My cache contains all the basics(food, water, fuel, paper products, jars, etc.)
But what other kinds of stuff would you guys recommend getting before availability goes to 0%?
I've been trying to order any parts for my car that I might need in the next few years
Thanks in advance
Booze. When times are good, people drink to celebrate. When times are bad, people drink to forget. Great barter item.
Feminine hygiene products and diapers. Good for wounds, as well.
Solar garden lights. Set them out to charge during the day then bring them in at night.
Smart solar light hack!
That's a really good idea
Don't forget cigarettes....addicts will go nuts if they can't get cigarettes.
True. Alcohol, caffeine/energy drinks, and cigarettes.
Excellent idea!
Whiskey, coffee, and ammo
Rum no coke.
For me, whiskey. But just because I like collecting fine bottles. Besides that, just home hardware, tools and generators. And water pumps incase of flooding
I’m not really worried about the future
I've been at this for a good long while. But recently I have found that information/knowledge is a darn good thing to have on hand in physical form.
Absolutely! Collect old How to books and manuals that could be useful when/if the internet goes down!
I would like to THANK whoever the lady was that said to freeze your eggs if you don't have chickens. My daughter-in-law found out that if you buy one of those silicon muffin pans, it will hold one whole unbeaten egg in each cup and they pop right out after freezing. Also she found out if you thaw them in the refrigerator, they do NOT have that rubbery consistency. Thanks whoever you are. Just a thank you and a suggestion. God bless all.
Thank you for sharing!
You're very welcome. That's what we are all here for; to help each other out. All NEW suggestions are MOST WELCOME at any time. Thanks to everyone on GAW for sharing.
Freezing eggs. Who’d a thought! Perhaps I should get medium size eggs and see if they fit in ice cube trays?
If you use ice cube trays you will have to spray the trays with vegetable spray or they will be very hard to get out. Also they will not fit unless you beat them and then a whole egg will fill 1 and 1/2 cubes. You can still do it because I did, it's just the eggs don't come out even but I'm gonna guess at mine. I also double bagged mine in the freezer to prevent freezer burn. Hope this helps. Hey! I hadn't heard about freezing eggs until I got on here either. Thank God for the woman who posted it.
Super glue, baling wire, duck tape, that’ll fix just about anything! Lol
Some J-B Weld will fix the rest
Yeah I used JB weld on I pinhole leak on my radiator and attached it right up you could beat that thing with a hammer. I use the 24-hour set not the quick set.
Definitely handy stuff to have around. It does everything that people try to get superglue to do
Good idea thank you!
WD-40
Seeds.
Freedom seeds or plant seeds? Or both?
Heritage seeds. The ones NOT MODIFIED. If you have to re-establish, you need to have seeds that will come up every year. The modified ones are sterile.
heirloom seeds.
Thanks! I realised after I saw it again.😊
You have to watch out for hybridized seed, too. You will get viable seed off of most of them, but they will come back as the parent plants, which probably won't be as good as the hybrid, itself.
Is there a difference? :D
Plant seeds. The gift that keeps on giving. They can feed you when no stores are open and as MatildaJ mentioned they make new ones for you from scratch.
"Freedom seeds" = Ammo :)
if unable to find seeds you're looking for, a seed supplier of mostly heirloom, sells in small quantites up to bulk...willhiteseed.com, locally-owned in north Texas, family owned for generations, good selection, and can order online...not advertising for them, just have found them to be a good seed source...
Thank you!
In Australia the company that sells heritage seeds are called EDEN SEEDS. Not sure if they are in America but you need to find a supplier that sells unmodified seed. Check out the Amish stores. I would say there is a good chance they would sell them. They also sell bulk flour, etc.
Items to barter. Coffee. Tea. Salt. Sugar. Soap. Candles.
Essential oils. Many are anti viral and help with many ailments.
Amway has entered the chat
Amen!! I have some blends that are safe for animals as well as people!
Past tense. STOCKED UP ON.... months and years ago. House is a fortress.
