(Part 2) Best products from r/preppers

Yeah, I agree. Ceradyn is a great option, thanks for bringing it up. For reference, they are available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Drip-Ceradyn-Water-Filter/dp/B0007U010W/

Actually the Gravidyn is a tiny bit cheaper - this is the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Drip-Gravidyn-Water-Filter/dp/B0007U011G/

For anyone who's wondering, yes, the two systems are identical except for the filters that come with. You can put Ceradyn filters in the Gravidyn setup, and vice versa.

The filters are quite delicate, though, and prone to cracking and breakage. You need to inspect them carefully for hairline fractures when you get them. For example, one of the ones in my Gravidyn was broken on arrival. I convinced Amazon to send me a spare one (rather than having to send the whole system back). Also, when I was moving stuff around in one of my storage closets in the garage, I accidentally dropped one of the spare Gravidyn filters on the concrete floor. It was inside its protective cardboard box, but it still broke. I was heartbroken - such a waste of money from a moment's clumsiness. Make sure to treat these things with kid gloves!

For completeness, here are the spare filters - Gravidyn:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-20720-Gravidyn-Replacement-Element/dp/B0007U011Q/

And Ceradyn:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Ceradyn-Replacement-Filter-Element/dp/B0007U0116/

Hope it's ok posting links like this... I have no stake, not connected with the company at all etc.

The Monolithic filters are also interesting, and they claim to remove arsenic and lead as well. I would be concerned with arsenic in the surface water around here, though it might only be something that is in ground water (i.e. from wells etc). Anyway, these are very simple and cheap too, you can make a bucket filter around one of these little things and have a basic system. I don't know how much formal testing they have had, but they seem to be used a lot in 3rd world countries.

http://www.monolithic.org/water-filters

http://www.monolithicmarketplace.com/collections/frontpage/products/just-water-ceramic-drip-filter

As I said earlier, if I ever have to use the creek water, then I intend for the Monolithic to be the first stage, then treat with calcium hypochlorite (pool shock - 78% TurboShock from Poolife is the best I've found), then treat again with the Katadyn to remove the chlorine and just do another round of filtering in general. I figure I should be covering my bases with this.

http://www.amazon.com/POOLIFE-Poolife-TurboShock-1-lb/dp/B0017SSFU6

And also in case anybody's interested: To treat water with calcium hypochlorite, first make a bleach solution (NOT FOR DRINKING!) by adding a heaped teaspoon to 2 gallons of water. Then you can treat drinking water with this by using 1:100 ratio (i.e. for every 1 part bleach solution, 100 parts water). This should make it obvious that the calcium hypochlorite is pretty concentrated stuff - you shouldn't be trying to treat drinking water directly. First make the solution, then use that to treat the water. For reference, the 1:100 ratio translates into roughly 2.5-3 tablespoons of solution per gallon of drinking water, or 3/4-1 cup to every 5 gallons of water (if you're treating by the bucket). I give a range since it might be easier to measure 3 tablespoons and 1 cup rather than fractions like 2.5 and 3/4, and I think it's probably true that a little over treatment won't do any harm, especially if you are filtering it out anyway. Let the water stand for at least half an hour when treating, the longer the better. Contact time is important for killing the viruses etc.

Also, the pool shock is hard to store safely, since it produces chlorine. Anything metal will get corroded over time. The best method I have found is to use the mason jars with the metal canning lids (the ones that come in two parts). The 1 lb packs of TurboShock fit nicely in a 1/2 gallon jar. I know the lid is metal, but it has a plastic coating on the inside, and those lids are the best sealing I have found. I can put three jars inside a plastic 5 gallon bucket that has been sealed with a Gamma spintop lid. Then I can check on them every few months, and I'll know immediately if the jars have been leaking inside the bucket, because you'll be hit with the chlorine as soon as you open the bucket. I figure if the metal lids start rusting, then I'll just see what their safe lifetime is, and treat them as consumable items. A box of lids is only a few bucks, so replacing them every six months or year or whatever is no big deal. I also wrap the jars inside the bucket in bubble wrap, just so they won't break against each other if things are thrown around during an earthquake. With 3 lbs of the calcium hypochlorite, I'm ready to disinfect a LOT of pond water! Maybe also useful as bartering material in the event of a long term service outage, you never know.

Oh, and one last thing - I got a set of long handled measuring spoons, so that I will be able to reach inside the jars to get the pool shock out without having to tip them up or whatever, risking getting this toxic substance on my skin or in my eyes (big nope).

http://www.amazon.com/ChefLand-Set-Sizes-Stainless-Ingredients/dp/B00AEUR6K8

I know metal isn't good with calcium hypochlorite, but I'm not storing them with the stuff and their contact time will be minimal, and I'll be washing them after each use. I just figure it's useful to try to consider the practicalities of how you will use stuff in reality... also, I'll probably not make 2 gallons, but rather only 1 gallon at a time, which will mean a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of pool shock. And how to store the bleach solution? I found some nice 1 gallon jars with plastic lids for that:

http://www.amazon.com/1-gallon-USDA-Fermentation-Glass-Jar/dp/B006ZRBGSC

The solution should be good for a couple of weeks, I think, if stored in a cool dark place. I guess you could also use it to treat your bucket toilet, so maybe you won't waste much.

