If you’ve been prepping for any length of time, take a moment to look back and see how far you’ve come. Most of us, even with help and guidance from a mentor, frankly just don’t know what we are doing in the beginning!

We end up buying all sorts of things that we think we will need or would just like to have, but without much rhyme or reason.

This is regrettable not only because we wasted time and money, but also because we likely had huge gaps in our capability and overall readiness.

If you’ve got a friend or family member who is just getting started with prepping in light of recent events, it’s your responsibility to help them get off on the right foot.

If they don’t know where to start when it comes to buying gear and supplies, or if they’re working with a very limited budget, you can send them the following 20 items that are essentials for beginners. We will get straight into it.

Knife

The one fundamental tool that every single prepper needs to have. A good, stout knife has many uses, whether you are out in the wilderness or not.

A knife, of course, makes a valuable, if brutal, self-defense weapon in a pinch, but it more often comes in handy as a tool, something that can cut away entanglements, help you build an improvised shelter, or even get you out of a car after a crash.

A sturdy, fixed-blade knife with an overall blade length of about 4 inches is ideal.

Flashlight

Human beings don’t do well in the dark. That’s because, for all of our great senses and big brains, our night vision is truly poor compared to so many animals out there.

Nighttime gives cover to human predators and also drastically increases the chances of getting lost or suffering from an accident. A modern, pocket-sized, high-power flashlight is the perfect solution, one that is small enough to go anywhere at all times.

I suggest your friend gets one with adjustable output—high, medium, and low—so they can choose the light level based on the task at hand – and also save batteries. Make sure they get extra batteries for it too!

Headlamp

A headlamp is sometimes seen as an alternative to the flashlight, but I think they work hand in hand. A headlamp is ideal for close-range, hands-free task lighting. Otherwise, you’ve got to set a flashlight down or hold it in your teeth, and neither is ideal!

Whether hiking to safety or just trying to set something up or fix something after nightfall when the power is out, your friend will be glad that they have a headlamp.

There are many models out there that use disposable batteries or have a built-in, rechargeable battery. Both can be good, but make sure that they get backup power regardless!

Fire Extinguisher

One of the most common, and sadly most devastating and deadly, disasters that will befall the average person is a house fire.

A small accidental blaze started in the kitchen, a spark from a bad outlet or wiring, and countless other incidents can quickly turn into a raging inferno that results in a total loss of a structure and everything in it. Worse, deaths are entirely too common.

The only chance your friend or anyone will have of stopping a small fire before it goes out of control is with a fire extinguisher. If they don’t have any, tell them to drop everything and go get at least two ABC-rated extinguishers that are as large as they can easily handle.

First-Aid Kit

Everyday life, to say nothing of actual disaster scenarios, furnishes plenty of opportunities to get hurt. Sharp edges lacerate, pointy things puncture, hot surfaces burn, and even minor injuries get infected.

In times of trouble, every prepper must be capable of acting as their own first responder, and even lacking professional emergency medicine or proper medical training, basic treatment makes a big difference.

To do that, good, sterile supplies are needed. Tell your friend to get a well-equipped family first-aid kit if they don’t have one already.

Survival Blanket

Survival blankets are those crinkly silver or gold foil things you see people wrapped up in after natural disasters, car accidents, and other similar incidents.

Although they look a little silly, they work wonders for keeping people warm because they reflect up to 90% of radiated body heat back at the person wearing them.

These things are ultralight, ultra-compact, cheap, and literal lifesavers when someone needs to stay warm. I’d advise your friend to get a 4-pack at the minimum, and more as their family dictates.

Gloves

Anyone can be a tough, manly man with leathery skin hardened from decades of manual labor, but you still need gloves to protect the hands during a survival situation.

If you look at something like a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake, everyone will be coping with mass quantities of materials that can easily tear and rip flesh.

But even if they aren’t, consider that any substantial injury to the hand under the circumstances might turn into a wound that will prevent a person from taking care of essential survival tasks.

Any beginning prepper should have two pairs of gloves, per adult in the household, minimum.

Pepper Spray

Sometimes you’ve got no choice but to defend yourself from hostile humans. One of the very best tools for the job is pepper spray. It’s effective, easy to use, and can fend off multiple attackers without major risk of permanent injury for the user and, usually, for the attackers.

For folks who are untrained in more traditional weapons and methods of self-defense, it’s ideal and something that every new prepper should keep handy.

Emergency Radio

The Information Age gives nearly every person living in America constant access to news, alerts, and anything else that’s needed to know, but all of these systems are surprisingly delicate and vulnerable to disruption at the local or regional level.

Smart preppers will keep an old-fashioned emergency radio for just such an occasion. These crank-powered radios can tune into NOAA and other government alert frequencies so folks can always keep up to date on the nature and duration of a specific threat.

Good ones also have handy functions like built-in flashlights, SOS beacons, and USB ports for keeping phones and other devices charged.

Bottled Water

Water is one of the most critical survival necessities there is, and after just a couple of days without anything to drink, a person will be incapacitated or dead. If you, your friend, or anyone else is working hard and sweating buckets, you’ll need even more water to stave off dehydration.

Everybody should keep a stash of bottled water on hand for instant and easy access when needed. Not all preps are special, unique, or fancy, but they are still important, and nothing is more important than water except air!

