If you begin prepping for TEOTWAWKI, and a good stockpile is on your list of preps, it will quickly become evident just how many different items are useful to stockpile for a SHTF situation. Your list can be short and sweet at first, but once you really get into things, you’ll see just how enormous a list of gear to stockpile can really get.
Every once in a while, it’s good to go back to the basics: to make sure that out of all those things you’ve already stockpiled, you’ve got enough of the stuff that you’ll really miss the most. Here’s 10 items that instantly make the cut.
10 Things You’ll Really Miss When the SHTF
1. Alcohol
There are many reasons why alcohol is an excellent resource. The top two are obvious: its physical impact on us when we consume it, and its ability to disinfect wounds. Whether you’re personally into drinking alcohol or not, you’re going to regret not having enough alcohol when the SHTF. After all, think of all the people who would be willing to trade almost anything for a bottle of their favourite whisky or beer.
2. Soap
Along the lines of disinfecting, you’re going to really regret not having enough soap post-crisis. Without basic sanitation, you’re going to get sick fast, and ill is something you definitely don’t want to be when medicine is in short supply and you need as much energy and strength as you can possibly have. The best tip you could possibly have in terms of soap shopping for post-crisis scenarios: try to stock up on soap that’s anti-bacterial. Think Lysol.
3. Can Openers
It’s great to have a high quality can opener, but if you lose it or break it, you’re in a lot of trouble. The majority of stockpiles will have a very large number of canned goods, and without a can opener, it’s going to be difficult to get what’s in the can out without wasting a good chunk of the insides or cutting yourself trying to get that can open. Do yourself a favour and get a backup or two, just in case.
4. Lighters and Matches
Really and truly, you cannot have enough of these lying around. Sure you can make fire without them, but it’s hard: really hard. Unless you have apt practice in the fire-making field, stock up on these as much as possible. They’re so inexpensive you might as well. Spare wicks and flints for your gas-fueled lighters wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
5. Toilet Paper
There’s a reason why this one makes it onto pretty much every list like this. Yes, it’s a simple thing, and yes, of course you can live without it, but you probably really won’t want to. Do yourself a favour and make sure you’re always (and I mean always) heavily stocked up on toilet paper. You can keep a back up of tissue paper and paper towels to use when the toilet paper runs out, just remember not to use them elsewhere or that back up plan will go flying out the window.
6. Scissors
You can have as many knives as you want, but when your last pair of scissors breaks, you’re going to be sorry. Scissors make cutting hair, nails, and a slew of other things one heck of a lot easier. While you can often substitute scissors for knives, it’s always nice to have at least one pair of scissors lying around that you can use. I personally have at least 5-6 pairs in the house at all times, as I find they’re also easy to lose.
7. Screws, Tools, and Building Materials
You’re definitely not going to regret having stocked up on hardware materials post-collapse. In fact, you’ll probably wish you’d stocked up on more. Nails and screws are essential hardware materials. They go fast and are a giant pain to make from scratch. Make sure you have enough lying around while you still can.
8. Painkillers
Now, I know what you’re thinking. A bit of pain here and there is the last thing you’ll worry about when the SHTF. Maybe when it comes to a little pain, yes, that’s true, but what happens when you get a cavity and that tooth absolutely has to come out?
Get some reasonably strong over-the-counter pain meds, and make sure you have enough to last you if the SHTF. Though painkillers have expiration dates, they don’t really expire. They get weaker instead, so don’t be afraid to stockpile pain meds just because of the expiration date. Try to mix and match since many painkillers like Ibuprofen (Advil) and Acetominophen (Tylenol) have different uses, and can even be take simultaneously. Stronger pain killers like Codeine will become useful too, as medicine will run out pronto, and there’s no real SHTF substitute for the strong painkillers without going for more risky natural opiates. It’s also beneficial to keep quite a few of these in a bug out bag if you happen to have one.
9. Ammo
This one’s obvious. Even if you’ve got the guns to hunt with, you can’t hunt without ammo. You’ll probably need more than you expect, so really, you can never have too much ammunition.
Along the same lines, it’s also beneficial to stockpile arrowheads and bow strings. Just remember that in a SHTF situation, you probably don’t want to advertise your position and the fact you have guns.
10. Bleach
What happens if your septic tank overflows and you’re left with contaminated waste everywhere? Need a quick way to disinfect water so you can safely drink? One simple and effective way to fix both these problems is by using bleach. It’s as cheap and easy as a cleaning agent gets. Once you’re out of bleach, you’ll definitely notice. Get your hands on as much as possible while you still can.
What Items Will You Miss the Most if the SHTF?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below!
I read about EMP ATTACKS in a lot of prepper sites. There are only two ways That I know of that will cause an EMP : A massive solar flare; and an air burst Nuclear explosion. A nuclear one would probably be used before a place is about to be captured. So all of it’s electronics are destroyed. Have you ever heard about an EMP weapon being used by someone who wants to capture a place and live in it ? Have you ever heard of an EMP weapon that causes temporary disruption?
To be honest Elbert, the broad consensus concerning prepping is to plan for the worse- even if its super unlikely. I doubt an EMP will ever hit my home but its something that is worth thinking about. Likewise with my current heating set up- I have an offgrid gas option which allows me to stockpile if I want. Currently can easily handle 6 months without restocking but its more of a peace of mind thing rather than a practical “the grid could go down tomorrow”.
As for your question, no, I have not.
Thanks for dropping by!
Rather than a nebulous amount of toilet paper can you suggest a rule of thumb for a years’ supply?
Thanks
That really depends on how big your family is and the kind of toilet paper you use. There’d be a huge difference between single ply and three ply for instance. Some people also use a lot more toilet paper than others.
Figure out how many rolls you use as a family in 1 week and multiply by 52 (or 55 just to be safe) – it’s the only way to get a truly accurate picture.
Also depends on how much “soap” and disinfectant you have… if you end up with horrible diarrhea from not having the above… you will possibly need more. I would over estimate on something like that. Figure what you use now and double it. As long as it stays dry and clean it won’t expire…
You know I’ve read most of these articles already and your not even touching the surface of what’s gonna be going on here yet.
First of all if you cannot get where your going in that first two days or three at most you’d better stay put. As soon as you put foot outside houses you and family are gonna probably get dead pretty fast. Yeah yeah you have a gun play so does everyone else out there and just because you shoot someone doesn’t mean they have to throw hands in air and die automatically lol.
When you leave your home your putting your whole family’s lives in danger for however long your outside in viable condition your a moving target of whatever stuff you have for anyone wanting it. Smart money stays out for awhile at least as long as they can safely stay home which might depend on who your neighbors are and what they have for needs. If you have a crazy neighbor who wants your wife or you life might as well just kill him first chance you get to do so even if you have to entice him into his own death.
If he is dead he’s protein eat him or her smoke em up and eat em whatever case might be if your a survivalist really that’s what we do. Sounds bad huh well if your family out your self is what your wanting to make it through a true survival situation that’s what it is.
There’s nothing off limits fear nothing but God’s punishment from him only and your half way home. Repent daily etc but no fear of man is beautiful thing in reality trust me been there for a long time without any fear.
Nobody that lives in the places you’d might retreat to aren’t going to e waiting on you.
I have heard area militia guys talking about the supply train arriving within a day or less of shtf happening. They don’t think they will have to buy anything abnormal except ammo. They will simply sit beside road and kill anyone coming down it and take supplies.
That’s a solid supply chain and survival plan in my opinion. We all know how to travel from point a$b to point c get on road and travel lol.
I’d suggest finding alternates because I can tell you many of these guys out in rural areas are planning exactly that for survival strategy’s.
If you think you’ll get into station wagon or suv and just go where your going without trouble you’ll be very very wrong. I heard it said at four milita meetings recorded and I watched em. One in Arkansas one in Texas two in California. You know if they actually thought if it in Cali it’s everywhere then cause those people are dumbest in America as a whole.
I don’t know where anyone’s from on here either it’s not personal at all just facts.
Get your water in house safely saving up for about six months minimum what’s that 700 gallons each for six months maybe being a little excessive. Lol
Food in place but try and make it stuff that doesn’t require water added or have too much salt in it. Buy the he’ll out of ammo and be quiet as you can be.
The less noticeable you are the longer you’ll live guys the more people see you the more curious you’ll become to them on how your living and what your eating drinking etc. it’s way better to remove wastes away from home maybe a few houses down at a minimum dumping waste on someone else property is smart move if you can get away with it. If you just use a ditch use it away from your home or place of refuge. Eve. Go so far as us No a inside refuge for dumping maybe a Nieghbor a few blocks away was murdered as a food item or just murdered for being alive. Have five gallon buckets around cause your gonna need em make one at least into a toilet with removable seat is nice and cheap while things are free to do right now.
