What are /r/preppers' favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

For another anecdote: I've bought a moderate amount of canned food from Amazon when my food price tracker has found a good deal. Every can has arrived in good shape. I think the difference is in the number of cans. I've never purchased more than 12 at a time and I try to space it out from my other orders so there is nothing else in the box.

edit: More specifically I have never bought loose cans. Only bundles of cans. For example these 12 cans are shipped as a single unit. They are shrinkwrapped together into a solid block. I've never had any problems with cans when they are packaged like that and are the only thing in the box.

[Back Yard Farming on an Acre]

It's a really good series of books. Highly recommend.

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 large baton style torch. Like what the police used to be issued before they went to small LED lights. Something like:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maglite-TORCH-BLISTER-4D-BLACK/dp/B00002N6SI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1530022424&sr=8-14&keywords=large+torch

They're perfectly legal, there's a perfectly logical reason for someone to have one, if it happens to be what you had in your hand when you are attacked then there is a reasonable legal case to be made for using it.

Adding to this many people don’t know about the GoGirl or basic women’s portable urinals. It’s a funnel that women can wear so you can easily pee like a man without having to squat and take your pants down.

Here’s a cheap brand on Amazon that gives you 4 for $6. I always recommend to anyone prepping with females!

HAKDAY Portable Female Women Urinal Camping Travel Toilet Device 4PCS,Purple https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1EPY8Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EWMH7VN15AAH1M0V3WV3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

No. Many of the panels seem to come from the same Chinese factories, though, resulting in very trivial differences which may make some of them look like an Anker you have in mind.

We spoke with Anker directly, and they told us they don't sell solar panels in the US and that any Amazon listings (like this one) are fake or people reselling without permission — which may explain why that Amazon listing is ridiculously overpriced, as if someone is importing and adding a markup.

In the last few days we've kicked around the idea of doing a deeper blog post about these problems on Amazon (partly as a follow up to this thread in /preppers), because that specific link has the "Amazon's Choice" label on it, even though it's unsanctioned.

Edit: There's a full list of the competition in a spreadsheet in the article. As u/callsignraven pointed out, Anker stopped selling panels in the US due to the tariffs.

I got one similar to this

Used it several times to jump start my car, charge my phone, laptop and even used for my son's (musical) keyboard when I couldn't find the adapter for it.

The only thing is, after not using it for a few months, I switched it on and it shows 100% but when used to start a car it shot to 13%. So keep it charged every so often even when not in use.

Also get a tyre inflator.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a shower hose. Makes baths a lot easier. Also when they shit all over themselves, and they will, it's great to be able to just hose them off.

If your spouse plans on breast feeding a good pump is a must. My wife had to pump like 10 times a day even if the baby wasn't hungry because she was producing so much and it hurt her to not get it out.

Don't be too quiet around the baby. Make noise, be normal. I know tons of people who were so quiet around the baby that the kid got used to sleeping in silence and any kind of noise wakes it. My wife and I made it a point in the first few months to act normal when the baby was sleeping and she got used to sleeping with noise. 3 months in and she'd sleep through the night and we could watch TV and whatever without waking her. Now at 8 she still sleeps like a rock.

There are a few like this already but the one that sounds closest to what you're talking about is <em>The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm</em> by Lewis Dartnell. I'd start there for market research and ensure you're offering something in addition to this one.

Bump Caps. Less likely to stand out.
https://www.amazon.com/Ergodyne-Skullerz-8950-Safety-Bump/dp/B00IZ9D2WQ

We had a shower tent, and a 5 volt shower pump. They worked pretty well.

Bingo! That's why Julius Caesar invented the Orange Julius, to keep cool in Rome's summer heat until the AC repairman arrived.

https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/15598\~71779/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Atlanta-and-Rome#Figures-Temperature

Potassium iodide pills are pretty cheap and they last for years if they’re unopened.

I’d say spent the $20 or so for the peace of mind.

I highly recommend getting a cheap aquarium thermometer if you do this. The wire is thin enough to not interrupt the seal and you'll be able to track the temperature without opening the door.

Amazon link for those interested.

As an alternative I've bought several of these.

• $4-5 less expensive
• 3x as many seeds (15k vs 5k)
• 50% more variety (32 vs 20)
• longer shelf life (20+ years vs 5+ years)

Caveat: I don't have any experience growing any of them so I can't comment on their viability. I just have a half-dozen packs stuck in the back of my fridge. They claim 40+ yr shelf life in the fridge.

I also really like Patriot Supply. I have some of their food stockpiled and have tasted it all and like it all.

https://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-333-Renewable-Dehumidifier-2-PACK/dp/B00LVN7BM0

You can find them at Costco for cheaper than this.

Get a sawyer mini instead, about the same price and you don't have to bend down and stick your face in the water.