Sorry, as you can tell I have thought way too much about this stuff. :P

For this scenario, I'm going to assume that you did not evacuate early, in which case you'd have had plenty of time to pack the car. So we'll say that you stuck around until getting out was no longer really an option and are now being evacced to a shelter. I'm going to start this off assuming that this only entails you and other adults, so if there are kids or pets please include specifics on those (including ages) and I will update for that.

Your BOB should include:

• A backpack, obviously. Large enough to do the job, small enough so that you don't over pack.
  
  
• Food: Three Mainstay 2400 bars which are available at Walmart for $5 each. Maybe pre-purchase one and give it a whirl before getting all three. If the taste isn't right for you there are other varieties like the Datrex bar. These are sealed water tight, last for up to 5 years, and will put up with extreme heat and cold really well. Make sure to put each bar in its own gallon ziploc freezer bag, as once opened the bars inside are not individually wrapped. The purpose here is to not be completely reliant on the shelter providing you food while also not having to worry about cooking/heating anything.
  
  
• Water: Rotate flats of bottled water in your house. In the event that you need to be rescued or bail out to the shelter, get a minimum of 3 liters into your pack. One per day. This way you're not completely reliant on the shelter to provide for you. It would also be a good idea to include a Sawyer Water Filter in case there are problems obtaining water. This is light weight and will allow you to get good drinking water for yourself from the bad if the fresh water situation does not dissipate quickly.
  
  
• Clothing: Have a change of clothes. Specifically, maybe even a couple of changes of underwear and socks. You'll really appreciate both. If you can, get it all in waterproof bags. If not, make sure the socks and underwear at least are dry. Preferably wool socks if you have them.
  
  
• Sanitation: Have your own roll of TP in another gallon sized freezer ziploc baggie. You don't know how much or if the place you go will have any. Also, tote along an appropriate amount of hand sanitizer. Not just for the bathroom, but for any time you interact with flood waters. I have disposable food gloves in my kitchen, and I'd probably consider tossing 3-4 pair in my bag. They're low weight and keep your hands clean if you end up doing some dirty work. Then... throw a stick of deoderant in your bag. That's not a necessity, but there's no reason to add more stink to what will likely already be a stinky environment. Consider also having some wet wipes in the kit to freshen up a bit.
  
  
• Health: You don't need a full med kit exactly, but have some ibuprofen or a pain reliever of your choice in fairly good amounts (others will almost definitely ask for some), some pepto tablets to either stop upset stomachs or to just back things up for a while if you don't want to use the facilities where you're staying, a small tube of antiseptic cream and band-aids for small wounds. With flood waters being filthy, you'll want to be able to treat minor cuts and scratches before they can become a real problem. Larger wounds you'll likely be able to get real medical treatment for, so you can just plan to take care of the small stuff yourself. Add in any medications that are specific to your situation as well.
  
  
• Documents: Have copies of documents that prove who you are and what you own. Have copies of insurance papers. Most importantly, have a list of phone numbers to people and companies that you would want to have in this situation. There is no guarantee that your cell phone will either survive or have a charge, so having a paper copy is crucial. Obviously you'll want to protect the more sensitive bits of info.
  
  
• Light: Have your own means of generating light. Invest in a decent 'waterproof' flashlight of some type. Here's a decent pair that won't break the bank but will give you some redundancy.
  
  Then there's comfort stuff. This one is a biggie and parts of it are largely optional, so I'll break down into its own section and you can pick what sounds best.
  
  
• First, make sure to have a charger for your phone, but if you want to be a really clever monkey then also include something that will turn one electrical outlet into many. There's near a 100% chance that someone else will have their charger plugged into an outlet with a line behind them. If you want to be sure of charging yours, bring an electrical splitter of some sort. You'll be a mini-hero to a bunch of folks, but more importantly you'll get to charge your phone. Write your name or initials on the splitter as well, just so you can prove it to be yours when you eventually need to take it back.
  
  
• Then also, you'll want to plan to take care of yourself for sleeping. A compact, light weight, and water proof blanket may well be useful for keeping you dry. Then you'll also likely want a compact sleeping bag, or maybe even one for two if you're with someone. Something small to port around, but that will give you a real blanket to sleep with. Then... there's no guarantee of a cot, so having a compact sleeping mat would probably be a smart call as well. You don't want to sleep directly on concrete if you can avoid it. For extra fanciness, don't forget a pillow, though you could probably make do without one.
  
  
• You might also want some ear plugs, as any shelter will be noisy... and people snore. Obviously sleeping with these in presents some dangers of not hearing what's going on around you, so use your judgement based on how safe you feel.
  
  
• Have cash, in small bills. Nothing higher than a 20, though plenty in smaller. Chances are atm's and credit card machines will not work, so you'll have what you have.
  
  
• Have some non digital means of entertainment. Maybe that's a book or two (though a water proofed kindle would probably last plenty long as well), or a deck of cards, or a compact chess board, or whatever tickles your fancy. Just don't rely completely on your phone for entertainment. It may be damaged or need a charge.
  
  
• Consider grabbing a camping tooth brush and a small tube of toothpaste. Sometimes it's the small things that make you feel human again. Might as well add in a small bar of soap as well in case you get a chance to take a 'sink bath'.
  
  
• Lastly, if you want to be a king of comfort in your new domain, you'll need a throne. Nothing special. Just a small back packable chair, but in a crowded shelter there might not be a place to sit other than the floor, so if you really want to splurge on this bag it's worth considering. Again, initial it so that you can later prove ownership.
  
