Contents

Information! ......................................................................................... 4

Water ................................................................................................... 6

Food ..................................................................................................... 9

Health and Hygiene ............................................................................ 19

Fire ..................................................................................................... 25

Shelter ................................................................................................ 28

Fuel .................................................................................................... 29

Weapons ............................................................................................ 31

Clothing .............................................................................................. 31

Repairs ............................................................................................... 34

Tools ................................................................................................... 35

Power ................................................................................................. 37

75 Items to Stockpile Before the Collapse

I don’t know about you, but I love lists! They help me to organize my thoughts, formulate plans, and give me a benchmark for gauging the productivity of my efforts. Preparedness lends itself well to list making, and the really great thing is that it works great with sub-categories!

I know “preppers” that put most of their efforts into guns and ammunition, cammo clothes and Mountain House in #10 cans. But here’s the simple truth: while those things aren’t a bad idea in and of themselves, but if that’s all you have then you are not prepared! True preparedness is multi-facetted, and requires a whole lot of integration. The good news is that having the necessities of true preparedness is helpful even now, “before the collapse”. The bad news is that if you don’t get it together now you won’t be able to when the time comes and you really need it!

Preparedness can sometimes feel like a very daunting and confusing proposition

I am going to assume that most of you reading this have some idea as to what it takes to be prepared. So, I’m not going to go into the minutia of what foods to store, gadgets to have, and so on. If you are totally new to preparedness, there are a lot of resources out there that can get you pointed in the right direction. What I want to give here is an outline of some often overlooked, or less prioritized, preps that are very important and will be hard to come by in the event of any major upsets to the social structure. I have put this list into categories, loosely ordered from highest to lowest priority. But, make no mistake, all of these categories are critical, and should be considered and supplies in place well before a collapse situation is at hand.

Information!

Information is often overlooked. However, the most powerful tool you have in any situation is that thing between your ears. It is absolutely imperative that you fill that thing as full as you can get it. When things go south, you don’t want to be building your knowledge base from scratch! All the gear and gadgets in the world are of zero value if you don’t know how to use them, and all the preps in the world aren’t going to do a bit of good if they aren’t part of an integrated plan. So, Item #1 to stock pile-

1) Books and guides. Don’t just get them, read them. You should

have a library of books covering basic survival skills, hunting, fishing, edible and medicinal plants that can be found in your

area, gardening, home repair, DIY projects, medicine and first aid, preserving foods, security, and the list goes on! You should have these reference materials in hard copy. A kindle full of knowledge is worthless when you can’t charge it! And again (Can’t stress this enough!), don’t just have them, read them ahead of time, the best place to store data is in the gray matter, it’s always with you!

2) Armorer’s manuals for all of your weapons. Gunsmith’s won’t

be available, you need to be able to keep your guns in top shape on your own, and be able to make simple repairs.

3) Flash cards and skills cards. These are handy for quick

reference in the field, a good set of cards identifying local edible/medicinal plants can be a life saver, likewise a set of cards illustrating basic survival skills such as fire making, shelter building, and the like. In a high stress situation you can temporarily forget a lot of things, having a tool to jog the memory can be quite useful!

4) There are a lot of great electronic resources. A collection of

EBooks and reports isn’t a bad idea. You can hold more information than a small library if you make your selections properly! Just be aware that power may not be available, so maintain a good selection of printed resources.

5) Novels and fiction. Or whatever you like to read for enjoyment.

In a true long term crisis, there isn’t going to be TV, you may not have power to use for modern electronic forms of entertainment, and there won’t be a lot of night life in town. It is important for moral to give your mind something fun to work on and get it away from the trials of the moment! Don’t forget the kids, and don’t forget that in the old days reading to the family and telling stories around the fire was the pinnacle of entertainment.

6) Games. For the same reasons as books. There is no X-Box at the

end of the world, so cards and board games are going to be it. Good for moral, good for the spirit, good for keeping families and groups bonded. Still remembering the need to have fun is what elevates you from surviving to living, and living is much better!

Water

One of the most important considerations in any survival situation is maintaining a clean and safe water supply. Lack of water will kill you a lot faster than a lack of food. We all know that we should keep some water stored at all times, but let’s face it; it is very difficult to store enough water to get your family through more than a short term crisis. So it is important to have the supplies and equipment needed to secure safe drinking, cooking, and cleaning water after your emergency water supply has been exhausted.

That having been said, it is still important to have at least a short tem supply of water stored at all times. For this purpose you can keep cases of bottled water on hand, have water stored in barrels, keep water bricks on hand, there are many options. It is, however, extremely impractical to store enough water to last through a crisis that extends into weeks, months, or years. So having the knowledge and equipment available for securing your long term water supply is absolutely critical. It may, in fact, be one of the most important elements of your long term preparedness plans.

The first thing to do is know where water can be found near you (See? It’s that Information thing!). Beyond that, you should have the next items from our list handy for securing and treating the available water.

