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You're asking a very broad question while looking for specifics, making it very hard to pinpoint an answer. I'll give my advice on bug out bag items.

The bag itself - Should be a solid backpacking bag. Keep it light enough that it's manageable. For a very fit individual, the max weight should be your body weight divided by 3. Most of us are not that fit, so adjust accordingly. It should have hip support, well stitched straps, several compartments and a way to attach things to the outside (molle webbing, carabiner loops or exterior straps). Should be weatherproof.
Water - Depends entirely on your location. I live in Canada - Land of lakes and rivers. I wont need to carry a ton of water all the time. I've got a sawyer squeeze as my primary water filter. The collapsible water bottles it comes with work great for water storage as well. Wife and daughter carry a lifestraw as backups. We have some iodine drops as well.
As far as water carrying devices go, i find nalgene bottles work great. Theyre light and strong, and come in various sizes. A canteen is great if you want to use it to cook over a fire. Its not a bad idea either to have a large (5 litre+) collapsible water container. They're plastic and light. I havn't used mine extensively enough to recommend.
Sharp Things - I've got a Kabar as my primary fixed blade. It's tried and true. Good metal, full tang. I've got a leatherman wave multitool. Carry it everyday on my belt. Super handy. I should really add a 3-4" folding knife to my pack as sometimes the kabar is too big, and the multitool is hard to clean.
I also carry a Cold steel shovel. I looked into folding shovels, and they didnt seem reliable. Moving parts means they're more likely to fail. I haven't used this one extensively, but the few times i have tried it, its done an excellent job. If your pack's too heavy, put this one in your car.
Food - Your typical protein bars, dried rice/bean mix, snickers, small jar of PB, oatmeal and dehydrated fruit. A small bit of olive oil packs a ton of calories and adds flavour. It's good to have a small container of salt and pepper, or other spices to add flavour. You can grab MRE's or those mountainhouse dried meals, but theyre expensive. If you regularly buy pepperettes or jerkey, stick some in your bag and rotate it out when you buy it next. Multivitamins can keep you up if youre not getting a ton of food, but dont rely on them. Bring any meds you need, as well as tylenol or aspirin.
Hygiene - Pack a couple rolls of TP. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant (chuck if too much weight), wash cloth, soap, soap for clothing, feminine products (if applicable), couple garbage bags (can separate dirty clothes), wet wipes, lip balm, hand sanitizer. Sun screen and bug spray in small bottles.
Clothing - Carry at least 7 pairs of good socks. Some warm ones if the location's cold. Extra shirts, underwear are essential. Pants/shorts and sweater are optional (besides whatever you're wearing). Stick your clothing in a waterproof sack. Try to keep only clean, dry clothes in there (no airflow + damp = mold).
-Paracord and rope
-Carabiners
-Sewing kit
-Tent patching kit (if you have a tent or a tarp)
-Tarp (who saw that coming). Doesn't have to be massive. Just know how to set it up to keep you dry.
-Fire Source. Have many. Lighters are cheap, stash away a bunch (7?). The lighter leash is awesome. You should be able to find that cheap at a corner store. Storm matches, for when its rainy. I think these are what I got. You can light them in any weather, put them under water, and they'll still be lit. Not a bad idea to carry regualr matches in a waterproof container. Firestarter packets are great. I just soak cotton balls in Vaseline. Flint and steel is cool, but only useful if youve exhausted all other fire starting methods.
-Super Glue
-Safety pins
-Zip ties
-Light. Hand crank flashlight is awesome. If you have a battery powered one, carry spare batteries. The mini maglite has a belt holster. Those small LED flashlights are great too. Grab a few glowsticks.
-fork and spoon
-emergency blanket or emergency sleeping bag. Only useful if you're SOL.
-poncho
-sleeping bag for your location. If its warm you don't need this. Can use a hammock or sleeping pad. Try and keep these small as they take up a ton of space.
-Compass. Useful if you have a map.
-Map of your location/where youre going.
-Signal mirror and a good whistle.
-Fishing supplies. I've got an emmrod. You can put a fairly small cheap reel on here. I've got the shimano ix2000. It casts a pretty good distance. Hooks, weights, bobs etc. Can all fit in small waterproof containers or camera film containers. Dont forget line! Mines already on the reel. A fishing vest gives you lots of little pockets to keep things in arms reach.
-First Aid kit. There's extensive lists online depending on how large you want it. Some gauze, band aids, polysporin, burn cream are a good start. Try and build it yourself, don't buy the gimmikey premade ones. Keep yours in a waterproof Tupperware container.
-Tiny roll of Gorilla Tape
-Games. Some dice and a deck of cards go a long way. Don't underestimate the value of laughter. If a sudden collapse ever happens, these might save you from depression.
-Headlamp. I've got this rayovac one (i think). Seems easy on batteries and has lasted a few camping trips. Haven't put serious use on it tho.
-Eating equipment. A mug and a small plate go a long way. A folding pan goes a long way, but is heavy. I would love to learn to use a pressure cooker over fires.
-Handkerchief or travel kleenex
-Bandanas. 3 of them.
-Bungee cords can be useful, but they run the risk of snapping and taking out an eye.
-Ziplock bags are handy. Keeps a lot of small things organized and dry.
-Pencils, Pens, notepad/book, sharpie.
-Hatchet is useful, but heavy. Take one if you can. The sven saw is awesome and hasn't broke on me yet.
-Spare pair of glasses (if applicable)
-Some sort of firearm is almost necessary. I don't have one yet, but i was planning on a 10/22 takedown. It's small and easy to pack. Bullets are light. If you need more stopping power than a .22, you're in a heap of trouble. Guns are not my specialty (can you guess), so ill leave it up to you
-In lieu of a firearm, you could grab a crossbow. If that's still too much, a good slingshot will do great.
-phone booklet and address's. In case your phone craps out and you cant charge it.
-A small windable clock is great. A solar watch is better. I think thats the one i have.

All this stuff is useless unless you know how to use it. Do your research, take some courses. Learn the necessary skills to survive, because that's what's really necessary. I like Les Stroud's (survivorman) book Survive!. Learn to tie knots, fish, hunt, forage, fight, build a fire in all conditions, etc.
If you have questions on the use of any of the above items, ask away. Any advice or suggestions, I welcome those too.

I wrote this up earlier today for someone who wanted to start getting prepped on ~$75/Month but also wanted to not have to cook the foods. I did include some long term storage as the first step anyway because it's so cheap and easy, but so far as consumables go, this is a good start for you.

--------------------------------------------

A lot of this is a shelf life and storage space issue. If you have plenty of room for storage, I'd start like this:

• Month 1: This doesn't meet your doesn't-need-to-be-cooked guideline, but it's a really solid start to bulk up on available calories and requires minimal cash and effort, so it's going in anyway. Ignore it if it's not for you.
  
  Buy two 50lb bags of white rice from a place like Costco or Sam's Club. Find 3 food safe 5 gallon buckets with lids. Get Mylar Bags and O2 Absorbers. Then hit Youtube for instructions on what to do with them. If the Mylar bags bit will hold you back from doing this, then skip them and just clean the buckets then dump rice in them straight. Seal, date, set aside. That's 160,000 calories in month 1. Given normal pantry supplies that stretches things out quite a ways. Plan on rotating out at 7ish years if put straight into the bucket and 20 years if you use the Mylar. Realistically, with Mylar, white rice may be good for much longer than 20 years (most people say 30, but for the minimal investment I'd rotate earlier to be safe).
  