I don't know about Fortress, but I'm stocked up too. I think all of us here on GAW have really set into this stocking up and are well prepared for anything. Of course I'm still not so sure of some things, but I'll leave that to the hubby.
HOLD THE LINE FRIEND, I'M WITH YOU.
So how long are you stocked up for would you say? Like a year or 3 months?
Close to a year. I have lots of dry beans, pasta and rice. I have one of those large Christmas tree totes full of canned vegetables. I have one large box full of nothing but tomato products/ my husband is Italian; I have packaged instant potatoes and packaged pasta dinners, spaghetti, one box of evaporated, dry and shelf stable milk, 2 boxes of canned fruits, I have the already made 6 packs of jello and jello puddings for the kids, I have 2 large totes of canned ham, roast beef and gravy, canned chicken and tuna, salmon, large cans of beef, pork and chicken, beef stew, chicken and dumplings, vienna sausages, potted meat, spam, cream of chicken and mushroom soup, chicken noodle soup, 8 boxes of Ramen, 6 large containers of Folgers coffee, 6 Louisianne family size tea, 25 boxes of instant drink mixes, one large box of orange and apple juices, 30 pounds of sugar, 4 coffee creamers, 5 Stevia sugars, chicken and beef bouillion, summer sausages, 4 salts 4 peppers, 2 each of seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, etc 5 vegetable oils,. 4-5 pound bags of cornmeal and self rising flour, and probably more than I can remember.
We are planning on since we don't have a root cellar or any place dry, of buying some large dark colored totes. We are planning on filling them with potatoes and onions and covering them with sand so they don't touch and rot and maybe we can keep them dry so we don't run out. I also froze 2 dozen of eggs and my son just sent me 3 dozen of fresh chicken eggs he got from an Amish friend that I am going to freeze. My freezer is full, I have both my turkey and my ham for the holidays and all the fixings. Am probably going to buy my celery and more onion now and fry them , cool and freeze so that I will have it for my dressing for Thanksgiving. I have my grandchildrens Halloween candy bags made up already and I have all my presents for them bought and wrapped. I have an annual Christmas party on the 23 of December so they can have Memaw and Papaw's Christmas. So the Lord is good and he has blessed us really well. Especially when he led me to GAW and I was told to prepare. Thank you wonderful people on here, Thank you Lord.
Sorry this is long but I tried to give you a list in case there may be something on mine that you may have forgot about. God bless and keep safe.
P.S. I also have 10 large packs of toilet paper. Paper towels, the three pack of dish liquid, bath soap, shampoo, feminine products, medicines, AMMO, band aids, and other necessities. Have a great day.
My stock up items are liquor, wine, medications of all kinds, diapers, shampoo, soap, seeds, canned goods of all kinds but especially meat. I’ve been saving empty plastic juice containers as well. They are durable and easy to carry if water becomes an issue.
Also, if you have a dehydrator, you can make jerky out of ground beef and you can dry certain fruits, like apples.
It’s on my Christmas list!
Ive prepped for years too and a couple of tips. Get your important documents into waterproof folders - make sure they are placed in paper bags to seperate them so as to not stick together, photo copy them too and store these copies in wife’s bag, husband’s bag, older child’s bag etc. in case you get separated. Take several pics of you with your pet/s. Attach these laminated pics to your luggage Also put their documents with your originals. If you and your pets are separated, having a pic of you with them will quickly confirm ownership. Lots of pets can be stolen in times of panic. Another must is to store near your ‘bug out bags’ is your pets carry crate and spare collars, leads etc. I would also get your cat used to a harness and the moment SHTF get your pets into a harness and get them ready to go. They should be the first to be placed in the vehicle, or if on foot, a harnessed cat is easier to carry than in a crate. I’m sure many Preppers have watched this doco. It’s called American Blackout and it was done by National Geographic. It was woven around an actual grid Down/failure a few years back. There is also a one called UK/Britain Backout. As preppers, we have gleaned info from people worldwide that have been in the collapse of their society and how they survived.
American Blackout, sounds perfect. Thanks for the info
Not a nice subject, but it gives you an idea of just how quickly society disintegrates. It was put together with actual footage of people caught in lifts, in hi rise apartments and the mentality that someone would be there to help them soon. It’s interspersed with actors taking on different scenarios.
