PREP Overlooked Preps

SageRock

Veteran Member
Starting a thread for prep items that are often overlooked.

Here's one to start: the spare tire on your vehicle. How old is it? Anything over 7-10 years old is no longer safe to use and should be replaced. Spare tires are "out of sight, out of mind" and easy to overlook and take for granted.
 

Caplock50

I am the Winter Warrior
Lol, sewing needles and thread. Sewing machines won't work if they don't have electricity to run them. And torn clothes aren't much fun in cold weather. And get some of the ones with large 'eyes', too. If the need should arise, you can use them to 'repair' your footwear.
 

bethshaya

God has a plan, Trust it!
For the ladies - Cloth Menstrual Pads. If you don't sew, Etsy has many of them as they have become a weird niche of decorative fabrics for it. If you do sew, they are easy to make. Patterns are available online and supplies on Amazon or Fabric.com.

Once disposable sell out in stores or are no longer available, these are comfortable, easy to use and wash. I no longer need them, but when I did, I switched to cloth because they were more absorbent than disposable and they were just pretty to collect. You only need 15-20 if you do your wash every few days. If not, more or less depending on how often you do laundry. Remember to get a bucket or small covered trashcan that you can put water and Oxiclean in to pre-soak them after use before you do laundry. Also stock up on Fels Naptha soap. It is the best at getting stains out of clothes when you hand wash and cheap.

Supplies for doing HAND washing too are good to have on hand. Amazon has some great manual agitation washing bins that you just crank to wash. Nice for a backup or for every day use for delicates.
 

IRoberge

Veteran Member
I’m up researching cloth diapers and plastic pants. Diapers are no problem, but the plastic pants to put over them are going to be tough to find I think.

There are some fancy cloth diapers out there with Velcro instead of pins, and plastic backing but you sill need to buy some liners for them, and they are over $5 each!!!!
 

Salal Sue

Senior Member
If you are a dementia caregiver, as I am, the "Depends" type disposables are already predicted to possibly be in short supply...as are disposable baby diapers. Amazon has cloth diapers and washable, reusable incontinence supplies for adults. You don't want to be cutting up towels and sheets if disposables are not available. Might locate a 5 gallon bucket and a laundry plunger as well. Next on my list is a large kettle for boiling laundry items on my wood stove for sanitizing. Saying a heavenward thank you for years of hot water, washer and dryer!
 

Luddite

Veteran Member
An emergency dental kit.
I watched a coworker suffer with an offending tooth until he decided to pull it himself. (The fact he refused to use our excellent dental insurance is a side issue for another thread)

He grimaced, growled, and grappled until he got it loose. Only then did he realize he was loosening the tooth beside the true offender.

Same guy often relayed a family saying passed down generation to generation " if you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough"

Another anectdotal story passed down through MY family: My great grandfather awoke about this time one morning in the same house in which I type this. He looked out the window to see the home blacksmith shop lit up. The hired man was "adjusting a set of forceps to pull a tooth." Ggd jokingly said "I'll have breakfast ready when you're done". Later that morning he came to the house WITHOUT the bad tooth, ready for breakfast.

Most of us have no idea how much tougher previous generations were, you can't store or make that...


Yard sales and antique stores are full of useful items. Use 1800 eyes as you walk around.
 
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Caplock50

I am the Winter Warrior
But...I'm ready for beddi
An emergency dental kit.
I watched a coworker suffer with an offending tooth until he decided to pull it himself. (The fact he refused to use our excellent dental insurance is a side issue for another thread)

He grimaced, growled, and grappled until he got it loose. Only then did he realize he was loosening the tooth beside the true offender.

Same guy often relayed a family saying passed down generation to generation " if you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough"

Another anectdotal story passed down through MY family: My great grandfather awoke about this time one morning in the same house in which I type this. He looked out the window to see the home blacksmith shop lit up. The hired man was "adjusting a set of forceps to pull a tooth." Ggd jokingly said "I'll have breakfast ready when you're done". Later that morning he came to the house WITHOUT the bad tooth, ready for breakfast.

Most of us have no idea how much tougher previous generations were, you can't store or make that...


Yard sales and antique stores are full of useful items. Use 1800 eyes as you walk around.

""Yard sales and antique stores are full of useful items. Use 1800 eyes as you walk around.""