7) Buckets. You can never have too many buckets! Buckets are

needed for hauling water from a source, as well as for storing water. Always get high quality FOOD GRADE buckets. New is best, but used will do if you clean them thoroughly (And you can even find these free sometimes, from restaurants, bakeries and the like). Be aware that some used buckets may have picked up a smell or flavor from whatever was originally stored in them, this doesn’t make them unsafe to use.

8) Water filtration. Just because you have a good filter, doesn’t

mean you’re covered! Have several spare filter elements on hand! I recommend having a couple of the kits on hand that can be used to make your own filter using the buckets from the previous item on our list. Ceramic filters are the best, and you can get complete filters, spare elements, and bucket kits that

remove everything down to the virus level. There are a number of manufacturers offering top quality filter systems. No matter which you choose, you can extend the life of your ceramic filter element by pre-filtering particulate matter out of the water, which can be accomplished by running it through a cloth first. For this you can use anything from a towel to an old T-shirt.

9) Charcoal. That’s right! When all else fails you can build a fairly

effective water filter by layering (from bottom to top) crushed charcoal, sand, and gravel in a food grade bucket with a spigot installed. One of your books should be able to elaborate on that process! The sand and gravel will remove particulate, while the carbon in the charcoal will absorb any chemical toxins that may be present. A quick boiling will kill any biological (Bacteria and other pathogenic creepy crawlies) that slip through.

10) Chlorine. This is another one of those can’t have too much

items! It is great for disinfecting drinking water, killing both viruses and Bacteria. Whatever brand you choose, be certain that you get a plain unscented variety. Perfumes and additives of any kind are a big NO for water purification purposes so read your label! Regular old Clorox is always a winner, but there are many other brands out there, again read the label! A capful of Clorox will purify a gallon of water, let it sit for an hour or so before using it (the longer you wait, the less chlorine taste will be left. Chlorine is also a great way to keep all the surfaces in

your home disinfected, and cleanliness is of critical importance in a post collapse setting. Minor illnesses can become major threats in a hurry when the local clinic isn’t there anymore!

11) Good rain gutters and Rain Barrels. The easiest way to

gather water is to let the water come to you! Roofs have a tremendous amount of surface area to catch falling rain, don’t let this source go untapped! Make sure all of your buildings are properly guttered, and that the gutters stay clean and in good working order. Have a rain Barrel at every down spout and as many down spouts as you can!

Food

Food is another biggie. Science has proven that you can’t live very long without it, and that you can be an effective individual for even less time if you aren’t eating! Being prepared to feed your family is a critical aspect of any preparedness plan. What follows is by no means a complete list, not even close, but just a few select items that are often not considered. However you choose to do it, make sure to have a minimum of a full year’s worth of food for your family at all times, and make sure it provides for the high caloric requirements of an active and stressful lifestyle.

Your food supply can be broken down into components. For instance, it is a very sound practice to have a 72-hour supply that is kept separate from your long term supply. It is also a sound practice to have a grab and go supply, in case you are forced to leave your primary location in a hurry. The grab and go should have as much as you can carry, but should consist of very compact foods with a high caloric content, Energy bars, instant breakfast mixes, and things of this nature are great for grab and go purposes, but even here having some items that fall into the realm of comfort foods will serve the psychological and emotional health of your group well.

What follows is far from a complete list, but is intended to give you a solid foundation, and to cover some frequently forgotten items. When beginning to gather your long term storage foods, start with the basics and then fill it in from there. Remember, the first priority is to have the bare essentials to keep you alive, once that goal is well underway you can start worrying about the diversity and tastiness of your meals. Even beans and rice is tastier than nothing!

12) Rice. This one is well known, but it should be a staple. You

can store an awful lot of it in a five-gallon food grade bucket. You can purchase it pre packed in buckets, or buy it in bulk and transfer it into buckets yourself. Properly stored rice has a very substantial shelf life. Of note is the fact that white rice will store even longer than brown rice.

13) Dry Beans. Once again, a well-known staple but important

enough to note here. Beans too can be purchased by the pre sealed Five-gallon bucket or bought in bulk and transferred to buckets. Between Rice, Beans, and the oatmeal I am about to mention, you can have a very good start on the basics that will provide a livable if uninteresting diet.

14) Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great bulk purchase. I look for it in

sealed 5 or 6 gallon buckets. I have a large family, but even at that a single bucket holds a month’s worth of breakfasts. It is a good nutritious food, and is high in fiber which has many health benefits. A properly moving digestive system is a very good deal and is even more important in a collapse situation, when a changing diet can cause issues in that area! We are an oatmeal eating family anyway, so this one falls under the category of comfort foods for us. You can get a large stock in a shelf stable format at a very reasonable cost.

15) Wheat. Wheat is a much better choice for storage than

flour. Processed flour has a substantially reduced storage life in comparison to unground grains. Wheat will last for 20 years if properly stored whereas flour is only good for a year or two. All grains should be stored in air tight and oxygen purged containers for best results.

16) Buckets again! As I said, this is a can’t have too many item!