Water Filter

Bottled water isn’t enough for long-term sustainment. What is enough, for nearly any situation, is an emergency water filter. Whatever brand you prefer, whether it is a Lifestraw, Berkey, Sawyer, or MSR, you need to make sure your newly hatched prepping pal gets one.

This will allow them to quickly make safe, potable water from both natural and man-made sources. These water filters eliminate dissolved solids, viruses, bacteria, and potentially even chemical contaminants, radically reducing the likelihood of illness.

Even though most are really easy to use, impress upon your friend the importance of learning how to process water correctly to prevent cross-contamination; mistakes might let germs get through!

5-Gallon Buckets w/ Lids

One of the most innocuous items on this list is also one of the most important. Your basic 5-gallon hardware store or painter’s bucket, with a matching snap-on gasketed lid, is a survival multi-tool that can save the day in a variety of situations.

As long as they haven’t been previously contaminated, they are ideal for storing extra water, keeping critters and moisture off of food, or even fashioning into an improvised, emergency toilet using some sawdust or kitty litter and trash bags.

It’s not ideal, but a whole lot better than going without a bathroom in your home!

Rain Poncho

Keeping warm is critical, even in normally temperate environments. Getting caught outside after sundown when wet and, even worse, with a stiff breeze picking up can send someone into hypothermia in hours.

Even quicker if they are also lying on the ground! In many situations where you can’t take shelter from the elements, keeping clothes and skin dry helps people stay much warmer.

A simple pullover poncho can make all the difference in lots of different emergency scenarios. Broken down on the side of the highway, trying to repair a damaged home after a major storm, and lots of others come to mind.

Bleach

This is another entirely common item that nonetheless is seriously important for all savvy preppers, even beginners. I might say especially for beginners!

Bleach has two crucial uses: eliminating biohazards and sanitizing water. If someone has to deal with sewage, blood, dead bodies, ruined food, or any other nasty vectors of germs, using bleach during cleanup provides assurance that pathogens are utterly destroyed.

Bleach can also be used, in precisely controlled amounts, to kill germs and viruses lurking in clear water. Do note that it starts to lose potency after the seal on the bottle has been opened, and you only want to use regular, unscented, no-additive bleach for survival purposes.

Duct Tape

Duct tape is so useful, so ubiquitous, and so handy it has become a meme unto itself. But in this case, the hype behind the meme is absolutely true!

For quick repairs, waterproofing jobs, improvised construction, and a whole lot more, duct tape can get it done with very little effort and very little skill required.

The high-end duct tape brands like Gorilla Tape and T-Rex Tape are especially excellent, and every prepper worth the name should have several rolls of this stuff on hand in case of emergency. Just be sure to remind your friend it’s only waterproof if it’s stuck on when dry first!

Tarp

A good tarp is another invaluable survival item when used with a little bit of ingenuity and creativity.

Tarps can be used to repair a leaky roof, cover a busted window, serve as a ground covering, rain catcher, improvised tent, and a whole lot more. You can make a great case for classic and heavy canvas, but I’m a big fan of the strong, plasticized nylon type.

They’re truly waterproof, much lighter, and very easy to store. I recommend all beginning preppers keep several on hand because you’ll always find a use for them.

Heavy-duty Trash Bags

People probably won’t be cleaning up a job site or the aftermath of a legendary backyard barbecue during a crisis, but there will be tons of garbage, debris, and more to pick up.

Consider also that, as mentioned, disasters of all kinds have a tendency to knock out both sewer and septic systems, and these could suddenly come in handy for dealing with the necessities of life, if you know what I mean.

Big, heavy, and strong contractor-grade trash bags are just the ticket.

Tell your friend to get a big roll and keep them only for emergencies; they must resist the temptation to raid the roll when it’s convenient because they need one for some mundane chore!

Respirator

It’s easy to worry over direct threats to life and limb, even subtle ones like exposure, but I’ve known too many preppers that take clean, breathable air for granted.

Even if the air is breathable, nearby destruction or airborne contaminants might mean life-altering and chronic health consequences.

I urge all of my friends and family, and my clients, who are getting into prepping to invest in a half-face respirator at the least with a good set of N95 or P100 filters.

This can keep lungs clear of smoke, mist, and a lot more, and they are readily available at big box hardware and home improvement centers.

Power Bank

Modern gadgets like smartphones are stupendous for preppers, despite what tech luddites say: no other device offers as much life-saving capability and versatility as they do!

Their weakness, of course, is that they rely on electricity, and the electrical grid will likely be down or intermittently operational in the aftermath of any SHTF event. This isn’t a reason to give up on our gadgets, but we must plan accordingly.

A good power bank can hold enough juice to recharge even the most power-hungry smartphones two, three, four, or even more times.

Baby Wipes

If you’ve been prepping for any length of time, you already know that water is a premium resource when the chips are down. Beginners won’t know that, and will probably figure it out too late. They’ll also figure out too late that keeping clean, even under the circumstances, is critical for good health and also for morale.

A rudimentary bath using baby wipes isn’t as good as a proper shower, but it goes a long way towards keeping people sane and happy. A few economy packs of baby wipes can take care of basic cleanliness needs for a family of four.

The post Send This List of 20 Prepping Items to Your Newbie Friend appeared first on Survival Sullivan.

By: Tom Marlowe
Title: Send This List of 20 Prepping Items to Your Newbie Friend
Sourced From: www.survivalsullivan.com/prepping-items-for-friends/
Published Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:41:02 +0000

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