It’s the Little Things That Matter: 100 Survival
Items To Help Keep a Sense of Normality and Sanity After the Collapse
by
Norse Prepper
SHTF Plan
“Enjoy the
little things, for some day you may look back and realize they were
the big things” ~ Robert Brault
Bullets…check.
Beans…check. Band Aids…check. The list goes on and on
sometimes doesn’t it? As preppers, we all are stockpiling the
items and supplies that we plan on needing if and when it hits the
fans. We all need to make sure we can eat, drink, protect ourselves
from the elements and defend what needs to be defended. However,
today I found myself thinking of things that weren’t on my
“Need in order to survive” list. Little things that we
all take for granted today, but someday, we may look back and think
how simple it would have been to pick up a couple of those items
when they are no longer on a store shelf near you.
Don’t
get me wrong, the “Need in order to survive” list is far
more important than this one because that is priority number one.
But ask yourself, what is priority number two? I would call this
the luxury list. These are things that people don’t necessarily
need, but will help to keep a sense of normality and sanity when
possibly cut off from our instantly able to be gratified society.
Things like chocolate. Many preppers stock it because of its shelf
life. I stock it because it will lift the spirits of those who will
be close to me. It’s a little thing now with shelves stocked
in the local big box, but one year after the collapse, it will be
a big thing!!
If you have
children, think about when their birthdays arrive. Can you imagine
how great of a present it would be for them to get a chocolate bar,
or a new dress, or a cap gun? Think of things that would make that
day extra special to a beautiful seven year old birthday girl. Think
of something that could be brought out and given to your husband
or wife that would take their breath away that is taken for granted
today. In a recent post, someone mentioned the empathy they had
for the children that are going to be robbed of a fun filled youth
if society turns brutal. I too think constantly of what can I do
to help my kids still have a childhood that has days of fun instead
of bullets, beans and band aids.
Here is a list
of 100 things I thought of off the top of my head mixed with a little
humor. Things that would add a brief moment of joy to the potentially
dreary days ahead. Many of them have both luxury purposes as well
as useful purposes with respect to survival mode, not to mention
it would be something you could barter because these aren’t
necessity. I would love to hear the ideas of others of things to
add to the list.
- Bible –
This actually isn’t a luxury item, it’s a necessity
in my book, but for some…
- Toilet
paper – LOTS OF IT! Like my brother told me recently,
before he would want to take a soiled rag and clean it by hand
he would rather go Fido and ass drag himself across the lawn!
Sorry for the language, but that’s funny! This would be on
his survival list!
- Chocolate
- Crossword
puzzles
- Rubix cube
– This will provide adequate frustration to the survival
group.
- A new outfit
to store away for each kid for their next 10 birthdays. If next
year’s birthday comes to pass without a collapse, you already
have a present purchased!
- Board games
– Lots of them
- Playing
cards (both regular and pinochle)
- New pairs
of shoes – Priceless in a SHTF scenario when the old ones
wear out.
- Make up
– Kids or womens…unless you are in California! (Sorry
Mac!)
- Cap gun
– This can also be very handy teaching the little ones to
handle a sidearm.
- Magnifying
glass – fun for kids, but can also start a fire.
- Boxes of
color crayons
- Tablets/notebooks/construction
paper
- A photo
album (Make sure you print off whatever pictures you want to have
access to!)
- Scrapbooking
supplies
- A basketball/football/baseball
with baseball mitts and bats
- Telescope
– It’s fun to look up at the stars and moon when there
aren’t the lights of the city to hide them. Get a star chart
to pick out the constellations for your area of the globe.
- Pens/markers/pencils
(don’t forget a pencil sharpener!)
- Books –
kids/history/romance/survival/fiction/biography’s (check
out local garage sales)
- Mountain
House (or other) dehydrated ice cream.
- Tonka trucks
or Matchbox cars
- Ipod touch
preloaded with game apps, music, movies (You need to have the
ability to recharge them)
- A globe
– To describe to the next generation that the world isn’t
really flat
- Dolls –
Barbie or other
- A small
mirror – Could be used for fun or for signaling
- Gloves
– Working, gardening, warming…imagine 2 years in to
get a new set of gloves?
- Bug catchers
– Nets and the screened containers to put them in. Kids love
it.
- Fishing
equipment – Fun and can provide food.
- Long underwear
– Watch the episode of M*A*S*H* where a pair of long underwear
were being stolen and bartered across the compound to understand
their value.
