want new ones. Keep the old ones. and old ugly but otherwise useable shoe/boot is better than a pair with holes in them. Cloths can be put in good garbage bags, then suck the air out with a vacuum, tie them tight, and wah-lah you have condensed storage. Remember, it is likely you will loose some weight if the SHTF happens. Common sense tells you you will be moving around more just trying to survive, so plan on some smaller cloths for yourself as well as the kids. Something not mentioned is a way to heat your home. If you are off grid, then anything electric will cost you in supplies one way or another to use. Anything that powers with 220V will be near impossible. Heat pumps, electric heat strips, baseboard heat= useless. If you can install a woodstove heater, GREAT, Fireplaces do not heat very well at all. If you can’t install a wood stove, then consider a small propane heater, like a buddy heater. Get a adapter to use it to run a 20# or larger cylinder. They are safe for inside use and run a good while. Have yourself a “warm room” this is a single room you will keep warm for a comfort level. Close off the other rooms including the bedrooms. Enough quilts comforters, and so on you will stay warm enough to sleep. I find sleeping better myself if the room is cooler.
Are you a handy man do it yourself kinda guy? Save that motor oil. It can be used to treat wood. Especially wood that will stay in contact with dirt, mud and so on. A base for a outhouse, fence posts. Have a creek or spring? look up generators used in creeks. For that matter you tube has more videos than you can possible watch concerning prepping tips, survival tips and tricks and so much more. Knowledge is the most powerful tool you will have when things go bad.
Okay, we have cats. They keep mice out of here and the ones in the house are nice company. I was buying kitty litter in tubs- those things are really sturdy and have lids and handles! They are easy to carry when full but not water submersible, just resistant I guess. Litter is clean when you get it, just clean it well before use. I write what’s inside on the lid with sharpies… oh, need more sharpies.
darn right! I never throw out baling twine, nylon or jute. From the first time I ever used it as a belt to hold my jeans up as a kid, be the bowstring for my homemade bow, a ‘war bridle’ for my pony, leash for the dog, I knew the value of this item. I never toss it out. I’ve even used the natural kind to make Christmas decorations- bows, braided garland, and tied it around paper bag wrapping paper. I also use it for scrubbies in the barn for buckets, makeshift groomers for the horses too. The nylon stuff will do almost anything you can do with paracord- not as pretty but very useful.
Water for livestock… wow. If you have livestock in the north you know you need water for them year round. Chickens are one thing but cows and horses are another altogether. I can’t depend on electricity or even a generator to get me enough- the average horse drinks between 5 and 10 gallons a day.. each. Even storing water in my three 55 gallon drums is only going to give me water for a while and then it will be gone. A rainwater collection system would be great if I had a way to keep it from freezing in the winter. I almost had a big plastic 1000 gallon tank that had supposedly only held water in it but nowhere to put it where it wouldn’t freeze up. No room in the barn either. Also, water in buckets freezes up so I invested in thermal sleeves from Tractor Supply- one in each stall and even in the coldest weather the most we’ll get is a thin film of ice on top they break right through- not even that if I add a gallon of hot water to each at night- but I save that for 10 degrees or below. A horse without enough water will colic eventually and that is NOT something you want to deal with if the vet can’t get to you. The family cows will also need water or they won’t make enough milk. Depends what the situation is- with power, without. Generation or not. Which brings me to my suggestion that anyone with livestock or a drilled well who doesn’t live near a creek or whatever invest in a Bison hand pump made just for drilled wells. It’s like a frost free hydrant and you can get water out of there without priming. Not real cheap but considering the alternative I would rather have access to water than not. There- my two cents worth.
Now would also be the time (if you take medications) to look into natural alternative foods and herbs that do what your meds do. Test them, see which ones work for you and if they will grow in your area.
These are great suggestions!, I have a few more:
Fibergalss fence rods -these can be used for Bows, Arrows, and anything else where you need a long flexible strait rod.
Surgical Tubing- Can be used for water lines, slingshots, medical uses of course
Clamps of various kinds sizes, C-clamps, Bar clamps, Scissor clamps, Hose clamps- Can be used to repair, fix, hold stuff etc
(I may be redudent on someone else’s suggestions)
Great information and obviously a lot of thought. I would suggest learning hypnosis. For pain relief (surgery can be done under hypnosis), faster learning, relaxation, taking a ten minute holiday, etc. I realize it sounds strange, but being able to have a positive impact on the mind could be a life saver.
Spare set of eye glasses.
lol, yeah. And a handful of “readers” in progressively stronger prescriptions. You can get some pretty good quality at Walgreens- three for a 10 bucks.
