Did you put toilet paper on your prep list? Dental floss? Motor oil?
Truthfully, most everyone comes up with roughly the same list of necessities to stock up on (canned food, ammunition, purified water, etc.) and while all these things are legitimate, other just as significant survival items tend to be left out or disregarded.
We’re here to keep you from making that catastrophic mistake, and trust us, this list will save you a lot of grief. Here are the eight most commonly overlooked survival items that should definitely be at the top of your checklist.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is cheap, stores well (in a dry environment), and has an abundance of uses. You can use it to make deodorant, shampoo, body soap, dish soap, and basic cleaner. It also removes residue from pots and pans, kills odors, and puts out grease fires.
Clothing
You’ve never been through a societal collapse, and neither have your clothes. Your knowledge of which pieces need what treatment, how long your t-shirts and socks last, etc., all go out the window now. You’re going to be doing all kinds of things you probably weren’t in the habit of doing before. Best case scenario, you’ll be hunting, gardening, chopping wood, and doing basic outdoor chores. If you aren’t so lucky, you’ll be sleeping outside, braving all kinds of weather, and most likely not changing outfits or bathing very often.
Storing extra clothing (for varying conditions) may turn out to be one of the best prep choices you’ll ever make.
Dental Floss
Don’t worry, we’re not here to wear you out the importance of dental hygiene and how you can’t slack off just because the world has ended. Post-apocalypse, floss serves most importantly as cord. Wrap multiple strands together to strengthen it, and then you can use it as/for tripwire, fishing line, clotheslines, shoe laces, and shelter building.
Duct Tape
This one doesn’t really require an explanation as it’s already the go-to solution for a huge percentage of people. Still, it’s worth noting that duct tape can be used for anything from fixing things around the house, to actually building a shelter, to wrapping a wound.
Engine Oil
Considering how crucial engine oil is in regular everyday life, it’s amazing how many people rush to stock up on gasoline but leave the engine oil on the shelves. Whether you’re living out of your vehicle or you’re on the run from a threat, oil should be a priority right up there next to fuel.
Garbage Bags
Trash bags can be used to catch rain, patch leaks/holes, build a shelter, and wrap bandages. They can also serve as ponchos, blankets, signalling devices, bedding, and temporary toilets.
Maps
This one is pretty obvious. In all likelihood, your smart device or GPS will be completely useless to you by now. Unless you’re functioning within a small area that you know extremely well, having a few detailed, up-to-date maps could save your life.
Toilet Paper
The prepper who’s watched every season of Man vs. Wild three times will blow this off and say, “I can just find something else to use, why waste the space?” The prepper who’s actually survived a crisis will laugh and say, “You’re crazy.”
It’s true, you probably could “just find something else”, but how soon would you be fed up with the scratchy, single-ply foliage you gathered from the backyard? Even if you don’t accidentally pick up some Poison Oak leaves while you’re out there, you’ll be at your wit’s end in no time, and you’ll be wishing you’d gone ahead and ‘wasted’ the space.