Sawyer Products SP128 Mini Water Filtration System, Single, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1FJXCbNV7FQ2S

Hi! Read the user manual, if it doesn't have one you can find one online from the manufacturer. Make sure you have the right weight and kind of oil and fill the oil to the proper level (again per the user manual). I run TruFuel 4-Cycle gas in my generator because it keeps forever and burns clean and will not gum up your engine if you leave it sitting for months. Plus it will usually start quickly. You can find this stuff at Lowes or Home Depot. If you store regular gas for your generator make sure you store it with a stabilizer like Stabil which can also be found at your local hardware store or WalMart.

Don't run the generator in the rain, it will damage the unit. Devise a way to secure your generator when using it. In a mass power outage like a hurricane aftermath some folks will be cruising the streets looking for a quick grab of someone's generator when no one is watching.

Do NOT run the unit in your garage or covered patio - You will kill your family.

Not sure on what you plan to power with your generator but having the proper extension cords, or even better a transfer switch wired into your breaker box, is important. If you don't already have them buy a few heavy duty (like 12 gauge) extension cords with the multi plug female end so you can plug in a few different items on one line. They are expensive but worth it.

Read and follow the manual!

Source: FL resident and generator owner who has been through many hurricanes. Good Luck!

Just get you something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-KA321-Pocket-size-Shortwave-Processing/dp/B008MPKAPK?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_2529707011

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I live on the gulf coast and have busted it out for storm/weather info. It works well and is cheap

If you like Knorr, imo ditch the buillon cubes and go with Knorr chicken broth mix. We make a lot of buillon base soups around here when we're feeling sick/lazy and think it has the best flavor hands down.

Get yourself a Waterbob 100 gallons of fresh water you can store in your bathtub. You can get them for around $25. Everyone should have one of these in their home.

I'm guilty of being a little laissez faire with a lot of stuff, but I respect the hell out of water, since it's almost killed me 3 times (2 near drownings and almost fell off a water fall on slick rocks, 1 one was the ocean pulling me out, the other two were, you guessed it, rivers). Here's some facts from the Weather Channel.

>Six inches of flowing water can knock a person off their feet.

>Water flowing at 7 mph has the equivalent force per unit area as air blowing at EF5 tornado wind speeds. > Water moving at 25 mph has the pressure equivalent of wind blowing at 790 mph, faster than the speed of sound.

>Six inches of flowing water can drown a person.

> If you slip and fall face first, you might drown before you come to. > Babies/small children are very vulnerable; just as they would be in a bathtub accident. Water levels in flash floods can rise one foot in five minutes. In some cases, for instance in a canyon, near-instantaneous rises of 10-30 feet or more may accompany walls of water rushing downstream.

Look for an old-style hearing aid that uses AA batteries.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/MEDca-Sound-Amplifier-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B07KCSN2C3/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1ETN909MXCB48&amp;keywords=hunting+amplifier&amp;qid=1556601714&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=Hunting+ampl%2Caps%2C229&amp;sr=8-13

I have something similar to this. It can be pretty handy. It's a motion detector alarm that runs off of AA batteries. Point it at a door, window or other point of entrance and it will give a loud shriek if anyone approaches. Comes with remote controls to turn it on and off.

Don't live in high rise buildings. Avoiding the problem is much easier than getting into the problem and trying to prepare for things like this.

I live in the 3rd floor of an apartment building and I'm getting a 3 story emergency escape ladder.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-EL53W-2-Three-Story-Portable/dp/B000OZ3Y2C/

There is a great book called Strategic Relocation which extensively talks about the pros and cons of every state and areas within each state. I recommend it

A portable 4 stroke generator, like the Yamaha EF1000iS Generator, for example, I own one since Hurricane Sandy, Amazon link , if you keep it brand new, they are sold dry (without oil or gas) and come with only a light coating of protective grease. Don't add oil or fuel, don't even test start it. The generator will likely still start after you add oil and fuel. These type of generators are already coated in a bit of oil to preserve them for a multi-year shelf life. Good news, the 40 or 50 year old generator will still start if you are sure to keep a couple of quarts of motor oil in the sealed room as well. Bad News, it's really tough to store gasoline for 40 years, so without gas in 40 or 50 years, it could just be a useless fossil fuel antique.

I just did a ton of research on this.

The short answer is what is your budget?

A chamber vacuum sealer is the best. They last the longest, have the cheapest bags, and pull the best vacuum. The cheapest chamber vac I could find is $600 from Costco online

Moisture kills vacuum pumps, and the way a chamber works basically eliminates moisture exposure to the pump.

Most people go with a non chamber vacuum sealer.because.you can get them for much cheaper ($5 at goodwill). $150-$200 starts getting you into nicer ones. There are some commercial grade non chamber ones out there that are pretty good for around the $200 mark.

I got a nice food saver one. My wife didnt think we needed to spring for the $600 one at this time. I have a Costco membership, and as everyone knows, Costco`s return policy is the bees knees. I figured that even if the foodsaver one dies after a couple years, I cam just take it back to Costco and exchange it for a new one, until we can justify a chamber sealer.

The non chamber sealers need a special bag, but you can buy rolls of generic ones on eBay for pretty cheap.