  ----------------------------------------
  
  That's the list off of the top of my head. You can easily stop at just the necessities, or go all in and plan to be comfortable in the situation you think you're most likely to face. Hope that helps.

> Yup, they don't make 'em like they used to. I've found Eveready AAs in old flashlights, radios that still worked after 20 years. Today's shit alkalines leak and destroy electronics at an alarming pace. I've moved to Lithium batteries for devices that require good power.

I suspect those are actually aren't alkalines, and are actually zinc carbon cells. They have much less energy than alkalines, but are still manufactured in enormous numbers because they're the ones included for free with devices that include batteries. They are a bit cheaper than regular alkalines, but I don't think that's the reason obsolete technology is still being used so enthusiastically. I think it's because inventory can sit on shelves for years before being sold, and manufacturers don't want their inventory destroyed by leaking alkalines, so they use zinc carbon instead.

All batteries age and lose power over time, but if I had to guess, I think the old ones you're finding might actually be zinc carbon. If not, well, alkalines don't normally leak until after they're depleted, so if they haven't lost all their energy yet, good ones probably wouldn't leak, so you can still find them sometimes.

You're right, today there are HUGE problems with leaking alkalines, especially with Duracell, which is among the most popular brands:

• Why I'll Never Skimp On AA Batteries Again : r/AAMasterRace
  
  I think the quality dropped because profits are dropping due to so many people buying rechargeable batteries instead. In any case, Energizer is the only alkaline battery that has a good guarantee against leaks:
  
  
• No Leaks Guarantee | Energizer
  
  Incidentally, Energizer is the only company that has true lithium AA battery technology, so your non-leaking lithiums are also probably Energizer. You can actually get rechargeable lithium AA batteries now, though:
  
  
• AmazonSmile: TENAVOLTS Rechargeable AA Battery Charger with 4 Counts Lithium 2775 mWh AA Rechargeable Batteries: Home Audio & Theater
  
  Those are the best ones I know of, and they actually exceed the capacity of Eneloops AND they have a decent 1000 charge cycle specification that isn't a joke compared to Eneloop 2100 charge cycles. Most other lithium cells are only good for 300 to 500 charge cycles, which is pathetic.
  
  Either way, no AA battery matches AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. They are amazing, if you can afford the high cost.
  
  > https://imgur.com/au6sfYD (granted this photo was taken when I still had a number of alkaline batteries in the mix).
  
  r/AAMasterRace would like to see that.

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.

Don't buy too much too fast... get a little of all the stuff you need every week. Keep in mind that EVERYONE will at some point be unemployed, and cash in the bank (or a safe) is a pretty good prep on its own.

1. Water. You have 40 gallons in your hot water heater. Learn how to turn it off and get water out of it. After that, purification of some sort: iodine tables or a Sawyer Mini. After that, some 5 gallon containers, or a big 50 gallon barrel.
   
   
2. Food. Eat what you prep and prep what you eat. Buy a bit more every week until you have at least a 1 month supply of staples (rice, pasta, flour, canned meat). Some people keep a 1 year supply. Others keep a 3 year supply and a ton of seeds... you can pick how extreme you want to be. Mountain House has excellent (but expensive) freeze dried food if you want to travel light. Dont forget tea, instant coffee, and snack foods to keep your spirits up!
   
   
3. Clothing. Make sure you always have good shoes, good socks, warm jacket, and rain gear in the car. Spare socks are unbelievably important.
   
   
4. Shelter. Depends on your area, but I keep some space blankets and a bivy tent in my Get Home Bag (GHB) in the car, just in case.
   
   After that, it gets a bit fuzzy... you'll want a first aid kit, tools, radio, bic lighters, candles, flashlights and the like... These guys have the best pre-built bag I've seen yet:
   
   https://www.forcitekits.com/
   
   Pricy, but it has good stuff... and its a great guide if you want to buy a little at a time.
   
   After that... it really depends a lot on what you're planning for... tarps if you're in a hurricane/tornado prone area, temporary toilet for earthquake prone area, lots of garbage bags, etc. My first prepper book was the Prepper Pocket Guide:
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Pocket-Guide-Things-Disaster/dp/1569759294
   
   Lots of good, practical, everyday advice... the author is a woman, and she had ideas in there that as a guy I totally missed... like tampons.

1) "Doomsday planning for less crazy folk"

(also sometimes called "prepping for practical people"). You can read this for free online. It is a good walk through some main, reasonable areas for prepping and how to approch them. I've used this to guide a lot of my preps and organizing.

The author grew up in martial law Poland before the fall of communism. Has a lot of world experience. Is a very smart computer security programmer.

2) The Prepper's Pocket Guide

Easy to follow, well organized, and each entry is short to read. This one is nice because you can implement some of the preps right away, and build as you have money and time. I don't agree with every single entry, but overall it's great. Very practical.

I have considered buying "Prepper's Pocket Guide" as a small gift or stocking stuffer for a few friends and family.

3) Emergency Checklist for Beginners

I have no affiliation with their site, but I have been impressed with all of the material they have put out so far. Walks through the concepts of "every day carry", to be ready for things you run into. Discusses starting small and building up over time. This is a good approach for people starting out.

