As preppers, we accumulate and stockpile stuff. In fact it’s what we’re most famous for – the public perception of preppers is people with an arsenal of guns and a basement full of canned beans. In fact a lot of prepping is about acquiring skills and knowledge, but collecting and storing items is important, too. Without food, water and tools it gets pretty difficult to survive any sort of real crisis,
Not everything preppers like to stockpile is equally valuable, though. Have you ever read a discussion or article and wondered exactly why people are so focused on making sure they have enough mousetraps to last until Judgment Day? I certainly have. So, just to provoke some thoughts and maybe start some helpful discussions, I’ve made a list of the top ten prepping items I think are massively over-rated. Here we go:
Guns
OK, let’s get the controversial one out of the way first: You don’t need a bunch of guns!
One of my first introductions to preparedness and survival was reading Jerry Ahern’s “Survivalist” novels back when I was a teenager. The protagonist, John Rourke, routinely carried five guns on him. Many years later – including 15 as a professional soldier – I just have to laugh at that. Carrying two rifles and three handguns is certainly possible, but it’s also pretty uncomfortable and completely unnecessary. Honestly, even owning five guns is unnecessary from a prepping point of view. If you enjoy shooting and collecting them that’s great, but if your main interest in guns is how they’ll help you stay alive after TEOTWAWKI don’t go down that road.
Related: 6 Mistakes You Are Probably Making When Buying Your Guns
What you need is one good gun, and the first choice has to be an AR15-style rifle. It’s ideal for self-defense, and you can also hunt small and medium game with it. Get one chambered for 5.56mm, because there are billions of rounds of that caliber in the US (plus a lot of .223 that will work in it too). If you have the budget and inclination you can get a good high-capacity 9mm handgun too (for the same reason – it’s the easiest ammo to find), but remember, for every handgun you carry you could have two extra rifle magazines instead (sorry, John Rourke). If you don’t fancy a rifle, go for a pump shotgun with a 20” slug barrel. Then, instead of buying more guns, buy more ammo for the one you have. You can never have enough ammo. You can definitely have enough guns.
Multitools
I’ll qualify this and say I don’t mean all multitools here. A good Leatherman is a really handy thing to have. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for all the multitools that masquerade as bracelets, credit cards, snowflakes and other unlikely objects stamped out of finest Chineseium by the million and sold online for $9.95. Either get a Leatherman or carry a good, solid pocket knife with a locking blade; either will be a lot more useful than a gadget that tries to squeeze usable tools into something that fits a credit card slot in your wallet.
Emergency Food Buckets
We’ve all seen them advertised: Those big plastic buckets that promise 60 or 80 or 120 meals. They’re not cheap, but they look like a good idea: For just $430 you can get 120 servings of freeze-dried food with a 25-year shelf life.
Well, the food’s usually OK, and it can definitely be stored safely for years, but when you see the actual serving size they base their claims on you might not be so impressed. If you go with the recommended serving sizes you’re going to be hungry – and after a few days of hard work in an emergency situation, you’re going to be tired and weak. I just looked at a 60-serving bucket that contains 22,240 calories. That’s 370 calories per serving. If you eat three entrees a day you’ll be on a grand total of 1,110 calories. That’s starvation level. And this bucket claims its serving sizes are “1.5 to 2 times larger than competing packages”.
The truth is you only need a few foods that you HAVE to stockpile for a potential SHTF event. And Joel Lambert does a great job at showing exactly how to build a long-lasting stockpile that needs no refrigeration. You start (as you should) with building a complete stockpile that you can eat from morning, lunch, and dinner for three months. Then, you move on to one for 6 months and one for one year.
The Navy SEAL’s Bug-In Guide shows you where to buy these foods and you get a day-by-day and meal-by-meal rationing plan (pictured above) to give you around 2,200 calories a day, including all the vital protein, fat, and all other nutrients you need for staying healthy.
The guide is available in digital and physical formats. Grab your copy with a 60 days money back guarantee here!
Body Armor
Body armor is great at reducing fatalities from small arms fire, fragmentation and terrorist Improvised Explosive Devices.