These things y’all are talking about are all common sense stuff won’t keep you alive really in most cases stay put where your at as long as you can. Leaving safety relative as that is to everyone is a death sentence for you and your family. Many will lye in wait for such people and kill em eat em rape em whatever. Ladies stay ugly smelly and unattractive as you can be always. Rape murder is the word of that day man woman won’t matter to some ammo water food that is all really to start with the rest is relative it’s relative to wether you can actually live more than a few months anyway. If you do live that long then maybe as it has probably where’d down make your move and do it quietly at night moving only small distance a day amount of distance you can study is what you move each day armed or not won’t matter much everyone else will also be armed and usually not alone at that point.
You talk like you think there is going to be a zombie apocolypse. Lol. Even during the great depression, im pretty sure people didnt eat other people unless they wanted it as an excuse to do so…
Dude. Lay off of AMC and the walking dead or did you just watch 28 days later…..I obviously didn’t learn enough about survival and personal protection serving with the 101st Airborne Division and being raised by a 101st Airborne Division Infantryman.
Lay off the weed man. Save it fir the zombie apocalypse. Even if you had something useful to say, your writing is too grabbed to make any sense.
Well water is not a trick guys to supply yourself with it after power is gone. Buy a dozen check valves and bunch of tubing along with enough rope or paracord to reach well bottom at least 3x the amount needed is my own perineal reference to what I get.
I’d say that newer fishing lines braided is best stuff.
Drop it down to water with maybe 3/4” to 1-1/2” pipe a stick or two of it will suffice for bringing up drinking water for drinking from dead well.
Never let me see you sweat.
You’re going to run out of toilet paper eventually. Back before toilet paper, each person would have a nail in the outhouse with their name on it and a wash cloth hung on the nail. Whenever you did your business, you washed out your cloth and hung it back up on the nail.
Grim but true, sanitation is not something people think about but its worth remembering what we did prior to mass production of goods.
I would suggest getting a hand operated bidet thing to squirt water at your tush for cleaning!
Bleach doesn’t store long. Store Pool Shock.
Calcium Hypochlorite (Pool Shock) – From the EPA site: “Granular Calcium Hypochlorite.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of granular calcium hypochlorite (~50%) (Approximately 1/4 ounce or 1 heaping teaspoon or 7 grams) for each two gallons of water. This is “bleach replacement.” Pour this solution into pint bottles.
To disinfect water, add the above stock (bleach replacement) chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 oz.) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons (1,600 oz) of clear water to be disinfected.
(In a pinch, if measuring is a problem, 1oz of bleach replacement will disinfect a gallon of water.)
So 1/4 oz of Pool Shock will disinfect 200 gallons. 1 Pound will disinfect 13000 gallons. Cost, about $4.
It is usually recommend that a three step approach to treating water from open sources be followed:
1. Pre-filtering. This removes particulate matter. Pouring water though a couple of thickness of t-shirts or tightly-woven bath towels or coffee filters works fine. The water that comes through may still look like tea, but at least you have removed the crud and larger particles. By pre-filtering, you will also extend the life of your water filter. (You avoid clogging the microscopic pores in the filter media.)
2. Chlorinating. (Iodine – Hydrogen peroxide etc) This can be accomplished following directions above. Wait 30 minutes.
3. Final / fine – Filtering. The large Katadyn or British Berkefeld filters. Some filter elements available for Katadyn or British Berkefeld filters .2 micron rated. (Complete filter systems and spare filter elements are available from Ready Made Resources, Safecastle, Katadyn Pocket filter, and other Internet vendors.
Remember, sitting well-filtered water in the sun, in a clear container, for 6+ hours, can be effective killing bacteria.
Thanks so much for these tips, Scott. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to purifying water, but it’s probably one of the most important skills to learn if you’re in a location with little rainwater.
Be sure to store unused Pool shock in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. It comes in 1 pound packages and (as you have seen) you only use a tablespoon, or less, at a time. It is highly corrosive so you need a glass jar to hold the open package. And you don’t want it exposed to any water by accident.
Additionally you need to do this mixing OUTDOORS. (and consider breathing protection in the form of a face mask when using the powdered pool shock. Anyone who has ever breathed chlorine by mistake can appreciate not wanting powdered chlorine in their lungs.)
I have stockpiled a few empty bleach bottles (the full gallon size) to simplify my mixing. The empty bleach bottles will keep my mixed shock fresher longer because they are made out of light blocking plastic. (why I am storing them empty I can’t tell you. Perhaps I should fill them with water while it still runs from my taps? LOL)
Got news for you…pool shock breaks down after only a couple of years and will dissolve the container it came in – plastic pouches. I know this from experience. It was a waste of money to buy the case I bought and stored in our outdoor shed. Quite a mess to clean up.
as far as something for the kids and the adults also, go to pinterest and type in “adult coloring pages” in the long box at the top and you can find hundreds of coloring pages. I printed mine out on 24# paper, one sided. I learnt to make candles, soaps, and how to crochet, mostly if SHTF. Also, get some double sided razor blades and a doo hickey on ebay or Amazon called a “razor comb”. I found the one with the fine toothed comb on the end doesn’t hold up as well, get the Twinkles one for $3.50. This way you can trim your hair to be able to conserve your shampoo. If you grate a bar of soap, mix it with 8-10 cups really hot water, and maybe a tablespoon of glycerin, you can make a lot of liquid soap from one bar of soap. Definitely do research on Pinterest, print out the information and store it in binders in document protectors. At Hesperian.org you can even find medical books, “where there is no doctor”, “where there is no dentist” and books on midwifery, children’s health for when there are no medical professionals around. Ebay has sutures, surgical blades etc to set up your medical supplies. Definitely get some pool shock, one grain about the size of the period at the end of this sentence will treat one gallon of water, just filter it first. Stay safe everyone.
Thanks for all this great advice, Bonnie! :)
No body mentioned a come along? In bug out you may have to move a automobile or something. Also I stored some fishing gear with fake bait, a couple lures and flies, just in case.
The #1 ALCOHOL!!! HOORAY FOR ALCOHOL!!!! that’s the 1st or in the 1st 3 of every preppers list of things they MUST HAVE!!!! Rubbing alcohol is much cheaper and comes in plastic bottles that won’t break but that won’t get you drunk so you MUST HAVE ALCOHOL!!!! Everyone knows there won’t be enough problems in a SHTF situation so lets get DRUNKS WITH GUNS out there!!!
Laffin’. Yes, we will definitely need drunks with guns.
However it can be rubbed on a sore tooth, a teething babies gums and used to numb the upcoming pain of a medical procedure. (ingested, of course) In a pinch it can be used as a fire accelerate or to sterilize medical instruments (including a needle to get a splinter out). Brandy is good for soothing cold symptoms. (Check NyQuill. It has alcohol in it)
Or trade it with your gun toting neighbors to decrease their accuracy with their gun. LOL
I’ll miss cigarettes and coffee lol
You and me both brother (except replace cigarettes with a pipe!).
Toilet Talk. 20litre buckets lined with garbage bags are a great option when short term solution required- No water, sewerage pipes blocked or simply to store unwashed trash (if water a precious commodity)
Long term- have a look at http://www.natureshead.com and http://www.airhead.com both made in USA.
Have had a natureshead for 3 years now (on yacht) and it is great. NO water required. Works by separating liquid waste (dry poo compartment is required) and aerobic action, where air is pulled in by tiny computer fan (12 volt) and outside through tube. NO smell. No flies.
Oxygen breaks down the bad bacteria along with self heating from reaction. If toilet is NOT used for approx. 7 days, waste is compact and sterile. Normal toilet paper used. Looks like compost and can be used for such.
Just scoop it out with large Stainless steel spoon (kept inside cassette) double bag (shopping bags) and toss into trash if preferred.
Brilliant.
Bob
Neither site listed shows what you were referring to: portable toilets. In fact, natureshead.com site name is available for sale. Airheads site was only for floaties, rope, etc.
Candles.
A better/cheaper alternative (long term), is a Kerosene lantern.
Dietz (Germany) are the Rolls Royce models. Brass are best.
Cheap Chinese are ok. but don’t last as long.
You CAN use kerosene, HOWEVER, candle oil is FAR superior. NO smoking if wick trimmed correctly. Go to Lehmans.com and search “lanterns.” LOTS of great info there.