Chamber sealers use a cheaper bag.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HFC8V9M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q-VfFbVGG16QP

If I didn't have a Costco membership, this is the one I would have gotten.

I ended up paying $150 for mine, I've sealed 10 pounds of frozen ground meat so far and it works so far.

Why not have some solar lights? The one I have is very light, can be flat or blown up, and lasts a really long time. And then I just recharge it. Don't have to make another light.

Why would anyone be upset about the video guy being British?

First, a quote: "Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present." - Marcus Aurelius

Second, seriously, buy the book of wisdom about him. I promise you it's on the shelf with dog-eared pages of every successful person you'll ever meet.

Third, don't worry about the world ending. It's not, it won't.

You're living in literally (literally) the safest, most prosperous time in all of human history. You're fine. Shit is fine.

Get of social media. You're being mislead by dumb people saying dumb things about stuff they don't, nor ever will, understand.

You're just being subjected to the information overload fallacy. That's all.

You think what your read is real. It's not. Example, gun violence in America has fallen to all time historic lows, but reporting on gun violence in the last 20 years has increased 300%. So people think there's some crisis now, when it's the safest it's ever been.

You're fine. The planet is fine. The US is fine. Go enjoy life.

Exactly. A key component of trauma is helplessness. When something bad happens, and you have a way to respond, it greatly reduces the chance of long-term post-traumatic stress. This was one of the big takeaways from reading <em>The Body Keeps The Score</em>, which is a great look at causes and treatments of PTSD.

Even pre-disaster, prepping has been a great way for me to combat anxiety. Instead of worrying, I prepare, and I can better accept the things I can't prepare for.

Water BOB... as soon as you suspect something is wrong start filling this thing with water in your tub.

I have little water pouches similar to this. I've been using them for about two years now and have not had any issues. Since the pouches are obviously flexible, they don't break in freezing weather. I keep a bag with all of my emergency stuff in the trunk, and I keep these little water pouches inside medium-sized zipper pouches inside the main bag so they are less likely to get punctured by something.

As for food, that's a secondary concern, but I just keep some brownie MREs in the bag.

To add to your book comment, anytime I see this I always have to recommend the pocket ref its like google in a tiny ass book. I have a few of them.

Hey nice website! It's really interesting to see how much food costs per week. I would really add HTTPS to it though as it would make the website look a lot more professional! https://letsencrypt.org/

Next steps:

Grab a Flip Guard

Might as well be pick proof for $15

And I recommend 3M Security window film.

Yes, you can get security film on Amazon, but trust me, it's alllll grossly inferior to actual 3M film.

3M doesn't sell direct so you need a licensed installer. Which means it's more expensive, but it's worth it.

Get yourself a Ranger Handbook

https://www.amazon.com/Training-Circular-3-21-76-Ranger-Handbook/dp/154642315X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=ranger+handbook+pocket+size&amp;qid=1573579298&amp;sprefix=ranger+handbook&amp;sr=8-1

These should be bought in bulk. (Coin Tissues)

https://www.amazon.com/Tissues-Compressed-Outdoors-Stronger-Carrying/dp/B00ZIY9YG4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1541374067&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=toilet%2Bpaper%2Bpucks&amp;th=1

Mr. Heater F232017 MH9BXRV Buddy... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DD6C4MY?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Just ran a test on this: one standard propane bottle ran full heat around 4 hours & could easily keep a large tent warm. Listed as safe for indoors & I didn’t catch any gas smell. Unit is pretty well built & costs around $75. I also got an adapter to run full sized BBQ propane tanks. Seems a decent “worse case” supplemental heater, but would cut thru your propane supply pretty quick.

Just search Amazon for books on homesteading. There are many. This is one of the best — Homesteading: A Backyard Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More (Back to Basics Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1629143669/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_KEySAbEDTDFBP

Guys, read me.

I did a lot of research regarding the price on Life Straw when I bought one.

The REGULAR price of LifeStraw is $20. See price chart at CCC The lowest price I've seen was $15 shipped from Amazon. (You'll see the huge dip in above link) Currently they are sold out and the price is trending towards $30 from other sellers.

REI currently is selling this for $21.95 on their site. REI offers 1 year no questions asked return policy on their items with no return fees if you return directly to the store. Woot.com will force you to go to the manufacturer, or if the item is not damaged, up to a 15% restocking fee. You pay shipping back.

Woot.com is offering this for $15 but once you add in shipping and possible tax, you're only just paying retail price.

TL;DR - This is just regular price. This is not a "deal" price unless you order multiples.

While I have two Life Straws, I'm now siding more with the Sawyer filters. Huge huge difference in volume, allows for in-line filtering if you carry packs, or more immediate filtering as well. The small ones can be had for $20 as a kit and can attach to standard water bottles.

If you have the room, it'll be cheaper to buy a 3-5 gallon jug (like for a water cooler) instead of 1 gallon size jugs of water. I picked up some of these a few months ago when we were worried about our well. The bigger jugs cost less per gallon, and because these jugs have heavier walls, I'm not concerned about whether the jugs will burst or leak like the smaller 1 gallon jugs. I bought a Universal Manual Drinking Water Pump to make life easier getting the water out for use.