  
• Month 2:
  
  Grab a Water Bob (not right now though, hurricane season has prices high and stocks low for them). Also, a Sawyer Water Filter or two. That gives you an opportunity to grab an extra hundred gallons of water in your bathtub initially given enough warning, and some water purification options later on.
  
  
• Month 3:
  
  Assuming you have storage capacity, start looking at #10 cans of food. Those are the cans that are around a foot tall and very wide. Look for things that you would eat and would be usuable in your daily lives, but also ones that would be calorie dense. For example, refried beans, nacho cheese, baked beans, white potatoes, chick peas, chili with beans, etc. Those are things you can use in recipes at home, but can pick them up and store them for a couple of years first. Getting them in the larger can is a better return on investment/dollar than buying smaller ones.
  
  
• Month 4: This is probably more what you were looking for.
  
  If your pantry isn't topped up with the things your family normally eats, drop that money to get a little deeper on those things. Velveeta cheese, crackers, cans of soup, noodles, peanut butter/jelly, canned vegetables/fruit, pasta/sauce, salsa, dried/canned beans, seasonings, canned meat, canned chili, etc. Date them and make sure to work through the oldest first. Having the normal foods you eat in bulk will likely end up being what gets you through most things (like the current hurricane season, job loss, winter blizzard, etc). Spending on these things can be used to fill out whatever is left of your budget when it gets partially used up on other things. I'd also maybe consider having some flats of bottled water at home as well. I usually keep 4-7 Costco sized ones on hand for my SO and I.
  
  
• Month 5:
  
  Start looking at longer term bulk water storage. I like 5 gallon stackable water cubes as they're easier to move and use and you buy them as you have a little extra cash here and there, but if you want to bump the budget up a bit for a month and your wife won't look at you like you're crazy, a 55 gallon barrel is a better price per gallon than the individual cubes. Sometimes there's just no replacing having your own clean water source ready to go. Barring all of that, if your family will use them just grab a bunch of flats of bottled water and rotate them. Stacked high they don't take up a ton of floor space.
  
  
• Month 6 and Beyond:
  
  At this point you're pretty well set initially for both water and food. Keep the pantry stocked and rotating. Add on for long term stored water as you see fit and maybe invest in something like a Big Berkey if you really want to drop some money into it. At that point I'd probably begin considering longer term food storage. More rice, add in some dry beans (roughly 5 year shelf life in Mylar/Buckets), and if you're feeling really into it you can get unground wheat and that will last 30 years or better in Mylar/Buckets. You'll just need to have a hand crank grinder or two to use it.
  
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  I get wanting ready to eat foods, and that's pretty easy to do and a great place to start, but as one last recommendation... grab yourself a Propane Burner and a high pressure hose for it so that you can use regular propane tanks. You may be able to eat cold soup out of the can, but it's a lot more comforting when it's warm, and you can pretty easily have the ability to add more of your foods into your diet (like spaghetti or mac and cheese) when you can still have a burner to work with.

This is one of my only prepping areas of expertise. Every time the power goes out, I learn about some new way that I could've been better prepared for the boredom. I've created separate categories.


No Power


If you're woefully unprepared or all of your power is completely gone, you still have a few options:

• Playing Cards: I see these recommended all the time, and I'm sure everyone knows a few card games. But how many? 3 or 4? How many games can you almost remember, but not quite? That was an issue I realized I faced, so I bought a book of card game rules, like this one.
  
  
  
• Board Games: For those who didn't know, there was a board game revolution of sorts that began in 1995 with Settlers of Catan. Since then, there have been some REALLY incredible games that have come out. I love board games so much, I go to monthly meet-ups with fellow enthusiasts to play new and different games. Once you play a gateway game like Ticket to Ride, you'll never look back.
  
  
  I now have a good 30 board games, and am always looking for more. A typical board game can last for over an hour including setup, so they're a great way to kill time and have fun if there's nothing else to do.
  
  
  Check out some of the recommendations over at the board games subreddit
  
  
  
• Physical Books: Unfortunately, I don't have much of a physical library. But anyone who reads before bed knows how easy it is to get sucked into a good story and suddenly it's 3:00am.
  
  
  I like to have several books I love, some books of short stories, and stuff I'm kind of 50/50 on. I figure, if I try something out when there's no power and it can't hold my attention, then it really isn't a good book for me.
  
  
  Access to SOME Power
  
  
  If you're like me, you have a solar charger for electronics) coupled with a battery pack. With that, you should be able to stay at least sort of powered indefinitely. This setup increases your entertainment tremendously.
  
  
  
• Kindle: Charge it once and the battery lasts forever. I have a ton of books I've been meaning to read and books I had to put down because life got in the way. They're all there, just waiting for the power to go out. Additionally, a lot of older classics are free to download. And...err...I hear you can find books for free if you are willing to compromise your morals a bit.
  
  
  I prefer the original Kindle or the Paperwhite, since I want it solely for books.
  
  
  
• Tablet: Another prep I still need to make, but one I've researched a ton. Basically, you want some way of streaming movies, shows, and music. An old tablet+connected hard drive can potentially keep you entertained indefinitely, provided you can keep re-charging. And again, I hear there are places you can go to...find movies.
  
  
  
• Phone: Of course, you should only use your phone if you can reliably keep it charged (and have a backup burner for 911 calls!). If you can do that, and you are still able to get 3G/4G, you should be more than entertained. And you can always download podcasts, movies, music, etc. to your phone in advance in case your cellular access is limited.
  
  
  Full Power
  
  
  There are only a few situations I can envision where you have access to uninterrupted power, but can't leave your house. If you have a generator, of course, or if you're in some type of Contagion situation. If that's the case...you really don't have an entertainment problem.

A few more ideas :

I would suggest having a battery-powered FM radio (and extra batteries if it's battery powered, or get one which charges via USB like the one I linked) to listen to the news and get vital information.

Also (if not too late), order a sawyer mini (best) or lifestraw (not as good). If you don't have access to clean water it can help you stay healthy (beware of chemical contamination which cannot be removed by these).

If you have the money, get a Garmin inReach satellite communicator (requires a (relatively cheap) subscription, down to $15ish a month). You can request SOS (much like 911), and send/receive SMS and e-mails, even without cell coverage. Excellent to keep in touch with relatives and in case of emergency. Can be used year-round when hiking, snow-mobile, skiing, ... Don't tell anyone you have this...

Download the offline map of your area on Google Maps on your phone beforehand. Can be priceless to navigate around and doesn't require internet access. Also get the Maps.Me app and download the map of your area too. Google Maps offline maps will expire and disappear from your phone after 30 days (I believe), Maps.Me maps will not.

If the cell service in your area is out of order, use your phone in airplane mode so that it doesn't continuously and desperately looks for a cell to connect to, which will drain the battery VERY quickly. Also use it on the lowest practical brightness setting to save battery power.

If not too late, get big USB power banks (>=10000mAh such as this one) and fully charge them beforehand. It's good as barter items and it can be nice to recharge your things when you have no access to a generator (on the go, or if you don't want to run the generator to avoid attracting attention). You can also get USB lights (this one for instance) and your powerbank doubles as a flashlight with a very long battery life.