DON’T buy EXPENSIVE candle oil.
Buy bulk Pharmaceutical Grade Kerosene (check your labels on health care products. If they say PARRAFIN, it is kerosene!)
Vaseline is purified GREASE.
In New Zealand, Mobil oil Company can supply Pegasol 3440 Special.
Pegasol is available world wide.
Take care to label it correctly if decanting.
It has no colour or smell nor taste. EASILY confused with water.
Bob.
Ok. as a better option for toilet paper, I would recommend Baby Wipes. (Short term.)
1, more robust/stronger.
2. can be used to wipe face/hands/body when shower/wash not option. GREAT when travelling. Keep a few in a sealed sandwich bag. After being used, put into a 2nd bag for use as toilet paper ! Never any toilet paper available in public toilets when required.
Can be used as fire lighters when dried.
Disadvantage is they are heavier due to being per-soaked with liquid. Not as biodegradable.
Bob
Some folks are missing the intent of the list. (things you will regret not having enough of….not things you need to survive)
I’d like to add Needles and thread. Needles for sewing repairs but also for first aid problems like blisters that you can’t wait to pop on their own due to location and splinters that are making your body part unusable. (remember to sterilize with the alcohol that is on the list. LOL) Thread, cuz you can’t manufacture it and not everyone wants their hem repaired with dental floss.
I would also say containers. We have no easy way to self manufacture containers….and unlike plastic bags, containers are reusable for years, if handled gently. If you are saving same size containers they nest nicely and don’t take up much room to store.
And BUCKETS! Yes, the lowly bucket is often overlooked, but has so many uses in a SHTF situation (short or long term, doesn’t matter) I fill my bathtub when storm threatens to flush toilet. How am I to get water from tub to toilet? Bucket. I have food garbage to put in compost pile, how to get it there? Bucket.
Now I currently own 7 buckets. 7 seems like a lot of buckets to most folks. The power is still on and my well is still working yet all 7 of my buckets are currently in use. It’s fall and produce needs harvesting, nuts need gathering and every single bucket is in use. (I am headed out later to get 5 more…that’s the minimum amount I feel I need to get my work done. Hopefully Wally’s world or Dollar tree will have some cheap….but when I have enough money I will replace the cheap ones with sturdy ones from a farm store. Then the cheap ones can be pressed into serving as storage buckets and not transporting buckets ) And don’t forget a metal bucket to take the ashes out of the fireplace/pit/stove once in a while. (even outdoor fires need their ashes removed once in a while to make way for more burning and more ashes)
I agree with the buckets. When my parents were collecting things for 3rd world countries a generation ago, buckets were a biggie on the list.
A lot of good ideas here and a lot of good items and supplies to have. Just make sure you taylor the things you get to your environment. There is a big difference in what you need to stock if you’re in a city then if you’re in the suburbs then if you’re in the country then if you’re in the wilderness! I’m not going to try to write a book here, there’s already dozens out there. But the one item, the most important item, no matter what happens or where you are is KNOWLEDGE!! I’m not are big fan of Cody Lunden, but his saying is sooooooo true….. The more you know – the less you need!
Sewing Needle & Thread
Dryer Sheets
Lint
Coffee Filters
Small Speed rivers
Old backpacks to carry stuff in.
Magnifying Glass
Tweezers and Clippers
Sandpaper
Clear Bottles -all sizes
Fishing line & hooks
Vinegar
Flint
Ax
Yarn and looms to make clothes, hats and scarves.
Racquet ball – knock stuff out of trees.
Flammable liquids.
@Bridget:And all of those things would probably fit in a small to medium size backpack or duffle, which is on your list, too. In short, Good List! These are all little things that would be very handy for replacing day-to-day conveniences that are so much a part of our lives that we don’t even think about them anymore.
nail clippers
When buying sewing supplies, don’t forget the needle packs that have speciality needles, leather, etc. Fishing line is super strong thread, if a little difficult to keep from tangling, along with dental floss.
Floral wire is very handy. (comes in different thicknesses) for all kinds of small attachment jobs.
It might be wise to have some very simple patterns. (Old sheets can become clothing) It might be good to invest in some elastic. It does give out after time, but sure would be handy. Also, don’t forget different sized safety pins (for when thtat elastic dies)
Also, if you don’t want white “sheet” clothing, boil up some tree bark as dye to hide among the brush. Onion skins work as well.
Toothbrushes and toothpaste, without these you will start going through those painkillers damn quick! Also, something as simple as a jar of yeast will take your hard buiskets to delicious loaves of bread. Simple Bulk food ingredients are great, wheat stores great for flour, as do corn and beans, this wont be your good old sweetcorn, but it will get the job done and you can even make alcohol with it.
An obvious and surprisingly overlooked,absolute must have for any situation is a sewing kit. A well equipped kit with a variety of needles of every size and different sizes of thread would not take up any space at all. Too many uses to list. An absolute essential item in my opinion.
I have an antique tredle and a hand sewing awl. I have one area of my home just for sewing and making things as well as; I bury sewing kits in my food caches in various locations.
Native people around the world hold needles as VERY precious. Hard to make small ones due to problems boring the eye.
VERY tradeable item when travelling and they take up no room !
Store in small bottle with TOP quality (softer) bees wax. Wipe needles before AND after to lube and stop rusting.
Bob
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is also essential (not to be confused with Grape Seed) as it’s a disinfectant that kills bacteria, viruses, parasites and cysts. It can also be ingested, although should not be taken everyday as too much could upset intestinal flora.
It’s non-toxic and is sold as a concentrate and MUST be diluted in water for disinfecting, OR a few drops are all that’s needed in water or juice for drinking. It has a myriad of uses, but no matter what you use it for it MUST be diluted. Never use near eyes. Never use undiluted on open skin. It must always be diluted. I use GSE to clean my hands instead of hand disinfectant. I put a few drops on a clean wet towel or wet paper towels and wipe my hands. I always have a few in a sealed plastic baggie when we’re out and use it to wipe the kids hands clean, instead of using those toxic hand disinfectants.
GSE is all natural. It’s sold in pocket-sized 2 oz plastic (I use Nutri-Biotic brand, the one with the burgundy-colored cap) ) for around $12 and it lasts for months. I carry it with me wherever I go. I’ve even used it to disinfect everything from counter tops to combs to toothbrushes, as well as to clean fruit & veggies.
If water is scarce I add a few drops to a clean, wet towel and wipe the fruit & veggies clean OR just stir a few drops in a bowl of water and drop the fruit or veggies in — it disinfects the outer skin. It’s great for cleaning berries & grapes where microscopic mold can grow- just a few drops in a bowl of water and it kills most everything within 1 minute.
It does not remove pesticides or toxins. Also, GSE is heavier than water so it sinks to the bottom of the bowl/glass and therefore needs to be stirred.
One time we were eating take-out chicken burritos and realized some of the chicken chunks weren’t thoroughly cooked. I drank a 6 oz glass of water with 2 drops GSE stirred it it and nothing happened, didn’t get sick, while my 2 friends were up the entire night sick – they refused to drink the GSE in water. Another time my 6-month old nephew ate something nasty off the ground before we could get it out of his mouth. We gave him 1 drop of GSE mixed in 4 oz of water and he didn’t get sick. Also safe for pregnant women.
I also used it to clear up my nephews diaper rash; mixed a few drops of GSE in a small plastic tub of water and soaked his little tush in it for a few minutes every few hours and then patted dry and re-diapered him and the rash completely cleared up in one day.
I used it for a scalp infection once. It worked great. I put 4 drops of GSE in a quart of water and used it for the final rinse. I did this every few days after shampooing my hair and the scalp infection was gone in 1 week. Be careful NOT to get in your eyes.
Also do not ingest GSE around the same time you take an antibiotic or a probiotic.
So stock up on GSE, but get used to using it and learn it’s many uses before the SHTF.
Wow. what a great product. Cheap AND so versatile.
I’ve been reading quite a bit about this product lately.
I’ve used Thursday Plantation Oil. Also known as Tea Tree Oil.
Meluca Altemifolia. for pretty much the same applications (no pun intended) for many years. Strong (pleasant) smell though.
Can be made water soluble with the addition of alcohol for use in spray bottles. Cheaper than buying water soluble version.
Bob
Dont store liquid bleach
http://readynutrition.com/resources/better-than-bleach-use-calcium-hypochlorite-to-disinfect-water_19062010/
Thanks Sherri Kyle….very helpful. I did not know that.