I love it...and it's so true, too.
 

ohiohippie

Veteran Member
I’m trying to go solar, usb and 12v.
Solar packs for charging usb items.
Jackery for usb and 12v.
A 12v. coffee pot heats up really fast.
A 12v. food warmer works great.
USB fans take little power.
Opolar are a great brand.
I wouldn’t trade the Luci solar lights for a flashlight with lifetime supply of batteries or coleman lattern.
Nothing I’ve bought has been expensive.
I bought brake pads cause I know thats in the near future.
I have about 5k left on van tires so I bought tires. I brought them home until they need mounted.
Oil filters and oil for 3 changes.
I reckon its all gonna get used if we can still get gas. lol
 

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
An emergency dental kit.
I watched a coworker suffer with an offending tooth until he decided to pull it himself. (The fact he refused to use our excellent dental insurance is a side issue for another thread)

He grimaced, growled, and grappled until he got it loose. Only then did he realize he was loosening the tooth beside the true offender.

Same guy often relayed a family saying passed down generation to generation " if you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough"

Another anectdotal story passed down through MY family: My great grandfather awoke about this time one morning in the same house in which I type this. He looked out the window to see the home blacksmith shop lit up. The hired man was "adjusting a set of forceps to pull a tooth." Ggd jokingly said "I'll have breakfast ready when you're done". Later that morning he came to the house WITHOUT the bad tooth, ready for breakfast.

Most of us have no idea how much tougher previous generations were, you can't store or make that...


Yard sales and antique stores are full of useful items. Use 1800 eyes as you walk around.
Book: Where there is no dentist
dental adhesive if a crown comes loose
Dental filler available at WallyWorld.
Haven't used it but thinking about looking into clove oil for tooth pain as my dentist told me some of the most common OTC tooth pain medication damages the gums.
A dental kit for cleaning? I've done the dog's teeth but not humans.
 

Gardener

Senior Member
My dentist used clove oil when I had dry socket pain after a tooth was pulled. It worked really well, and it was fast.

="Old Gray Mare, post: 8757641, member: 6421"]
Book: Where there is no dentist
dental adhesive if a crown comes loose
Dental filler available at WallyWorld.
Haven't used it but thinking about looking into clove oil for tooth pain as my dentist told me some of the most common OTC tooth pain medication damages the gums.
A dental kit for cleaning? I've done the dog's teeth but not humans.
[/QUOTE]
 

TerriHaute

Hoosier Gardener
Clothesline and clothespins. I just replaced my old clothesline with brand new yesterday. The old clothesline was 15 years old and almost completely weathered and close to breaking, even though it was the good stuff of vinyl covered wire.

Along the same theme, I use drying racks, the free-standing kind that fold flat, in the winter when I can't use the clothesline. DH built me a large one after we saw one at the Shipshewanna flea market (Amish) for over $100. I have two smaller ones that came from Walmart or Meijer several years ago too. I can set them up in the basement near the dehumidifier, or if we have a fire going, I set the big one up in the same room. It adds some humidity to the room air and the clothes dry pretty quickly.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Lol, sewing needles and thread. Sewing machines won't work if they don't have electricity to run them. And torn clothes aren't much fun in cold weather. And get some of the ones with large 'eyes', too. If the need should arise, you can use them to 'repair' your footwear.

one of my favorites for this is embroidery thread and needle since you get several threads in one pass if you don’t split it out and you can frequently find it in bundles @ yard sales
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Shop goodwill has several interesting finds in the tool section right now from people who don’t know how to classify things , like a barley crusher and a meat grinder

edited to add

and at least 7 different brass fluid type blow torches
 
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ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Non-battery powered watches for your entire group. Who cares what time it is in the apocalypse? Well, when you tell your scout to go one hour that way then wait for the attack in two hours and so on and so forth.

edited to add

and for real fun and opsec, synchronize your watches completely dissimilar to local time to encode radio references. The watches are to keep the group on time primarily

example: noon becomes 0417 on group time
 
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NoDandy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Spare blankets. Make sure you have some. I just bought an 8 pack from SG. Good to have if TSHTF during winter & the kids all come home. Might be good to have a couple extra sleeping bags and pillows.