Get a first aid kit, and not just one with bandaids... Get a CAT tourniquet, trauma dressing, Celox (preferred) or QuikClot bandage, triangular bandage, SAM splint, ... and know how to use them. Also get the basic medecines (stomach/diarrhea relief, basic painkillers, anti-allergy, and any prescription medecine if you require any). Remember 911 service may be unavailable for some time and you need to be able to take care of injuries. Tourniquets save lives, everyone should have one readily available.

​

I am a radio amateur and in these situations I like to have one or two portable radio for two-way communication but I realize it is not for everybody. Still, a pair of FRS/GMRS radio can be helpful. Please note that GMRS requires a (cheap) license in the USA. I would recommend this model which also allows to be used as a scanner and to program the NOAA weather frequencies (do it beforehand) and some local police/EMS/fire frequencies (if allowed in your juridiction).

Please DO NOT use a radio made for amateur radio use, where you can transmit on any frequency, such as the UV-5R; you may interfere with emergency communications, even if you can't hear them, miles away. Please stick to the FRS/GMRS frequencies. The radio above guarantees safe operation and still allows to be used as a scanner.

​

Take pictures of all your important documents (ID, properties, ...) and store them in a waterproof plastic bag. Try to keep at least your passport and driver license with you during the storm...

If you have a sump pump, try to arrange so that it can be battery powered and/or connected to your generator. If using battery power, get a battery charger and/or a generator connection, if the outage lasts and the battery runs down. Sometimes homes are not affected by the main storm but are flooded due to the lack of power around the storm and are still ruined, and that's totally preventable.

Also, beforehand, depending of the situation you might want to BLOCK your main sewage pipe. This way you might avoid sewage backflow into your home. There are normally valves already installed but in case of serious flooding (high backpressure) they sometimes are not up to the task.

​

Download a few offline movies on the Netflix app (if you have Netflix). I never lived though a hurricane but I assume after a few days/weeks, you might want some entertainment. You can also download e-books. Bonus if it's survival-related e-books.

​

Hope this helps... good luck to those affected


PS: oooo, thank you stranger for the gold, I think I never had one before ! Happy prepping :)

Rice will poke holes in your bags. Most dry stock like beans and rice do just fine in a mylar bag. We put 30 lbs at a time in 5 gallon mylar bags inside food grade 5 gallon buckets with gamma seal lids. They stack and hold a lot. Easy to carry and the gamma seal lids for ease of portioning. We also tape an unused razor to the underside of the gamma lid to open the bag if needed.

In the past we vac sealed small amounts (2 - 3 US LBS) but quickly upgraded and I'll tell you the rice will not stay sealed.

We seal Fels-Naptha to keep it fresh and water tight. We do the same for washing soap. One bar of favorite soap on top with one clean wash cloth. We vac seal meats for the freezer and the normal uses but for the most part I would stay away from dry goods like beans unless you are a single prepper, then that might just be the best way...except rice and spikey pastas....just don't waste the bags!

Also if you are going to vac seal, we use a FoodSaver brand vac seal and it has done literally thousands of heat seals and around half that in actual vac/seals. You heat seal the one side first then the other side is where it sucks air out then seals when the air is expelled. 2:1

The bags on the other hand we purchase from a vendor on Amazon. The rolls do not fit in our vac sealer and have to be cut by hand, however the difference in price per foot is worth it for us!

Good luck! Well done thinking of your future and taking action!

Do you have a bathtub in your apartment? If so, get one of these waterBobs - average price is usually $25-30 shipped. You can use that in conjunction with a Sawyer filter such as this (but there are many options). Time how long it would take you to fill your bathtub up completely (or research average time). If SHTF, you'll need that much time to fill it up completely. 100 gallons of water should last you quite a bit of time if you use it sparingly, and if you live alone, even 30-50 gallons will last you a good amount of time.

As for food, look for kits that offer you 30+ days of food that don't take up much space. Get a good variety of foods that are ready to eat immediately, require a bit of cooking, or foil pouches that you can just add boiling water and wait. This gives you flexibility (and potential mobility as the circumstances dictate).

Flashlights and batteries are important. Headlamps are very practical. If the power goes out, nighttime is dark. Super dark. If you're in the city, it's pitch black. Get yourself two headlamps, two flashlights and a lantern. Using common batteries is ideal. Calculate the lifespan of their batteries, then make sure you have enough batteries to last you a month of moderate use. (This is less than you'd expect, some headlamps can run 10+ hours on a single set of batteries, and good LED lanterns Like this popular one have up to 90 hours life on low setting. Use it 5 hours a night on fresh batteries, you have potentially half a month of use (so just two sets of batteries would last you a while).

You'll need a way to cook, too. Make sure the area you decide to cook if you need to bug in is well ventilated. Cooking by a window is ideal. Again, most the food you have will mostly just be boiling water and rehydrating the food, or heating water up for extra disinfectant. So figure if you're going to use alcohol, fuel gels, solids, etc and get yourself a good supply of them. Stock up on matches and lighters.

Have a bug-out bag with 72 hours worth of supplies near the door. This should be completely self contained and under the assumption that you'd leave EVERYTHING in your apartment behind except for the clothes on your back and whatever shoes you put on. People like their packs being tactical, others say nondescript. I say whatever is comfortable for you to travel in.

And that's just the very tip.

The first and most important thing is: do not panic. Nearly all of us were in your situation when we first became worried about the world. The world has been about to fall apart for probably as long as there have been humans around. I bet that gossip and worry about the end times is one of our oldest pursuits. Take a deep breath because becoming prepared is a marathon not a sprint. You probably have plenty of time.

• Copy canning is an excellent way to build up food stocks for your family but only if you use them. Don't buy things that you don't eat and make sure you work on rotating the food so it doesn't go bad. This takes some practice but using this method can easily get you to a few months food if that is your goal.
  
  
• A good starter water filter is a Sawyer Squeeze and it will also be good for a BoB if you should decide to build one later. Since it only costs $30 it won't break the bank. In the longer run you may want to get something like a Berkey but they can run hundreds of dollars so it can wait.
  
  
• Emergency funds are dependent on your families expenses. A good minimum is having 3 months of cash available to cover all expenses. A longer term goal should be to have 6-12 months. The longer term savings are fine to keep in commodities like gold or silver.
  
  Prepping with a young child is also a challenge. I hope that others with the experience in that area can offer you some good advice.

First of all, I don't agree that a generator is an important prep unless you have a specific life-or-death need, e.g. medical equipment or an electric-powered well. The average apartment-dweller should be able to get by without electrical service for a few days. Stock up on spare batteries for flashlights and such. Get some non-electronic forms of entertainment. Get a hand-crank radio — many of them can charge your phone as well. Get food that doesn't need refrigeration or cooking. Learn which food actually needs refrigeration for safety; don't throw out your whole fridge on day one of an outage.

That will cover the short term and, in a long-term disaster, fuel will be in short supply so a generator is of questionable use.

> Unfortunately, i live in an apartment in socal. Can generators even be used in an apartment? I have a small balcony.

Do not risk it. Carbon monoxide can get inside the building. Do not risk it.

As an alternative, consider a portable power pack, and remember to keep it charged up! Some can be charged from solar as well. Or DIY with a bare panel, a charge controller, a marine deep-cycle battery and an inverter. (Also, a lot of things such as LED light strips can run directly from the 12V battery and don't need an inverter.)