This isn't essential for prepping but it is such a damn good value, for $35 you get an ozark Multiforce multitool from Walmart which has been reviewed as being better than the Leatherman Wave+ which usually retails for about $100.

Battery bank and/or NOCO jump starter (1000 Amp should be plenty unless you know their vehicle requires more: https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-UltraSafe-Lithium-Starter/dp/B015TKUPIC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&amp;keywords=noco+jump+starter&amp;qid=1608418658&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNFNLQkxESU9MNlJZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjQ0Mjg3MVpDU1E0SElVV0wxTyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDE3ODA3MThZUzlQQzAwWks1NSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=)

Last Suggestion: silver/gold what prepper doesn't love silver/gold either coins or bars works.

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

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.

-Pry-bar
-wool blanket
-Flares instead of glowsticks (glowsticks are a bust if they fall in the snow, a muddy puddle, etc)
-ammonia inhalant
-quick clot

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Also, for organization I have one of these. It's great for storing stuff and making it easily accessible.

https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Organizer-Tactical-Protector-Universal/dp/B06XT8PQ23/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1544732701&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;keywords=molle+car+organizer&amp;psc=1

I got mine on amazon. You can find it at this link https://www.amazon.com/ORIA-Refrigerator-Thermometer-Wireless-Restaurants/dp/B07B9QF64N

It is normally $24.99, but is on sale right now for $17.99. And comes with 2 wireless sensors, no internet required, and is battery operated.

https://smile.amazon.com/Electric-Multifunctional-Shabu-Shabu-Over-Heating-Protection/dp/B087JM3WQ4/

You're looking for an electric hotpot. You'll want at least an 800w inverter. Around $400 to get a battery powered kit to run it with the inverter if you make it yourself. Twice that if you buy premade.

For emergencies you'd probably be better served cooking anything outside and buying a butane stove with a couple of canisters for $50. Each canister will last long enough to cook for several days if you plan it out well. Or just a portable charcoal grill.

Yup! I cant stress how helpful it’s been to include my dog in my vehicle prep too. An extra leash, collar, water bowl, jug of water, bag of biscuits, and dog jacket can be a saver if you forget something or find a loose dog (safety first, beware of unknown dogs and all that).

Carrying an extra flea/tick prescription in my BOB that I rotate out has been a good wake up for just in case. This is also a good time to refresh any stored pet food. I use freeze dried meats and rotate the bin out when I change the flea/tick medicine out (every 6months). My dog loves the freeze dried treats and in an emergency freeze dried meats are good, lightweight protein calories for animals.

Biggest, laziest tip: When you get new shots from the vet, ask them to email you a copy of your pets entire vaccine records and print a copy. Stash those wherever you like and the email copy is easy to retrieve electronically. This saved me recently when my dog’s daycare lost her vaccine records.

Sawyer Products SP128 Mini Water Filtration System, Single, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MzGzDbKTT58GD

I have an in-line attachment for hydration pack.

There’s a little pump too.

Water Purifier Pump with Replaceable Carbon 0.01 Micron Water Filter, 4 Filter Stages, Portable Outdoor Emergency and Survival Gear - Camping, Hiking, Backpacking https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NVCBWVV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MBGzDbY1W35D3

192oz of 70% rubbing alcohol for 17 bucks? here

A gallon seems to be 13 dollars. here

Find me a gallon of vodka over 40% for close to that price.

99% is mainly used to electronics. 70% will do.

Here is what I have Mil-Tec Military Army Patrol Molle Assault Pack Tactical Combat Rucksack Backpack Bag 36L Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KDBHWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_a8dXDb1WX1NSX Nice pack for $37.50

There is a book for that...

"When There is No Dentist" by Murray Dickson

https://www.amazon.com/Where-There-Dentist-Murray-Dickson/dp/0942364058/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=when+there+is+no+dentist&amp;qid=1567070338&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1

Just went over this with out group.

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Nuclear War Survival Skills book. Look up the author. He has seen and done some shit. If I remember he was also there for some testing of nukes. Was working with congress on civil defense before M.A.D. and eventually started petitioning them to start civil defense up again after the US stopped it. This book has a lot of what civilians can do in case of an attack. There are some parts of the book that describe what you can do in 30 minutes (basically what you can do before the fallout starts landing outside blast radius) to survive. Amazing book.

The Iron Law of Oligarchy posits that any political/economic system allowed to run long enough turns into an oligarchy, with resets only happening because of civil conflicts, invasions, collapses and other periods of unrest.

A good book to explore this with historical data is The Great Leveler by Walter Schiedel.

I guarantee this guy is going to be brought down by the IRS.

You shouldn't believe anything in this Press Release, as it's just a Press Release. I could release a PR statement saying I raised $400k and am deeply connected to a bunch of CIA/DIA guys who don't know how to do disaster prepping themselves.

I think this website says a lot more about his organization than anything in his PR piece does: https://www.fortituderanch.com/ - I'm kinda surprised he hasn't posted a advertisements yet from Silver re-sellers and fish antibiotics.