Instead of Bleach I have stocked up on Vinegar; cheap, white, distilled vinegar that I wouldn’t consume. The gallon-sized jugs that cost $1.00 (give/take 25 cents), depending upon where you live. Cheap vinegar is a great disinfectant, cleaner and I’ve even used it to wipe the fridge and countertops and to clean dishes, glassware and silverware when camping and water was scarce.
Vinegar kills 99% of all bacteria, germs, parasites and viruses and is non-toxic. The smell dissipates after a few minutes, especially if the windows are open.
When camping I soaked a few wads of paper towels or a clean dishcloth with vinegar and wiped glasses, silverware, and dishes clean then dunked them in a plastic tub of clean water to rinse. When I drained the water I used it to rinse my hands and when at home to water the plants. So, that will also work if you really need to conserve water and if the power is out and you can’t run the dishwasher.
I buy vinegar whenever it’s on sale for .99 cents and just keep stocking up on it. The only thing is that unlike Bleach, it doesn’t clean heavier mold infestations, only the small minor ones. Other than that, vinegar is safe, effective and has many uses.
Vinegar’s actually a great call – very good alternative, thanks for pointing that out!
Most of these aren’t stockpile items as much as DIY tricks. Cans can open with concrete. Water can be ppurified by a rapid boil. Soap is simple to make; as is alcohol. Building materials are great but make sure that you can screw something without use of an electric drill. I stockpiled a few old time hand drills along with tons of auger bits and an auger bit file. After trying my hand at homesteading for the past year, my “can’tstockpile too mmuch list” includes:
Gloves: the prickers on plants, claws on rabbits, chickens pecking, raking, shoveling, weilding an Axe etc, your hands will thank you as you go through multiple pairs.
Pallets: you can use them to makeshift anything.
Barrels: for food storage for garden produce, keep rodents out of animal feed, store caches around property, storage gardening, rain barrels, dog and goat houses.
Tarps: do NOT stockpile the cheap blue ones. You’ll regret it as they’re light duty and tear all the time. Get the grey, green, or brown ones- they’re medium-heavy duty so theyact as better ccamouflage and cover animals in the rain, compost on the ground, awnings, concealment, waterproofing things.. The list goes on.
Rivets and snaps: rivets for fixing all things metal and snaps for fixing all things cloth.
Other “can’t have too much” items include: empty milk jugs/ccoffee creamer bottles/tin cans; paracord and rope; duct tape; plastic sheeting; PVC and adaptors; fencing and chicken wire; plastic sheeting (3mm and 6mm); trash bags; shovels and garden spades; seed banks; how-to manuals…
Side note: preppers shouldn’t rely on batteries and solar stuff. An EMPwhich is a viable threat can knock out even solar and anything battery related. We stockpiled hand crank and shake flashlights. The solar craze right now is all sales gimmicks. Don’t bank on those things solely for survival in a SHTF scenario.
Didn’t know that about the blue tarps – have a few of those and a few green ones. Will make sure to pay close attention & only get medium-/heavy-duty in future.
Pallets are extremely useful, you’re right.
And I definitely wouldn’t trust everything to solar chargers, but I’d certainly have my fair share of them lying around. Good for small emergency situations like power outages in winter and such. I wouldn’t buy too many, however, as I feel they’re getting more and more efficient all the time, so no point in investing when I can get better if I wait a few years.
Thanks for these tips, Kitty!
My experience with blue tarps is that they’re a real pain. DON’T buy them. They are cheap and don’t last. If you only want to cover something for a couple of seasons in the open, or a couple of years (max) in the shade, they’re fine. Problem is, after that time period they begin to disintegrate…into teensy, tiny pieces that you’ll be collecting for quite some time. Plus, they have to be disposed of in the trash…imagine filling your bin weekly with blue tarp remnants for a couple of weeks until you’ve finally gotten rid of it and then you’ll appreciate my advice.
Blue tarps are good as an intermediate layer, such as tarps paper. It actually is a great substitute for tar paper. Don’t think it’ll work in place of roof shingles, but to will work as a vapor barrier in the roof and around the walls. It is permeable enoulg to keep condensate from turning to soggy insulation, then moldy insulation, but it’s waterproof enough to keep the water that makes it through, out of the house, by guiding it to the eaves or foundation, thus away. Just don’t put it over something for the winter and expect it to be there in March. It doesn’t work that way. It retains a fraction of its strength when frozen. The fibers break one-by-one in a rapidly accelerating pattern until you have blue tassels left. It adds to the frozen wasteland vibe of the place.
Fair enough mate, where we currently live in doesn’t get cold enough to freeze (thankfully!) so its a worthwhile option as a “just in case”. Do you know if there are tarps (beyond the standard blue ones) that would survive lasting a winter?
Anyone here ever read the Foxfire books? Great at teaching the things we would all need to learn. Also a very interesting read. many library’s carry the series, or you can buy them on Amazon or eBay.
Have not, but thanks for the suggestion – will definitely keep an eye out for them.
I’ve read them. Most libraries carry them. Unfortunately, they don’t have a lot of truly useful advice in them. They are mostly stories from poor areas of the country and the hazards of homesteading. I’m not saying they’re worthless, it’s just that there are much better books available: “Camping and Wilderness Survival” by Paul Tawrell, “Going Galt” by Daxton Brown, “Modern Survival” by Barry Davies, “Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs” by Jim Meuninck and a host of others. Or…for a start, check your local library under these subjects: homesteading, prepper, survivalist, etc. You’ll find a TON of information–for free. It does take some time, but I’m retired and I have lots of that.
Another useful tool is Pinterest…type in “survival,” and “prepper” and you’ll be amazed at the resources available on the internet. A fairly comprehensive site is equip2survive.com. There are even sites with links to hundreds and hundreds of survival manuals (some are military tactical) and other useful topics.
I’ve probably read between twenty and thirty titles and I usually make notes and sometimes make copies of pages and retype my notes with the most useful info for my own SHTF binder.
I’m continually finding new, useful information. CAUTION: it can become an addiction.
Most bleach starts to lose effectiveness after about 6 months, not to mention all of the huge space it takes up. A much more stable,cost effective and smaller way is to store bleach tablets. They are available at everyone’s favorite big box for around $2.50 (depending on your area). Each Tylenol sized bottle holds the equivalent of 30 gal of bleach, and since they are a dry tablet, have a much longer shelf life. Look in the laundry isle, usually hidden near the end on a lower shelf.
Gonna check these out, actually! Heard the powdered stuff is much better than liquid – the tablet stuff is probably even a step up on that.
Tons of great ideas here. There is one, already covered but to specify, there is a shortcoming that humans share with guinea pigs, and apparently with a Brazilian cardinal.
Our bodies cannot make Vitamin C. In a bug out or extended deprivation scenario it is something that is necessary or we will get sick, and there are natural sources like rose hips and others that people can find to keep themselves from becoming scurvic.
I will put Antibiotics on my top lists.
During SHTF, any small disease can kill you. I think antibiotics are even more useful than pain killer.
Painkiller can be helpful, but they usuallly do not cure most diseases. But antibiotics does help. Problem is it is illegal to sell antibiotics without any prescription in many countries including US.
It is important since most people do not have SHTF stockpile in their home, and due to lack of sanitation, most people will struggle for some sort of infection.
Even if you do not need any, having stockpile, I believe any kinds of antibiotic/antibacterial will be extremely valuable trading item. Especially it is difficult to get them by bunch, due to prescription problem. Though you can still have bunch by ordering outside of ur country or buying antibiotics for fish or some animal.
Hi I really like this down to earth/practical SHTF site. Kudo’s for simple/easy and non complicated ideas. I live in the Los Angeles area so a SHTF event would be an earthquake for us. I am not sure how long a comment I can leave so I may leave a couple of long ones instead of replying with small comments.