> How long do they last if i buy one and just throw it in storage?

All prepper equipment should be tested regularly. I'm not an expert but I would say run it for 30 minutes every month or two. Remember that gasoline goes bad after a few months. They also have starter batteries that need to be topped up like a car battery. You'll need to check the oil and air filter and replace if needed.

> Once i buy a house, what is the best generator to own?

Like any "what's best" question, it depends on your needs. How much power do you need? Look into a dual-fuel gas/propane generator as well. Propane is much safer to store and it stays good for decades assuming your tank doesn't leak.

Also for the love of god, don't jury-rig a connection to the house wiring. There are about seven ways to kill yourself or someone else by doing that. You need to use a proper transfer switch or at least a breaker interlock plate. The easier option is to rely on extension cords and not the house wiring.

For flu and most common stuff m95. Gloves. Hand washing. Eye protection. 3m n95 respirator and shooting glasses is a pretty good start. If you want to [test your fit ] (http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/3m-bitrex-qualitative-fit-test-kit-ft-30.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwlKLHBRDztKr6wMnRthMSJAALcT-sZxr17fC70da1EhE9LwWoDbg-ChAXusbmKQyx7a5MlRoCYbPw_wcB)
This is how you test it. A basic [3m n95] (https://www.amazon.com/3M-1860-Medical-Mask-Count/dp/B000GUP7UC) is what we use in hospitals for airborne precautions. The next step up is a [full face respirator] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002STR86/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491643072&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=3m+full+face+respirator&dpPl=1&dpID=51Kt1F9PA8L&ref=plSrch) throw in n95 or n99 cartridges for biological protection or my favorite the n100 and organic vapor cartridge, the [yellow-magenta] (https://www.zoro.com/3m-combination-cartridge-yellowmagenta-pk2-60923/i/G1188686/). This gives you airborne viral precautions, covers pepper spray, and many noxious organic vapors and toxins. Pretty much the best general filter I know of.

If you want coverage more than this with ppar suits you need a Decon room. People to help you don the suits and remove them. This is hard to do in even a hospital. If there is something that can get through an n95... Your best protection is .308 and a good scope.

Shudders are good. I also use 3M security film. It's completely clear and my condo association has no idea. 3M only sells their stuff to professional installers but you can buy DIY quality stuff off Amazon cheap. Just look up '3m security film', and you'll get dozens of brands. Many very highly rated.

For water, I love me my Water Bob. Cheap and easy to use. If a hurricane is in bound, this is a no brainer.

For power that was the first thing I did when I bought my condo.

I did a ton of research and found indoor generators (all need professional installation that I was researching). Basically mine is tucked in my utility closet with my HVAC and water heater. But most places also make them to be concealed looking like benches or bars, etc.

Anyway, the grid keeps it full. Once the grid drops it instantly kicks over and powers my whole place (I spared no expense, but you can get them wired to just do a refrigerator, microwave, hot water, stuff like that).

Once the grid comes back, it recharges the generator.

Now, mine lasts full 12hrs under full load. Because my city is pretty good at restoring shit.

But! All of them get optional solar integration. Which I will be getting next year. Where I can pull the panels out of the closet, put them against my windows and plug them in.

So a lot of options here.

Google: indoor battery generators

I know you seem to have vetoed the life straw due to price, but I just wanted to say that I would absolutely recommend the sawyer mini water filter over the life straw, as it can be hooked to a bottle or bag to squeeze filter water into another container, where the lifestraw cannot.

this little stove is a pretty solid item. Does a great job, is portable, and can use multiple fuel sources (wood, alcohol, solid fuel tablets)


A long term storage heirloom seed package could be a neat idea, and isn't too pricey.

you can buy the refill bits for first aid boxes that generally come with a lot more stuff for a lot cheaper than the actual kits inside a pretty bag or box.

A cheap portable propane heater ?

>What do you guys recommend for a lantern?

Redundancy:

• Get a good LED lantern and test it out while camping, make sure it is bright enough to let you cook in the dark and also doesn't drain batteries super quick or inconvenient for some reason. If it sucks, try a new one.
  
• Get a headlamp. If you've had to cook in the dark while camping, you'll realize how damn useful it is to have. You've got both hands to work with and you see everything you look at. Test out while camping.
  
• Some non-electric alternative
  
• I love this thing. It can be a NOAA radio, it can charge a USB device, it can be a flashlight. It can be powered by charging through USB, through hand cranking, and through solar. Loved it when I was camping. Don't even have to worry about batteries.
  
  I've discovered camping is the perfect time to test out lots of your preps. You don't know how useful this stuff is until it's pitch black and trying to fry up some burgers and also mix your girlfriend a margarita and multi-tasking. I've found some things awesome (headlamp) and some things just impractical this way. It's made me remove and add stuff to my BOB. I highly recommend taking your BOB and other prep gear camping and trying it out for real.
  
  Going by amazon.com reviews is almost always a good idea in my experience. Whatever battery lantern has 4.5 or 5 stars and 150 reviews is almost always a good pick. Buy spare batteries too!
  
  Q2: Do you have a tub?
  
  I think the main thing here is you want >72 hours of spare water already without doing anything fancy. You should have some water ready without having to filter anything. If your faucet turns off, you're not going to go start filtering ocean water. The sidebar has info about requirements, suggesting 2 gallons of water per person per day, and 5 per if it includes hygienic purposes.
  
  Chances are you'll way more often deal with not having water for a couple of days rather than not having water ever again. If you can't go a few days without water comfortably, you should focus on that. Get something to store water and fill them. Buy a few packs of bottled water and keep it in the closet. Get that waterBOB. Have at least 72 hours worth for your family just directly from stocks. After you've got that done, then maybe consider "long term solutions"... but arguably you've probably got a lot of other stuff you should take care of before that, like extra beans and rice and cans of food.
  
  I don't think there's any easy way to handle ocean => potable. Here's the thing. Let's say you'd benefit from something like that. That means you have no more water? Your city is completely water-free, as in everyone is trying to get water? Shit will get hellish. What are you going to do, go to the ocean, grab a few buckets of water and take it home? Either you've got a stealthy way of getting a lot of salt water to your house (live near the ocean?) or you are going to be noticed and people will start begging you for water for their grandmother, infant, etc. Get ready to have families lining up on your door step, begging for your help, fighting over half cups of water.
  
  My point is, if you're prepping for never having water running again, you've got a lot more to handle and it'd be absolute chaos. It'd be better to make sure you can go 2 weeks safely at home without food and water, and if you've got that covered, then you can maybe consider long term homestead craziness. You prepare for a flat tire before you prepare for lightning striking your car, know what I mean?

From SurvivalistBoards, to address the notion that amazon took them down under pressure from US Govt so people couldn't loiter in a tear-gassed location:

"For use specifically against CS/tear gas type exposure almost any filtering respirator will do. CS is not truly a gas but is a micro pulverized particulate which can float in the air like dust. So any good particulate filtering mask will satisfactorily defend against CS. Just be sure it fits well and seals against the face without gaps, then you will need to protect the eyes with snug goggles or use a full face mask. Filters for ordinary paint respirators would work and could be replaced cheaply and as often as you felt necessary to provide good flow, but should last quite long and still work."

Amazon does still have civilian models like this full face mask that would do the trick against tear gas.