This is just nut-ball conspiracy people with illusions of grandeur and fantasies. Literally, one person quoted in this article is the author of a fantasy novel about Prepping: https://www.amazon.com/Rohan-Nation-Reinventing-America-Collapse/dp/0984370943

Lastly, for as "secure" as he thinks this little fort he's building is; all it would take is a guy in an armored vehicle. If there's gangs of marauders out there, eventually one of them is going to take over an M1 Abrams or local law enforcement BearCat, and the Dr Conspiracy nut isn't stocked up on anti-vehicle TOW rockets. This is a joke to any sober person.

I liked Surviving Disaster much more. Seemed a more level-headed treatment of some interesting topics, tho more "dangerous situations" than full on prepping, but there's definitely some overlap.

Just so you know there are $12 solutions for this called "hard start kits" $9-$15 range from everything from college dorm size fridges to home AC (central ac) Units.

https://www.amazon.com/SPP6-Capacitor-Increase-Starting-Torque/dp/B0002YTLFE

I advise against freeze dried food for this reason. Despite that I still track a bunch of freeze dried foods in my database for the least terrible value.

Mountain House is consistently the most expensive brand and never gets a price break. They can get away with that because of their name recognition.

So far the most economical that I've found is the Wise Freeze Dried Entree Variety pack. It would cost a family of 4 "only" $350 for a week. Or even less with your 1750 calorie restricted diet.

Also, just a thought that occurred to me, you could check out solutions made for living aboard boats and sailboats. Many run on little more than manual power and sea water.

this one for example

Maybe off topic but since we are speaking on home security it kinda fits. I was a residential door installer for years. I have replaced countless doors I to people's homes. You would not believe how many doors I've seen installed with 1 inch screws. Check and replace these screws with 3 inch screws. They are usually long enough to hit the framing of the house and add strength. Also many doors do not have deadbolts so the cheapest and easiest solution to this I have found is an amazon product. Very easy to Install with a drill and feels very sturdy. It can only be locked from the inside how ever so best use is for a door in a garage or back door.

Defender Security Satin Nickel U 10827 Door Reinforcement Lock - Add Extra, High Security to your Home and Prevent Unauthorized Entry - 3" Stop, Aluminum Construction Finish, 3" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D2K367Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PMTUDbGP65SPB

I'm curious about it and will probably still end up getting it as well as another one that always comes up in the other recommended list. How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler I'm suspecting what I've got in mind is just too big.

My work has a lot of women, and naturally some will get started on their wee ones. I have a stack of these babies to give away whenever I see a baby shower announcement. Being in IT it's a perfect gift from me, and either the mother-to-be or babydaddy tends to be engineerily inclined so it works.

I get this reaction every time; "HAHAHA this is hilarious! .... whoa, this has good info in it!"

I think your group needs to work on OPSEC first:

Android Permissions for Kik Messaging App: > This app has access to: > In-app purchases > > Identity > > find accounts on the device > > Contacts > > find accounts on the device > read your contacts > > Location > > approximate location (network-based) > precise location (GPS and network-based) > > Phone > > read phone status and identity > > Photos/Media/Files > > read the contents of your USB storage > modify or delete the contents of your USB storage > > Storage > > read the contents of your USB storage > modify or delete the contents of your USB storage > > Camera > > take pictures and videos

> Microphone

> record audio

> Device ID & call information

> read phone status and identity

> Other

> receive data from Internet > view network connections > full network access > run at startup > control vibration > prevent device from sleeping

It's basically spying on you and everyone on your contact list or in your vicinity.

you can delete everything to the right of the last / e.e. starting with ref= as it gives information about your browser and computer os, etc. just fyi

Also use smile.amazon.com to donate money to the charity of your choice if you are in the US, no price difference.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004LWIAPA/ is the same as https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LWIAPA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_N5N3FbGA48VR1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

I love this water filtration pump:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AI91958?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I carry mine backpacking everywhere because the convenience and quality of it makes the weight acceptable, and I bought one this year for Christmas for my MIL because she lives in a village in the Philippines that keeps getting flooded.

I can't recommend it highly enough!

Read the book on the topic, written by the head of the world economic forum. https://www.amazon.com/COVID-19-Great-Reset-Klaus-Schwab/dp/2940631123

How to prepare will depend largely, I think, on how much of their vision they can push into reality.

Get a Baofung UV5R or similar from Amazon for about $30. It comes with a charger and if you set it up right it holds a charge for a good while. You will need a technician class licence from the FCC to transmit on it but it works great for hitting local repeaters on 2 meter and 70cm bands. I wouldn't bother with cb personally, the ham bands have further reach and repeater networks expand that across the state and even nationwide.

Edit to add: BaoFeng UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H4VT7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_B0svzb4DRCC35

Also, get the programming cable and download chirp software to set up the radio with your local channels. There's plenty of tutorials on YouTube etc.

A radio can be a lifesaver in these situations and a crank radio can mitigate the need for batteries that may be in short supply.