It’s also expensive, heavy, hot, uncomfortable, awkward if you’re trying to do physical work, and of limited use in a survival situation. Body armor won’t do anything if you’re hit in the limbs or head, and it’s really only proof against rifle fire if the bullet hits the chest or back plates. Most of your torso is not covered by the plates. Rifle bullets will rip right through almost all soft body armor, and you’ll still end up with a wound that needs urgent medical attention that, when the SHTF, you’re not going to get. For a soldier in combat it makes sense. For a prepper, it just doesn’t.
Wheat
I’ve heard a lot of people say you should buy wheat instead of flour because it lasts longer. That’s true; it does, and it’s cheaper too. On the other hand it takes a lot of work to turn your wheat stockpile into flour when you actually need it. Is it worth it? I don’t think so. Just bake your own bread and rotate your flour stockpile. Honestly, the chances of you stockpiling so much flour that it seriously deteriorates before you’ve used it all are pretty remote anyway.
You are much better off getting some seeds that you can plant in your background to grow medicinal plants. These would help you deal with various medical emergencies and can be more important than whether or not you have flour to make some bread. Use the flour and gain time by avoiding the processing of wheat into a useable form.
A good option to consider if you are interested in a medicinal garden kit is this one by Nicole Apelian, Ph.D. You receive seeds for 10 herbs with strong medicinal properties:
- Chamomile
- Calendula
- Chicory
- Marshmallow
- California poppy
- Evening primrose
- Yarrow
- Lavender
- Echinacea
- Feverfew
All seeds are packaged in the US and you will learn about all their properties and uses in a free Herbal Medicinal Guide.
Get your medicinal garden kit HERE before it goes out of stock!
Baby Wipes
Unless these are individually sealed they dry out. They’re also expensive for what they are, and seem to be better at spreading dirt around than actually removing it. A cloth, some water – hot if possible, but it doesn’t have to be – and a bar of good old-fashioned soap will do a much better job.
Gold/Precious Metals
Imagine the scene: Refugees from the nearby city are streaming past your home. One of them is carrying a can of 5.56mm ammo, and you’d like to barter with him for a couple of hundred rounds – after all, you can never have too much ammo for your gun, right? So you talk to him, pull a small bar of gold from your pocket and offer to trade it for some ammunition.
There’s just one problem; he’s hungry, and he can’t eat gold. What he wants is food. He wouldn’t barter ammo without needing something very important, like food.
Related: Better Than Gold
Unless you plan to spend the years after the apocalypse running an electronics factory, gold is basically useless. It might come into its own after a few years when a real economy starts rebuilding himself, and it certainly has a role to play in protecting your wealth from a currency collapse, but for barter in a SHTF scenario it’s a waste of time. When people are focused on staying alive today, they have no use for gold or other precious metals.
Button Compasses
I keep seeing tiny compasses included in those survival bracelets woven out of 550 cord, or embedded in the pommels of survival knives – because of course the best place to keep a small, unbalanced compass is right next to a pound of steel. Unless you’re a shot-down aviator trying to escape from enemy troops, through a forest, at night and in a blizzard, they’re not really much of a navigational aid. Learn how to find north using your watch and the sun; that’s more accurate and reliable.
Freezers
OK, I admit it, I keep a lot of prepared meals in the freezer. None of that plays any role in my survival planning, though, because I just can’t guarantee that I can keep the freezer running in a crisis. I think I can, but I’m not sure. So I won’t be relying on it for my next meal.
Sure, there are different things you can do to increase the chances that you will have running electricity for a long time. A great example of that is building a Modular Backyard Power Plant that relies on solar power, not on gas. You can get plans to build one for long-term use, to cover a one-week blackout, or a 3-day blackout here.
But, most people will not put in the effort. They rely on generators that will run out of gas eventually. Everything you have inside the freezer will be thrown away if there is no electricity for a long time.
Extra tip: To not leave you hanging though since food is so important in a survival scenario, learn how the Amish do it. The so-called Amish Fridge is incredibly simple to build and you already have all you need around the house.