What is your plan for going to the bathroom if there is no running water/toilets/privacy? At the least get a bucket toilet so that you have some place to put it all.

If you plan on doing some clean up, get face masks/respirators and protective eyewear appropriate for that. If you are wearing work gloves, put latex/nitrile gloves under that. There are gloves that are a bit longer than the usual wrist length. Any cut/wound becomes an opportunity for infection. Make sure you have enough first aid supplies to both thoroughly clean and bandage any cut/wound.

Have good "hand awareness" -that is be mindful of not touching your face. All the gloves and ppe in the world won't do any good if you rub your gloved hand over your eyes/nose/mouth and directly administer cooties to yourself. That is another reason for some sort of mask/eyewear -so that you don't rub gunk in places you don't want gunk.

Be careful! Stay safe! I hope your house is ok.
edit: formatting fail

Not sure if this is common knowledge, but you can flush a toilet by filling the bowl with water. Obviously water will be scarce, but you can reuse any gray water you may have, i.e. from washing.

If you're planning to bug in, or at least want it as an option, I highly recommend getting a water bob. That link is to Amazon, but I'm sure you can get it a little cheaper. Well worth every penny and can help in any situation. For example if a big storm is coming, you can fill up one of your tubs and have fresh potable water just in case something happens, i.e. power outage or contamination.

Fierce_Fox is right. FM manuals such as FM-217-76 Survival.....may be somewhat outdated but the information is reliable.
As a Medic/EMT my prepping focuses on my skill set with everything else falling close in line. I have a lot of information in digital format; both on USB and a small external drive. I have a small tablet that is in my BoB for reading documents and such.
At a minimum, here are my suggestions:
FM 21-76 Survival - Department of the Army
https://archive.org/details/military-manuals
SAS Survival Guide - https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496552&sr=8-1&keywords=sas+survival+guide
The Pocket Prepper's Guide - Bernie Car
https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Pocket-Guide-Things-Disaster/dp/1569759294/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496827&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Pocket+Prepper%27s+Guide+-+Bernie+Car
The Complete Disaster Home Preparation Guide - Robert Roskind
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Disaster-Home-Preparation-Guide/dp/0130859001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496881&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Complete+Disaster+Home+Preparation+Guide+-+Robert+Roskind
How To Survive the End of the World As We Know It-James Wesley,Rawles
https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-End-World-Know/dp/0452295831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496952&sr=8-1&keywords=How+To+Survive+the+End+of+the+World+As+We+Know+It-James+Wesley%2CRawles
Bug Out - Scott B. Williams
https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Out-Complete-Escaping-Catastrophic/dp/156975781X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496991&sr=8-1&keywords=Bug+Out+-+Scott+B.+Williams
When There Is No Doctor - Gerard S. Doyle, MD -
https://www.amazon.com/When-There-Doctor-Challenging-Self-reliance/dp/1934170119/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497054&sr=8-2&keywords=When+There+Is+No+Doctor
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide - Joseph Alton, MD & Amy Alton, ARNP - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Medicine-Guide-Preparedness/dp/1629147702/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497109&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Ultimate+Survival+Medicine+Guide+-+Joseph+Alton%2C+MD+%26+Amy+Alton%2C+ARNP
Last, but not least, The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497158&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Zombie+Survival+Guide+-+Max+Brooks
The last one is more humor but it does have many great points and ideas.
A library that covered everything would be very heavy and take up a bit of space. For the minimum, at least 1-2 books on everything one will need to survive will still be a lot. These books should be read, reread, and read again. We can't memorize everything, but having this to go back on when needed is a great addition. There's tons of information online and downloadable for free.
Depending on one's skill set, then they may not need as much. Teach others in a group is a must. Can't have one person be the ONLY one who can do 'this' skill. IMO, research should always be the first step. So much information out there and it's free.

Oh yeah, it's a whole genre. The three that I have enjoyed the most are:

"Going Home " by A. American - Morgan is ~250 miles from home & family in Florida when everything fails / EMP, and he has to walk home. Book 1 of a series, Book 10 was just released a few days ago. Don't get too worried about the grammer / structure of Book 1, it was his debut book, and he has gotten better as an author, and editors are doing a better job.
There's a whole story about how the book came to be. https://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Novel-Survivalist-American/dp/0142181277


"Deep Winter" by Thomas Sherry. Volcano erupts in Washington state. There's 4 or 5 books in this series. https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Winter-Thomas-Sherry-ebook/dp/B004J171BC


"Lights Out" by David Crawford. EMP event around Austin, Tx. I did enjoy the story, but some of the situations were just a bit too convenient (in my opinion ). https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Out-David-Crawford/dp/0615427359

Enjoy!

Don't forget general skill books with old techniques for many of these areas, like:

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Back to Basics

/u/dave9199 has already recommended "Country Wisdom and Know How" which I second. Really the whole series is great.

The life straw and aquamira are both good choices. However I found that the life straw was overly bulky and large for the job it completes. Also I had two of the aquamira carbon elements break on me. My suggestion is to go with the sawyer mini - http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FA2RLX2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417445721&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

Or the sawyer squeeze- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EHPVQW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417445858&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

(Sorry I don't know how to condense these links.)

If you look at their weight vs. Filtering capacity it's almost unbelievable. They weigh just ounces and it's something like 100,000 gallons for the mini and 1,000,000 gallons for the squeeze. Plus walmart sells these so they are never to far away. Best $20 I ever spent!

The Bible (or other religious book of your choosing). Because praying is pretty much all you're able to do.

But this might be more what you're looking for. There are a variety of "tons of knowledge about all sorts of different survival scenarios jammed into one book" books. This one is pretty nifty, though it's very little (like, the size of a coaster you'd place under a coffee cup). Anyhow, if you haven't prepped anything (knowledge or supplies), then you're not going to be in "live off of my preparedness" mode. You're going to be in "survival" mode. So a survival book is probably more fitting.

This is awesome. Good luck everybody!

https://www.amazon.com/Olight-S1A-Flashlight-Powered-Lithium/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523982711&sr=1-10&keywords=olight

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X5RV14Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I highly recommend this power bank. It’s small and portable but very powerful. As a matter of fact I liked it so much that I bought a second one. But you have to buy the Anker usb power adapter. For some reason the battery wouldn’t charge with my Apple usb wall adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-PowerIQ-Foldable/dp/B072HHW3GK/

I'd going to answer in two posts here, this one will link stuff to websites or amazon for physical books. The other will be more discussion based. (e.g. this is just a raw data dump.)

I have used some google foo and I'm willing to post links, note that many of these will overlap (that is they have the same free PDFs or HTML pages etc.) Others are a bit further out there, e.g. magnetic pole reversal etc.

You get the point though people compiled whatever they though the world might need after aliens, the clintons took your guns, or trump and putin nuke everybody, global warming, plague, etc. Since it takes a massive amount of work to put these together and most people are not dedicated enough to do so, they all have the flavor of whatever the person building them thought was most important.