- Kites –
If your mother in law moves in, wait until there is a storm and….nevermind.
Kids love em!
- Musical
instruments – harmonica, guitar, fiddle. Doesn’t matter
if you don’t know how to play, you will have time to learn!
- Sheet music
– Easier than trying to remember all of the words and chords!
- Puzzles
- Model cars/boats
with model paint
- Wax and
wicks to make candles. If you want, add colors and fragrances.
- Spices
– I’m sure these are already on everyone’s list,
but they are a luxury.
- Coffee
– Again, this may seem necessary, but it is a luxury.
- Scissors
and razors – for crafts, hair cutting, shaving. When the
power runs out and everyone’s electric razor runs out of
juice, a disposable razor will be great for barter.
- Sewing
kit with material and a book on how to sew. Don’t forget
a measuring tape and patterns for different sizes. When we all
lose weight because the fast food joints are boarded up, the ability
to hem and take in existing clothes will be quite handy.
- Rechargeable
vacuum cleaner (assuming you have the ability to charge it). Carpet
will become very dirty.
- Fresh sheets
and blankets
- Dice
- Hammer,
nails, saws, wood. Survival stuff I know, but have enough extra
to make a tree fort (Listening post to the prepper)
- Short
wave radio with rechargeable batteries. This could be important
to get news from around the world as well as regionally, but imagine
being able to turn on a radio instead of the dead silence.
- Plastic
Easter eggs – An Easter egg hunt would be huge fun for the
kids. Think of little toys/things to stuff in them.
- Sleds –
If there is a hill and snow there is fun.
- Kid pool
– Capture some rainwater in it and let the sun heat it up
for some fun in the pool.
- Alcohol
– I’m not talking for sterilizing a wound. I’m
talking a glass of wine or the spirit of your choice to open on
an anniversary or something. A few bottles of wine in the basement
can make for a nice get away. Great barter item as well if you
remember Selco’s story from surviving Sarajevo.
- Condoms
– This goes well with #49 and let’s face it, an EMP
isn’t going to stop this from being a very useful item! Great
barter item as well.
- Joke books
– Is there anything that can lift the spirit of a fellow
more than a good laugh?
- Toothbrushes
– Eventually yours will wear out. Have a lot of these on
hand.
- Small cooler
that can be plugged in to the solar power. I once took a trip
by myself in to the boundary waters in northern Minnesota. Had
a great time, caught lots of fish, did plenty of reading and hiking,
but left two days early because the one thing I missed most was
drinking something cold.
- Flower
seeds – Nothing herbal or edible as those are survival seeds.
These are for growing a few flowers to put on the table to add
some color to what may be an otherwise gray world.
- Hankerchiefs
– Tons of uses.
- Yard games
– Horse shoes, yard darts…etc.
- Domino’s
– Not the pizza!! There won’t be a lot of delivery going
when SHTF! J
- Hard candy
- Dental
floss
- Shoe laces
– many applications with the main one being the ability to
lace your shoes/boots.
- Fireworks
– Can be used for fun as well as survival applications.
- Targets
– If you have enough ammo to spare for target practice it
is loads of fun. (Pun intended) I realize ammo will be at a premium,
so will the ability to shoot it accurately.
- Wood carving
tools – Great hobby, creates kindling and if you screw up,
hide the evidence by heating your house.
- Pets –
Great companions as well as security. Even a little yapper like
my neighbor’s can save your life. Make sure your preps include
food for them as well!
- Socks and
underwear – Feet smell and socks get worn out. A new pair
of socks will be a huge luxury. Shouldn’t have to tell you
the benefits of fresh underwear.
- Solar
charger with USB port – Apps on your mobile phones will
still work, music, pictures and videos from the past not lost.
- Bow and
arrows – Again, target practicing is fun and it is extremely
useful for providing food. Make sure you have a lot of target
arrows as well as your broadheads.
- Home schooling
materials – educate your kids to be able to read and do math.
- Walkie
talkies – Kids love playing with them (Don’t forget
your rechargeable batteries)
- Food coloring
– Purple rice tonight? Now the kids like it!
- Binoculars
– It’s amazing how much fun looking at things closer
can be. For example, people climb to the top of the Sears Tower
so that they can look through binoculars at the ground where they
just were. This is proof that it is really fun to look through
them! (that might have been an old George Carlin joke…not
sure)
- Yo yo’s,
Slinkies, jacks, etch-a-sketch…think of the non battery operated
toys of days past.