Tactical Knives
A good knife is an essential survival tool – but why does it have to be “tactical”? Actual soldiers don’t carry tactical knives; they like strong, simple blades that can hold an edge and pry open crates without breaking. What you want in a knife is a sturdy blade, four to seven inches long, that’s made of good steel and is suitable for processing a deer, cutting string and being batoned through a small log. A good hunting or bushcraft knife, or something like a USMC combat knife, is just fine. “Tactical” implies combat, and if knife fighting plays any part in your survival plans I have some bad news for you – you’re not going to survive.
Final Considerations
As I hope I made clear, I’m not saying all these things are useless. Most of them have at least some uses, and in general you’re better having them than not having them. However, I just don’t think they’re as important as many preppers seem to think. I’m sure a lot of readers are going to disagree with me, though, so don’t be shy about making your feelings known!
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great article , but what ever you have can be stolen , taken , used aging you
The real enemy today is social media , AI , and Information from your past
A clear understanding and back ground on you , your habits , your way of thinking and your past purchases
Info
We like to think of tangible items , but the info age is more dangerous and at risk
when you have taken the Thoughts, consequences, and standards out of a society and accepted their fake, false, religious views of Im ok , Your ok theology and made science your god , or money your god , or fake things you worship with attitude , and let the science king run your organization or politics with the view that all is OK
this is what will happen .
Real enemy is self , narcistic ideology of selfism and the many ways to heaven , all ok , all accepted , any way which satisfys you
But God , True God will always Judge mankind
and the Thoughts, intentions, reasonings , and actions
True Enemy is close weapons of destruction or large scale weapons of MD
again NO restraint because thier self god, selfish vengence fake , false god says it is ok
God has established, and put in place order , commandments, structure and HE GOD does not violate
Back in 2020 when the lockdown happened I was “Cool we have all of these ready made meals from the survival food store “. Well I could eat them being retired military (yes I had MREs as well) but my wife and family were a little leery of them. But they loved the cans of veggies, fruits and meat. It was the meals they had problems with. They took the freeze dried components and made meals. So I started stocking individual sections of say a can of corn or a can of hamburger i stead.
I really like what you said about guns. Yes you hit the nail on the head. You probably could have 5 guns, but you have to remember that you will also have to hump your ammo as well. So stick to the ones that you really really need. I can think of 5 guns that you can stick to. A pistol (9mm) a .22 for small game (a brick of ammo is pretty light), an AR-15 for versatility and in 5.56 for uniformity, a long gun for larger game (I like .308/7.62 NATO) and shotgun (12 gauge). The thing to remember is that orphan calibers run out quicker and your gun becomes a club. So choose calibers that are popular.
And lastly I tell people all of the time that gold is practically worthless post SHTF. For the same reason you listed. Yes 2-3 years post SHTF it will be more useful. But in a barter economy, your common day everyman will want something they can immediately use. That brick of .22 will be more useful than a pocket full of gold.
When it comes to guns “two is one, one is none “
Things break or are stolen
I’m a fan of ‘the Judge, a revolver that takes six .410 shotgun shells or .45 caliber bullets. It’s handy, and I don’t have to be a terric shot. Just point it in the right direction and pull the trigger. Easily carried, concealed or otherwise, without drawing too much attention.
I have a judge also….I heard it’s the number 1 hand gun in Alaska….take down a grisly let alone a car jacker.
I had a judge, test fired it on a whole chicken from Walmart, it had on exit wound. Penetration is poor . Hope you don’t have to use it on a bear
Hi RD….As long as it scares it off…I’ll use jingle bells if i have to…..☮ Those morons i do believe are releasing grissly in Wa. State…..but i can’t get a air gun shipped to me in my county….safety first…right ?
Ya RD….I did a quick search….i defiantly can do better as far as a bear hand gun….maybe someday, thanks
Always carry 2 guns so if a jam occurs you can switch to the other real quick and worry about the jammed one later if you survive.
In a stationary position in the military, you always have several loaded and ready to go.
Whatever you feel comfortable is what you should use & standardize them.
No need for many different types or calibers,5.56mm,308,9mm,.45,or magnums, just choose what you really need and stick with 2-3 of each.Remember to stock spar parts, as things will break & buying new parts will be a problem until or if things get back to normal.