Use them for storing your bulk foods. Don’t forget that clean food grade buckets are the only choice, for food as well as water. If you really want to go all out, look into Gamma Seal lids. These make your stores much easier to access and re-seal, and are great for supplies you will be dipping into frequently.

17) Mylar bucket liners, O2 absorbers, and tea light candles.

Food grade buckets with tightly sealed lids are adequate for storing bulk foods, however they are not optimal on their own. Even the best plastic buckets are not impermeable to oxygen, and oxygen (along with moisture) is a prime culprit in the degradation of stored foods. In order to make the most of your buckets, Mylar bucket liners are an essential item. In addition to these liners, oxygen absorbers are a big plus. The tea light candles can be used to purge oxygen from your stored foods before sealing your buckets. The process is as follows- Place the Mylar liner in the bucket, add your bulk food, place an oxygen absorber in with your foods, close the liner. Now for the tricky part! You will now place a tea light candle on top of all this, ensuring that there is enough room in the bucket that the candles flame won’t burn the lid when you place it on top. Light the candle, when it is burning well place and seal your lid. The candle will burn inside the bucket until all available oxygen is used up and then will go out. The Oxygen absorber will take care of any remaining oxygen as well as any that makes it through the bucket and liner. When you dip into these supplies, you need only light the candle again before sealing the bucket to re-purge your supplies of oxygen. This process will greatly increase the storage life of your foods.

18) Cooking oils. If you are relying on freeze dried foods to get

you through, it is important to know that most of them have a very low fat content. Fats and oils are essential to the proper function of the body, particularly nervous system, joint, and

cardiac functions. So you need to be sure to include them in the diet. Frying is a good means of getting some of them into your body, and let’s face it, fried food tastes great!

19) Peanut butter. Peanut butter is one of the greatest survival

foods there is. It is a wonderful source of fats and oils, and a very compact source of protein. It also tastes great! For a lot of kids in particular it is a comfort food, something that they are accustomed to that gives them a sense of normality and a feeling of home. The nutritional value and the comfort factor work together to make Peanut butter a great choice in your food stores.

20) Canned Tuna and other fish. Do not neglect this category!

These foods are rich in fats and oils, and I’ve already discussed that to some degree. Fish has in particular high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential fatty acids that among other things reduce cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body. Omega-3 is also needed for the brain to function properly, never a bad idea but in a survival situation you definitely want the cranium doing its thing at a peak level of performance! All pretty good stuff if you ask me, and cans of fish products are a great source of protein as well.

21) Coconut oil. Coconut oil is great for pan frying, as a

shortening substitute, and it is even good for your skin. It has a longer shelf life than a lot of cooking oils, and is healthier overall. It can be purchased in 5 gallon buckets, so it is easy to

stock up. Some of the books in your information library should have information about Coconut oil, it has so many uses that entire books could be (and have been) written on that subject alone. Coconut oils is about the best thing going for popping corn, and popcorn is an excellent and very compact snack food that provides a good comfort factor. Store a supply of popping corn near your coconut oil stores!

22) Drink mixes. Water is great, but drinking water all the time

gets boring, kids especially like a bit of variety in their beverages. Pay particular attention to sports drinks, like Gatorade. These drink mixes have the added bonus of replacing electrolytes and maintaining balance in the body during sweaty times. Don’t ignore the vitamin drink mixes Like Emergence-C, these are a great way to stay up on your vitamins and maintain a healthy immune system. Finally, good old fashioned Cool-Aid is great because it is cheap and kids love it! Cool-Aid fits in the comfort foods category and will help maintain feelings of normalcy. Making your water taste better, and infusing it with vitamins and electrolytes, is a good means of ensuring that proper hydration and overall health is maintained even in a crisis situation.

23) Canned juice. Canned juices will help stretch your water

supply. They are good not only for drinking, but for cooking as well. Coconut and Pineapple juice for example are great in

many rice dishes, and every preparedness minded individual knows that rice should be one of the heavily stocked staples of your food storage program.

24) Canning jars and lids. Here is a must have and can’t have too

many item. Even if you don’t can, someone near you probably does. If you were to choose one of the three items (jars, lids, and rings) to stock the most heavily, lids area hands down choice. Of the three lids are the one that cannot be reused with any degree of safety. The really good news is that canning lids are very compact and can be bought in bulk at a very reasonable cost. If you are not a canner, they are an incredible barter item! Someone that knows how to can is up a creek without lids, so it will be a very simple matter to trade the lids for some of the canned goods that result, essentially a winning proposition on both sides of the equation. Jars and rings should also be stocked, but not in nearly the same numbers since they can be reused many times over (Jars are good until you break them!). You should have information on canning in your library of information, and this is a very good skill to learn in advance.

25) Hand grain mill. This is an indispensable item for turning

your stored grains into flour or meal. While it is a fine thing to have an electric grain mill, you most definitely want to have a good back-up plan! In fact, it’s not a bad idea to have a couple hand mills, or at least a good set of spare parts!