You mentioned the basics... how about electricity? I'm specifically thinking of a portable solar arrays, and some multipurpose chargers, batteries devices. Here are a few links of interest:

Super portable 21Watt version that has USB outs:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012YUJJM8/

Bigger model but capable of charging 12Volt batteries (I'm thinking trickle charging a car battery):
http://www.amazon.com/Charger-Backpacking-Battery-Foldable-Cellphone/dp/B00VBSFT74/

Multimeter for displaying power output:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J3JSEG6/
(useful for positioning the solar cells for best power)

ThruNite U1 charger and battery; acts as not only a charger for NiCad, NiMH, and Li-Ion cells of varying sizes, but also (drum roll) can be used as a USB powerpack:

http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-Charger-1x3400mAh-Multifunction-Portable/dp/B00WFXWUOE/

Then, standardize on lights that use 18650 cells as they're way, way better than NiMH (higher power, better capacity, longer life):

http://www.amazon.com/Bundle-Nitecore-Rechargeable-Flashlight-EASTSHINE/dp/B00VG1J8S2/

Oh, random idea... small stove that'll burn wood and comes with a backup alcohol burner:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088FVZZI/

Good and Cheap: (Note: This is also available for free download in PDF format on the author's website. I know many folks who have downloaded it and printed it out for offline use.)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761184996/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EVLLDbRBSQMBH

Depression Era Recipes:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0934860556/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9OLLDbTKCP8B4

Clara's Kitchen:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312608276/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MPLLDbWM71RM9

More-with-Less World Community Cookbook:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/083619263X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nQLLDbF12CDHM


Finally, a word on creating your own cookbook binder: Bookmark the recipes you've tried and loved (using Pinterest is okay for this, too), print them out, and either laminate the pages, or use clear sheet protector sleeves to keep them fom getting cruddy with repeated use. Pick out a binder you like or have handy, create labeled categories using tab dividers, then sort your recipes into said categories as you put them into the binder. Voila! Your own collection of recipes you know and trust. 😁

Regardless of whatever you settle on for active heating, you want to capture as much ambient heat as possible.
Mylar sheets in addition to the vapor barrier you mentioned will help. Each pack of the link I shared will cover ~315 sq ft. Of course it would be best to line ceilings and walls, if you only do one, ceiling is more important.

Shrink your living area. Shrink your sleeping area. Move to the highest comfortable spot in your house.

I actually have had some limited success (regardless of bad reviews) with the terra cotta pot style heaters you see from time to time. They're obviously more successful in smaller areas that don't bleed heat.

You can also think of your food stores as an investment like you would for your guns and ammo. I have seen my rice and beans go up in value about 30% recently. The key is packing it correctly in airtight mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. This food can last you 20+ years if packed safely. I plan to rotate through my food stores about every 10 years, and I don't plan to touch my current stash until the ten year mark. I am hoping my Return On Investment will be pretty good after 10 years assuming we don't have any major deflationary times in the near future.
EDIT: Forgot to mention: In my opinion, the more likely survival scenario is going to be loss of a job or economic collapse. In this scenario I think it would be wiser to live off food stores in more populated areas rather than run to the wilderness and try to live off the land. I have come to this opinion after reading The Modern Survival Manual by Ferfal. He is a well studied survivalist and has survived Argentina's Economic Collapse for the past ten years. His shared experiences and knowledge is priceless and his book has changed my viewpoint on survivalism. Its a must read for the true survivalist.

Here's a few of mine that I really like. I have way more than these, but I'm not sure I'd recommend all of them, per se. Anyhow, should give you some ideas.

Security - Talks about small unit tactics with small arms and so forth.

Butchering and cooking wild game - If you hope to hunt for food, you gotta know what to do with it after shooting it.

SAS Survival Guide - Really tiny dimensions that make this easy to toss in my BOB.

Composting - If you plan to garden, you're gonna need to compost. I also have various gardening books such as container gardening, organic gardening, gardening according to the Mormons, etc. The Mormons have a lot of great homesteading-oriented books. Here's one called The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers


Bushcraft - Never hurts to learn some knots and be able to make simple things out of natural materials.

Organization and Planning - I'm reading this one now. Touches on a lot of areas of things to think about that you gotta plan for. A good amount of stuff I hadn't really thought about before.

$150 per month is a pretty sizable amount to have to spend on getting prepared. In what area of prepping do you have the most interest in starting?

If you don't have any food or water start there with things that you already eat. Cans of soup, extra spaghetti and sauce, noodles and rice. So long as you keep a good rotation and don't have food going bad keep adding to your stocks. This can get most people to 3-4 months if you're diligent.

You could also dedicate a portion of your budget to building a Get Home Bag or a Bug Out Bag — whichever you are more inclined to want. Here is a link to my Get Home Bag and my INCH bag for ideas. I highly recommend a Kelty Redwing 50 as a backpack to start with.

Perhaps you're more worried about communication. Get yourself a good AM/FM/Shortwave radio and keep informed of what is going on in the world. Or get your ham license and a radio for being able to communicate with others if/when all other means of communication have gone down.

Don't forget that if you don't have any savings that financial prepping is a very important thing to do as well. We should all have at least 3 months of cash available to cover our needs. A better long term goal is 12 months.

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.

they are good and compact and pretty cheap. If you ever run out of water you'll wish you had one as most water sources are contaminated anymore.