- Magazines
– Get a subscription to your favorites and don’t throw
them away. Ask friends and relatives if you can have theirs when
they are done with them.
- Flash cards
– You can get them on many different subjects from math to
reading to picture recognition. You can use recipe cards to customize
them to whatever you want.
- Christmas
ornaments – If you celebrate Christmas, there is a lot of
fun in decorating a tree. Ask your parents and grandparents if
you can have a few of theirs. These end up being precious heirlooms
and may remind you of stories to tell of Christmas past around
a campfire.
- BB guns
– Fun for the kids, cheap ammo and great for getting them
used to handling a rifle. Can’t tell you how many hours of
fun my old Daisy provided.
- Balloons
– Nothing says birthday like a balloon. If you have young
kids that can’t walk yet, but can roll over, put a red balloon
on the floor and watch them go to work.
- Polaroid
camera and film (don’t forget your rechargeable batteries!).
Yes, they still exist and are available to buy on Ebay. You can
capture a precious moment on film and it will print out the picture
for you.
- Knitting
supplies – Provides scarves, blankets to newborns and can
be a good hobby.
- Written
stories from grandparents and parents about their past to read
to the group over a campfire.
- Ammo reloading
supplies – It is a fun hobby to reload ammo and a useful
skill to know. Saves money on ammo as well. This could also be
a skill used for bartering for goods.
- Metal detector
– If you have the ability to recharge the batteries it uses,
it can be fun to go on a search for things buried from the past.
- Rakes for
the leaf piles in the fall. If your mother in law moves in with
you, cover a fire hydrant with a pile of leaves and….nevermind.
The kids love jumping in them!!
- Skip ropes/hula
hoops/frisbee’s
- Set of
golf clubs and golf balls – Have chipping contests in the
yard.
- Snorkels
and fins if you live near a lake or the ocean. Grab a spear and
you can even provide a shore lunch!
- Microscope
– If seeing things close up from behind a set of binoculars
isn’t fun enough, you wouldn’t believe how much fun
it is for kids to look at some things through a microscope.
- Rope –
Make a swing from a tree or a hundred other fun uses.
- Bird feeders
with bird seed and bird houses. I’ve never gotten in to watching
birds that much, but people love it.
- Sling shot
– Give a sling shot and a few rocks to a 10 year old and
they would be in heaven! When they get good enough, they may just
put a rabbit in the kettle too. (Don’t forget plywood for
over your windows!)
- Snowshoes
– When there is 2’ of snow on the ground going for a
nature walk or hunting trip will be much easier.
- Solar shower
– A hot shower can make a world of difference and really
lift spirits when everything is dirty.
- Hand held
back massager – People are going to be working hard and using
muscles that normally don’t get used too hard. This will
lead to knots in muscles and back aches.
- Hand crank
radio – If any local station is still broadcasting the ability
to listen to local news or music will be critical.
- Reading
glasses – Maybe you can see well now, but when you and others
grow older, eventually a set of reading glasses will be a priceless
gift.
- Sunglasses
– Sunglasses get broken and scratched. A good pair of sunglasses
can provide light protection as well as eye protection.
- Nintendo
DS or other battery operated hand held games. Again, you need
to have the ability to recharge the batteries.
- Skateboard,
rollerblades or bikes
- Letters
from loved ones – Just think, it’s 3 years after the
collapse. Mom and dad in laws live in Florida and who knows if
they are even alive. Ask them if they would write a personal letter
to your wife or husband and kids telling them about themselves
and how much they are loved. I can’t think of a greater present
than a hand written letter to give on a birthday.
- Bible –
All things including this list in my opinion should begin and
end with God. His grace is truly the only thing that can really
save us all.
With all of
these remember to keep in mind safety first. Obviously if your neighborhood
is surrounded by the golden hoard, don’t be having fun flying
down local sledding hill shooting off bottle rockets. Everybody
will be faced with different levels of security. Some in small towns
may find themselves in relative security; others in the big city
may not feel comfortable venturing out on their front door step.
Assuming the
upcoming collapse is about as bad as it can be, what good does it
do to just survive other than get you to another day? Why not stock
up on a few things now that would provide for fun in the future?
Regardless of what is yet to come, kids need to play, have fun,
smile and laugh. Let’s not forget to take some time away from
our preparing for survival and prepare for some fun.
Reprinted
from SHTF Plan.
January
8, 2013
Copyright
© 2013 SHTF
Plan
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