26) Coffee Beans. OK, this one might not be a big item for

everyone, but I am one of those guys that lives on coffee! Depending on the nature, extent, and duration of a crisis, the benefits of caffeine for staying up on watch should not be overlooked. Coffee, like a lot of other bulk items, last longer when it is stored in its whole form. It can be purchased in bulk and stored in oxygen purged food grade buckets.

27) Hand coffee Grinder. Well, if you’re going to store coffee

beans… Same as with the grain mills, it is a fine thing to have an electric grinder, but if you don’t have a back-up plan all those buckets full of good coffee beans won’t be worth much when the lights go out!

28) Can openers. Lots of Can Openers! Most folks now days

have an electric can opener. All well and good as long as there is electricity. But, that might not be the case forever, so a good manual can opener is a very good idea. In fact, several of them is an even better idea. What will be the value of manual can openers as a barter item to someone with cans of food and no way to open them. In my family, we all keep a small military surplus can opener (P-38) on our key chain. It is important enough in a survival situation that you don’t ever want to be without one, if you are caught out you are much more likely to find cans than can openers!

29) Camp style Cookware. Given that in a long term crisis you

will be doing a lot more cooking over fire, it is a good idea to have rugged cookware that will stand up to the rigors of heavy, everyday, outdoor use. I favor Cast iron cookware. You should have skillets, griddles, and at least one Dutch oven made of heavy cast iron. In addition to Your cast iron cookware, you should have a couple of large durable stock pots. These are great for outdoor frying, boiling large volumes of water, and making a big batch of hot water for bathing and washing up. Don’t forget a couple of Cowboy Style camp coffee pots with the percolator!

30) Pet Food. Don’t forget your furry friends when you are

getting your supplies together! Also don’t forget that pets can be an important asset in a crisis. In order to be a good guard dog, it isn’t necessary to be a huge man-eating Rottweiler, a yappy little ankle biter can be a very effective alarm system and they are easier to control. Pets in general improve our quality of life and are important stabilizing factors. Watching a loved pet starve to death is not going to improve family morale in bad times, whereas being able to continue to care for them will add tremendously to a sense of normalcy and stability. If you are a pet person, these are all very important factors worthy of advance consideration and planning.

31) Seeds. Face it folks, in order to maintain long term health,

fresh foods are of utmost importance. It should also be evident that storing all the food you need for more than a year or so is probably not the most realistic goal you could set for yourself. In order to make it through a true collapse, one that could take years or even decades to bounce back from, you will need to have the ability to produce food. The best way to do this is to become a master gardener. Don’t just store seeds, start using them now. Learn what vegetables do well in your garden, learn how to maximize yields, and learn how to store your surplus. Also, remember that in a collapse you will not be able to get a fresh supply of seeds for each gardening season, so you are going to have to learn to harvest and store the seeds from your vegetables as well. Your very best bet is to steer clear of any hybrid vegetables, stick to heirloom varieties, this will ensure consistency through generations of seeds and decades of gardens.

32) Fruit Trees, berry bushes, and vines. I like the concept of

edible landscaping! Fruits, from trees, shrubs, and vines are a lot easier to get production out of than a vegetable garden once established. The time to establish your means of fruit production is now! It can take many years for trees shrubs and vines to reach maturity and peak production, so you really don’t want to be putting them in when the crisis is already under way! Producing your own fruit is a money saver in pre-collapse times anyway, and a very enjoyable pastime. It is important that you begin learning to preserve your surplus

production now too. Learn the art of canning and drying fruits, and gather the needed supplies and equipment.

33) Field dressing and Game processing equipment. Although

walking into the wilderness and living by hunting is really not a viable option for the vast majority of us, wild game may very well provide opportunities to supplement our protein supplies in a collapse situation. Be absolutely certain that you have both the knowledge and the tools for processing any game that comes your way. This should include a good skinning knife, a good field dressing knife, proper knives for local small game, a meat/bone saw, a hand meat grinder, and the know how to preserve meats by drying, smoking, and canning. Don’t forget a healthy supply of game bags, these large muslin cloth sacks will keep flies and other egg laying critters off your meat when it is hanging.

Health and Hygiene

Now is the time to get as much medical training as you can. You should at a minimum have a good basic first aid class under your belt, and any more advance training you can manage would definitely be of benefit. Know your neighbors; particularly know who is a nurse, doctor, paramedic, or other medical professional. People are great resources! But, also begin to get a feel for what skills you have that may be of benefit to these people. In a true collapse, no one is going to make it alone, and no one is going to be able to carry dead weight. Know your value to others, this is not only a practical consideration but a moral one as well, at some point you are probably going to want to start helping to lift up others and become a part of the solution to the problem.

Health and Hygiene are important considerations at the best of times. In a collapse they are of paramount concern. When the doctor’s office and the pharmacy are closed for good, the smallest injury or mildest ailment can become life threatening in a very big hurry. You are going to want to keep your surroundings and your body as clean as possible, and you will want to have the basic requirements to get minor health issues under control before they get too far out of hand. This part of the list is also incomplete, but holds some suggestions that are either overlooked or are so important that they just need to be mentioned. You know your family’s needs. Keep as much of any critical prescription medications on hand as you can get, make sure any specialized medical equipment is in good working order at all times. Keep yourself in good shape and up to date on medical and dental, and live in a clean and tidy home. Hopefully all that goes without saying, but I’ve said it anyway!