Prescription Medicines, Tylenol & Ibuprofen, cold meds, canned foods, jerky, beans &rice, pastas, all sorts of seasonings and flavorings, olive oil, those 25 year cans of emergency food (they are expensive so I get one each trip to the box store), tp and paper towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soaps &shampoos, and shave creams, etc, basics like salt and baking soda, flour & sugar, frozen foods, coffee and a hand crank coffee grinder,
Plus, I got a portable grill and little tanks of propane, and I bought a special stove you can use to cook food in emergencies using sticks (I live in a wooded area. If you don’t, you might consider a solar stove). Matches, oil lanterns, batteries, flashlights,
You may need good blankets, coats, new warm boots (depending on where you live), get enough new underwear and socks for a year or so and just store them for when you need them. Make sure you get enough for your whole family including some new shirts, pants, etc. they may need in the next couple years as they grow. (This may be spendy, but look at what happened to that family in Lithuania who could no longer even go to a second hand store and the kids needed clothes.). Get them new shoes a size up, too. Store them in a big crate. Maybe pick up some games or stuffed animals to give as Christmas or b-day gifts.
I would suggest books jigsaw puzzles board games decks of cards.
Actual fishing tackle and fishing rods if you have an area where you can fish.
We're already pretty much stocked up in our house I'm buying some extra pet food and cat litter.
Apparently not as much as other people here but we have a three month supply of what we need on hand
Hungry people can smell food a long way away. Like a mile. I think canned goods can be eaten without cooking so they maybe safer in a situation. If you’ve ever smelled your neighbor grilling a steak you get it.
I’ve heard putting hot water/broth in a good thermos with rice can cook it without any smell. I guess a buried pit type fire with hot rocks would also help? Thoughts?
Good idea. While it might seem ridiculous, cooking food at NIGHT (late) for the next day is also recommend. Look up ‘How to build a Dakota Fire’ is worth checking out. Maximum heat and minimum smoke.
I just purchased a Solo Stove Titan. It is an outdoor device. Small but little smoke. Inexpensive as well. I live in an apartment so I figured I could stick it right out on the deck and cook.
Your pet fish may need antibiotics at some point. I would make sure that your fish have enough. On an unrelated side note, did you know that the fish antibiotics are the exact same pills from the exact same facilities that they sell to us for 10 times the price plus the cost of 2 or 3 doctor visits?
I did know that but thanks for the info. You may want to hear about my dog Stella. My dog had an infected tooth and borrowed some of the fishes 500 MG amoxicillian. She was feeling better by the end of the week.
I have been blanching and freezing kale for my iguana. Dehydrating carrots for her and storing up on oats for her too. She's 3 feet long so, big eater. Boy will she miss her bananas though.
I have tons of cows just waiting to be turned into community BBQ. I plan on trading meat for anything I don’t have.
I just bought a new UTV and loaded it out with recovery equipment, freedom seeds and nice rifles for hunting season venison and Turkey.
I have a greenhouse and heirloom seeds of all sorts with compost and soil additives to grow everything.
I kinda wanna order some candy, I don’t eat a ton of processed foods but I love lemonheads and jolly ranchers every now and again.
Candy is excellent barter food. Especially hard candy.
what are freedom seeds?
Hole-making lead projectiles. For your cordless hole puncher.
Screws and plywood (if you have room). You may have to board up your windows.
metal. Got everything else.
Canned goods.
Salt, citrus and coffee
How are you storing citrus?
why salt?
flavor enhancer, preservative, de-icer,
Keep your windshield frost-free: Dip a sponge into salt water and rub it on windows, and they won’t frost up even when the mercury drops below zero.
Rinsing the mouth with saline solution helps in destroying the bacteria that causes gum infections. Salt is an excellent natural antiseptic.
Inhaling steam from hot salt water helps in clearing the nasal passage and sinuses. You can make saline nose drops.