.22 magnum rifles i would stock up on as they can cause a lot of pain if shot with, even though it may not kill your opponent right away, but a bleed out is probable.Headshots should be easy with a scope of some kind at 100yds, human or animal. .22LR also, but i favor the .22magnum. You can also hunt deer, hogs with them, i see these type videos on YouTube & they do a good job of it too.This survival food is mostly beans, pasta, rice with some spices the meat u will need you need to buy separate.The carbs are far too high for any long term use & not much real nutrition either, u will get diabetes type 2 after a while because of the carbs & we are not genetically the same as our ancestors, we have been modified over the years.Our ancestors ate far more sugars, carbs, fats but suffered no ill effects, so explain it if you don’t believe the gene modified theory, or it could also be the GMO issues as well along with our bodies’ toxicity because of all the garbage in our environment now that we did not have in our past.
We live in the far NE corner of WA state. We have griz here. We even have some that have Idaho radio collars on them. I haven’t asked any of them if there from Canada (27 miles to the north).
Hi Jim…..i just looked up the north cascade grizzly bear restoration zone map….looks like it comes within 30 miles of down town Seattle…..what can go wrong with this picture ? I watched some videos on baby grizzlies raised by humans….very adorable…….
I Knew this guy at work once ….he liked shooting telephone books to judge penetration…3 sticks of dynamite stuffed in a big rotten king salmon….will that do it ?
I agree with most of this article, but I do keep wheat, several other grains, and a grinder. We are already at the point that the local store may or may not have everything on my shopping list. The only things in my freezer that I consider long term supplies are lard and ghee. They will still be ok at room temp for a long time, the freezer is just a handy place to store them. My only fixed blade knife is my Buck 119 hunting knife (pretty common), the rest are folding pocket knives. These days when I am in a mood to add to my collection for tough times I tend to think about tools. I have a fairly well outfitted shop but now I watch for hand tools ( old hand saws, brace & bits, planes, draw knives). There is bound to be things that will need repaired. Grid down and the grocery store not being resupplied are the situations I put most of my prepping efforts towards.
It’s about time someone says what I’ve been saying, asking, and wondering about gold.
I’ve seen so many things about “buy gold buy gold” to prepare for the coming collapse, and I always come to the same conclusion. If the world falls apart, gold will be absolutely useless. Worse than useless. If people are just surviving, money no longer has a use. Gold even less so.
I’m not saying to not buy gold. If you like it, by all means. But it’s not going to do anything for you if the civilization collapses.
If the deathocrats trash out society for an extended time, you can use gold and the coin jug to melt down and use in bullet molds. Six months in, how much gold would you offer me in barter for wet wipes? A wool blanket? A tarp? Why would I want gold? Is your gold in your possession or is it certified on paper and you don’t actually have it in your possession? This country ran on guns, whiskey and deer hides for 120 years.
Learn a useful skill.
Thank you for sharing. I agree with what you are pointing out. A few guns of a common caliber is best with lots of ammo for trading. I like the Henry AR7 survival rifle 22 LR. Ammo is cheap and the weapon works vey well and can be broken down and stuffed in a back pack to not draw unnecessary attention. I would suggest buying extra magazine’s for it though as well as many bricks of ammo. The magazine has a wire that if you lose it the magazine will not feed. They are relatively cheap for a person on a budget. Second one would be an AR15 for large game and they do make a 7.62X39 mm upper that will affix to the AR platform lower for diversification. It does require a special magazine for the lower though so buy extra if that is the route you are going. As for precious metals I would only consider silver. Silver has uses for more than just bartering. A silver coin in bottom of a water cask I hear helps the water stay safer longer. Silver though is not as important as food or a gravity fed water purification system or a portable means to purify water with extra filters. With what is coming upon the earth that few seem to truly be aware of water and food stores are going to be important. A good gas mask could also serve you well if you are unfortunate enough to be in an area where a fissure opens up and lava and noxious gas starts being emitted. As for meteorites raining down which is expected soon, if one could, a earth ship or bunker type structure would be useful for multiple reasons. Besides serving as a root cellar it would protect you from the adverse weather conditions that also occur this event we have entered. Wild food foraging when the plants are growing is useful but not dependable when volcanic nuclear winters occur or a year with out a summer. Thank you for all you do.