I have lots of battery powered stuff so I keep a good stock and rotate through them reasonably quickly so they're fresh but the crank will be useful if the outage lasts longer than expected or I need to go out on foot for some reason. https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Powered-Emergency-Flashlight-1000mAh/dp/B07DN8G654/

We just went through exact same thing. Came up with this after reviews: SENDESTAR 64 oz Beer Growler Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Leak Proof Stainless Steel Water Bottle -Wide Mouth with Flat Cap & Spout Lid Includes Water Bottle Pouch (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GKFQYK6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6DNFDbWZN94QT

West coast, USA, forested area.

The 3m particulate masks with the pink discs are a lot more comfortable, seal better, and last longer. It's more economical in the long term. I can handle working and walking/hiking with one, although I wouldn't want to run or climb up a huge hill in one.

You should chop the beard if you want a good seal. It sucks, but that's the deal. Ask anyone in the military who has to wear a mask.

The forever solution to heating and air conditioning in smoky areas (in my mind) is geothermal. It doesn't have an air exchange so you can keep the doors and windows sealed up, even running a filter inside if you like. We normally use a whole-house fan but it's terrible to spin that up when there's a lot of smoke out there.

Good radio pick. There are better ones, but if for a 1 day radio that will pick up signals from commercial broadcasters, that's a great option.

A "better" one is something like this, but it's also $200 (10x the price of the one you referenced): https://www.amazon.com/Sangean-ATS-909X-BK-World-Receiver/dp/B005GTO0CY/

The reason I think it's "better" is because it picks up SSB traffic on a lot of the ham bands, so it can hear a lot more activity from farther away. But again, if you're looking to hear commercial broadcasters (AM, FM, big power stations) the one you linked is a great option.

Technically I think they're nitrile, but I like to use them when I pump gas so I don't have to touch the gas pump, and throw them away at the gas station (yes I know how to properly remove them to avoid contamination). I also use them around the house (e.g. cleaning, working on cars, etc).

I use this for fuel stabilizer.

This is correct. Lifehacker made a good summary. In the event of an attack, you should seek shelter right away. Shelter as far as possible from horizontal surfaces where radioactive dust will deposit, such as ground level or the roof of a building. The link contains a great diagram from FEMA showing the protection levels of various shelter locations. A decent shelter makes a respirator unnecessary, and a respirator is no substitute for a decent shelter.

Not as much for survival but just for general info some of which would be useful, I have Wikipedia downloaded with Kiwix. These are all the things you can download and add.

I picked up one of these after a similar incident. Not bluetooth, but you can set audible alarms. To be fair I didn't really shop around so I don't know what other options there are, but I'm happy with this. The only problem I've had in three years is that the magnets on the back came unglued.

1/2 Mile Long Range Solar Wireless Driveway Alarm Outdoor Weather Resistant Motion Sensor & Detector-Security Alert System-Monitor & Protect Outside Property,No Need to Replace Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L3TFM2G/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_P0F7VP1YDM7H5FDZG5XB?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Cheap Chinese ones.

I can attest to this one, from the Anker PowerCore series. It’s a bit pricey ($40-$50), but you get what you pay for, and Anker products are reliable.

Should be able to hold 3-4 full iphone 11 charges, and even more if you have an older device.

EDIT: link i forgot about: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Charger-Anker-PowerCore-20100mAh/dp/B00X5RV14Y

Clean teeth, when you’re on the move on foot for a significant period, and struggling as you will be in a true bug-out situation (trust the endurance runners, we know what an energy crash / bonk feels like) stopping for a few moments just to get your shit together can totally change things, and one of the best mood changers in this situation is freshly cleaned teeth and minty fresh breath. Some disposable toothbrushes are super cheap, light, and don’t take up much space at all

The Road - Hard to find on its own probably due to distribution restrictions and unable to stream anywhere I've found. But found a 3 movie pack on Amazon containing the movie:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014FXKLJM/

So I tried to put booties on my dog, who is our child, and umm... It did not take. I have not laughed that hard in a long time how much he did not like them.

I have this in my amazon shopping cart for my go bag for him.

https://www.amazon.com/Mushers-Secret-Dog-Paw-Wax/dp/B0002IJQDC/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&amp;aaxitk=.2TBhNE9nz3ysarT.4OaXA&amp;hsa_cr_id=8205360560001&amp;pd_rd_r=20739671-e77c-4071-b5b4-7f13e8e946df&amp;pd_rd_w=p1yPQ&amp;pd_rd_wg=J5KFy&amp;ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0

Have to be honest, this looks like a "order from us, we'll tack on 10% and drop ship it from amazon" site. It's one of the first things I check when I see new "prepper" business adverts.

Specifically the prices from the solar products are exactly $100 more than amazon (even the "on sale" items).
Preppers best: Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator

Amazon

I only spot checked a few of the food prices but they all seem identical as well.

Do you have any relationship with the vendors of the products you sell (wholesale to retail) or just a retail to retail aggregate?

Pretty cool. It utilizes a thermoelectric power generator. You can buy them on amazon.

