Comments (17)

• 7

  Robert LarsonContributor - December 11, 2020

  The HyroBlu Versa is a water filter that looks and works similar to the very popular Sawyer mini, but comes with some extra things like 2 bags instead of one.

  If you go to their clearance page on their website, you can buy the $25 model for $15 because it has a damaged box.

  Water is one of the most important, yet not so fun side of prepping. People would rather go buy a new gun and a mountain of ammo than think about water storage. But get this for your friends and family, because it you are going to need good clean water when you are fighting the zombies in the end.

   
  • 9

    Liz Klein - December 12, 2020

    Thanks for the suggestion, I just bought three!

     
• 8

  Olly Wright - December 11, 2020

  100ft of paracord is one of my favorite cheaper prepping items that I ask for every other Christmas.

  The Prepared has a good article about paracord that totally changed the kind I get now. I didn’t know there was so many bootleg paracords out there!

   
  • 6

    Liz Klein - December 12, 2020

    I was into a paracord bracelet making phase for a while a few years ago, I just bought the cheapest stuff I could find on eBay. I’ll have to read that article and see if I was buying a knock-off brand.

     
  • 6

    Gideon ParkerStaff - December 12, 2020

    Here is a link to that Best Paracord article. Hope you enjoy it!

     
• 6

  matthew.Contributor - December 11, 2020

  Mini flashlights make great stocking stuffers, and would even be appreciated by your non-prepper friends.

   
  • 5

    Liz Klein - December 12, 2020

    Thats a good idea. Do you have a particular model that you recommend? The mini flashlights that I have seen run off of a AAA battery and barely put out enough light to read a book up close.

     
• 6

  Bob - December 11, 2020

  A plastic tub of 48 AA batteries cost ~ $20 at the big box stores.

  They’re used by both preppers and non-preppers.

   
  • 7

    Liz Klein - December 12, 2020

    Everyone could use more batteries! I agree. I’m asking my sister to give me some rechargeable batteries for Christmas.

     
• 8

  pnwsarahContributor - December 12, 2020

  A few of my favorites:

  • Basic work/garden gloves with stretch and lined palms— they provide so much more manual dexterity than the even-cheaper kind that I’ve accumulated from years of earthquake kits, and they have so many uses (under the bed bag, BOB, car kit/car repairs, gardening…).
  • Wool socks! Good for BOBs and hiking and staying warm on cold winter days.
  • Street map of the city/area in which they live (for getting home without cell- or car-based nav).

  Also love the other suggestions— paracord and batteries particularly!

   
  • 9

    Liz Klein - December 12, 2020

    Thank you for the wonderful ideas pdxsarah! I’ll have to see if I can find a map of the cities where my family live. I haven’t seen a map in the wild for years.

    I’ve never owned a pair of wool socks before, but my wool jacket is really itchy. Are the wool socks itchy too?

     
• 7

  Essie Carroll - December 13, 2020

  After reading The Prepared’s article about emergency lifeboat rations, i’ve been sold that those can be a cheap prep that I can give to anyone in my life. People just put it in the back of their car and feel a bit better about being prepared.

   
  • 5

    Jay ValenciaContributor - December 13, 2020

    Have you tried eating any of the lifeboat rations? I can’t imagine them tasting good.

     
  • 8

    Essie Carroll - December 13, 2020

    I brick of the SOS brand coconut flavored bars had expired so I thought I would give them a try. I brought them to work with me and had them as a snack between my meals. 

    They were hard to eat. Super crumbly, tasted so oily, and I couldn’t eat more than half of one of the bars in one sitting. They are filling, but I think I would have to be really hungry and starving to be able to enjoy them.

    As a survival food, I think they are great. As a snack, no!

     
  • 8

    Essie Carroll - December 13, 2020

    This is the one I’m talking about: https://www.amazon.com/SOS-Food-Labs-Inc-185000825/dp/B075TXP1P5/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=sos+emergency+rations&qid=1607892930&sr=8-6

     
  • 5

    Bob - December 13, 2020

    Esssie, Jay; I use a different  aspect of philosophy.  My survival food must also be “anti-stress”.  This automatically eliminates C-Rats, MREs and the above described life raft foods.

    I retired from the overseas oil industry.  A is a function of B.  This means that if I spent the $ as business manager,  premier life raft provisions were available.  Many business managers used a contrary view.  For the private citizen prepper, the premier provisions are prohibitive.

    Appreciated mention of the TP life raft link.  Had missed it so soon will read it.    

     
  • 7

    Essie Carroll - December 13, 2020

    You’re welcome about the link Bob, I learned a lot from it. 

    Even though you aren’t a fan of MREs, that is a survival food that I am wanting to try. But after reading The Prepared article about MREs, I don’t want a military ration because I don’t know where it’s been, and the civilian ones are in huge cases that are expensive. 

    At about $20 a meal, I don’t know if I would rather go out to a nice restaurant or have a MRE.

    It’s on my bucketlist to try one someday though!