34) Toilet Paper! This is very important for maintaining proper

cleanliness and hygiene! Unfortunately, it is also very space consuming, and it is hard to find room to store a long term supply. So, store as much as you can. A good rule is to determine what you think is the absolute maximum amount you have room for, then get twice that amount and find a place for it. Know this though, you are destined to run out!

35) Baby wipes. Baby wipes serve a host of purposes. For one

thing they are part of the solution to the toilet paper issue mentioned above! Baby wipes are far more compact than your regular TP, and a little goes a long way by comparison. They are also good for washing up when your water supply is limited. They are good for keeping wound sites clean. They are a great solution to a lot of problems. Be aware that cleanliness is the best defense against disease, and disease is a serious enemy in a long term survival situation. Anything that helps maintain cleanliness is worthy of consideration in your pre-collapse stock piles!

36) Aspirin. Aspirin is good stuff. It has a very long shelf life. It is

a great fever reducer, and a pain reliever. It is also a blood thinner and is therefore an important first line of defense in both the prevention and early treatment of heart attacks and other coronary events. It is also dirt cheap and should be put up in large quantities. There is no cardiac unit at the end of the world!

37) Soap. Once again, cleanliness is one of the keys to good

health in a survival setting! Have a good supply of bar soap, liquid soap, and shampoo available at all times. Don’t neglect dish soap and laundry soap, but bear in mind that you probably won’t be running a dish washer or washing machine after the

collapse, so lean heavily towards old school and traditional methods, and have plenty of sponges, dish rags, and a couple of old fashioned wash boards on hand. Don’t forget a clothes line! Your dryer will meet the same fate as your washing machine!

38) Hand sanitizer. Hand Sanitizer is a great way to keep yourself

clean without depleting your water supply. They kill a large percentage of the pathogens that can accumulate on your skin and can be the backbone of your front line defense against colds, flu, and even nastier ailments. Don’t skimp on the hand sanitizer, buy it in bulk now!

39) Vitamins. As I’ve noted, your diet will probably change to a

greater or lesser extent during a collapse. Fresh fruits and vegetables may not be as available to you as they are now. Keeping the right vitamins in your system is of great importance to maintain overall health, proper body function, and a strong immune system. Stock up on multivitamins, and pay very close attention to a good supply of vitamin C supplements, nothing whips the tail of a cold better than a big dose of vitamin C! Keep in mind that a collapse situation will probably mean a more physically active life style for most of us, vitamins are depleted more rapidly with this increased activity. If you, like most of us, aren’t quite as young as you were yesterday put a little thought into supplements that promote

good joint health, which is also more important to a more physically active life.

40) Constipation/Diarrhea Medications. I can’t overstate the

significance of the fact that your diet may be changed or inconsistent in a collapse situation. Aside from the other considerations that have been stated in this report, the overall flow and function of your digestive system can be disrupted. When the Doctor, the hospital, or the pharmacy are no longer options keeping things moving through the body at the right speed is very important! Diarrhea and constipation are usually just uncomfortable inconveniences in the modern developed world. However, both can kill you in a big hurry when things are more primitive! Diarrhea leads to dehydration, and constipation can result in an impacted bowl, big trouble at opposite ends of the spectrum! Make sure you have on hand medications for both conditions, and it would be a wise idea to do a bit of research into local plants and folk remedies just in case the situation outlasts your medical supplies.

41) Major first aid supplies. With the increased physical

demands of a collapse, the need to do more with tools (many of which are sharp or pointy!), and the dangers of potentially having to mount an armed or unarmed defense, will come an increased risk of injuries. There will be no ambulance to get you to the hospital (which will be closed anyway!). It will be critical to have major first aid supplies on hand. These supplies

should include bandages, compression style field dressings, tourniquets, antibiotic ointments, surgical cleansers, suture kits, medical and sports tape, gauze rolls, AB pads, coagulants, and the list goes on! Don’t just have the stuff though, learn the skills and have plenty of reference materials available in your library!

42) Birth control. OK, there won’t be any TV or movies, the

nights will be cold, and I’m not saying any more about that! However, the results of a bored couple snuggling up at night may not be the best idea during a societal collapse! Make sure you have the proper supplies to avoid any unwanted side effects of basic human nature! And have fun!

43) Clorox. Mentioned previously, but important enough to

include again! This is the stuff that is going to kill all the bugs, bacterial or viral, and keep your living space sanitary and pathogen free. A good cleaning with Clorox can become a life or death proposition if an illness finds its way into your home. Put this firmly on your can’t-have=too=much list, and find the room to stock up now!