I prefer my hand pump. I've had mine 10 years and it works great. I really doesn't weigh much and you can change out the filter.

https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Hiker-Microfilter-Water-Filter/dp/B0047QV0AM/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3OJ6CP0N5E4XC&keywords=water+filter+hand+pump&qid=1556483509&s=gateway&sprefix=water+filter+hand%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-9

Cat food can stove, denatured alcohol and ramen. Cost a fraction and provides sufficient calories. Add a few snickers in there for variation.


This is the best suggestion. Ramen can be eaten without cooking too. Throw in a few sauce packs from restaurants like soya, chili sauce, mayo, Vary up the Snickers with Tiger bars, granola bars, Cliff bars etc. A few packs of tuna and chicken in the foil packs. A few tins of Vienna sausage. 20-30 dollars should get you an awesome and compact 72 hour food kit. People tend to over think this.

Here is a better stove for 15 bucks ( I use 90% rubbing alcohol -- available at any pharmacy -- a lot for less than five dollars):

Trangia Spirit Burner

You can get a filter that has chemical filtration capability for as low as $50.

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-8018270-Hiker-Microfilter/dp/B0047QV0AM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462453899&sr=8-1&keywords=Hiker+Microfilter

.2Micron and less gallons than the life straw posted.

You should absolutely plan for your particular area. 38% of ground water wells in California have high levels of arsenic. Source. The increased levels of arsenic will not kill you out right but will cause a increased chance of things like cancer.

If money is a concern I suggest building your own filter. It's actually pretty easy and cheap. Cheaper than that mylar blanket actually. Here is a good article.

Sat phones are nice but have ongoing cost. You can get them used for a couple hundred each, and a service plan will run you approx $75-$100 a year for a prepaid card (maybe a little more if you have activation fees) - the prepaid cards expire if you don't use them in time. I would recommend the BaoFeng (get an 8 watt min.), you can get a full kit for under $65 Amazon. It would also be a fun 2 day class with you and your spouse. Class Ham classes are free, and the license is $15 for the exam.

The best solution for this is something like a Chevy Volt. There's an after market add on that lets you hook up to a 2000 watt inverter to it. Since the engine on a Volt is designed to charge the onboard battery it is better tuned to this. Of course you're buying a $35k car in that case, but in the future it' s more of an option.

I'd look at small portable suitcase sized generators. I have a 2000 watt Yamaha (http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-EF2000iS-4-Stroke-Generator-Compliant/dp/B002RWK9N2) that is very quiet and very fuel efficient. You can even order versions that run from gas, propane or natural gas.

I've tried these before and I have a bunch around. They're pretty good. You can't really live off them if you're going to be running around a lot and they don't fill you up but they're pretty good to have considering their cost and zero maintenance.

Kelty Redwing 50 has impressed me. I have a much heavier duty military grade pack, but picked this up for under 100 as another option. I like that it's lighter, has great organization, front loads, and comes in green/black while looking lke an average joe bag.

The cookbook "More with Less" is a good one for different ways to use pantry staples like your rice and beans. Bonus is they have info on what combos of grains/beans/veggies make complete proteins to help keep nutrition up.


https://www.amazon.com/More-Less-Cookbook-World-Community/dp/083619263X

I know folks on here generally favor "real"-ish foods, but I have marine emergency rations for this purpose. They're pretty compact, vacuum sealed, and will keep you alive for up to 3 days. No frills, apparently tastes pretty blah, but does the job.

I have a different brand, but there are many companies that make stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/ER-Emergency-Ration-1B-Preparedness/dp/B008DEYC86

I would look at survival rations. ER Bar, S.O.S. Rations, Mainstay, and Datrex were the brands I looked at. I ended up with Mainstay after a little research. There honestly appears to be little difference overall though so you could actually get whatever you can find cheapest or whatever little differences you prefer. One 3600 calorie package is supposed to last 3 days giving you 400 calories per day.

The biggest thing to remember is that these are made specifically to be light, compact, and the minimum you need to keep going for 3 days. You would not want to pack them for living for months off of but for 3 days they were the best alternative I could find.

Fiction: Gray, by Lou Cadle. I thought this was an unusually good story about how things would play out in SHFT and almost EOTW scenario. The difficulty the characters had in getting calories (once the easy stuff was gone from the grocery stores) was very realistic. Also the difficulty in traveling and finding out what was happening was pretty realistic. It's not a completely grim book either (not like The Road).

Linky: https://www.amazon.com/Gray-Complete-Collection-Lou-Cadle-ebook/dp/B073S8RVXK

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/

The Honda generators are really nice. You can set them to auto throttle up based on load so that you get the most run time from your gas. You may also look at the equivalent Yamaha generator too on Amazon. It's $150 cheaper and pretty much the same things as this Honda. A lot of the parts are also more easily sourced locally from what I've seen.

Yamaha EF2000iS

I've been very impressed with Fox40 whistles. They are used by referees and are amazing at getting attention.

You don't necessarily need a license for the radios. FRS or CB for example. Besides if only you have a license and radio then how can you talk with the rest of your family?

> And do you have any recommendations on those sleeping pads?

Tons ^_^ I've been making a database of sleeping pads for fun.

The least expensive compact pads that people seem to like are made by Outdoorsman Labs. This is their most compact. Though for a few dollars more there is the namebrand Klymic Static V. These are both 0.9 liters packed.

