This time of year is marked by cooler temperatures, back-to-school for kids, the introduction of pumpkin-spiced everything, and, for us 62nd Citizens, National Preparedness Month deals.
62nd Citizens are always looking for deals and ways to support their local community businesses.
Check your local pharmacies, big box stores, and home improvement centers for deals and displays on all kinds of home safety and preparedness supplies. Also, don’t disregard yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets for some great buys on preparedness gear and supplies.
In addition to the often-emphasized beans, bullets, and band-aids, here are 10 less thought-of but equally important prep items based on the experiences of several others in the 62nd Citizen tribe who had spent time living through major disasters and operating in austere and remote locations. This list is by no means a one-size-fits-all list, but it gives you a little food for thought on rounding out your prepper stockpiles.
1) Batteries—Take an inventory of all the battery-powered items in your home and start by stocking batteries in the sizes and shapes you would use. Common types can also be used for bartering. Don’t forget the coin-style batteries for watches, weapons optics, and small electronic devices.
2) Blankets- preferably wool or high wool content blended blankets- keep you warm even when wet. They can help set up small microclimates in your home during cold weather, allowing you hold in crucial heat where it’s needed most. Blankets can also be used as emergency litters, hung over doors and windows for privacy and as barter items. We store “beds in a bucket”; a 22-gallon drum with snap lid containing a twin air mattress, hand pump, and twin sheet/comforter set. Throw in a wool blanket and an inflatable pillow; you’ve got a complete sleep system to give out to a house guest or a neighbor.
3) Books- excessive reliance on the digital world can be a huge handicap when cyber attackers disable the internet or take down the power grid. Having hard-copy books and notebooks of important skills and records can be an asset in rebuilding your life. While how-to books are great, make sure you have some books for people who just enjoy reading for entertainment, like novels or puzzle books. If you have small children, include kids’ books, history, educational texts, and coloring books. And no home is complete without a hard copy of the Holy Bible.
4) Duct tape- hundreds of thousands of Dads and Grampas can’t be wrong when they include duct tape in the Holy Trinity of Tools that will fix anything (vise grips and WD-40 being the other two). I’ve used duct tape in austere environments, from emergency butterfly sutures and bandages to repairing clothing and making gear like a haversack.
5) Alcohol- not just the rubbing kind. Although isopropyl alcohol is beneficial as a disinfectant and as fuel in a homemade stove, ethyl alcohol (aka Booze) can be used to make tinctures and to preserve some foods like fruit. It can also be a morale booster to some and used as a barter item. Liquor stores are often willing to give you discounts on total cases of vodka or whiskey, OR they will provide you with a bulk discount on purchasing the smaller pints and airline-sized bottles.
6) Zip ties—in all sizes, these tools can be used for makeshift restraints, shelter building, and various repairs. With a good assortment of zip ties and a few rolls of duct tape, I believe I could build just about anything.
7) Salt- this mineral was so valuable in ancient times that it was rumored to have once been worth more than gold. It can be used in various preservation techniques and even found its way in the tombs of ancient leaders. I prefer “real” salt without iodine added. Pink Himalayan salt has been all the rage, but recent brands coming from China were found to be less pure than run-of-the-mill salt available from any of the big box stores. Using salt for medical issues like a sore throat, as an abrasive cleaner or as a skin exfoliator/detoxifier makes this common food seasoning and preservation worth stocking up on.
8) Bar soap- in any prolonged austere operation or natural disaster, hygiene and the issues related to its lack start coming to light quickly. In a SHTF scenario, lack of hygiene is likely to be the cause of massive death and illnesses. Simple hand washing, cleaning utensils after cooking and eating, and keeping your body clean can prevent the majority of diseases at bay. Bar soap has a longer shelf life than the liquid variety. It is easier to store and can be used to barter.
9) Cans – aluminum and steel. Once the world stalls out and we find ourselves without many modern conveniences, empty cans can be used to fill in the gaps left by the lack of significant manufacturing centers and a severely crippled or crushed supply chain. Shawn Kelly, “Corporals Corner,” does an excellent series on casting knives, a skillet, and other items from recycled aluminum cans. Check him out! Steel cans can be used for make-shift repairs on vehicles, wood stove pipes, and as camp cookware.
10) Shoelaces/paracord- In advanced bushcraft classes, we were required to make a length of cordage from natural material as a test item. The most important lesson I took from this deliverable exercise was to learn how to make it, so that I
remembered how bad it was and never ran out of real cordage. There’s a reason why cordage is considered one of the Ten C’s in it’s difficult to reproduce reliably in the field. I keep hanks of paracord in all my bags and in several spots in my vehicles. I even kept a roll in my desk during my 9 to 5er days! Most of my outdoor shoes have had the laces replaced with survival cord. Survival cord is a brand of paracord with inner strands of fishing line, snare wire, and fire starter.
Hopefully, this list included at least one or two new items you hadn’t thought of before. While this month is National Preparedness Month, it should serve as just a reminder that it is not the only month you dedicate to stocking up, training hard, and protecting your family and home. Stay strong in your convictions, follow your faith, and keep safe!
Greg – The 62nd CITIZEN
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