Applying a paste made with salt and a small amount of water to the site of the insect bite helps in providing fast relief from itching and pain. Salt is also effective in treating hornet, wasp and bee stings.
I'm sure I missed a bunch.
Excellent advice.
Honey as well.
Wow, thank you. I will look it up. I never would have thought.
Beans Tuna
IF the power goes out it will take down water and sewerage. The vacuums used to put the waste thru pipes will stop. Sewerage will back up. You need to make alternate arrangements for using the bathroom. Either buy a porta potty that uses chemicals (stock up on chemicals now) or make a bucket toilet (see Pinterest) that you can empty and BURY in your backyard. If using this method, it will need to be placed in the garage and lime can be added before buried. During this time it’s imperative that you make sure your children wash their hands thoroughly. If you have little or even young children, I would supervise. Diarrhoea can go thru a family overnight.
some time ago, we stocked up on black bags that are just the size to fit over/into a bucket or put over/into a toilet, after doing your thing, tie up the bag for disposing however you wish...suggest everyone keep large heavy contractor-type bags as well...medical-type gloves (latex or nitrile) in diff sizes would be helpful for handling "nasty" things, and for medical wound clean-up
Great idea. Bit hard to bury if you’re 10 stories up. 😳.
My sympathies for being a sardine.
I am in an apartment as well. Only on the 2nd floor but still. I am trying to think of things like heating sources in case the power goes out this winter. Someone suggested kerosene. That really is probably the only option.
Have you seen a terracotta pot heater? Google it to see how it works. I watched a guy do a test on it and he was surprised at the amount of heat it gave off. Very cheap to make. https://youtu.be/1l4jg_FJ5Yc Like all things using fire inside a home, I would test it out before hand to have the items ready. On Pinterest they go all out and make hanging lights/heaters. 😀 Kerosene……not sure.
I'd forgotten about the 5 gal bucket potty. Learned that 40 years ago in Girl Scouts. Thanks for the reminder
Fabulous thread! Thank you all.
Wondered if I could use buckets of water out of swimming pool to do manual flushes if water was shut off. Would it still work?
You can but be sure and filter it, a Sawyer water filter is a good choice.
Started with a solar batteries panels generator set that up last year, with a small wind mill for a little extra unfortunately after testing it a lot this year for lights, refrigerator, freezer etc. household load I found it is limited to support any type of heating (furnace) even for the bare minimum or hot water (greenies hear me, you can argue all you want solar/wind they are not there probably won’t be for decades. By then it will be very old tech.) unless you want to spend thousands of $$$ now I don’t so I’ve also added a dual fuel propane/gas generator. I wanted to add a wood coal stove hubby won’t do it, afraid of a flue fire so that’s a no go. Suggest extra water, as much as you can store. Hydroponics for food production, and I’m going to set up a rain harvesting system, if there’s time lol yea I have gone down the prep for SHTF for sure. 😂
My personal extras are charged up car batteries and inverters, water filter and a bit of stored water, vitamins and certain medicines, computers and monitors, lots of broken electrical and electronic stuff for raiding for spared. Complete spare boiler.
Maybe, one day I'll pick up a simple common second hand car for reserve. They should be available for give away prices soon.
I've given this a lot of thought too. Cash on hand...hidden of course. If people run out of gasoline, having a bicycle would come in very handy. Problem I keep coming up with....depending how bad things get and for how long it lasts.....even if you are armed....I don't think there is enough firepower to keep a mob...and there will be mobs..... from taking anything they want that you have.
Small bills, it might be harder to break $100 bill than a $5 or $10 bill. Have at least 20 - $1 bills.
Ok, I don't mean to sound dumb here but won't we be under Martial Law? Won't the military be around?
Think of the scenes of BLM going through the neighbohoods breaking things up - on steroids. Nobody stopped them then...nobody's stopping them in the future in many areas. Neighborhood watches might be something - if people in neighborhoods banded together.
Food for your animals Prescription medications Toilet paper Matches Phone numbers of family & friends that are written down. Old school And cash in small denominations. In case the internet is down. Most stores will only take cash Hope that helps. Thanks for posting OP. This thread is essential in helping others.