The best deal that I know of at the moment is the $30 Eureka Singlis ST. Normally $50. It is a little heavier and bulkier (1.2 liters) but is notable for having a built in pump.

edit: Forgot to mention that Klymit has an ebay store where they sell their refurbished units. The Static V is $40 there.

What is the difference between this version and this version with respect to capability (that a regular person might use)? Getting 5 for the price of roughly 2 seems pretty nice if they have roughly the same capability.

I'm also reading this The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse it's a first persons account of how the Argentina collapse went down, lots of good info on prepping in general, but what was most valuable as barter. But then comes the surprising news out of France that Nutella is a new consideration for barter in that area of the world.

Best to move somewhere. Ideally IMO one should live 10 minutes drive from a small town that is outside of a moderately large city by at least an hours drive. An example using texas, where I am familiar. Outside of fredericksburg. It is an hour or so from austin texas.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Modern-Survival-Manual-Surviving/dp/9870563457

Best book I have found. the guy lived through the argentine collapse and has seen and lived a true collapse. He really breaks through a lot of myths.

>(say 20 5 gallon jugs)


First I'd buy something like these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053GVRWQ as they are stackable and I just like them.

Then, I'd add the appropriate amount of calcium hypochlorite to each one, fill them up and seal them. Write down the date and leave it with the water. Keep a filter nearby too, when you need the water run it through the filter for peace of mind and then aerate it for taste.

For cooking issues in a real crisis, I made one of these burns very little wood, small sticks/twigs/woodchips. I made mine out of an old computer case, but any sturdy sheet metal will do. I also have a trangia which runs on alcohol. And a dutch oven which can be used over a campfire or buried with coals. For home heat, I have built a rocket mass heater before, they work great and stay warm long after the fire is out, but I rent now, so I have a small woodstove I can quickly hook up to the chimney if need be. Not that you asked about any of that =]

I have thought about putting together an "urban" kit something like this:

A variety of different bump keys

Easy to carry set of lock picks

A multi-functional silcock key to access water

A "truckers friend" combination crowbar, axe, hammer

Sawzall blade handle and various blades for cutting metal and wood

And a good pair of gloves

I think this would cover all my bases and be able to get me into or out of pretty much anywhere I can expect to be, but it's a lot of equipment so I think it may be overkill

**The links are just representative of what I have in mind and not the actual product I would purchase.

There should be a lot more discussion on this topic. Bullets and beans don't mean anything if you can't dispose of waste in safe manner. My solution / thoughts below, and I live in a rural area but on a municipal system so this may or may not be as applicable.

For urine, pee in something like a bucket , or build a urinal that drains into a french drain. In general urine can be disposed of fairly easily. Gallons and gallons can go into a rather small area which you can cover later with dirt. Except for the fertilizer burn there's really no issues here. As others have noted keep the urine and solids separate.

For solid waste, relatively easy is:

• a 5 gallon bucket (which you probably already have for storage).
  
• a lid kit for the bucket.
  
• some biodegradable bags that fit into the bucket. You can just clean out the bucket each time but this makes a little easier and you can just bury the whole bag.
  
• some type of absorbing material to dry out the solid waste, and handle any urine that gets in there too. I have a pellet stove so I literally have tons of wood pellets which absorb a lot of water. Other good ideas are coir, sawdust, shredded cardboard, or kitty litter.
  
  Regarding the municipal system, eventually it will back up, it's a question of time. Where I live it's a straight downhill shot to the municipal waste treatment center, no lift pumps required. The waste treatment facility has backup generators and overflow ponds so provided they can still operate things will work. Shit flows downhill, as it was.
  
  In an extremely prolonged sort of situation where the crews weren't out doing maintenance or a large earthquake actually ruptured the pipes, things will back up. The folks at the bottom will experience it first.
  
  You can install a backup prevention device. It has regular maintenance and the install could be easy (in the crawlspace) or terrible (you have to dig). If you're preparing for generalized disruptions it's probably overkill but if you're on a municipal system and want to isolate yourself, it's a good idea. /u/parametrek 's PDF post is terrific, that's something every prepper should have.

Wow so this is fake? Seems to have pretty good reviews and fakespot gives it a B. Interesting...

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.

ah...pretty easy. I've done some extreme camping/festivals and had to pack out everything.

Either a compostable toilet, or simply a honey bucket. Luggable loo lid on 5 gallon buckets. Place in biodegradable bag, then a cup of absorbent kitty litter. Do your business, and each time give it a pump of orange citrus freshener and a cup of kitty litter. Ue until bucket is 1/3 full and tie off bat and toss in garbage or a hole.

Repeat. The luggable loo lids actually snap tight down when not in use, sealing off all odors, etc. Feels just like using a regular toilet.


https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-9881-03-Luggable-Toilet/dp/B0000B13MT/ref=sr_1_2?hvadid=178131274494&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9031550&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15145053386159400452&hvtargid=kwd-1915328318&keywords=luggable+loo&qid=1555353004&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Actually, a wide-mouth stainless steel bottle is more practical. It can serve as a drinking container as well as something to boil water with. You can get a fish mouth spreader to hang it over a fire and a cup/pot that will "nest" over it. Or you can rig up something to hold up the bottle so you can run an alcohol stove under it.