I grabbed one a while back after someone on this reddit posted a video of a guy charging his phone by putting kindling in a coffee can, lighting them on fire, and sticking one on the side.

You can generate the electricity with cold too.

The English also did the big, wide lawns. Jefferson and Washington liked what the French and English were doing, and so copied them at Monticello and Mount Vernon. They didn't really take off until after WW2, when having a well-kept lawn was a mark of "respectability".

Here's an interesting Scientific American article I recently read about American lawns.

Grass is the biggest crop we grow in the US. We spend all this money making it "pretty", and it's a complete agricultural and ecological wasteland.

If you'd prefer Android notifications, I've been using this app that provides a similar service for a while and have been happy with it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spaceweatherlive.app. I'm not affiliated with the app, I just find it useful.

The storms/winds are detected by satellites orbiting the sun and/or from solar observatories and so are minutes, hours, or days in advance of them hitting Earth, depending on the type of event and the speed that it's travelling.

It also shows aurora maps, radio blackout maps, sunspot images and some other cool things if you're interested in any of that.

For your dry goods, get some airtight bins for storage, and keep your items in those. A basic google for "dry food storage" will bring you results. These plastic containers are very popular.

Keep in mind that bugs don't always come from outside - sometimes they're already present in your food. I bought a 5lb bag of flour, divided it up into several of the above mentioned bins, and a couple months later found one full of tiny bugs - but none of the others were touched, despite sitting next to each other on the shelf. Likely there was a one or two bugs or eggs already present in my bag, and subdividing my flour meant they only spread to one container instead of all of them.

Well shit wish I'd known before I bought this

#LubeLife Water Based Personal Lubricant, 55 Gallon Sex Lube for Men, Women and Couples https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMGNV51/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glc_fabc_KAG5A6X6RX65HK6GECXE

Bic Lighter backed up by a Bic lighter in a baggie backed up by a Bic lighter in your friend's pocket.

&#x200B;

In all truth I carry 1 Bic Lighter in my pocket though I do not smoke, I have 2 more in my EDC bag but I also carry one of these in my bag as well.

Also if you have 5 gallon buckets around, by a toilet seat for them.

I got about 60 of the 1 lb canisters and 2 of the 20 lb tanks in one of these deck boxes:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-73-gal-Medium-Deck-Box-with-Seat-FG5F2100OLVSS/202523344

The two 20 lbs go in a corner each, and then the 1 lbs are arranged around them on the floor. Then I cut a piece of plywood in the shape of the inside of the deck box, with cutouts for the two 20 lb tanks, to make a second story which is laid on top of the first layer of 1 lb canisters. Then I get a second layer of the 1 lbs in there, and it's about 60 of those plus 2 x 20 lbs, makes approx 100 lbs total, give or take. It's been a couple of years now, and they seem to last very well in there. I also keep some adaptors and hoses so I can hook the 20 lbs up to the Little Buddy heaters and the propane stove etc. I keep the deck box on the lower deck behind the house in a spot under the upper deck so that it doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight. I think it's probably better if it doesn't get too hot. Also, if anything leaks, then propane is heavier than air, so you want the path to be away from the house, not down into your crawlspace or basement. Finally I recently got a "WARNING PROPANE" sticker (from Amazon) for the firemen should there ever be a fire around my house. They should know about that amount of propane, for obvious reasons.

One last thing: Consider getting a couple of battery powered carbon monoxide detectors, just for peace of mind, e.g.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y6V5CI/

I can hit a repeater 30 miles away with a Baofeng and Rollup J-pole antenna (and I know this because I did it last night on the net!). Total cost: $90. Should be able to go simplex then if both sides had the same setup.

Ham radio. Get your licence.

Here's a great app for practicing: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&amp;hl=en

Also, /r/amateurradio

I'll also note that in an EMERGENCY, it's legal to transmit on the HAM bands without a licence. However, it's best to have one and practice with the radio before something goes wrong. They're complicated little buggers.

It's always legal to just listen in though.

Hacking as a threat to power plants and utilities is a very real scenario, but it has been for a long time now. You can typically find industrial control systems on the internet pretty easily.

Hell, you can download full IPv4 internet scans of devices using modbus, an old but still very used protocol in industrial systems:

https://scans.io/series/502-modbus-mei_device_id-full_ipv4

You can also use shodan to look for SCADA systems:

https://www.shodan.io/search?query=scada

Security for industrial control systems is probably a bit better now than it used to be, but there are still a lot of devices open on the internet, without any sort of authentication at all.

I'd be worried it would all happen at once in world war scenario. Another superpower could have all the vulnerable systems logged, and just screw with them en masse the second SHTF.

If there's any cyber threat I'm worried about, it's that. I wouldn't necessarily worry about nuclear power plants. Those have ridiculous number of fail safes, and I'm sure they have plans for a scenario like that. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if a number of coal/oil power plants aren't as thorough. The US still relies mostly on coal and oil power plants, and if all the vulnerable ones open to the internet got hit, I can imagine enough blackouts throughout the country to cause some panic. Add war, and you got a SHTF scenario.