Oh and duct tape for everything
Good question! I have a ? about storing dry dog food. I have 3 dogs 2 medium and one ex large breed (dane, red bone coon hound and German short hair). I only have about a month 130 lbs stored in big bins. Was looking to get 4x as much or about 500 pounds. Good price at feed store Blains Farm & Fleet.
Any other economical storage ideas besides multiple big bins? They are our family but also first line of deterence and defense! 🐕🐕🐕
We had a couple of old entertainment centers we just had junk in since we have a flat tv now, we moved them into the garage and keep our canned food and dog food bags in them and put a tarp over them so we dont look like crazy prepper people. Be sure you protect from rodents - we wrap the bags in heavy trash bags and use traps around the area. We live in a wet climate so we use dehumidifier in the garage all year round. You dont want damp, mildewy dog food.
For other supplies, we use wheeled plastic trash cans so we can move things around - with list taped inside lid so we know what is in them. Also have some duffles I bought at good will - heavy duty and well worn but put medical/first aid supplies and first aid guides in trash bags and put inside the duffles and hung them on hooks in garage. We also had a couple of old microwaves (I know we sound like hoarders) we put our solar battery charges, inverters, short wave radio, walkie talkies and electronic stuff in there - dont know if they will act as a faraday cage or not, but at least we know where stuff is if we need it. Sorry so long, got on a roll there!
Love the ideas! Especially the wheeled garbage cans! Excellent ideas! Your smart to save the items and use them for storage! Sounds like your prepared which is great! Thanks so much for the response and great ideas!!!!
Thanks Fren. Dog food is bound to skyrocket with everything else. Not a bad Idea to stock up
Lose the dog?
No! They help with defenses alert you to problems.
I’m not sure if it would work, but those bags that I call vacuum sealed bags. You suck the air of them with a vac cleaner. Normally you would store seasonal clothes in them.
We have a small machine like that for freezing food but I think we're gonna have to go with big airtight bins. Thanks for your idea though!
Winter in the midwest is brutal. 4 wheel drive, winter boots, walking shoes etc...hats, gloves, long johns. Just bought a solar generator for a little power when the main stuff is down. I am filling the gas tanks every day now just to keep em' topped off. Today is always cheaper than tomorrow.
OTC ways to deal with health and comfort issues. Research the amino acids, minerals, etc that naturally combat things you may not have prescription meds for. Better for you anyway.
Pet food Duct tape LOL
As a side note, has anyone else noticed that they don't make Duct tape like they used to?
The rolls I've had in the last few years, don't tear as well as they used to, so I need a scissors to cut it or it rips. Also, doesn't seem to stick as well.
I use gorilla tape for just about everything I buy cheap duct tape for other stuff.
Just today had it tear down and not across - ran for the scissors.
I just chopped pounds of jalapenos for the freezer and my hands are on fire!!
Pour some milk on them to take the oil off I would try that
I've processed large batches of habaneros this year. Washing my hands with the orange GoJo afterwards has kept me comfortable when I haven't worn latex gloves.
Use facial soap, only thing that I know removes the oils
I just washed and processed several pounds of kale. I'm blanching and freezing it for my iguana. My hands still burn. I'm about to go dig potatoes to take my mind off them. My facial soap is a very mild soap...but I will try!
Probably made in China....cheap assed shit.
Guerrilla tape the absolute best.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CJt3KHFLkVc
Homeschool books and plenty of art supplies for when the idiot public school inevitably sends them home for quarantine times this winter.
Meds. Vitamins. Vacuum sealed coffee and tea. Local grown honey. Booze. Twine. Bungee cord. Inner tubes for all our tires. WD-40. Bug spray. Nail polish remover. Grease. Glues. Tape. Tape. Tape.
And we swapped out plastic food containers for glass in a lot of dry pantry staples to prevent rodents/insects from nibbling their way into packaging.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write this up!
I am SO GLAD I was able to stock up on 64oz jars a few weeks ago. I checked every walmart in 50 miles and all are out. Paid $12 for 6
Like you said, you can bug-proof ANYTHING in those suckers.