Here's a pre-assembled bottle cooking kit:

http://www.thepathfinderstore.com/the-ultimate-bottle-cooking-set-gen2/

Here's the most widely used alcohol stove (you can make your own too, if you've good the tools handy, but if you don't have the tools it's smarter to just buy one):

http://www.amazon.com/Trangia-Spirit-Burner-with-Screwcap/dp/B000AR7970

I have a camp toilet. It’s a 5 gallon bucket, lined with a compactor bag (those are pretty much unbreakable and no leaks). Add a handful of the blue crystal kitty litter (no clay or clumping, just blue crystals). Top with a toilet seat (made to fit 5 gallon buckets), and you’re good. Change it once a day. You shouldn’t get any smell with the compactor bag/crystal litter combo.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000B13MT/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523845278&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=reliance+toilet+seat&dpPl=1&dpID=31QH7j4%2BX1L&ref=plSrch


I’d also have some formula, just in case you get injured.

We like the Baofeng 8 watt radio https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-BF-F8HP-Two-Way-136-174MHz-400-520MHz/dp/B00MAULSOK/

It's not actually 8 watts but still has more power than other options and is a great price for what you get. If you want to use it in normal daily life you need a technician radio license (which is relatively cheap and painless), but you don't need anything extra to listen to it anytime or transmit in an emergency.

I'd say the SAS Survival Guide book is a good one to have. This one is small enough to fit in a pocket too.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/BaoFeng-BF-F8HP-Two-Way-136-174MHz-400-520MHz/dp/B00MAULSOK/

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Post tordado there will likely be collapsed buildings and down power lines I would imagine a truckers friend being useful in that scenario

https://www.amazon.com/Truckers-Friend-Purpose-Survival-Tool-Made/dp/B005HAT9SM

Pretty good book about surviving the economic collapse in Argentina. Some solid prepping advice in this book.

The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse https://www.amazon.com/dp/9870563457/ref=cm_sw_r_other_taa_TUaXBbEJCZQH0

Add an alcohol stove, bottle of denatured alcohol, cook kit, and pot stand.

Ditch the water packets and get a Klean Kanteen bottle. Keep it filled with water, and add another non-crushable container for extra water.

Now you can make hot tea, hot chocolate, coffee, grits, oatmeal, etc.

Add a hooded blanket tarp thing, some paracord, and a surplus military wool blanket. Maybe some cheap trekking poles or bamboo garden poles. Now you have a poncho and shelter! Add a few "contractor grade" trash bags just in case.

Add a pair of wool socks and comfortable shoes.

Extra batteries for the flashlight.

Safety vest or some kind of reflective thing.

PS: those lifeboat rations taste awful

As far as water storage goes, check out the Water Brick. They're ideal for small apartments with limited storage space. I have a house that doesn't have a lot closets, so I put lots of water bricks underneath the beds. You can probably find them for about $15-16 outside of Amazon.

A truckers friend is always handy. https://smile.amazon.com/Truckers-Friend-Purpose-Survival-Tool-Made/dp/B005HAT9SM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479408550&sr=8-1&keywords=truckers+friend

So a portable solar panel...

Battery bank...

This set was under 100 US with free shipping. Works great, has TONS of reviews and like ALL other products has seen a few duds. We use ours everyday to charge Nintendo DS and tablet/phones. Nice set!

............................................................

Phoenix says its water proof but I highly doubt that as there is no seal on the door to access ports. The ports are not water proof...

Even if it is...not worth more than 200 US.

My favorite book for your sort of situation is The Modern Survival Handbook: Surviving the Economic Collapse. The cover is a tad hokey, but it was written by a guy who lived through the massive depression in Argentina in the early 2000's, and the content is top tier. Really enjoyable read that taught me a ton.

May want to check out Fernando Ferfal's book. the modern survival manual: Surviving the economic collapse

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.

I would recommend looking into Ferfal and his blog and book. He lived in Argentina when it defaulted on its debt and argues that it's better to remain in cities than live in very rural places during an economic collapse. With that in mind, he offers very pragmatic strategies for coping with almost every kind of problem you could run into.

His book is on amazon and is called, The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse. If nothing else, I'd recommend browsing through the 352 reviews on amazon to get a feel for his strategies.

Also, he has a great blog called, Surviving in Argentina (I think he actually hosts it under a different name/site as well). It's here: https://ferfal.blogspot.com/

If you look through the titles in the left column of his site, you'll see that he's organized his previous articles according to topic.

I haven't gone to his site in a while, but I think it's just what you're looking for.

Lots of good suggestions here. Thanks a lot! I do plan on posting again once I've had a chance to make some improvements/additions to the bag.

As for the rechargeable solar bank, I do have an anker 21 watt solar kit ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012YUJJM8 ) in the car that would fit in the bag and those items could charge directly from that if the power bank fails. I just don't regularly keep the panels in the bag for fear of them getting unnecessarily damaged.

I also have this shovel in the car as part of my regular auto gear. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017UVEW0

Unfortunately I don't believe there is any solar chargers which will work well in overcast conditions. The upside is even if it cannot provide a ton of power it should still be able to charge your batteries, it will just take longer than if in direct sunlight.

Personally I carry one of these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012YUJJM8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I charge a power brick with it and then charge my devices off the power brick. Many devices (phones, etc.) need X power before they will allow charge, but most power bricks will charge under most any circumstances in my experience.