1. I live in a urban area. A SHTF event would mean for me to ‘Hunker down” and wait for RedCross or FEMA. UGH. Here in Los Angeles we cannot drive during regular hours let alone a SHTF event. The freeways will be clogged. Our community is organized with CERT teams. They will knocking on the doors first. (don’t hold your breath for FEMA) 2. I agree with the top 10 list. 3. Add large heavy duty bags (like the IKEA ones) in case if you get red tagged and the search and rescue people tell you to get out or there is a natural gas leak. Bags don’t take up much space and easy to store-Tarps, duct tape, hammer, nails. screws, shovel, pick, mop, crowbar, old fashion manual drill-hard to get the screws in otherwise (repair damage or make shelter or protect your belongings in the backyard) Vitamins, feminine products, soap, shampoo good ideas. Buckets or plastic bottle to wash hands, hair, shower. For me metal products, pipes, diamonds, gold, silver, lead, unnecessary(good for teotwawki?) Spare plywood or 2X4’s, plastic tubing, rope-good. Paperwork, insurance, contact numbers, stored away. Washable spray paint or large sign for the garage door to indicate I am okay, my cellphone number or where I went for shelter. Propane tanks or for me, I use Butane cartridges. I have the lantern, stove and a small butane heater. All run on the same cartridge and I rotate them every 2 years. Standardize-standardize-standardize. Batteries-store AA types only. Your emergency radio, flashlights, FRS communication 2-way radios should all be AA batteries. FEMA hands those outs like candy. If you have other items that use C or D types buy the plastic AA adapters on EBAY. I have small amount of those 5″/120mm candles. I have that camping candle light which uses those small round ones also. Calcium Hydrochlorite or Katadyn the water purifier company makes the ‘Micropur’ tablets-sodium Chlorite type. 30 tablet package one tablet per liter. Much easier then buying pool chemicals. Speaking of water, you should have some on hand for washing, cleaning or flushing the toilet. Also yes bleach, Lysol, etc for clean up. Small toilet bucket and plastic bags for poop. If you live in a house or condo ground floor don’t let the sewage backup out of your toilet etc. It will make your house /shelter uninhabitable. Be prepared to shove plastic bags and rags in the drains. Books to read-first aid, War and Peace, History of Egypt etc. Playing cards, games if you have kids. Pets-food and poop bags and cage. Remember at the moment NO RedCross Shelter will take your pet. Another reason to hunker down. They need to change the policy-see Hurricane Katrina. Optional-highway flares, white spray paint for S.O.S. whistle, compass, and KNOW your GPS latitude and longitude – NO street signs, smoke, crushed buildings WILL interfere with rescue or aid. Evacuation area-where is your local school, fire station, park or community center. You will get food, telephone, and water there. FEMA could take weeks to find your house. I feel Teotwawki supplies vs SHTF are 2 different lists.
Rock’in and rolling in LA during 71 Sylmar quake…..
Very nice write-up! Love to see people’s ideas laid out.
The adapters you suggested – an excellent idea. I’d also suggest that along with standard (AA) battery sizes, you might want to have a good chuck of items, radios and illumination items especially, that are wind up and/or solar powered. Or at least have a solar charger for your rechargeable batteries. They come in very handy when you’re running low on your stock.
Buckets and plastic bottles are also great for storing water in case you need to collect rainwater for washing, drinking, etc.
And good point about the rags to clog up the drains in case the sewer backs up. Ugh, the sewer backed up into my parents’ basement once – not at all a pleasant experience.
Humm.
Geographic disaster?
I was considering the death of money. Collapse of the International Monitary System from US loss of the Petro Dollar or Global Reserve Currency status or another banking crisis, defaulting on the debt or China just calling our note, or a financial war with Russia or OPEC, or stock market crash. Or a combination of these.
In 5 days you’ll have $12 gas, no food in the store and people in cities killing you for your cans of tuna.
Hunkering down in LA you’ll be dead in 2 weeks. Expect Martial Law for 2 days until the guys in the National Guard figure out there is nobody protecting their house.
Maybe that’s teotwawki to you but not me. Pandemic or Nukes or Meteor strikes or Alien invasion or Jesus appears and says times up.
Good advice.
Couldn’t you just go to a 3rd world county and study what they need day to day?
I don’t think they use TP so couldn’t you wipe with something dual purpose like oatmeal or corn flakes?
Missing from your list are …
Water storage and purifier
Canned meat, veggies, rice, beans
Feminine products
Antibiotics and First aid kit
Clothes
Hand tools
Propane
Seeds
Books
Diamonds, I like diamonds. Much lighter than gold, you never can have enough diamonds.
Also Cattle, Chickens, Sheep, Horses …
Thanks for listing the additional items – very true that all those would come in handy. Especially interesting that you listed the diamonds. God knows they’d come in handy in trade. ;) (edit: just as a follow up question, though I understand how easy they are to carry, isn’t it hard to trade with them considering CZ diamonds exist? or do you think the only people trading for them will be people who know what a real diamond looks like?)
And yeah, any homesteading work you do to your bug-in location will be a huge asset. A low-maintenance fruit/vegetable garden – also a huge bonus.
You mean how do YOU tell my diamonds are real before you part with your TP or scissors?
You could use my loop or use the bic lighter dropped into water method here.
http://m.wikihow.com/Tell-if-a-Diamond-is-Real
The real question is How much TP or nails would you need to part with for my ribeye or jerky? More than you can carry.? I might give you some eggs.
If you’re not homesteading, you need to buy a 40+ sailboat so you can go somewhere they normally eats fish n bananas. Cuz they are still gonna eat fish n bananas. People in cities are not going to do well.
Posted from my phone. Won’t let me edit my typos.
Sorry
That’s a really good link, thanks for sharing it.
I daresay you’ve gotta play it safe (security-wise) no matter where you go if it’s TEOTWAWKI.
I think it is a HUGE mistake to think in terms of diamonds, silver, gold, precious stones, etc. In a REAL SHTF situation, NONE of that stuff is worth anything.
Seriously, even if you think that civilization WILL return within a year or three (and I’m of the opinion that it will NEVER return), who do you think you’re going to be trading with?
Face it, people who prepared and have a little food, water, shelter, etc. are going to defend their stuff with their lives. You may NEVER have the opportunity to get close enough to their preps to ask for help.
I believe that people will become tribalistic, and aid those within the tribe and keep all others out. After the first six months or a year, food will be scarce. People out looking for it will likely die trying to get some.
IF (and that is a BIG if), you should find someone willing to barter, what do you think they’re going to want? Diamonds? Hell NO!
What will they want? They’re going to want fuel (stabilized gasoline, diesel, kerosene, lamp oil, etc.). They’ll want food (canned, fresh meat, edible weeds, etc.). They’ll want bullets for the caliber weapon they’re using. They MAY want matches, lighters, blankets, wool clothing, socks, boots, gloves, anti-biotics, water purification tabs (or similar), and additional weapons. They may even barter for YOUR learned skills that you can teach them.
Seriously, folks, if you’re preparing for a long-term SHTF, there will be ZERO demand for gold, silver, diamond, etc. amongst those survivalists who lived to tell the tale at one year out or more.
Better to learn basic skills and NOT depend on “supplies”. Study Cody Lundin books. If you are stuck ANYwhere without your BOB (lost, stolen, or left behind in an escape for your life), all you’ll have to rely upon is what you’ve learned to that point in time.
And I’m not talking about learning blacksmithing or how to fill cavities…too many tools are required for these occupations.
Learn all you can about homesteading, but be aware that no one is going to want to trade their rabbits, chickens, goats for money, gold, diamonds. They MIGHT trade for something actually useful: rifle, shotgun, pistol and ammo.
Once you commit to homesteading AND animal husbandry, you take on responsibilities that will last the rest of your life. You’ll be tied down to the ranch/farm. BUT, you just MIGHT survive if you can feed yourself.
If you cannot feed yourself, you’ll die like the rest. Even with all the appropriate survival skills, you many only last a little longer because there will be hordes trying to survive the same as you on the same limited resources.
Sounds pessimistic, I know, but your best hope is that a pandemic closely follows the famine to wipe out those in the city who are coming to get whatever it is you’ve got on your homestead.
Agree 100%’. I wouldn’t trade a pound of my beans or 10 rounds of ammo, for an ounce of gold.after shtf.
In some third world countries, they use vegetation instead of TP, and sometimes they don’t use an outhouse but instead use a “designated” area to do their business…usually a short distance from their workplace or habitation. In S.E. Asia in the late ’60s (in the countryside) they didn’t bury it either.
I’ll pass on wiping my butt with corn flakes !
In some 3rd world countries (no offense) you will sometimes find a bottle of water beside toilet. This is to wash butt with LEFT hand then rinse hand.
When travelling I carry baby wipes.
See comments lower on page.
Bob
Salt, sugar, cooking oil.
Metals…
Not precious metals, common metals like iron, steel, copper, lead & brass.) In large quantities…
I won’t bother with gold or silver hoarding. Their uses are limited. Mostly just for luxury/vanity items. Gold could be useful for electronics or tooth fillings, but I wouldn’t count on it. Silver could be useful for colloidal use, for tooth fillings or for solder. (silver solder)
The uses for non precious metals are numerous & obvious…
If you wear out your high carbon steel knife blade or your axe blade how will you replace it? Ditto for a plow blade, shovel, chisel, pick & other common tools that wear out with use. What about copper water pipes? How about solid brass plumbing fixtures?
