Uncommon Items to Hoard for an Emergency
By this time, we should all be pretty well versed in the most important items to stockpile for an emergency.
This likely includes non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, paracord, survival knife, first-aid kit, etc.
But there are plenty of other items we should have ready to quickly grab in a crisis situation, just in case. Because they’re not as common or obvious, some folks might forget them.
Here’s the List
Let’s take a quick look at a bunch of these items. You probably don’t need all of them, but you should be in good shape if you stockpile a majority of them.
- Over-the-counter meds. Especially useful will be aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, in addition to anti-diarrhea medications or pepto.
- BIC lighters. Reliable when matches aren’t. Beats rubbing two sticks together for 20 minutes.
- Baking soda. Multiple uses, including stain removal, traction and teeth brushing.
- Unscented bleach. For cleaning, mold and mildew removal, and as a disinfectant.
- Buckets and lids. For all sorts of items you can transport from one place to another, including away from your campsite.
- Manual can openers and bottle openers. Nothing worse than needing the contents of a can and not being able to open it.
- Seasoned wood and tinder. This type of wood will burn much faster and more consistently than others. Other forms of tinder will come in handy as well.
- Cotton balls and ear swabs. Great for cleaning guns, as a pest deterrent and much more.
- Rubber bands and rubber gloves. Among many other uses, the former can bind rolled-up maps and make a handle grip on your walking stick, while the latter can insulate your hands in the cold and help with jar lid removal.
- Garbage bags. Useful for improvised rain gear, collecting water or just bagging items you need to carry.
- Lip balm. In addition to healing chapped lips, this stuff is great for preventing rust on knife blades, protecting from sun exposure, cleaning your glasses and much more.
- Solid cups, plates and silverware. Plastic versions of these items are fine, but they will wear out pretty quickly.
- Plastic bottles. Many uses here, including water purification, a drip irrigator, storing dried goods and a makeshift shovel.
- Toiletries. Don’t forget toilet paper!
- Sewing materials. Needles, thread, etc., will be useful when clothes or a tent needs mending.
- Pencils, pens, stationery. You may have to leave a note for whoever comes along next, especially if you’re lost.
- Cigarettes and alcohol. Even if you don’t smoke or drink, these will make exceptional bartering items for whatever you forgot to hoard.
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Gorilla Glue or something like it
Solar lights,97 cents from Walmart
nail clippers, emery boards, wet wipes, cleaning tablets for dentures, book of knot tying, handkerchiefs/Puffs, pot holders, combs and brushes, seeds for medicinal plants, ARNICA for smashes/bashes, foot cream for athlete’s foot, Monostat
Some of the things my husband and I have in our b.o.b. and barter bags are: small toys for children, crayons ( entertainment for munchkins and a candle in a pinch) makeup, hand lotion, gold bond travel size, vodka, travel sized booze, and playing cards. We have one set of cards that’s 14K gold leaf…double value for trading. Coffee bricks and extra socks and undies in various sizes. We keep several plants growing bonsai size that will produce fruits year round and a peppercorn tree, arabica bean trees, and vanilla trees. We also have various herbs and a mushroom log going. We live in deer and hog country so between that, a neighbor who’s willing to barter for goat’s milk and several ISA brown hens, we’re going to eat well. BTW, don’t forget to add toilet paper in your b.o.b. and stockpile at home.
Paper clips – can be opened to create a strong wire closure or probe.
cash
Duct tape.
DIY fire starters, using lint, wax and egg carton.
Hard candies
A good item for use & bargaining might be bar soap. I keep about 10 extras at all times and rotate it as used so it doesn’t dry out.
Don’t forget rifle,ammo,skinning knife
Pellets and/or BB’s. Purchase break barrels or spring action handguns and rifles. Many calibers to choose from. Great for small to medium size game. Even some big game can be hunted with these.
Keeping waterproof matches or a ‘striker’ type of fire starter should be a must have! An old plastic med/spice bottle filled with cotton balls soaked or rubbed with used up wax from a scent pot or a plain jar of vaseline are good fire starters. A jar of vaseline has many uses over all and it doesn’t add much weight to a bug out bag (or a purse or a small type backpack I carry everywhere).