44) Dish soap. Restated from before, but an important one! Dish

soap is a good all-around cleaner, mixed with water and Clorox it is wonderful for keeping your floors, counters, and other

hard surfaces clean and germ free. Buy it in bulk. Once again remember that your dishwasher will most likely be a thing of the past, but keeping your dishes and cookware sanitary will be more important than ever!

45) Pet health products. As with pet food, these supplies will

become very scarce and yet very important in a post collapse world. Have a good supply of flea and tick medicines, heart worm preventative, soaps and shampoos and treats that promote dental health. The veterinarian will be as closed as the doctor’s office, so for your pets as for yourself, prevention will be by far the best cure! You can even have a few doses of vaccines on hand and do the shots yourself. But it is a very good idea to keep your critters current on all veterinary care so they are in good health going into a collapse scenario.

Fire

Fire will be a critical element in a post collapse world. You will need it for heat, for cooking, for preserving foods, and for boiling water when the need arises, and don’t underestimate the psychological benefits of a good camp fire or fireplace! So, it is important to have the tools at your disposal for staring fires! All the various “survival” fire starting methods aside, there are some modern and convenient items that don’t require a lot of practice and are cheap and easy to stock pile ahead of time.

46) Wooden strike anywhere kitchen matches. These are great,

can be bought very reasonably in large quantities, and if you have enough of them you won’t need to resort to your blast match for many years (At home at least!). Another can’t have too many item!

47) Storm matches. These should be your first go to item for

outdoor fire starting. They burn for a very long time (for a match) and are pretty much weather proof. They will burn in the wind and rain like nothing else so they are excellent in an outdoor survival or bug out situation.

48) Butane lighters. Very easy to use, convenient to carry, and

cheap to buy. They can be stored in bulk almost indefinitely. Yet another no special skills required fire starting method, and a can’t-have-too-many item. They may also be an excellent barter item in a crisis, everyone will need fire but not everyone will be prepared.

49) Dryer Lint. Yup, that’s what I said. Dryer lint makes an

excellent fire starter, with matches, lighters. And even the more primitive methods of striking a spark. Best thing about dryer lint is that it is FREE. Save a couple of large trash bags full, you will be glad you did when you run out of old newspaper and the paper boy isn’t coming because he has been eaten by

zombies (OK, I accept that that statement might be a little overboard, but you know what I mean!).

50) Fire wood. Do I need to elaborate? Cut and store as much as

you can handle, remember that your consumption will increase dramatically when it is your primary or only source of heat, and when you are doing a lot of cooking over a fire! Two years’ worth is not a bad idea, and three years’ worth is even better, it won’t last as long as you think and you don’t want to run out in the dead of winter or when you have a lot of cooking or smoking of meat to do!

51) A good wood stove for your home. Many options available.

Some are just for heating, some can cook too, and some can even provide hot water. Your budget and space will dictate your choice, but you won’t be able to get one after something really bad happens! My favorites are very old school, and have a baking oven and water heater built in along with a cook top. Make sure that whatever you get is good at radiant heating and is not dependant on electric fans or blowers to reach peak efficiency.

52) Charcoal. Lots of Charcoal for firing up the grill! You can

cook over wood fires, but sometimes is quicker to use charcoal. Use it sparingly, since it is too bulky to store huge quantities,

but if its kept dry it never goes bad. Save enough for an emergency water filter! (See item #9).

53) Candles and lamps. OK, these aren’t quite “fire”, but you

light them with a match and they work with a flame. Having a source of light has dramatic psychological as well as practical benefits. When the power goes out forever our old friend the light bulb won’t be there for us. Lighting extends the effective work day, and makes the after work family time more comfortable and enjoyable.

Shelter

I don’t believe in bugging out as a primary plan, unless you have a pre-arranged location. However, circumstances could warrant just that, so a few items should be kept on hand to provide emergency shelter should it become necessary or if your home is destroyed. It may also become necessary to provide shelter for others, or to make repairs to your primary shelter.

54) Tarps. Tarps are great. You can use them as ground cloths to

put your sleeping bag on, improvised tents, and even to repair a damaged roof. They can also be used to catch rainwater in a pinch, or to make a solar still to get additional water. They are easy to store and relatively cheap to buy, keep plenty on hand.

55) Sleeping bags. At least one good bag for each member of the

family. I like all season multi component sleep systems, to extend the utility of your bag. These are not only good for

camping out, but are great indoors if you are experiencing a reduced ability to heat your living space.

56) Blankets. A good supply of blankets is an excellent idea. Bear

in mind that even if you are still in your home you may not be able to heat it as well as you could when the electric furnace still worked. A couple of blankets can make it comfortable, even just for sitting around reading in the evening. You can often find good deals on bulk purchases of surplus blankets. For a good cozy factor nothing beats fleece, and fleece blankets can be found at very good prices. Watch for sales.

Fuel

Keeping some of your modern conveniences up and running for as long as you can it’s a very good goal. It will buy you time to hone skills and ease your way into a less fuel dependant mode of living. The easier you make the transition, the more likely you are to succeed (Which means that you and your family get to go on living, which is a good thing!). In the event that a crisis doesn’t stretch into multiple years, a good fuel storage program may even get you all the way through without traumatic disruptions to your usual way of living.