Store iron, copper & brass scraps in a dry location. You can bury steel & lead scraps for storage.
Some great advise here! For financial hedging I always thought titanium to be good to hoard due to its relative light weight/price ratio and immunity to the elements- very easy to store (can keep it outside if you want to) and its applications in manufacturing will never cease to increase in demand.
For hoarding copper would you keep pipes as well as scraps? I imagine in a SHTF situation manufacturing pipes and other necessities would prove difficult.
Good comments J.L. Personally have three sharpening stones and each is for a different purpose.
My heavy duty 10 inch stone is for the axes, shovels pick axes. The other stone is set in a wood base and I use that for the kitchen knives and the third is very, very fine stone and I haven’t used that one yet but am eager to try it out. I also sharpen all my chisels and chain saw teeth by hand as well. Mostly because I enjoy the process and it saves me a few bucks.
There is something of an art and some science in using a stone to put the perfect edge on your tools or weapons. Once you get used to sharpening the edges of your tools you can even hear a different pitch as the blade becomes sharp.
I also keep all kinds of odds and ends of metal plumbing ( plastic too ) because you just never know when you’ll need an odd piece or two. I need to collect more copper and galvanized pipe and pick up a pipe threader.
Best,
Snake Plisken
You can have all the knives and scissors in the world, but if you don’t have a way to keep the sharp, they can become useless pretty quick.
Btw, great page I usually can’t get through the first couple comments without reading about some off the wall guy talk about government conspiracies or some who wants to buy a .50 cal machine gun to carry around when the zombies come.
Kudos to everyone for staying on base with the artical’s intent..
Knife sharpener: definitely important! And certainly something people do typically forget.
Thanks for the compliment on the page! And indeed, we’re lucky to have such excellent readers. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned just from the comments section of my own blog!
Knives can also be sharpened on concrete and if you have a decent ‘file’ you can sharpen scissors, axes or anything..
The ridge on the bottom of a ceramic dish can also be used to sharpen a knife or scissors. Just be careful of the angle of the object to be sharpened.
When shtf we need to think of the youngster’s mindset for the ensuing chaos.. make ziplock kits with crayons and pages for them to stay occupied mentally.
Yes, we definitely do need to keep them occupied. Keeping in mind a few games that can be played together that require nothing but our minds is also a good idea – in case those crayons get lost or broken. “I spy” and word games would certainly do the trick.
I’d add condoms to this list. Birth control would be of major importance if you are in your reproductive years. If not, safe sex is important if you are not in a committed relationship. Young people grow up and biology can be a strong pull, particularly during catastrophic incidence. If nothing else, great barter item!
Excellent suggestion
Better than having certain tools, why not just take the time we have and learn blacksmithing? You can make you own tools whch are better quality, and you learn an nvaluable skill.
My Stepdad ate aspirin that was from world war II. Long story as to why, but he lived for several years after without any ill effects.
I would love to hear why someone would take Aspirin from WW2, was there alcohol and a wager involved? ;)
Your step-dad should meet my adopted dad. He ate WW2 army canned cookie dough he found in our grandparents garage. He’s strangely still alive. However he did just claim that evolution has to be a load of crap because he’s never “seen” it happen, so I think he was effected some how.
Another handy item(s) are solar yard lights…I have them around my yard and when the lights go off, I bring in 3 or 4 to light the house…..took the pipe off the bottom you stick in the ground and drilled hole in a piece of 1×4 the size of the protrusion at the bottom of thelight so I could sit them on a table, sink or whatever, I have have sever brand new ones, I have never used, I save just for this purpose…if the power goes off in the daytime, you have time to recharge, if the go off at night and your lights are not charged…guess it candle time for one night LOL
Oh yeah those work wonders when the lights go out!
String pasta, for my pasta salad!
Kidding of course–I have it in 5 gallon buckets.
A friend who is a pharmacist told me the two medicines that she knew actually became poisonous after their expiration date were aspirin and one of the older antibiotics. So check it out before you stock up.
Did a search on Aspirin – I can’t find any evidence online that says it’s potentially poisonous after expiring. There is something called Aspirin poisioning, but it’s unrelated to expiry: apparently it’s what could potentially happen if you overdose and have too much Aspirin over extended periods of time.
That being said, it’s definitely a good idea to check each of the meds you’d like to stockpile individually. I didn’t check on Antibiotics because there are so many kinds, so to my knowledge, you’d have to look each one up individually. Maybe some have unstable compounds than can become toxic if stored for too long, not sure. But looks like Aspirin is safe post-expiry.
I’m not a pharmacist, but i do play one on TV! :) My vet ( I know, not an MD ) and i had a conversation about anti biotics and their shelf life. I was curious because i bought several bottles of ante biotics online and he did say there were some meds that would have a negative impact. Specifically, amoxicillin ( sp ) which could mess with my Metformin. The vet said that the antibiotics will degrade over time but if kept at room temp and in a dark place they’ll last for many years.
Best,
Snake Plisken
The ‘use-by’ date is set by the manufacturer and in most cases is completely arbitrary. Most antibiotics will degrade ‘slowly’ after manufacture. This simply means in most cases that you will need a ‘bit’ more to do the same job. The only common antibiotic that does not degrade ‘gracefully’ is tetracycline, which degrades to poisonous by-products and is NOT safe to use after expiry. There are very good references for this that were commissioned by the military because they were worried that their stocks would need to be discarded after an arbitrary ‘use-by’ date set by the manufacturer.
The interactions are completely different, however and may range from innocuous to life-threatening. You need to check with a doctor who actually looks up on a database about the interactions in many cases. (Most doctors know a few interactions, but not all of them… for example – flagyl – often used to treat giardia (beaver fever) has an ‘interesting’ resemblance to Antabuse when ingested with alcohol.)
An Emergency Physician… and disaster medicine teacher
…and prepper…(but I repeat myself occasionally).
I agree with you Alise. I needed some pain relief and couldn’t get to a store. So…I used some forty-year-old aspirin I had in a small plastic container from my days in Vietnam and they worked just fine…and I’m still kicking.
I used to get headaches in Vietnam in ’69-’70 and I would take aspirin (Bayer) for relief. When I got back to the US I tossed the little bottle into a drawer and forgot about them. About twenty or so years later, I had a headache and couldn’t find any aspirin at my place and I ran across that “aged” bottle and took some. They were a bit powdery (from age and humidity), but they worked just fine. I wouldn’t use them today (I still have that bottle…a memento from times long ago) but I suspect they wouldn’t “poison” me.
I don’t believe that aspirin will poison you. I had a little bottle of the stuff from my Vietnam days and couldn’t find any pain reliever about twenty-five (or was it thirty?) years later. I used what I had from 1969 and it worked. I didn’t get poisoned and would use it again if nothing else were available.
The danger was item tetracycline, due to a preservative they once used. Not a problem any more, which is good. They all do slowly lose effectiveness after 4-5 years , and by about 10 years, you’ll want to double the dosage. Store cool/fridge. And pet antibiotics are IDENTICAL to human, and cheap on line.
I discovered during a relatively brief “no power” situation that the best lighting at night to read by (or do anything else for that matter) was from my outdoor solar lights. I purposely bought a few with the highest lumens possible. They work great!
Yeah those solar lights are awesome backup lights. Great tip!
If things get Mad Max bad, the thing we will all be missing most is PRIMERS. A gun isn’t worth much without a cartridge, and they require primers… and primers aren’t an easy DIY project. DIY primer chemistry will at best set your workspace on fire, and at worst, will turn you into a red mist. I attempted to make lead azide (the chemical that makes a primer impact sensitive) once…. just once…. and I’ll never attempt something that insane again. I made a 5 gram batch, very small, just in case I set it off. 5 grams won’t rip your arms off in the blast if you screw up, but it will shrapnel damage you and the room you are in. I managed to make 112 primers before it dried out too much while I was working and detonated while I was mixing it to make another primer… it didn’t hurt me, because I was wearing welding leathers and an impact rated full face mask, but it did make a loud *FFFOOOM* and an enormous poof of white smoke that billowed out of my garage… my neighbors were not amused, but they know I’m a friendly guy, and that I will protect and help them like they were family, so they let it slide. I had to show a few folks what I tried so they wouldn’t think I had a meth lab or something. It was embarrassing, scary, and demonstrated the luxury of something as simple as a primer. If SHTF, there won’t be many primer manufacturers… not living ones anyway… BUY THEM. Even if you don’t reload, they are a commodity with a finite supply, like gold, clean water, and alcohol.