Heavy duty first-aid supplies, knives and sharpening stones, lots of extra socks, olive oil for skin conditioning and cooking, quiet air rifle and ammo, various sizes of plastic bags, Mylar survival blankets, good multi-vitamins, hand-book on edible wild plants, tweezers, work gloves. Just a few items that came to mind.
matches in a container to keep dry. Tinder, I save the lint from my dryer in a zip lock bag. Pots and pans. A portable grill, we have one that fold up into our backpack. One of those emergency blankets that looks silvery and thin. Emergency kit.
An emergency course in CPR and general first aid is something to keep in mind.
I also have extra socks, gloves and long sleeve shirt in my back pack. A whistle for signaling and a reflective mirror. A new item I like, a straw that will filter water . Some tablets for sanitizing water. These are all small items and should be included in your survival bag. Don’t forget important papers and identification. A good multi tool like a Leatherman.
I would add hydrogen peroxide to the list. It has enough uses for me to consider it an essential part of my emergency supplies.
Iso alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, large jar of honey, tunicate, Lg & Sm ace bandage, para cord, blood clotting compress, tube of anti biotic cream, burn ointment, sterile field surgical kits.
Always have duct tape and stamps, plus some kind of fire stick with striker for possible long term stays.
1: Aluminum foil- Hundreds of uses, including heat reflection for fires, solar cooking&baking, etc,
2: Ammunition, especially .22lr, well in excess of personal needs, for barter/currency.
3: condoms (for barter, if not for personal use). Store in zip-lock bags (in original packaging) in a cool, dark place, like anything made of rubber.
4: Zip-lock bags, for air/water resistant storage of almost everything, in various sizes, including vacuum-type storage bags.
5: Rubbermaid/Sterilite-type clear storage bins (hundreds of uses besides (almost) weather-proof storage.), in various sizes.
I can meats and fruit and vegetables dry lemons and limes grind into powder dry meat can fruit juice have 2 tents one to live in one for storage sleeping bags portable toilet solar shower extra reading glasses and lots more. We are old and will have to shelter in place oh masks too
Gardening supplies and tools, trapping equipment
Don’t forget Vinegar to clean your hands and body with, kills bacteria and even viruses, drinking it helps your gut bacteria, gargle it for sore throats
Some other things to consider:
Dental floss, can be used for different things; honey packets, for energy, and lasts forever; instant soup and tea packets; compass; hard candy; wax paper squares, for starting fires; fish hooks and line; whistle; poncho, or metallic emergency blanket.
9V batteries and very fine steel whool. This is a perfect firestarter.
tarp.
rope.
multi purpose knife.
ESSENTIAL oils lavender is great for burns. Peppermint is for for pain and much more. Lemon helps with heartburn and high blood pressure etc. Frankincense. Is great for moles growths skin cancer. swollen knots just Google uses for essential oils use high quality oils. http://Www.nutritionpureandsinple.com
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Amazing co. Use my name (Cindy) in coupon box and get 5% off order
We have several Mylar bags sealed in buckets of salt along with other goods
Duct tape
Spare prescription glasses – critical
At least 3 refills of any required prescription medication – rotate these
22 ammo – like booze and smokes only better for trade purposes
Metal coat hangers can be used for endless things and in a pinch you can even arc weld with them.
Include a small hand mirror and aluminium foil
Bleach is only good for a year. Pool shock (and directions on how to use it) is a good thing to horde. I got enough to purify over a million gallons of water for less than $20. Store a few empty bleach bottles to mix it in….light is the enemy of bleach, so those dense plastic bottles commercial bleach comes in are good to have on hand. Oil. If your machinery works it will need it’s oil changed. Have extra on hand because once a motor ceases up you’re cooked. Reading glasses. A good barter item, cuz who can ever find their darn glasses….even you don’t currently need reading glasses, if you need to see something small they are magnifiers that sit on your nose, freeing your hands to complete the task. (the ones at the dollar store work as well as those from a doctor. Get a variety of strengths) As far as not having a can opener, rubbing the can’s top on a cement block/cement stairs will wear off the metal and you will be able to open the can. (But still have can openers….the ones that come with MRE’s last forever, are cheap and fit in your pocket so you don’t lose it)
One or two decks of cards.
Ammunition , Bicycle inner tube , cut up and make “ranger” bands or rubber bands. Won’t deteriorate like rubber bands do.
Shoe laces. A local grocery store was going out of business in my area and I stocked up at 8 cents a pair. If you’ve ever broken a shoelace and not had immediate access to another one, you know how important they can be. Same thing for toothbrushes. Walmart often has them 5 for a dollar. Definitely worth buying a few.