57) Liquid and compressed fuels. You will need these for running

camp stoves, heaters, generators, chain saws, oil lamps, vehicles, and too many other things to name! Gas stations will be a thing of the past, Natural gas pipelines will also be down, and even lamp oil and kerosene will be impossible to come by. So, make a list of the things you will want to run during a

collapse, make a list of the required fuels to keep them going. Store as much of these fuels as is practical, and store it in a stabilized form. Realize that in a long term collapse situation it is virtually impossible to store enough of these fuels to get you through more than a year and probably less than that. So, adjust yourself to the idea that running things that require fuel is only a transitional strategy, that you should look at it as a means to ease yourself into a new life style. Be sure to have non fuel backups for all critical systems! Run as much as you can off propane, it is relatively easy to get and store and it has a very long storage life, liquid fuels degrade much faster.

58) Fire fuels. Fire will be critical. You will find yourself using it

for cooking, heating, and warming water for bathing and cleaning. All of these are critical, so having a good supply of fire wood is a must! If you are in an area where coal is readily available and cheaper than wood, it is another good one to stock up on. A good supply of charcoal for cooking on the grill and for using your Dutch oven is yet another fine idea. Be sure to have the tools and ability to resupply from local sources.

Weapons

Weapons are crucial for defense in a collapse situation. If you have something to defend when everyone around you has nothing but need, you are a prime target for violence. Be prepared for this eventuality, but in your preparations remember that most of the other preps should be prioritized first, or you will have nothing to defend.

59) Guns, ammunition, magazines, knives, and other edged

weapons. We could make an entire report on this subject alone! However, you will have to tailor this to meet local laws, and your own skills and abilities. If you are not already proficient in self/home defense, make every effort to develop those skills, with whatever weapons you have chosen to base your defenses on. If you opt for firearms, there is no such thing as too much ammo, and when you are being shot at there is no such thing as a spare magazine! Stock up now!

Clothing

We sometimes fail to think about just how many clothes we go through. Now imagine there are no stores open when the simple mundane items of clothing that we take for granted are no longer there. Consider further that in a post collapse world we will probably be spending more time outdoors doing harder physical labor. Add to that the fact that our modern way of doing laundry will be a thing of the past, and that traditional methods treat clothes in a harsher fashion. The long and the short of it is that we will be wearing our clothing out much faster, and there will be no way to buy more. Here is a partial list of the bare necessities that will keep you from having to go bare.

60) Socks. I don’t know about you, but I seem to burn through a

lot of socks as it is. Good socks are a must for keeping your feet happy and healthy. Being able to put on a fresh pair of socks every day, or even more often in hot or wet weather, is one of the best defenses against fungal and other infections. Purchase good heavy socks, your feet will thank you when you’re out in boots every day. Buy them in bulk, put some away for later, and consider them to be on the can’t-have-too-many list!

61) Underwear. Also important for health and hygiene! Stock up

now. Do not neglect to have several sets of thermal underwear on hand. Have a couple of different weights for the various seasons, and be aware of the heat retention benefits of layering your clothing.

62) Gloves. Gloves come in two broad categories. You have work

gloves, and you have cold weather gloves. There are some that fall somewhere in between. You are going to want to cover all of the above. You should have at least a couple of pairs of good heavy work gloves for each member of your group. You should also have at least a couple pairs of insulated work gloves, again of heavy leather. Beyond that you should really stock up on bundles of cloth work gloves whenever yo u see a good sale. The knit ones are also good as light winter gloves or glove

liners. Get a bunch of rubber dish washing gloves as well, they have many uses.

63) Warm hats. A large percentage of heat loss from the body is

through the head. Having a good supply of warm headgear is a must. Knit watch caps are a very good option, and they are cheap! Have a large stash of these, for you and your family and for barter down the road. Cold people will trade a lot for a good hat!

64) Sweaters, Hoodies and pullovers. Hoodies in particular are a

great utilitarian garment. They provide a lot of warmth on their own, are perfect for layering, and the hood is the perfect complement to the previously mentioned knit watch cap. Watch the sales and stock up on these warm garments when they are cheap, and remember that the end of the world isn’t a fashion show so don’t worry too much about style and color, think warmth and utility (and cost!). In sweater, lean towards natural fibers, wool in particular has great heat retention qualities which work even when wet!

65) Boots and shoes. You can never have too many pairs of

spare boots. Have at least a couple pairs for each family member. Have some for winter and some for the warmer months. Once again, odds are good you will be spending more time working outdoors than you did pre-collapse, and boots

can wear out a lot faster than you might think! Remember, kids grow! Have the next couple sizes lined up for your kids, shoe stores will not be open during a collapse!

