PREP Crazy preps...whatcha got?

WildDaisy

WildDaisy

God has a plan, Trust it!
OK, I started thinking today, what is the "oddest" thing that you have been compelled to store/prep? It doesn't have to be "odd" odd, but something that you wouldn't think would be on a normal survival list.

For me, my strange compulsion is for chocolate, romance novels and scented soaps (not dial or ivory, but the pretty kind).

I prep for chocolate, to help my husband. No man wants to go through the SHTF with a cranky PMSing wife, the novels to busy the long nights with no power, and the soaps, for some reason, I think of being clean and smelling nice is at least keeping some sense of "normalcy". Now in a MadMax scenario, I know enough that I need to smell like everyone else...icky.

What "non survival" things do you stock up on? You know you've got at least one thing in there that is a comfort item and not a real prep.
 
naturallysweet

naturallysweet

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I don't have children but I have a box of toys, some infant formula, and some children's clothes.

I figure that when TSHTF there's a good chance of family members with children showing up. There's also a chance of strangers children showing up.

I once had a dream that I went in town after the shtf and inquired about the children of the town. I was told that there was an abandoned baby that no-one wanted and no-one had anything to feed. They were more than happy to give her to me rather than let her die.

If nothing happens, then the formula will make it's way to a food bank and the toys will be given to nieces and nephews.
 
BertaBurtonLake

BertaBurtonLake

Inactive
naturallysweet said:
I don't have children but I have a box of toys, some infant formula, and some children's clothes.

I figure that when TSHTF there's a good chance of family members with children showing up. There's also a chance of strangers children showing up.

I once had a dream that I went in town after the shtf and inquired about the children of the town. I was told that there was an abandoned baby that no-one wanted and no-one had anything to feed. They were more than happy to give her to me rather than let her die.

If nothing happens, then the formula will make it's way to a food bank and the toys will be given to nieces and nephews.
Click to expand...

This is awesome!
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
I know this might be nuts but after verging on pneumonia with severe bronchitis last year and it was so hard to breathe until the antibiotic kicked in -- inhaler type meds that keep your airways open, like Sudafed, chest decongestants, and Mucinex-type things, as well as allergy pills (can double for stopping sneezing and head congestion in a bad cold). I don't have a prescription for an inhaler, she only gave me the one last year, but anything that opens your airways is a good thing, IMO. I love the pretty soaps too, but the ones I like are up to $8.50 a bar now, so I'd rather be able to breathe. Chocolate I can get anytime, so far it's been reasonably priced.

:)
 
WVtreehanger

WVtreehanger

Senior Member
My magician equipment. Practice keeps me occupied and techniques have potential in a number of situations/applications.
 
Bad Hand

Bad Hand

Veteran Member
Antelope, buffalo, deer, elk, moose hides and lots of brains in the deep freeze I use to tan them with there are also a bunch of furs I can tan. With the hides I can make clothes, moccasins/boots and a lot of other things that I can trade or sell, with the furs I can make warm coats and hats.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Okay . . . don't laugh -- American made pencils (from the office supply stores), medium ink ball point pens, (I love the new Ink Joy), medium grade drawing paper, and puzzle books (word search, Suduko, etc., Dollar Store items).

I can hang out quietly in a sleeping bag, entertaining myself for hours with those items, and sometimes it is necessary to keep a low profile. When I need to distract myself for whatever reason and don't feel like reading, ditto.

I even have a light weight sketch book, pencil, and some pencil puzzles in my BOB.
 
Penguin Zen

Penguin Zen

Veteran Member
Dollar Store reading glasses from 1 to the highest I can find. eventually I will need them or someone else will. I wear prescp ones now but if SHTF what would you do? I keep them in one of those plastic boxes for shoes..
 
Kaydee

Kaydee

Veteran Member
Meemur said:
Okay . . . don't laugh -- American made pencils (from the office supply stores), medium ink ball point pens, (I love the new Ink Joy), medium grade drawing paper, and puzzle books (word search, Suduko, etc., Dollar Store items).

I can hang out quietly in a sleeping bag, entertaining myself for hours with those items, and sometimes it is necessary to keep a low profile. When I need to distract myself for whatever reason and don't feel like reading, ditto.

I even have a light weight sketch book, pencil, and some pencil puzzles in my BOB.
Click to expand...

Right with you on those, Meemur! I have Dell's Pencil Problems and Logic Puzzles magazine type books stashed. I do logic problems to de-stress, so figure if TSHTF I'll need plenty.

I also have a stash of kites, jacks, jumpropes, marbles, dominoes, card games, paper dolls, etc. All the old-fashioned type stuff, and a bunch of buckets of sidewalk chalk. The idea of kids bored and with nothing to do without power SCARES me!
 