I'd throw a pack of these in there.

https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-9881-03-Portable-Toilet-5-gallon/dp/B0000B13MT/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503973880&sr=8-2&keywords=5+gallon+bucket+toilet

Bigger generators are going to use more gas, even if they throttle down...

I'f your primarily concerned about essential items, consider getting a smaller generator that can run longer on a gallon of gas, such as this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002RWK9N2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492978303&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=yamaha+generator&dpPl=1&dpID=41RR92Yk2mL&ref=plSrch

Here is the mobile version of your link

Check out WaterBrick:





http://www.amazon.com/Stackable-Water-Container-WaterBrick-Portable/dp/B0053GVRWQ

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-BF-F8HP-Two-Way-136-174Mhz-400-520Mhz/dp/B00MAULSOK

Damn next paycheck I wanna pick one up so please don't buy them all.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9870563457/


Written by a dude that actually went through an economic collapse in Argentina.

Pizza's idea of the Sawyer was an excellent suggestion and would be one of my top recommendations as well. To hit some other categories for ideas:

Viral/Contamination:

• ReadiMask - http://www.amazon.com/Readi-Mask-Adult-Eye-Shield/dp/B004FNM3HG/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1405587012&sr=1-1&keywords=readimask (bonus in that it protects from pepper spray as well.
  
  
• iOsat - http://www.amazon.com/iOSAT-Potassium-Iodide-Tablets-130/dp/B00006NT3A/ref=pd_sim_hpc_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1728J79YJKNWGHDRJN05 (for those worried about radiation)
  
  Medical:
  
  
• Israeli Bandage - http://www.amazon.com/Ever-Ready-First-Aid-Compression/dp/B003DPVERM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1405587096&sr=1-1&keywords=israeli+bandage (useful in injury situations and classified by amazon as an add-on item)
  
  
• SAM Splint - http://www.amazon.com/SAM-Splint-36-Rolled-Orange/dp/B001J5H92C/ref=pd_sim_hpc_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=18S9GSPKTSW2TE04ATJ7 (variety of uses)
  
  
• PTK - http://www.amazon.com/Patrol-Officers-Pocket-Rescue-Essentials/dp/B006X6PA4Q/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1405587210&sr=8-16&keywords=ifak (basic, compact trauma kit)
  
  
  Informational:
  
  
• SAS Survival Guide http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Revised-Edition/dp/0061733199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405587615&sr=8-1&keywords=sas+survival+guide (Problem with this is I wouldn't be surprised if they had one already)
  
  
  Water:
  
  
• WaterBOB - http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=pd_sim_hi_14?ie=UTF8&refRID=1YX88PYX3MPY73MFFPBT (Emergency Water Storage)
  
  
• Seychelle Filter Bottle http://www.amazon.com/Seychelle-1-10303-PI-SEYCHELLE-24-Inch-Bottle-Advanced/dp/B00B48XJZK/ref=pd_sbs_sg_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RQPR5EQ0W6AF13TPG8F (Advantage over sawyer? Removes viruses, heavy metals, and chemicals. Disadvantage? Only good for 100 gallons; also, I've seen mixed reviews on Amazon; I always ordered mine from the company directly and never had any product issues so idk there)
  
  
• Potassium Permanganate - http://www.amazon.com/Potassium-Permanganate-Ounces-Screw-top-bottles/dp/B00FH6R5AA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405588269&sr=8-2&keywords=Potassium+permanganate (101 uses; research it out)
  
  
  Tools:
  
  
• On Duty 4 in 1 tool - http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Earthquakes-Hurricanes-Disasters-Emergencies/dp/B000NYDEPQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405588628&sr=8-2&keywords=water+shut+off+tool
  
  
• Opinel - http://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Folding-Beechwood-Leather/dp/B00AZ5LW4S/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1405588822&sr=1-6&keywords=opinel (can't go wrong with a decent knife, plus they may get some use out of it now)
  
  
• Paracord Wrapped Prybar - http://www.amazon.com/Type-III-Apocalypse-Paracord-Wrapped-Compass/dp/B008DMSPPO/ref=sr_1_14?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1405589184&sr=1-14&keywords=mini+survival
  
  
  Other:
  
  
• Israeli Gas Mask - http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Issue-Drinking-Sealed-Filter/dp/B004RUB8VE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405588890&sr=8-2&keywords=israeli+gas+mask (I'd be dubious trusting it for anything other than tear gas, but that's me)
  
  
• Paracord Braclet - http://www.amazon.com/The-Friendly-Swede-Starter-Stainless/dp/B00EDYMWO6/ref=sr_1_25?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1405589015&sr=1-25&keywords=survival (Bit more useful than most)
  
  
• ER Bar (or other emergency ration, they all taste terrible) - http://www.amazon.com/ER-Emergency-Ration-Survival-Preparedness/dp/B008DEYC86/ref=sr_1_49?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1405589118&sr=1-49&keywords=survival
  
  
• Mini Fishing Kit - http://www.amazon.com/Best-Glide-Adventurer-Series-FG1250/dp/B004J4EXCO/ref=sr_1_55?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1405589118&sr=1-55&keywords=survival
  
  
  Anyway, just some suggestions. Hard to get too crazy on a budget. I'm sorry I missed the exchange but I signed up to give someone who gets screwed something so I'm sure I'm gonna help someone out.