12 Survival Items to Score at Home Depot

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Any experienced prepper knows that there are some must-have survival items everyone needs to brave a disaster. Check out this roundup of the most common survival gear you can get from your local Home Depot.

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12 Must-Have Survival Items You Will Be Glad You Have in Your Survival Kit

1. Work Gloves

No matter the kind of work you engage in, you will always need work gloves to protect your hand. Luckily, work gloves are some of the survival items you can never miss at home depot.

Besides working, prepping for survival is often strenuous and sometimes hazardous. For instance, a disaster may result in dangerous and sharp debris that can easily injure flesh and potentially cause infections.

A quality set of gloves will therefore be your first line of defense against such outcomes. What’s more, you get to choose between the heavy and overbuilt or the lighter and thinner technical work gloves.

Note: It is advisable to have both if you can since they offer different degrees of protection

2. Escape Tool

Any local Home Depot will have at least two types of automobile escape tools. These are small tools that feature a pointed glass-breaking punch integrated with a cutter for snapping stuck seat belts.

They are designed to mount on seats, dashboards, or sun visors where they are easily accessible to front sitters. Keep in mind that escape tools do not threaten the vehicle occupants as far as cutting or stabbing is concerned.

Note: The tools visible in low light conditions as well as in the dark

Tip: Consider having two escape tools for the front and back seats

3. First Aid Kit

Since the whole idea of having a survival kit is to prepare for emergencies, having a first aid kit is vital. This is because disasters may lead to minor scrapes or significant injuries.

Being your paramedic will require you to have some band-aids, gauze, disinfectant, antibiotics, and other over-the-counter medications. Better variations of the OSHA-compliant first aid box may contain burn cream, eyewash, and a first aid manual.

Note: These basics will get you going in an emergency, but that does not mean that you cannot add significant trauma supplies.

4. Crowbar

A crowbar is your best chance at prying open windows and doors during a survival situation. All you have to do is drive its beak-shaped end through small gaps and holes for leverage before applying force to open the thing in question.

It is designed for demolishing or wrecking stuff and handling already wrecked stuff. And will come in handy when you need to deal with damaged structures or even vehicles.

Note: A wrecker bar will often feature a nail puller that will more often than not come in handy in a survival situation.

5. Axe

One of humanity’s medieval tools is still a viable survival tool that every prepper should have. What’s more, an axe will get through many situations, one of them being acquiring firewood from trees which is a likely need during survival.

Moreover, axes are practical demolition tools, especially for wooden structures, and are functional defense weapons. Even when you miss the perfect strike, you can still bet that a part of the axe will hit your target and cause pain, if not injury.

6. Beef Jerky

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Survival is about having foods to sustain yourself, as it is about having the right tools to get you by. Besides keeping you energized, beef jerky is easy and convenient to store and carry around.

While Home Depot is not famous for its culinary sections, you will find plenty of jerky at each of the registries. Aside from their long shelf life, beef jerky is tasty and nutrient-rich, and having several bags will keep you at ease knowing that you have something to munch.

RELATED: 31 Outdoor Survival Skills For The True Outdoorsman

7. Lighters

Knowing how to start a fire is an invaluable skill every prepper should master. It, however, gets better and more manageable when you have a lighter, especially when you are in a survival situation.

Though you might have confidence in your ability to start a fire from scratch, keep in mind that you might be freezing, which minimizes your dexterity. Regardless of how you like to start your fires, get yourself a long-nozzle grill or classic Bic lighter from Home Depot, and you will be glad you did.

8. Tarp

Tarps are multi-use items, and any creative prepper knows that they can be used in various practical ways during a disaster. For instance, you can use tarps to cover busted windows, ground cover, patch holes on the roof, collect water, or even set up a tent.

Rest assured that your local Home Depot will have a vast collection of tarps, from light duty to heavy duty. What’s more, they also come in a variety of material options.

9. Batteries

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More often than not, disaster will lead to a power outage that will force you to rely on flashlights, walkie-talkies, headlamps, among others heavily. Therefore, having an ample supply of batteries will ensure that your gadgets are powered.

Home Depot stocks many batteries in small markups or large contractor packs, both of which end up saving you money. To stockpile on batteries, pick a pack or two every time you are in the store.

Note: Going for gadgets that use the same type of batteries makes it easier to stockpile.

10. Propane

Propane is a consistent fuel in all the devices and tools that use it. This makes it an invaluable fuel source in any survival situation. Besides cooking and heating water during or in the aftermath of a disaster, propane is usually the fuel in most portable heater units.

Note: Most of the heater units use small propane cylinders. However, Home Depot has an adapter that allows you to use larger 20-pound cylinders.

11. Sandbags

Sandbags are easy to forget about, but they are survival tools you’d rather have and not need than vise versa. They have been used to fortify and barricade places during civil wars, but their most common use is to protect homes against rising floodwaters.

What’s more, they come in handy during construction, where you need to improvise various heavy lifting using simple machinery. They are relatively cheap, which makes the sandbags easy to stockpile.

12. Disposable Gloves

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There is a relatively high chance of getting dirty, especially in the aftermath of a disaster. For instance, you may need to fish out your possession from murky water that may be contaminated.

Whether you are dealing with pollutants or blood from injuries, you will need an extra set of gloves to help keep the contaminants off your skin. Luckily, Home Depot stocks on all disposable gloves imaginable, from the more resistant nitrile blends to the heavy-duty brands we all know about.