Here is a list, use from it what you can. Including in the list are things like RACHEL, hardware hotspot for wifi that any computer can connect to, like a library box or pirate box. Many of these resources are focused on and in use in 3^rd world nations. things like the one laptop per child might be a perfect resource to allow some technology designed cheaply but ruggedly to have to access this stuff.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD3WD

https://worldpossible.org/rachel

http://librarybox.us/

http://one.laptop.org/

http://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia

http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/CD3WD/INDEX.HTM

cd3wd torrent magnet link. 2012 version

dropbox link for torrent files for the above if the magnet or trackers aren't working.

http://oer2go.org/

Pole shift library magnet link

Need 55 gigs of wikipedia offline? get it at this link

http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/borden/Portlet.aspx?ID=cb88853d-5b33-4b3f-968c-2cd95f7b7809

http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/

https://modernsurvivalonline.com/survival-database-downloads/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061992860

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452295831

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570618402

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933392452

https://graywolfsurvival.com/3083/documents-need-bugout-bag/

https://www.opensourceecology.org/gvcs/

Try this: Going Home it's more adventure that One second after but a fun read with some good descriptions of gear and tactics. (Bug out bags/lights/knives and such)

first off - great kudos to you having those Aquatainers - it's a major omission mistake newbie preppers make - moving those containers is one of the lesser problems to solve - there's always wheels and a beefy back in the barter ....

eazy to store for apartment dwellers are 2.5 & 5 gallon poly collapsible jugs - good handle arrangement and durable overall - sqeeze store into those nooks & crannies and deploy for SHTFs ....

suggestion on water jug carry - a yoke is your friend - a 5 gallon container on each end (80lbs) is very doable for most middle aged men - even over rough open ground where wheels are a no-go ....

apartment preppers - you need a WaterBob for your bathtub .... https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2

From a student, spend some time at the library. Some skills you will learn once and then never need to re-learn. Getting a fire started is pretty straightforward and is more something you do rather than learn. Same thing with shelter building, get out and practice it. Unfortunately there is no "one book that contains all the knowledge accumulated over the first several thousand years of human existence" if there was, that would be amazing, unfortunately you could fill several libraries on the theory of such an almanac alone.
One of the more popular books for general survivalism is the SAS Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062378074
below i'll list a few more books you might find useful.
The Backyard Homestead - Carleen Madigan
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills - Abigail R. Gehring
Map Reading and Land Navigation: FM 3-25.26 - Department of the Army
The ARRL Ham Radio License manual (careful with this, they update the question pool every four years for the technician class so make sure to get a current edition)
Living Ready Pocket Manual First Aid Fundamentals For Survival - James Hubbard M.D.
Prepper's Guide To Knots - Scott Finazzo
Bushcraft 101: A field guide to the art of wilderness survival - Dave Canterbury
Alternatively, you might want to check out survivorlibrary, or the preparedness Encyclopedia: https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/c7cvdm/the_preparedness_encyclopedia_tpe_v5/
you'll learn you don't need to buy books to learn new skills and pick up essential information. Some books you'll want to keep handy though, grab yourself some medical and anatomy textbooks, set aside $20 a week for a new book, pretty soon you'll start to notice your shelves filling up.

Have an accepted offer on 50+ acres of land (future home site). About 50% cleared for eventual pasture, 50% wooded. Lots of wildlife in the area, dirt is better than most of the area and plenty of pond sites available.

Ordered 'The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself' when it dropped about $10 on Amazon. Reviews make it sound like a must-have book for our next adventure.

First I see no rain protection. Even if you are wearing some, you should have a rain cover for your pack. A multitool is going to be far more useful than a big hunting knife. A Sawyer Mini Water Filter is far more versatile than a Lifestraw. Nothing beets Beef jerky and GORP for on the go food that is high in calories. The magnesium bar is great and all, but a mini Bic lighter is easy to use and almost as reliable. Carry both.

I would highly recommend looking at some gear lists over at /r/Ultralight. These are people who obsess over coming up with gear lists that they can spend weeks in the woods with but weigh next to nothing. Take their lists and add in a few items for those extra scenarios that worry you the most, and you'll have a good item list.

LifeStraw will expand your water resources.

Fuel. ~30 gal of gasoline in Gerry cans with stabilizer will last a couple of years. Also, TruFuel will keep your soon-to-be-purchased generator(s) ready to go after long-term storage. Don't forget the oil.

Edit: the LifeStraws go on sale occasionally for like ~$15 on Amazon so keep your eyes open for them.

Patently false, and shill for Lifestraw detected.

Sawyer (and the one I have, full disclosure): http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Water-Filtration-System/dp/B00FHRADQ2

Lifestraw: http://www.amazon.com/LifeStraw-LSPHF017-Personal-Water-Filter/dp/B006QF3TW4

Sawyer has a .1 micron, Lifestraw is a .2. Next time please post accurate information, thanks :) A Lifestraw will NOT filter out viruses.

The owner of that blog wrote a fantastic book that got my husband and I started. That man thinks of everything!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452295831?ie=UTF8&tag=survivalcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0452295831

I can't recommend this book enough - it's a fantastic resource. We've purchased it and are following his advice in most aspects.

Fuel stabilizer: https://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22214-Fuel-Stabilizer-oz/dp/B000B68V6I

I've saved gasoline 2-3 years without STABIL, I'd be hard pressed to tell you whether or not this stuff is really required. But it is not real expensive so to me it is worth it.

What you really have to do to save gas is have a set of cans and rotate through them so you always use the oldest gas first.

Olight S1A Mini EDC Best AA Flashlight 600 Lumens Cree XM-L2 LED PMMA TIR Lens Powered by 1x1.5V Lithium AA Battery Compact LED Flashlight for Every Day Carry,Black( Cool White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_c3K1Ab9QBXPHJ

Personally "SAS Survival hand book" by John Wiseman. It's not a prepper book in the sense your looking for, but it is important in that it teaches mental preparedness.


SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062378074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HzorDbTMVBCZP

A vending machine-style can rotator. You can buy one or you can customized it DIY.
The best way I've found for water storage, outside of cisterns and towers, is the emergency waterBOB which is designed to fit 100gallons into a standard bathtub. Not for long term storage, though. Or the water brick, which you can stack into nearly any pattern you want.
Every bit of space counts. And here. More organization here, here, here, and here.
You can even add storage in your backyard.
Really it's only limited by your space and your imagination.

I remember reading that the Sawyer Filter is a much better product than the LifeStraw.

LifeStraw claims it can filter 1,000 liters. The Sawyer claims 100,000 gallons. Also the Sawyer filters protozoa much better (99.9999% vs 99.9%)

There are actual indoor safe versions at least according to packaging since it has a oxygen safety in it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AVS1DbB2XX224

Streamlight 88033 ProTac 2AA 250 Lumen Professional Tactical Flashlight with High/Low/Strobe w/ 2 x AA Batteries https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY



Thanks for the chance! I lost mine after 4 years on a camping trip lol

A five gallon bucket with a snap-on toilet seat is a good idea. Wag-Bags are a compostable liner for the bucket that comes with the neutralizing powder to treat about four uses before needing to be replaced.

I'm a fan of 18650's for this, but you may prefer a solar panel and single large power bank for a simpler solution.


For example:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F8LVCFP/?coliid=I18K3KV7WI6OVG&colid=3HANT3T6VJPAT&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it


With


https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Charger-Anker-PowerCore-20100mAh/dp/B00X5RV14Y/ref=pd_bxgy_107_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00X5RV14Y&pd_rd_r=2ac22a94-eadd-11e8-b188-2fb63616cf11&pd_rd_w=0WnvO&pd_rd_wg=ckGx6&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=GNW495YSXNG1YR86WRCG&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=GNW495YSXNG1YR86WRCG

Going Home, I only read this one out of the series but enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

Winter Storm Xanto knocked our power out early Saturday morning and it just came on last night. We only had a couple cheap plastic flashlights and I was kicking myself for not having something better. Thanks for the opportunity!