Agreed, you can cast bullets and make gun powder but your shit out of luck without a primer. I can’t say I have ever been tempted to make my own before- I am glad your still in one piece! ;)
Ever thought about getting an old school flintlock rifile reproduction by Pietta? They seem pretty reliable.
A case of those strike anywhere matches can be used to re-arm a spent primer in a pinch. Gently!! scrape off the white tips and crush to a powder with a wooden stick. Pop the spent primer out of the case and remove the tiny three pronged anvil inside. Use a nail with a flattened point and a small hammer to gently knock the firing pin dent out of the primer body. Put enough of the powdered match tip into the primer body to fill to the top and then press it down with the flattened nail tip until you can re-install the anvil piece. Reload the primer into the cartridge case.
Do these one at a time in case one decides to pop off randomly. I’ve reloaded .38/.357, 45acp, 30-06, and a handful of other calibers in this manner, and used home brewed black powder and cast wheel weights for bullets. sealed in the case with some clear nail polish they last for a year or so before dying out due to environmental degradation, and have always been plenty accurate with a good load formula in my guns.
Primers are a whole lot easier and cheaper, but don’t be afraid to get creative in a pinch.
I apply for all those little samples and put them in a bin. All those samples of shampoos and soaps etc become my stockpile. Nobody realizes I’m doing it either. Mwahahahaha
That’s an especially good way to stockpile if you’re on a budget – clever!
***Notices evil laugh***
so, uh…. wanna trade perimeter defense tools? I made a wicked morning star out of a concrete stake and some 9 inch nails, with the help of my welding machine… just sayin….
If you mean Caltrop, yes, that would be effective. And good welding practice. I would go with thin 3 inch nails, to go unnotice, but will poke right thru boot soles. Disable intruders, to encumber their friends.
Opening a can without a can-opener is surprisingly easy, if you know the trick.
You just need a flat patch of concrete, or even a cinder-block would work. Simply scrape the top edge of the can against the concrete until the juices start leaking out. The top of the can is easily removed at that point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbxKbI9Ik4o
Thanks for the link to the video, and yeah, I really need to try that! Definitely an excellent skill to learn.
what a mess with soup can ;)
One thing that stood out to me is multivitamins. Regardless of what happens, you can’t always ensure you are getting what you need, and if living off the land is your last recourse or you are surviving off whatever you could salt or smoke in fall for winter you will run short of your bodies need.
The first thing that should be on this list is a way to purify water. Yes, many have a filter but that isn’t a long-term solution, nor does it address the root of the problem. You still need access to water and don’t tell me rain collection unless you’ve actually tried it in the summer and was able to cap it before fall (here in the US NE). Simple things are hard. Having water you can really trust is way up there on the difficulty list.
Water purifier + multivitamins are great suggestions! I’ll be sure to add them to the next list.
Lifestraw makes a handy little personal water purifier that will tuck easily into your bugout bag. They’re only around $20 and each one purifies about 1000 liters.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QF3TW4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Definitely! We actually did a review of that one here.
I recommend the Sawyer mini filter over the life straw. It can be used the same way but also can be used to filter water for storage, has a finer filter pore size, higher volume use rating and about the same price. https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-mini-filter/
Check out this chemical potassium pomegranate it’s a great survivable has many uses building fire , Water purification , antiseptic…
Great list! I think I’d miss tampons & pads an awful lot.
Can’t argue with that!
They’re essential to a good survival pack, and not just for the obvious reason! They indispensable for bandages, good for emergency water filtering, and can be used as tinder to start a good fire. They’re also better than a lot of other methods for stopping a nosebleed that won’t quit.
I don’t think it’s possible to store enough of these for the long run – especially for younger girls /women. Research menstrual cups and consider purchasing them for a time when tampons and pads will not be available. They make great stocking stuffers and I guarantee the recipient will love you for life!!!
I agree, menstrual cups are great.. if taken care of, most can last 15-30 years if need be… I’ll get a few extras to have on hand.. along with some re-usable pads (partypantspads.com are thin, yet really absorbent and are my favorites.). Though she’s only 3, I’ll get enough for my daughter as well.
or diva cup
Tampons and maxipads are great for SHTF, and not how you might think. If you get wounded or have to stop the bleeding, they are perfect for soaking up the blook thus possibly saving your life.
Tampons are also helpful for staunching wounds, and sanitary napkins are excellent for covering and protecting large wounds. Apply salve and tape the pads onto the affected body part (Or secure with a sock tube.) Menstrual pads do not stick to wounds like gauze does. I have bandaged up injured horses wirh these things!
breast cancer taught me that plain old household style Chux wipes, folded over into a pad, make really useful, non-stick wound dressing pads. always keep a couple of packets handy.
Alohas Elise,
Being a Retired Chemist I think anyone who is gong to use Calcium Hypochlorite Should know and be warned that it is a VERY STRONG OXIDIZER,, The weaker Pool Shock in Granular form Is 68% Calcium Hypochlorite if left on Wood or paper it can cause both to burst in Flames, It also reacts with other substances also in releasing the Noxious Chlorine Gas in a potentially Rapid release in a deadly manner, if not handled properly.. Inexperienced people,, Should learn how to handle it,, before they do.. I refer you to the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET For more information.. http://www.commercialaquaticsupplies.com/MSDS%20calcium%20hypochlorite.pdf
Please Review it and always include it with any suggestions of it’s use.
Yes it is an Excellent purifier of water, as it it used for that frequently however normally it is dispensed by someone with experience with it .. I would use it myself over household bleach any day, but Then I am a Chemist..
—30—
Thanks for the tip, and for the link to the safety sheet as well. I’ll print it off and keep it with the product once I’ve got some for my stockpile. Always good to be cautious.
Good list Elise. I’m in pretty good shape based on your list and i especially like the suggestion to save screws and nails. I have a huge collection of screws, nails, bolts and washers. Friends and neighbors come over looking for odd sized fasteners and I usually can fix them up with something that will work.
Could i add another category to your list?
I find that I often use caulk, glue and expandable foam around my place on a regular basis. And don’t forget the duct tape!!
Snake Plisken
Definitely! I’ll get around to writing a second list like this one sometime in the future, and when I do, caulk/glue/expandable foam, & duct tape will be on there! Good suggestions!
Simple directions for CH mixture:
Calcium Hypochlorite is $4 at the pool supply store. One bag will purify 10,000 gallons so the directions are important –a little goes a long way.
Keep the bag cool and dry and it has a forever shelf life, not like commercial bleach.
Mix 1 heaping teaspoon of calcium hypochlorite with a 2 liter bottle of clean water to make the solution–this has a shelf life as a mixed solution.
Now, mix 2 teaspoons of the made solution to 1 gallon of dirty water. Wait 30 minutes for better taste or doctor using something like Tang, instant tea, koolaid, etc.
Remember: 1 to 2 then, 2 to 1
Thanks for this! Didn’t know any of it until now. Definitely need to experiment more with bleach and calcium hypochlorite for sure, but yeah, these instructions will certainly come in handy.
thanks for this info on the CH, JJ. I bought some online and didn’t know how to use it.
One caveat to the Bleach: store bought liquid bleach (Clorox or Purex) begins to degrade the moment it is manufactured. I’ve seen lots of different expiration dates, but they all run from 6 months to 2 years. I have stocked up on Calcium Hypochlorite. You can either find it on the net or buy HTH at the pool store. Just make sure it does not have algaecides or clarifiers in it which are said to make you sick. It comes in a powdered form which you mix as needed (1 tsp to 2 gallons of water to make the solution). This solution will then degrade just like bleach, but if you have the powder, you can keep making it for years. There is a learning curve, so do your research on the net first. The ratio is 1:100 (such as 16 oz of solution to 12.5 gallons of water to be disinfected) which is slightly different than the household bleach numbers. Good luck.
To be honest, I really don’t think I thought much about the expiry date of bleach! I guess I always assumed it’d last years and years, but you’re right! Thanks so much for pointing out the dates, not sure I would’ve noticed for a long time otherwise, and thanks for also sharing the suggestion of using powdered bleach instead – very good advice.
Bleach tablets last a lot longer than bleach, and take up much less space. Just add water:). I found them in my local grocery store next to the liquid bleach.
That’s a good tip, Claire! Thanks. :)
Hi all. Im allergic to Chlorine, Clorox, Bleach the whole deal. No pools during summer. No cleaning with it. I will be bloody mess from touch or smell. Sorry if that too much info. Anyway, couod I just stock pile up on portable toilet tabs?