Kronos

Kronos

Veteran Member
Someone (Cory?) once suggested a stock of "disgusting" foods as preps-to-be-discovered/shared. Such as squid in it's own ink.
 
A

Amberglass

Inactive
Bins and drawers of scrapbooking supplies. I have enough to keep me busy for a very long time.

Like Bethshaya, a lot of good books, pretty smelling soaps, lotions etc and a good supply of treats....
 
T

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Do fake blood capsules count? I thought maybe there might be situations where if people see me coughing up blood they won't be inclined to stick around and/or steal my gear.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
tanstaafl said:
Do fake blood capsules count? I thought maybe there might be situations where if people see me coughing up blood they won't be inclined to stick around and/or steal my gear.
Click to expand...

Hahahaha, OMG, LOL. If I'd been drinking something when I read that, it would be all over the monitor right now.

:xpnd:
 
I

imaginative

keep your eye on the ball
Ive got a folding ninja grappling hook.

(the scary thing is that maybe its not too crazy)

Kronos said:
Someone (Cory?) once suggested a stock of "disgusting" foods as preps-to-be-discovered/shared. Such as squid in it's own ink.
Click to expand...

:lol: Great idea.
 
Tweakette

Tweakette

Irrelevant
Hair dye. LOL....

Its less for a true SHTF event than for a slow decline when I have to hide my age to stay employed.

Plus its an inflation hedge. LOL...
 
straightstreet

straightstreet

Life is better in flip flops
condoms...seriously, we have a 24 yr old daughter, a 15 year old son, and a soon to be 13 year old son...sex is sex no matter what the economy does...and no matter if their Mama has told them NOT to do it before marriage...lol
 
Siskiyoumom

Siskiyoumom

Veteran Member
Nag Champa incense.
My dear hubby loves it.
And he uses it in the bathroom, so it keeps the room nice and fragrant, not
stinky and fragrant.
And......I stocked up on sanitary pads.
Then low and behold I went through the change.
So now I have a LOT of trauma bandages. : )
 
vessie

vessie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I did the same thing Tweakette!

It's an inflationary thing for me and with so many companies going out of bid'ness, I want to have a good supply. My hair went white in a car accident when I was in my late teens (my doc at the time said something about shock switching off an enzyme or something like that) and I love dark hair but cannot stand the smell at night when I'm laying my head on the pillow from the hair dye so I use a high lift tint of light gold. I don't want to look like a really young looking old person. So I stock up from a fabulous online beauty supply store. Cheaper than in the regular stores!

I have a thing about pens like Meemur, so thankyou Meemur for letting me know about Ink Joy!

Green peppercorns.
Minor's brand condensed restaurant gravies and demi glace which last forever and really enhance the food I cook. I get it on Amazon.

As for disgusting foods, :idea: I think I'll pay a visit to Ballard which is the Norwegian/Swede area of Seattle and pick up some cans of really disgusting Lutfiske :kk2: and all the other stuff my Norwegian grandma used to keep in her larder. Oofdah!

That was some nasty gastronomy served up when I was little. Oh yeah, lots of canned Eel.:kk2:

:hmm: What else... V
 
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T

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
It did occur to me later that people might react a little, umm, negatively (like a bullet to the head and/or burning down my house) to the suggestion that I might be contagious and spewing blood. It's not something I'd do for EVERY situation, but I'd bet most people veer a little wider around homeless people coughing up blood. For those that like the idea, the capsules are probably available every Halloween (that's when I bought mine).

Three more of my items I thought of that are a little unusual:

- remote control helicopter with wireless camera (although I'm too afraid to learn how to actually fly it, but I figure if I'm sitting around bored out of my skull ... who knows, there might be times when a quick swoop around the neighborhood might not be such a bad idea)

- pilot's kneeboard (a small clipboard that attaches to the thigh, also turned out to work really well on my bicycle handlebars)

- arctic canteens (double walled)
 
K

Khaki

Contributing Member
Yarm! And lots of it... My knitting friends and I always joke that there may one day be a yarn famine in the land - and we will be ready for it. You never know when a drought will take out the acrylic crop! And now that I have become a yarn snob (liking only the nicer alpaca, wool, cashmere, etc.) I want to make sure I have plenty stocked. You can make a lot of practical / warm items with two sticks and some string. And, if the yarn does run out, just rip that stuff out and knit it again!
 