Might I suggest looking at a list not so much in terms of how to be self-sustaining, which is a fool’s quest, but what can be traded within a rebuilt community. We CANNOT have everything ourselves nor should we try to be “islands in a storm”. We WILL be defeated. If, however, we have built a local (neighborhood) community of like-minded families, we will not have to everything. We can barter, trade or buy. Examples not on the list are toothbrushes, cotton underwear, tribiotic ointment, bandaids. Just a thought.
Does any have any suggestions on HOW to stock up on prescription medications? Today it is impossible to find a doctor who will prescribe large quantities and paying for them might be very cost prohibitive and of course insurance companies are not going to pay for a stock pile! Thanks in advance!
My insurance plan likes to refill my meds in a three month supply through a mail order outfit to save them money. My doctor writes script for three month supply at a time and calls it directly into mail order company. This saves me money also — one refill = one copay. I just refill a little early so I have extra and can rotate supply using oldest first.
Even if your insurance plan doesn’t have something like this going, you might be able to get something like this set up with a few phone calls.
i evaced hypoluxo fla a day ahead of wilma …very intense storm ..predicted for 5 straight days to track across florida to my mobile home park….never deviated ….drove north to disneyland …radio said no electric power therefore no food …no gasoline …fooey ..kept on north to sc and hung with a buddy for 2 days …still florida out of action…north to nother buddy in nc …still no recovery …on to apt in nj ….weeks before power restored and stores back in operation….
#7-Yatze score pads, and poker chips.
#32-wrist,elbow, knee as well
#84- if using a straight razor don’t forget the strop and stone and shaving soap and brush
Ball caps,elastic (for sewing) and buttons,fly swatters,
#32, Don’t forget back brace. Not the flimsy ones sold at drugstore. The best ones are sold at sporting goods store for weightlifters and at hardwood stores.
oh! that made me think of a book on ropes, if you dont know how to splice a rope or braid a strong rope together to make it even stronger!
#31 “PREGNANCY KITS” will be plentiful! Better stock up on condoms and pregnancy TEST kits instead!
Lisa, check out this list and see what you think! Click here.
Oh my. All this stuff will not fit in my bug out bag. I guess I’ll have to stay right here in my house and hored all this stuff and listen to my wife ask “What do you need that thing for.”
I don’t think the website for purchases the free match is working correctly or its been hacked normally you put your information in first and then you pay for it and you get instance notice that you received it but this has the pay button first and the card information I hit paid and their is no confirmation its been accepted..9794181169 linda
My experience with spray bottles is so bad that I recommend you find some other — ANY other — means of dispensing spray. I’ve bought them from every source imaginable, and the best so far are from horse-type sources like tack shops or farm/feed stores. Those will maybe last a year at the most, but usually far less, depending on the chemical involved.
Those old-fashioned metal sprayers, with a push-type pump, would be a far better bet, long-term, since you can replace the only part that wears out — the little rubber disc that seals the plunger. You can cut another one out of any rubber sheet goods, like an inner tube or roofing rubber. I have not found a source for new models of this type, but I have found several old ones at yard sales that didn’t work … but cutting a new rubber disk fixed them every time.
Second choice — pump-type garden sprayers. They also seldom make it through an entire season with harsh chemicals, but most can be fixed by proper cleaning (to remove a clog), or replacing one or more rubber O-rings or rubber disks. Good garden supply stores also sell a “tune-up kit” for their garden sprayers, so you can pick up a couple of them when you buy the sprayer. There are Youtube videos that give exact instructions for troubleshooting and fixing these pump-type sprayers.
I know this might seem odd – but – I stocked up on 2,500 pairs of adult disposable diapers, and around 50 pairs of adult vinyl pants too. As well as vinyl mattress and pillow covers. Why? Because if – “IF” God forbid, there is no working sanitation and we should happen to be hit with a severe intestinal bug and have violent diarrhea and sweating… I want to be able to keep the bed protected, and my clothing from being soiled with Poo. I have seen what dysentery looks like, and it is messy, stinky, and just awful to deal with. It can also kill you… and it can be spread via contact with the body fluids. I have chosen to prepare for just such an emergency.
The #1 thing the military worries about protecting it’s personnel from is viruses and bacteria associated with toilet waste and improper hygiene. Dysentery can immobilize an entire Army within days.
All the more reason to have cases of Bleach, Ammonia, Lysol, Vinegar, Borax, Fels-Naptha soap, Liquid laundry soap, Bath bars, Sanitizers, Gold Bond medicated powers, Baby Powder, Kitty Litter, and floor dry sweeping compounds = oiled saw dust, which picks up everything and traps dust. The tighter the quarters and the longer the duration within those quarters, the more the challenge it is to be keeping everyone clean and healthy.
I have panicked and I can’t seem to stock enough toilet paper, paper towel, tissue, baby – facial wipes, and personal toiletries. I have been monitoring how much stuff we use in a month and it is mind blowing.