Watch Les Stroud. Take notes.

Buy survival manuals, like the SAS Handbook:


https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Third-Surviving/dp/0062378074

​

Practice. Buy good gear. Practice more.

you're awesome!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/

As long as you use mylar bags, you could store your food in a pile of manure, and it would be fine. The container is to keep the bag from getting punctured.

Personally I use non-food grade buckets from lowes / menards / home depot, depending upon what color i want, and 5 gallon sealed mylar bags.

I do have a few food grade buckets and gamma lids for easy storage after opening said bags though.

For anyone thinking this is a good buy, please check out the Sawyer Mini. It may cost more, but the Lifestraw filters up to 1,000L. The Sawyer does 360,000L and also filters out more than the Lifestraw. The Sawyer also works with fittings and attachments for hydration bags meaning you can set it up to work as a gravity filter in addition to using it as a straw.

It's better than the the Lifestraw in every single way. I have used both and have no affiliation with either company.

1. Sawyer water filters are really cheap yet can filter an immense amount of water: http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Filtration-System-Single/dp/B00MPH1LU4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413472747&sr=8-2&keywords=sawyer+one
   
   
2. You can store bulk grains and beans cheaply to provide a large amount of emergency food using Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers along with 5 gallon buckets. These are what I got: http://www.amazon.com/10-2000cc-Oxyfree-Absorbers-Dehydrated-Storage/dp/B001Y0Y8C6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413472777&sr=8-2&keywords=mylar+food+storage
   
   Then just buy 5 gallon hdpe buckets for 2.50 each and lids for 1.50 each from your local hardware store. Add the grains, oxygen absorber, and seal the bag with an iron. Each bucket when filled with rice or beans will provide enough calories for someone for a month. This is wayyyy cheaper than freeze dried food and will last just as long.
   
   
3. A crank flashlight with USB power, only $15: http://www.amazon.com/American-Cross-CLIPRAY-Charger-Flashlight/dp/B003BYROUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413472929&sr=8-1&keywords=crank+usb+flashlight . Alternative power flashlights are always good and USB power to devices could either merely convenient or a life safer.
   
   
4. You can convert any trashcan into a rain barrel for much cheaper than buying one using a kit like this: http://www.amazon.com/EarthMinded-RBK-0001-DIY-Rain-Barrel/dp/B005CJFBJE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413473011&sr=8-1&keywords=rain+barrel+kit
   
   
5. Buy some heavy duty plastic sheeting and Gorilla tape for general purpose use too. They aren't expensive and can be used for so many different things.
   
   
6. With Ebola prep being something to consider now go and get a Flu shot. The symptoms are almost the same as Ebola (until Ebola gets really bad at least) and if the outbreak gets bad in the US you wouldn't want to have to go to the doctor to find out if you've got it or not. They are free if you have insurance and you can get them at most pharmacies.
   
   
7. Find out what food crops grow well in your area's soil type and start experimenting with your own garden. Seeds are cheap and it is better to have a garden established before you need it to grow emergency food.
   
   I don't think you can avoid spending money to prep, but with these supplies you would be better prepared than 90% of people for not much money.

You could stack these guys in all sorts of configurations http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Gal-Storage-Tote-in-Black-HDX27GONLINE-5/205978361 or even through your mattress on top of them. They are ugly but they make a good use of 3d space. Only 10.77 each when you buy 12 or more. Since you do not want guests to see them, incorporate them into the furniture somehow.

Use your bathroom to store some stuff. Get a good shelf that goes over your toilet seat. You are not occupying that space anyway. All (most) of your first aid kit stuff and maybe paracord and fire extinguisher and bleach and soap and baking soda and ... other non-edibles(drinkables) could all be stored in the bathroom. Also something like this: https://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2?th=1 - only $23

A bath Bathroom is the first place I run to when I say cut my finger with a knife, so it only makes sense that you put your first aid kit there.

I like this one too

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA

Thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/Olight-S1A-Flashlight-Powered-Lithium/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523982711&sr=1-10&keywords=olight
Would love this as an EDC

I would recommend saving up $50, and buying a
Portable Buddy heater when it goes on sale. They are made for indoor use, and have safety shutoffs for low volume or getting knocked over. For another $10, you can buy an adapter hose that lets it use the 20lb "grill" propane tanks.

The 1lb "camping" bottles will last 3-5 hours, and the 20lb tanks will last several days straight (or a week, if you only use the heat a few hours per day).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

Thanks for doing this!!!!

Please and thank you
https://www.amazon.com/Olight-S1A-Flashlight-Powered-Lithium/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523982711&sr=1-10&keywords=olight

Life straw is not a great product. Spend a little extra and get the Sawyer. It is a better, more useful product. It just doesn't have as cool of a name.

A very important thing people forget about when prepping. Especially if you are hunkered down/bugging in, you're going to need a place to do your business. Multiply that if you have family.

I got this, although I'm sure there are plenty others just as good. A rigged up 5 gallon bucket could probably do the trick, as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FIAPXO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is kinda cool as well but I agree with the other redditor that things happen quick.

I’d like the streamlight 88033 as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

I’d like the streamlight 88033 as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

> Water blob

LOL. Here's a link to a WaterBOB https://amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2

We have a couple of these, one in each vehicle and they pull double duty when the power goes out in the house. Propane is cheaper, safer and easier to store for us.

This specific heater has a low oxygen and tip over auto shutoff. We also pair it with a carbon monoxide detector in each room one is running.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ex6eub1PV0R5W

The only thing I found my self not truly prepared for was heating my home in an emergency. Thankfully the oven is gas and we just cranked up the oven and opened the door a bit. It was cold in the outside rooms but the living room and kitchen were warm. I was thinking of getting one of these as they say they are safe for indoors but I am kinda skeptical, burning propane emits CO.

I like the Morakniv and firesteel ideas, and also:

• Wood/tablet/alcohol stove, $19
  
• AccuSharp knife sharpener, around $12
  
• Stainless steel cup that fits perfectly on bottom of Nalgene bottle (can be used for cooking), $9, an Equinox Bottle Bag, $11, a Survivor HK-106 knife w/ fire starter (clip point), $10, and a Nalgene bottle, $10 (pick 2-3 to stay under $30) are the start of a Nalgene bottle kit. That's not an ideal knife and may need sharpening but it is full-tang and I can confirm it fits inside a Nalgene bottle, which the Morakniv for example will not.
  
• The book Where There Is No Doctor, $25
  
• Perhaps a keyring for EDC featuring such things as a Streamlight Nano ($7), firesteel ($10), something like a [Kingston SE9 USB drive](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URLZTNU/ ($7), a universal handcuff key ($5), and a whistle ($8).
  
• A Leatherman Squirt PS4 (with pliers) for EDC, $30
  
• WaterBOB, $23
  
• Emergency hand-crank radio, $20+

Well, aren't you just awesome for doing something like this!

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/

Thanks!

It is usually $22.99 when sold and shipped by Amazon and not a 3rd party seller. Amazon as a seller appears to be sold out.


​

CamelCamelCamel will tell you Amazon price history - it will help you know if you are buying at a low point.