Codeno

Codeno

Veteran Member
I've been in hardware mode lately, real big to real small. Nuts, bolts, screws, washers, wingnuts, nails, hinges, hooks, hasps, latches, handles, locks, deadbolts, wire, string, etc. I also save just about everything left over from a job, or that can be salvaged from something that has fallen apart or no longer works. Got some really strange stuff, all in Rubbermaid tubs. Guitar strings, lots of guitar strings. Socks. Thermal underwear, lots of it, various sizes.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Khaki said:
Yarm! And lots of it... My knitting friends and I always joke that there may one day be a yarn famine in the land - and we will be ready for it. You never know when a drought will take out the acrylic crop! And now that I have become a yarn snob (liking only the nicer alpaca, wool, cashmere, etc.) I want to make sure I have plenty stocked. You can make a lot of practical / warm items with two sticks and some string. And, if the yarn does run out, just rip that stuff out and knit it again!
Click to expand...

Fleeces, lots of wool, cotton, silk, linen, etc., for spinning, spinning equipment, carding machine, etc.
 
BadMedicine

BadMedicine

Would *I* Lie???
tanstaafl said:
Do fake blood capsules count? I thought maybe there might be situations where if people see me coughing up blood they won't be inclined to stick around and/or steal my gear.
Click to expand...

OMG, that is genius!! A little caughing and spewing blood, those Mofos are OUT of there,... wotn even want to eat you!!! This just went on the must-have preps list... will tell the family too. Thanks!!


I have lots of mouse and rat traps... make greta small game/ bird traps when tethered to something. Also fishing line for all applications, braided makes great snares. Lots of brewers yeast for barter, lots of recycled bottles for brewing, a self-sustaining rabbit farm (mostly, but will be post TSHTF..)
spices, lots of bulk spices, most are from far parts of the world/ dont grow locally, many are medicinal/ super-foods. Curry, cayanne, garlic, black pepper, A PALLET OF SALT (20 bags=800lbs=$40 ...bought over time), lots and lots of fish hooks, for barter, but also bird/ small game traps.


Also, really like the dollar store reading glasses tip.. that's pretty valuable for slight corrections!! Great thread, I know i have some really a-typical ones but gotta rack my head... here's one that people laugh at, phone books and magazines/catalogues for arsewipe. Stacks easily, last a long time, good reading/ time capsule for when the children cannot believe the stories, and makes good bullet-proof blockades/ fox holes, and also radiation-insulation for on top of small fall-out shelters. Lotsa uses. 2-3 Makes a good stool too. If you're real hungry;)
 
Codeno

Codeno

Veteran Member
BadMedicine said:
...here's one that people laugh at, phone books and magazines/catalogues for arsewipe. Stacks easily, last a long time, good reading/ time capsule for when the children cannot believe the stories, and makes good bullet-proof blockades/ fox holes, and also radiation-insulation for on top of small fall-out shelters. Lotsa uses. 2-3 Makes a good stool too. If you're real hungry;)
Click to expand...

The phone books are a great idea. I've used quite a bit of it in the past as a TP substitute, but it never crossed my mind to save them as a prep.
 
O

Oldotaku

Veteran Member
Publius said:
Anyone know where you can get signs that say the place is under quarantine-infectious?
Click to expand...

A quick search brought up these three: This site has a rather generic quarantine warning, but I like This second site's sign better, even though it's in Australia. Finally, there is a Wisconsin History site which has a quarantine notice from the great flu pandemic of 1918. Some heavy red paper and a laser printer would give you something similar, and tailorable to whatever hazard you want to be a victim of.
 
T

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I went through my preps database and found a few more slightly unusual items that I almost never see mentioned:

- busboy bins (nothing better for collecting dirty dishes, pans, silverware, etc.)

- ceramic fire starter block (soak block in fuel, then pile kindling on top of the block, light block)

- pirate flag (for when a US flag just won't do)

- Greenland II Folbot (600 lb payload collapseable kayak/canoe that fits into two relatively small bags)

- lapel dagger/knife (designed in World War 2 to be sewn into clothing, made of hard plastic)

- multi-colors post-it notes (for coordinated communication, perhaps involving a simple code using colors)

- electronic rodent repellers (haven't tried these but the advertising claimed they would drive rodents out of an enclosed space, unfortunately AC powered with no battery capability)

- pocket escape saw (allegedly will not trip a metal detector but able to saw through [eventually] handcuff quality steel)

- sleep mask with ear plugs (on the theory there will be times when I'll want to sleep in daylight hours with people around)

- single burner electric hot plate (if I have an outlet and working electricity, I can cook)

- electronic translator that talks (although the speech quality leaves a lot to be desired) (languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek)

- Bison Designs’ Bottle Bandit (rubber gasket that attaches on most soda bottle necks, has a D-ring to attach the bottle to things)
 

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