Your article was totally in line with my thinking. If I had to start over now, I would have to make sure to make every dollar that I spent on prepping be spent well because we can’t afford to waste money on stuff that isn’t really going to make a difference in how long we survive and if we’re lucky, thrive.
I used to be the one in my family who thought about prepping for different scenarios, but more recently, my husband and daughter are also thinking about what they need to do to prepare for the inevitable collapse.
Like to see an article on under rated prep stuff. Whoever controls the big salt mine 50 miles from my place is going to be a Tycoon in a post SHTF world.
Good common sense advice by original poster and comments above. People who have homes destroyed in floods – wildfires – earthquakes lose a lot more than replaceable furnishings – cookware. What cannot be evacuated without using more than a moving box truck can be forfeited to utter loss with no compensation.
The multi-tools would make great barter items in future world of devastated economy. At least ten of those would be very useful to keep – these would fit a shoebox or airtight container and easy to take with you.
The most important thing to have is knowledge. If you can make a bow, and the arrows needed you will never be unarmed. Know the plaints used for food, as well as meds.
Now if you have to bug out, you just saved a lot of extra weight, and can move more freely.
The lead in for me was what they sent me today – WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST OVER RATED A guns B gold/silver or C Bucketsketsy
I dont know what the last one is so I picked that one.
click into the article and the controversy starts with 5 guns – NO
well, hold on ! 5 guns in your rucksack ? or Bunker, on a remote Montana Farm ?
it kind of makes a difference. 1 PISTOL common caliber, I choose 45acp 2 shot gun me, 12GA 3 better have a tack driver .22 for small game and some subsonic is good if you want to keep quiet from PEOPLE. 4 a BIG rifle, commonality for trade ( to you and from you) i say 30-06. 5 a semiauto with 30 round magazines in a common cal like 7.62x 39
Now you can get food, quietly, carry personal defense, go hunting, and defend a perimeter – nothing says go away like 20 rounds sprayed quickly in the general direction, it says GO AWAY ! ! ! establishes superiority and hopefully you dont hit what your shooting NEAR.
with all these questions, what are you prepping for ?
a 3 day ice storm, Mad Max, no Government anyplace on the planet ?
it kind of makes a difference. BUT all these articles come at you like their answer is the answer, and they dont even tell you what EVENT they are planning for ? ? ? it makes a difference. If your running, whole wheat is good ! sprinkle it on the stairs, behind you, as you run down them, it will slow them down and you can laugh as you hear them fall and you get away. LONG WINTER nights, you will have time to grind wheat, even with a hammer and rock.
lets stop the bickering, you dont have to agree. the cleaver man can tell you your a fool with a comment that makes you figure that out your self, and starts you thinking from another direction. BUT just think, is the comment thinking 3 day ice storm or 3 decades with no public water or electric.
ps those solar panels have a MUCH shorter life than you know. Todays batteries, 5 years max – Obama took out lead and other materials, thats why you cant buy one that will last 10 yrs, and just look at the warranty lengths.
lets adopt a plan like this,
tell a man he is a fool by, answering- For a 10 yr plan, you might want to re think that.
sad to say, but after 20 days, dysentery will remove the big problems for us. After that, cautious bartering will be the norm.
Hi edk , I think when TEOTWAWKI arises i might think about raising some baby grizzly bear cubs to have around the property…make some kind of saddle so i can ride it into town ….go hunting…..swim across lakes….makes for a good dog…..keep you warm….can run 30mph off road….lives 30 years….many other kool uses…..yep i got it figured out.Willing to share my brilliant thoughts….Don’t tell me i can’t do it because i know i can. you just wait I’ll have the biggest bear ranch West of the Mississippi .Their going to be so many grizzlies they will be coming out our ears….They will be riding tiger’s in India…I might look into catching a young killer whale as a side hobby . I loved Namu when i was i kid..