Prepare Now: Things That Will Disappear First From Store Shelves

Having survival supplies on hand before a disaster strikes will keep you out of the frantic ranks of the unprepared. I don't think I need to remind you all of the toilet paper crisis of 2020, or all the bread and milk that go first during large storms. With the current presidential situation, now is the time to start stocking up if you haven't already.

The reason you need to prepare now is not to hoard things; the reason you need to prepare now is to make sure you have what you need now before the rest of the world figures out they don't have it. Everything right now is unpredictable.

Empty store shelvesPhoto byRichelleg

First Aid: During an emergency, three items will be immediately in short supply: food, water, and medical supplies. Think about a supply of Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol, medical gloves, peroxide, and other standard first aid kit items. You'll also need other legally accessible medical supplies like syringes, medical grade staples, needles, and thread for dressing wounds, IV bags and supplies, over-the-counter medication, natural herbal substitutes, super glue, et cetera.

Distilled White Vinegar: One of the greatest multifunctional, shelf-stable survival supplies you can gather ahead of a catastrophe. Distilled white vinegar has many uses, including food preservation, disinfectant, wound care, cleaning, bug repellant, first aid for bug bites or sunburn, and laundry.

Wood: Even if you don't use a wood stove or fireplace for cooking or heating, you will. Seasoned firewood that has had time to dry and cure is what you need. In a survival situation, you may need it for cooking, cleaning, heating, drinking water, and maybe even a little fun.

Firewood, you may need itPhoto byRichelleg

Bleach: Strong disinfectants like bleach can kill bacteria and keep surfaces in the home clean to stop the spread of illnesses and infections. Sanitation after a disaster is non-existent, so you'll need all the help you can get.

Generator: At least one generator and an ample supply of fuel to power it should be kept on hand. Ideally, you shouldn't rely on fuel to keep the lights on, solar or water generation is best if you have access to a stream. You'll never know the power of power, until you don't have any.

Food: Non-perisable food. Stock it now. Canned food, peanut butter, dried food. Also grab non-power kitchen tools like can openers, potato mashers, grain grinders, mandolins, whisks, and egg beaters.

Stock up on lightingPhoto byRichelleg

Candles And Such: Keep a supply of portable light sources on hand, including oil lamps, wicks, mantles, lanterns, solar-powered landscape lights, candles, and flashlights with extra batteries.


Canning Supplies: Preserving the food you grow or trade for will help save you and your loved ones from going hungry. Everything must be accounted for. Mason jar lids cannot be reused, although rings and jars can be.

Ammo: This is obvious, just like toilet paper. You may need to hunt for food for your family.

Duct Tape: Duct tape has dozens, if not hundreds, of uses both inside your house and in the event of a bugout.

Communications Devices: Keeping a communications device that can both receive and transmit information to the outside world will help you stay as informed as possible about things going on if the grid goes down.

HAM radio setupPhoto byRichelleg

Seeds: Store heritage seeds that will survive and be viable for the upcoming growing season, allowing you to gather and preserve more seeds from your garden crops.

Self-Help and Reference Books: Build a library of books now, because the internet may not be around. Building a homesteader library with books on subjects like gun repair, gardening, animal processing, herbalism, foraging, medicinals, auto repair, alternative energy, forging, and animal husbandry, for instance, will provide information and skills that will be essential if all of the online world dissapears.

Better late than neverPhoto byRichelleg

Citations:

https://www.kanehealth.com/Documents/Emergency%20Response/stockpilingtoolkit.pdf