I would add reference books for building things, gardening, butchering, basic medical processes and care, even for your dogs and livestock. I would also add maps and a compass, and emergency blankets.
Lint for fire starter; flint for spark.
Ammo. Pickling&canning salt Vinegar. The ability to forage&prepare foods. Flour is always special. The common sence to be able to use properly.
Add to your list:
Feminine products
Salt & Pepper
Copies of important documents such as birth certificate, property deed, drivers license, etc.
For kids – their favorite toy (1 only)
Small box of tinder (like an Altoids box)
All purpose hat with brim
Vinegar. For many uses.
” PLEASE PROVIDE ” HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES ” TO : FATTENING , HIGH SODIUM , HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN 🌽 SYRUP , LOADED WITH CHEMICALS , ADDITIVES , COLORING , NITRITES-&-NITRATES ? ” sincerely , [email protected]
Bug out with whatever you like but remember not everyone eats like you and you probably wont care about low sodium, high fructose after 3-4 days without food, Respecrtfully
Rub that lip balm on some cotton balls, safely secure. You can then use the wooden matches, again safely stored — or your BIC to start a fire.
” DO-U-HAVE-SOME ” HEALTHY-ALTERNATIVES ” TO ” FATTENING-HIGH SODIUM CONTENT , LOADS-OF-HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN 🌽 SYRUP….” ENTREE”S ? ”
. ” PEOPLE WITH ” BLOOD SUGAR PROBLEMS ” CAN NOT EAT-(-ANY-OF-THE-ABOVE INGREDIENTS…” SAFELY ! ”
SINCERELY ,[email protected]
rain gear—-blankets—-items to keep you warm—-female items for the women & girls.
Bar soap, laundry soap, cigars, old magazines ie Mothers Earth. To be continued.
Canned Tuna Fish in Water lasts a LONG time….check the Best By dates at a large supermarket where things don’t sit on the shelf a log time….typically two to three years to go and they are still good way after that date….another long one is Fruit Cocktail….just about as long and will last way beyond the date.
Extra reading glasses or ‘cheaters’. Dollar stores have a good selection. I’ve stashed different strengths – just in case. I also purchased the Atomic lighter. A Bic only lasts so long and is not waterproof.
Sanity napkins tampons, diapers
Pool shock, liquid bleach loses it potency after a bit; eyeglass repair kits, reader glasses, un-waxed dental floss – can be used for fishing line, rodent glue traps – great for picking up a dropped item ie: keys, screwdrivers, Tie a piece of unwaxed dental floss to the handle of the trap and lower trap down to dropped item and the glue will allow item to stick to it.
I wld recommend some type of currency, perhaps small increments of pure silver. It’s readily available from 1 gram bars on up.
Over the counter reading glasses
Eyeglass repair kit
Adjustable focus glasses
Looking over the list, a couple of items I add to our stockpile are: Witchazel, an excellent astringent and antiseptic. Comes in pint or quart size bottles. If you can grow it in your region, do so. Save the twigs and leaves dried for brewing up your own solution.
Baby Wipes: I buy these by the case. Better than TP for keeping your nethers clean, they also can be used as a body wipe, for when H2O isn’t available or rationed. I buy the Sensitive Skin unscented variety (Pampers brand). Cost on these is actally less than the dedicated body wipes. Scented vs, Unscented is a personal choice, but I look for something that has no fragrance fo a variety of reasons. Another advantage over TP is, being moist, you’re in no danger of ruining a bunch if they get wet.
Other things may come up (my stockpile is getting large 😁), if I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to share.
TARPS. Small pillows. Heavy socks. Good walking boots. Dried beans and large salt box. Large pepper container. Book on edible plants. OREGNO!! Can help heal. Cans of Pam – useful for many things. Don’t forget hair brush. Castile soap. Tooth brush. Can use that baking soda as tooth paste in a pinch. Make up a large container of seasonings you like will make meals much more palatable.
as for the list.. rotate that stock. be aware Rubber anything, cigs, batteries , bleach, can goods , ect store poorly. .. long term
Yes Sir it’s crucial with some items. Good idea to date the package, so you can rotate effectively always usi g the oldest first.
Don’t forget about dental floss. Helpful for tying and binding items together.
Coffee, many regular uses and a great bargaining item.
Add rain gear, rubber gloves 🧤, axe,
Eye solution, liquid soap, yoga mat, goggles the clear ones, small hand gun with Ammo, ice pick, rubber boots
Fishing line and hooks, compactable shovel