Also, a kerosene heater and extra fuel.
 

spinner

Veteran Member
Before plastic diaper covers they used "soakers." Knitted or crocheted covers made of wool. Wool is very absorbent and warm even when wet. It also is a fiber that breathes. There are patterns around the 'net and if you can find old knitting/crocheting books there are usually patterns in them for "soakers."
 

day late

money? whats that?
Instructional/DIY books of all kinds. A Boy Scout Handbook from back in the 60's would be a good place to start. Magnifying glass for when you run out of matches and lighters. (Or break your last pair of glasses.) Sharpening stones for your knives. Bow and arrow for when you've fired your last round. You can always make more arrows.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Extra fire brick and flue pipe.

Extra boots and socks.

Extra ax, hammer and shovel or alike handles.

Extra stocked to the rafters hardware building. :D
Don't forget something to sharpen the axe. YouTube had videos on how to use the Lansky puck, and using the swede side of a belt with grit paste for honing knives. Watched many last year - I need to go back and review.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Lol, sewing needles and thread. Sewing machines won't work if they don't have electricity to run them. And torn clothes aren't much fun in cold weather. And get some of the ones with large 'eyes', too. If the need should arise, you can use them to 'repair' your footwear.
Get a packet of leather ones with a point that pierce, some curved upholstery ones, some long ones, some big eye ones, and some tapestry blunt ones for repairing knit wear (socks). Don't forget a thimble. I find the cheap plastic ones to be the best, actually. Whatever it is, it should have good divets. If you DO forget the thimble, and you are working on leather or canvas, use a spoon. Needle nose pliers will also help pull a needle through leather or canvas.

If you don't already knit, ask a friend for a spare ball of yarn (synthetic is good for sock repairs). The repair doesn't have to be pretty, or "correct," you just want to contain the damage and replace the lost fabric.

On a similar topic - a couple packets of extra boot laces.

ETA: One last thing: This may be controversial, but I've used it many a time with success (lots of hiking, and also planting trees for a company) duct tape. Use it directly on the skin BEFORE you get the blister (and, NEVER pop a blister). I've wrapped my feet and hands, depending. It protects.
 
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CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I'm finally upgrading to a BETTER flashlight! I just had 2 tiny ones in my junk drawer.
If I might suggest the Minimag. It runs on 2 AA batteries. Is bright enough to use around the house, and spotlight the yard, or woods. Easy to carry. Using AA is a real bonus. AA are used in a lot of other items so can scavenge from other items, and if you get rechargeable ones, you can recharge them with a genie, solar, etc... way easy. If you need your hands free you can stick it in your mouth, and if you're sitting in the bathroom it will stand up on it's own.

On the sewing it's not just the needles, its also the thread. To stitch up a tear in a pair of pants (I know it's fashionable to wear holy pants) it's not just pulling the two sides together and sewing it shut. Like skin. It's more in the way of darning socks. Meaning you will need to use a thread like they use in cross stitching, and make a weave out of the repair.

Maybe the ladies can give some advice on how to do that. I only remember my mom doing mine, when it wasn't fashionable to have holy pants. I know gasp, she even used patches over the hole.
 

Tex88

Veteran Member
For the ladies - Cloth Menstrual Pads. If you don't sew, Etsy has many of them as they have become a weird niche of decorative fabrics for it. If you do sew, they are easy to make. Patterns are available online and supplies on Amazon or Fabric.com.

Once disposable sell out in stores or are no longer available, these are comfortable, easy to use and wash. I no longer need them, but when I did, I switched to cloth because they were more absorbent than disposable and they were just pretty to collect. You only need 15-20 if you do your wash every few days. If not, more or less depending on how often you do laundry. Remember to get a bucket or small covered trashcan that you can put water and Oxiclean in to pre-soak them after use before you do laundry. Also stock up on Fels Naptha soap. It is the best at getting stains out of clothes when you hand wash and cheap.

Supplies for doing HAND washing too are good to have on hand. Amazon has some great manual agitation washing bins that you just crank to wash. Nice for a backup or for every day use for delicates.

Have you heard of “the cup”?
 
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Homestyle

Veteran Member
Waxed upholstery thread is the good thread for repairs, especially for outdoor clothes, tents, tarps, bags etc.

To repair a holes in jeans, put the repair fabric on the inside of the jeans and turn under the raveled edges of the hole and sew in place.
 
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