21 Items Preppers Should Keep Around

Preppers can save the simplest home items for supplies in case disaster strikes. Find out what these things are.

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21 Home Items for Preppers and Survivalists

Preppers Checklist and Supplies

Supplies are never enough and they always run out. This is the fact that you have to accept especially when a disaster just took place or the S has finally hit the fan.

You will have to make the most of whatever is available. Stretching them to make them last as long as possible would be one of the greatest challenges that a survivor has to deal with.

Outside your home or bug out location, there could be chaos. The world that once was is now lawless and there will be civil unrest.

It will be every man for himself. There could be looters and other criminals out to get whatever they need at any cost.

Businesses can either close or ultimately incur destruction by the crime waves or the disaster itself.

This article was originally posted at howtosurviveit.com and is shared with permission.

21 Things a Prepper Should Never Throw Away

Part of preparing is acquiring adequate supplies to survive an emergency, but an equally important part is making the most of the supplies you already have.

Every day we throw away valuable supplies that could be critical in an emergency; the key is knowing what to keep and what to throw away. Otherwise, you go from being a prepper to being a hoarder.

That’s both inefficient and unhygienic. Below, I’ve compiled a list of everyday items with multiple uses that most people or even doomsday preppers throw away:

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1. Broken crayons, candle stubs, and any other form of paraffin wax are usable to make new candles, or along with other items to make fire starting tablets.
2. Dryer lint can be used as tinder, or when combined with paraffin wax or petroleum jelly, to make fire starting tablets.
3. Cardboard egg cartons can make good containers to sprout seeds or as the container for fire starting tablets.
4. All types of wood. Lumber can be used for construction and scrap wood (not pressure treated) can be used as fuel and in hugal beds/permaculture.
5. Water jugs/soda bottles are great for storing water, rice, beans, etc.
6. Rope—Use longer pieces for climbing and shorter pieces for lashing gear.
7. Add plant waste (fruit and vegetable scraps, yard clippings, etc.) to your compost pile to create natural fertilizer.
8. Certain fruit and vegetables, such as pineapples, carrots, and sweet potatoes can be regrown from scraps.
9. Bacon grease is good for cooking and lasts forever. Simply strain it through cheesecloth into a mason jar.
10. Use medicine bottles to store fishing gear, tinder, and other small survival checklist and kit items.
11. Use newspaper as garden mulch or to prevent weeds from growing, to clean windows, and as tinder.
12. Cardboard boxes can be for storing the food you’ve canned, making it easy to grab and go if you have to leave in a hurry.

It will not be an easy life despite having survived the worst that the world can throw at you. After a disaster, the most ordinary things that you used to ignore back then will suddenly be missed.

You will have to learn to barter if you can find some other civilized people. It becomes necessary to examine or make an inventory of all the items in your possession and assess its value.

You will need to choose which you want to keep and those that you are willing to give up.

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21 Items Preppers Should Keep Around

Your choices will depend on a single question: Do you need it? Differentiating between need and want will be crucial.

On the other hand, you may get something useful when you close a good deal with another survivor. As for the rest of the things that you need, scavenging through piles and knowing how to reuse items will help a lot.

Resourcefulness becomes an important survival skill. By repurposing the items you find or already have, you could come up with a new tool or material without having to spend, trade or give up anything.

Got your own list of prepper items to add here? Share them with us in the comments section below!

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 6, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.