​

https://camelcamelcamel.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Container-Drinking-Hurricane/product/B001AXLUX2

​

The Mr. Heater indoor propane heaters look pretty handy.

These LifeStraws look pretty decent and basic to carry around

Thanks for the quick reply! So essentially this for the absorbers/bags plus the buckets?

Hey, thanks for doing this!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XG1AbFSSCEAY

Thanks for doing this! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01IOZLA6U/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1523980510&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&ke me&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Olight-S1A-Flashlight-Powered-Lithium/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523982711&sr=1-10&keywords=olight

Thanks man!

Well, I keep a month's supply of water on hand, so no issues there. I might pull out my emergency water holding tank and fill that up (just in case). My portable solar array will keep the refrigerator going and charge my cell phone and radio. My fireplace will keep the house warm. And, finally, my outdoor grill will allow us to cook food for a while. I have roughly 6 months of food and about month worth of frozen meats, etc. so I wouldn't even have to make an unscheduled trip to the grocery store.


Of course if it is looking like things will be too crazy and the interstate is somewhat clear I'll just take my family on a little vacation trip up to the cabin. No worries.

Localized disasters are easy when you practice preparedness as a way of life.

I recommend these buckets. These lidsand these Mylar bags.

Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills

The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself

That's a crap ton of knowledge right there. Remember to practice and learn before you need the skills.

Filters better and filters more:



| Lifestraw | Sawyer Mini
---|---|----
Membrane | 0.2 microns | 0.1 microns (2x better)
Capacity | 264 gallons | 100,000 gallons (378.8x better)
Bacteria | 6 LOG | 7 LOG (10x better)
Bacteria% | 99.9999% | 99.99999% (10x better)
Protozoa | 3 LOG | 6 LOG (1000x better)
Protozoa% | 99.9% | 99.9999% (1000x better)
Price | $19.20 | $19.97 or 4 for $67.51 ($16.88 each)

The mini is also smaller and comes with a 32 oz squeezable water pouch, 7" tube, syringe for cleaning (if it clogs)

>Attaches to included drinking pouch, standard disposable bottles (28 mm thread), hydration packs, or use the straw to drink directly from your water source

http://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-mini-filter/

This is the product.

I believe amazon will ship it to the middle of... well, the amazon, if you ask them.

barring that,ask the manufacturer where they have a uk distributor.

Definitely a sawyer mini water filter.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FA2RLX2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1405573467&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

For gas, you can use a stabilizer to store it for a few years. I use something like this to store gas although I tend to use it within a year: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B68V6I

You say you have water covered, but at less than $25, a bathtub water bladder is always nice to have on hand. Especially if you know the crisis is coming and you have time to fill it up.

http://amzn.com/B001AXLUX2

I have used the kerosene heater. They put out quite a bit of heat. Another option is the Mr. Heater propane powered version, such as https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232000-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=pd_lpo_201_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7BW0P4QYEMBXB8MS7WVD

Safety around kids is another matter all together. Even wood stoves, space heaters, and radiators aren't safe around them due to the burn hazard. All I can say is that most kerosene heaters and Mr. Heater propane heaters have tip sensors that will shut them off if knocked over. The burn hazard will exist for almost any heat source.

You said in a comment that you just want to keep a cell phone charged for a week, and instead ended up dreaming about what you could run off of a generator and got off track. If that's the case, for just a cell phone:

A big cell phone battery is ~3500 mAh.

This bad boy is about 20,000 mAh. That's about five and a half full charges. Buy two, total cost so far is $100 CAD. This gets you 11 full phone charges, which should be plenty for a full week of moderate use.

If you want more, keep one of those packs attached to this guy during any sunny time, and you should be able to keep both of them topped up indefinitely. (Or if your phone happens to need to charge while it's sunny, attach the phone to it directly and don't use power from a battery bank in the first place.) total cost is now $180 CAD for effectively infinite power at the cell-phone-charging scale. Heck with the solar panel you could most likely get away with just one of the above power banks.

The Wirecutter has reviews of battery packs and solar chargers. While Anker isn't always the top notch option, they're reliable and I've never had an issue with any of their products (to date, six battery banks, two plug-in chargers, and probably 20 USB cables).

​

If you want to scale up a little bit more, I have experience making really big USB chargers and also solar power packs and could elaborate on that if you'd like.

It'll be hard to run a fridge without house-scale solar or running a generator, but I could probably size a system for hanging solar panels out the window and keeping a couple of LED lights going and your phone charged. Biolite (that company known mostly for the weird-but-awesome USB charging wood burning stoves) has a solution for this as well. That's $150 US.

Olight please.
https://www.amazon.com/Olight-S1A-Flashlight-Powered-Lithium/dp/B01IOZLA6U/ref=sr_1_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523982711&sr=1-10&keywords=olight

The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself


https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1570618402/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_FwHhDbCZ82V3E

I'll take one of these, please.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GXF9OA

unfortunately German Amazon only has this one to offer: https://www.amazon.de/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Third-Surviving/dp/0062378074/ref=sr_1_1?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1537047439&sr=1-1&keywords=SAS+Survival+Handbook

I'd most likely buy it. Thanks a lot.

Becker BK22 - This knife is a freakin beast. I've batoned 4in thick hardwood logs with this badboy with no problems and it still held its edge. And at 1/4 thick you could pry open a car door with it if needed.


Sawer Mini Water Filter


Mountain House Meals - Lightweight long storage and taste great.

Laplander Folding Saw

There are giant water sacks that fit inside bath tubs and can be used if the tub isn't as clean as you'd want to drink out of.
(WaterBOB Emergency Drinking Water Storage (100 Gallons) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_my9Gzb5772SMJ)

As far as camp toilets, Ive heard people using kitty litter in a pinch, pardon the pun.

Top priority: http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1570618402

Was the "Going Home" Series.

It's in the first book, linked below. Not a bad series.

http://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Novel-Survivalist-American/dp/0142181277/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415568502&sr=8-1&keywords=going+home

> apartment preppers - you need a WaterBob for your bathtub .... https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2

Not just apartment dwellers, anybody with a bath tub!

There's the "water bob" which is a water bladder that fits in your tub. You should also have smaller jugs of water on hand under the bed the the closet, etc. In an emergency you can deploy this and store many gallons of water. That is as long as pipes don't freeze where you are and earthquakes don't break the main, but here's the link.
https://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2

In addition to stored water and filtration, I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2
The drawback is that you have to anticipate a water outage and fill it up before. My plan is to fill it up within a couple hours of s power outage, but I live in a desert and it never freezes.

SAS Survival Handbook

US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76

UST Learn & Live Outdoor Skills

Lofty Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062378074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_z2xvDbB91V85H

Here is the mobile version of your link

A. Americans survivalist series maybe?

https://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Novel-Survivalist-American/dp/0142181277/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0142181277&pd_rd_r=8TJMWAWP45BAAWTEGQ7B&pd_rd_w=RT0pR&pd_rd_wg=44RPd&psc=1&refRID=8TJMWAWP45BAAWTEGQ7B

I'd start by reading

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-40th-Anniversary/dp/1570618402/

what about this?

if you have a spare bathtub in the house id think about getting a water bob https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Disasters/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526300079&sr=8-2&keywords=water+bob

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_CHgFDb1Q7APP0

Basically turns your tub into water storage.