I got a screaming deal on a Generac 2200i a couple years ago. Check out WEN inverter generators, they're the best deal going right now.

Definitely going to second getting a weather radio that includes a power bank and a light. Alternatively a Baofeng and program in NOAA frequencies (they receive it quite well, and with correct programing you won't accidentally transmit).

That said, if you can spring it, getting a weather radio with digital tuning makes your life a lot easier. Short wave reception on these tends to not be great, but that's like expecting the calculator solar panel on these to charge very much too.

You didn’t specify a country , so here’s one I found on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Katadyn-Water-Filter-water-filter/dp/B00QT6JFZ0/

Sawyer and Berkey are two other brands that are trustworthy. Google “camp filter” or “gravity filter” and your country to see what would be available to you.

Read the reviews for it on amazon or just visit his website (which has a lot of very specific information). He's put a lot of thought into it and makes the argument that you'd be better off in a city during a serious economic collapse.

Home canning is fun and makes delicious food, but it requires precise following of safety-related recipes. Follow only tested modern recipes & techniques. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a ton of excellent information: https://nchfp.uga.edu/.

Botulism is relatively rare but is deadly and mostly a result of improperly processed low-acid home-canned foods. It does not necessarily make the food smell or taste 'off.'

Modern pressure canners are great, have better safety features than old canners, and are the only way to safely home can low-acid foods like beans, corn, potatoes, soups, carrots & meats.

Water-bath canning is for high-acid foods like fruit, many tomato recipes (but not all as modern tomatoes are often bred for lower acid levels) and tested recipes from a reliable source that use an acidifying agent in the proper amounts (salsa, pickles, relishes).

The National Center for Home Food Preservation (link above) and The Ball Blue Book (get the current edition) are two great resources. Here's an Amazon link to The Blue Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OEJZSNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PCZcFbN6XPC5Y

If you're really into it, your local university extension service may have a Master Food Preserver program to look into. It's like the Master Gardener Program but for food preservation.

I think it's reasonable to say that without a set of skilled local technicians that things like internet and cable TV and to some extent telephone service would have critical components fail and those services would cease to work. I'm not an expert on those things, but there are obviously people who do maintenance to keep local infrastructure up and running. I also imagine these systems would at least be damaged by the chaos.

Local surviving people will have some options for communicating with the outside world if they have some relevant skills. Many backyard ham radio operators manage to communicate across the world. Ham repeaters also require very little maintenance and will probably continue to work as long as they have power. It's also possible that someone with the relevant skills could "takeover" a commercial radio station or broadcast television station. These options would probably be technically difficult and would require a considerable amount of electrical power.

As I'm typing this off the cuff it occurs to me that the barrier to a lot of communication will be related to lack of power. I'm assuming at least a large majority of the electrical system would have been taken down. Small generators would help. An opportunistic person might use a mobile power plant like this would be useful but fuel would be an issue.

Realistically, I think that people would walk, bycicle, or drive if fuel is available out of the affected area and communicate with the outside world face to face, but that's just my 2 cents and obviously is very dependent on the local situation. It should be a fun premise to play with. Good luck

Use Acorns.

It rounds up your change from credit card or debit card purchases and invests it. All normal stocks like Exxon, Microsoft, Large Cap Funds, Currency ETFs, etc. All dividends get reinvested so it compounds over time.

And you can set a $10 reoccurring weekly contribution if you wanted.

So you get stock market gains, plus dividends, plus your contribution all automatically.

Acorns is FDIC insured and fully licensed with the SEC of course.

You can set your own risk level. I keep mine at moderately conservative so my bulk is in corporate debt and US government bonds. But you can jack it to aggressive and it buys heavier into real estate and foreign exchanges.

Costs $1/month. I've had mine for almost two years now and have a few thousand in it. You can add to it, and withdrawal from it, any time via the app.

I have my invite code for a free $5. But you can just sign up on their site too. https://acorns.com/invite/AZZG97

The app is really slick. Tracks everything and they give you all the investor voting notices and investor call info (since you'll own the stock). And they show you exactly how much you own of what.

So, if you have a long term plan. There ya go. Let the market and dividends compound for you. And who knows, in 10 years you might be like, "Hey, I have a wife and kid now and look at that, I have thousands saved for college already!"

Life is weird. Long term investment is good.

I'm a data hoarder, primarily focusing on software, books, comics, and pen-and-paper tabletop RPGs. I've got north of 16TB of stuff so far, covering every range of subjects but especially focusing on skills that would be useful if a cyber attack or EMP were to destroy our grid. Such an eventuality would kill tens of thousands if not resolved in a few days, millions in a few months, and ~85% of the population in a year. My setup is portable, kept on a few small SSDs in an EMP and water-proof bag, along with a radio, laptop, solar cells, batteries, and an inverter.

You don't have to be as extreme as I am. You can start small with a flash drive and offline copy of Wikipedia. If you want to go beyond this, check out r/DataHoarder.