Actually I’d be really curious to know what kind of Calcium Hypochlorite you stockpile, as I’ve been doing a quick search on the net and it seems it’s a bit hard to find ones without algaecides or clarifiers.
I have a bag of pool chem CaCl from Lowes… no extra stuff. Just CaCl. Bought it about a year ago. It is whatever brand they carry here in the southwest (NM), and it works well. Doesnt really change the flavor of the water much.
It is hypochlorite…. sorry for the brain fart for all of you chemically educated folks.
My grandfather buys this stuff by the truckload. We lived in the country with a well and had our own water softening system. So some people might be more familiar with it as water softening pellets. It’s all the same sum o substance.
Yep….its called “Pool Shock” and is a lot cheaper than bleach…
Calcium Hypochlorite (Pool Shock) – From the EPA site: “Granular Calcium Hypochlorite.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of granular calcium hypochlorite (~50%) (Approximately 1/4 ounce or 1 heaping teaspoon or 7 grams) for each two gallons of water. This is “bleach replacement.” Pour this solution into pint bottles.
To disinfect water, add the above stock (bleach replacement) chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 oz.) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons (1,600 oz) of clear water to be disinfected.
(In a pinch, if measuring is a problem, 1oz of bleach replacement will disinfect a gallon of water.)
So 1/4 oz of Pool Shock will disinfect 200 gallons. 1 Pound will disinfect 13000 gallons. Cost, about $4.
It is usually recommend that a three step approach to treating water from open sources be followed:
1. Pre-filtering. This removes particulate matter. Pouring water though a couple of thickness of t-shirts or tightly-woven bath towels or coffee filters works fine. The water that comes through may still look like tea, but at least you have removed the crud and larger particles. By pre-filtering, you will also extend the life of your water filter. (You avoid clogging the microscopic pores in the filter media.)
2. Chlorinating. (Iodine – Hydrogen peroxide etc) This can be accomplished following directions above. Wait 30 minutes.
3. Final / fine – Filtering. The large Katadyn or British Berkefeld filters. Some filter elements available for Katadyn or British Berkefeld filters .2 micron rated. (Complete filter systems and spare filter elements are available from Ready Made Resources, Safecastle, Katadyn Pocket filter, and other Internet vendors.
Remember, sitting well-filtered water in the sun, in a clear container, for 6+ hours, can be effective killing bacteria.
EExcellent point. You can buy it without algaecide on eBay.
I agree with numbers one and seven!
Have you got enough of ’em already? ;)
…I’m pretty sure he just meant if SHTF, he wants to get drunk and screwed.
I honestly can’t fault that logic, but I’m happily married, so I can save the alcohol for later.
Screwdriver??? :)
Indeed! Or equivalent multi-tool I’m guessing! Very good, will add it to the next list :).
Vodka and orange juice??????
Yep!
Omg fail. I just got that.
;)
Phillips Screwdriver: Milk of Magnesia and Vodka
Oh! So bad!
This is a great list, just a few more things I noticed were missing out.
1- Candles, as I can remember not too long ago, well… last winter here in Ontario Canada, we were hit by a major ice storm, as was much of northern US, and gee was it terrible spending the early winter nights in the dark. Candles were a major plus.
2- Batteries- now I know these do expire, even storing them in the freezer does not help, I know from experience that some of the newer batteries wont work in extreme cold weather. So finding good batteries and storing them in a safe location is also key, I do not want to run out of these.
Yup! We’re in Toronto and we got good use out of all our candles last year during the blackout (if you’re curious, we actually wrote about our experience during the power outage here)!
Even more useful than the candles were all of our flashlights, though, which of course we had tonnes of rechargeable batteries all filled up and ready to use with! Very helpful, especially in short-term emergencies. Batteries + solar charger = excellent SHTF prep, too.
Expanding on that thought a little I realized
That a smart phone would be very useful in the situations you guys discussed
If you had access to a diesel gas generator and made your own fuel with fast food oil (heat and filter)
You could charge your phones
But just having a flashlight a calculator
A camera (landscape viewing and map making)
Notes (to write wats happening and not waste paper)
Not to mention the compass
As well as an alarm clock lol
I would make damn sure I always had a smart phone on me
And everyone in my group or at least the people we sent out
They would all have fully charged smart phones so everything is recorded
Nobody fucks anybody over
And everything is transparent
They come back with the ability to make maps
And to sos eachother
Or strobe light you can make signals with lights lol
I recently purchased a Biolite stove which uses very little fuel to cook a meal. It has a battery attached that charges while you are cooking enough to charge a smart phone or run a light (as long as fire is going). I was able to cook a steak and boil water with just a handful of twigs and small branches. Very useful in an emergency/black out situation.
an alternative to solar for charging your mobile (assuming service is present) is a small hand-cranked LED flashlight that has a USB charging port. some come with radios. the one i have – the light will run for quite a while on a few minutes of cranking, but you have to sit and crank continually to actually charge the phone, but it works.
It all depends on the “type” of disaster you’re prepping for…in the event of an earthquake of massive proportions, a smartphone would be wonderful; but if there’s an EMP that takes out anything electronic within line-of-sight, all your smartphone will be good for is reflecting the sun’s rays.
Solar battery charger–helps a lot with those batteries.
Goal Zero makes top notch solar gear. It is the only solar gear I trust in the field. They can be a bit pricey, but my Nomad 13 has outlasted all of my team mates REI and off-brand solar chargers.
http://www.goalzero.com/
Agreed, Goal Zero provides good solutions. The backpack solar panel set I have charges not only AA/AAA batteries, but also cell phones, iPads, etc. That said, don’t expect it to 100% charge everything. It takes a lot of sun and time to charge something like an iPad or a small laptop, so either plan ahead with additional solar panel products, or have alternative sources like a generator or a larger UPS system.
In the case of batteries, you may wish to consider NiMh rechargeable batteries. Harbor Freight has a little solar recharger that will handle 2 1.5 volt or 1 9 volt at a time. It isn’t expensive and the batteries are getting cheaper all the time.
Candles:
Boiling soup bones to get the fat out of the marrow, then rendering it will make a decent lamp fuel. Keep the wick trimmed low enough to keep it from getting smoky. Make sure that, if the lamp spills, the spill is confined and maintain the ability to smother the whole thing with something that isn’t going to catch fire.
Soap:
Again, you’ll be using that fat from the soup bones. Learn to do this as a skill. Even if you don’t apply this for a number of years, you’ll still know how to do it. The lye that is used in the process can be obtained from ash or you can buy THAT by the pound at the hardware store in the plumbing aisle.
Even if somebody doesn’t drink, they might want to be clean once in a while. make more soap than you’re ever going to need so you can trade it. Even if some dude would trade his left hand for a bottle of his favorite hooch, his wife would probably trade both of her husband’s hands for him to take a bath once in a while.
Don’t get Crystal Drano. It contains other ingredients that are not good in soap. You want 100% potassium hydroxide (otherwise known as lye). There are many good how-to books on soap making and general day-to-day life, but doing it all yourself. I like the one that was written by Carla Emery (ISBN 0-912365-95-1). It primarily addresses modern day homesteading, but what’s going to happen when the SHTF? Modern day homesteading.
Actually, you want sodium hydroxide for a hard soap. Potassium hydroxide is for soft or liquid soap. Both are known as lye. I can tell you are not a soapmaker…..lol. Practice before TSHTF situation.
We all think of the necessary items we may need. But I agree that human nature makes us want light. Candles , hurricane lamps, diy lights just comfort people. After the tragedy in new Orleans and even the big ice storm here a few years ago, it’s obvious we’re herded into one central area. I keep recent photographs of my family in case we’re seperated. I have tootsie pops and stickers for the grandkids. It doesn’t take space, but creates a huge amount of comfort. Of course these things are in my bug out bag (xcept hurricane lamps)
Definitely! Little moral boosters can make a big difference! Games, cards, coloring books with pencils, etc. Sometimes just keeping little ones distracted is a big help!
hey ya’ll if you have enough day light around your house, buy a bunch of the solar lights that you put in your yard. they are cheap and safe. I have them outside so in an lights out they are ready to go, also some in BOB and home bag. hope this helps. Remember the three B’s Beans, bullet’s and ban-aids
God and Texas
william
I think the whole storing batteries in a freezer is a myth, and actually drains them faster. Since I am NOT sure, I will say WE should check into that.
I believe glow sticks are great to keep around, they will glow for around 24 hours. …