Repairs

Even during the best of times, stuff breaks! When your life depends on your stuff, and the repairman is no longer available, you are going to want to have the ability to patch things up as needed. In addition to having some basic supplies on hand, make sure your library includes a wide selection of home repair and DIY information. Hold onto all your owner’s manuals and shop manuals as well! Practice fixing things now, before you actually need the skills. If something is broken, it probably won’t become any more broken through your efforts, and you might learn something that becomes very valuable when the collapse comes!

66) Duct tape. You can fix just about anything with duct tape.

Tents, tarps, rain jackets, you name it. No such thing as too much duct tape!

67) Baling wire. For most things that duct tape can’t handle!

Even fences can be repaired with a creative application of bailing wire. Have several rolls on hand at all times.

68) Two-part epoxy. This stuff is great. You can even do minor

fabrication of replacement parts, for example I have used JB Weld to create exhaust system flanges on old trucks (with the

help of a soup can!). There are way too many possible uses to list, but if you have it on hand the odds are very good that you will be glad you did at some point!

69) Super Glue. One more can’t miss item! Use it to fix just

about anything that involves a piece that fell off!

70) Nails and screws. Keep a wide selection on hand. You never

know what home repairs or construction projects may become needed. It is a certainty however that the hardware store will not be an option in a post collapse world!

Tools

The need for a good selection of tools cannot be overstated. Remember, the repair shops and the handy men will not be doing business as usual, and the tool store will be closed (more probably looted and burned out!). The tools you have when the collapse begins will probably be all you have to see you through. A well-stocked tool department will do nothing but serve you well. The following tool list is by no means complete, but is instead a very brief list of things you are likely to overlook in your planning. You can never have too many tools, and you should have an eye turned towards tools which don’t require gas or electricity!

71) Crosscut saw. We have already determined that fire wood

will be of great importance. We should also be aware that

there might not be fuel available for the chainsaw. Having a manual method of getting the firewood you need is critical!

72) Hand Carts. Vehicles, and particularly the fuel to run

vehicles will be unavailable or at a premium. You will need manual means of transporting fire wood, drinking water, gardening supplies, produce, game, you name it. Anything you do now with your car or truck will need to be done using more organic forms of locomotion (which is the cryptic way of stating that you will be moving a lot of stuff with only boot power!). Wheel Barrows, Wagons, and Hand Carts will ease your burden and tame your work load substantially!

73) Gardening tools. Have everything in place to keep your

garden going. You will need shovels, hoes, rakes, trowels, hand cultivators, and more. If you come up short when the need is critical, there isn’t going to be a hardware store or garden center to fall back on! Don’t skimp on your gardening tools, and don’t put all of your faith in things that require internal combustion to function. Hand tools are a must!

74) Spare handles. The most vulnerable part of most gardening

and many other hand tools is the handle. This applies to shovels, hoes, axes, hammers, you name it. Fortunately, handles are cheap when compared to the entire tool. Keep a good selection of spare handles in stock at all times.

Power

It is pretty safe to assume that a collapse will be associated with Grid Down. Which comes first is open to debate and is dependent upon the nature of the situation. It is also not important in the context of this report. Suffice it to say that your wall plugs are probably not going to be functioning, and the light switches will be strictly decorative when the collapse does come. There are a lot of steps you can take to mitigate the effects on your daily life, but most are very costly. There is, however, one relatively cheap fix that will keep at least some small electronics up and running.

75) Batteries and solar battery chargers. There are a lot of small

electronic devices that can make life easier, or provide entertainment and distraction. Don’t overlook these facts. But, batteries are not going to be readily available in a collapse situation. You should also be aware that batteries have a limited shelf life. The best solution is to have a good supply of rechargeable batteries, and some solar battery chargers to keep them fresh. Small self-contained battery chargers are readily available for most common battery sizes. Having a small solar system, a couple panels, a deep cycle 12-volt battery, a charge controller, and an inverter is also a sound idea. Best possible case is to have a whole house solar system with a battery storage system, but these systems are rather costly and beyond the reach of many of us. Keeping your small electronic devices, for entertainment, communication, and convenience, is a reasonable and relatively cheap and easy compromise.

When I sat down to write this report, it seemed like a fairly simple task. My goal was to write a list of 50 things that you should Stock Pile before a collapse. As you can see, I shot well past the 50 item mark, and in all honesty I could have doubled the list and not even come close to covering a comprehensive end all be all list of things you will absolutely need, or at least very much wish you had, in the increasingly likely event of a collapse or long term crisis situation. True preparedness, the kind that will get you through an event that causes a disruption of several years to “Normal Life” is a daunting task, but not one you should be at all discouraged from pursuing.

A lot of these things can be handled effectively by some simple lifestyle changes before the fact. Now before you get all concerned about that, I am not suggesting that you leave the modern world behind you and run off to a bunker in the wilderness to live off the land in primitive fashion. Measures that extreme are not only impractical for most of us but are also not required to get a leg up on a collapse situation.

You can start with the very simple, things like getting rid of your electric can opener and going old school with a manual. You can also start cooking with cast iron now, no need for a duplicate set of “Crisis only” cookware. You can also start learning needed skills, get your books, do some reading, and start integrating the development of survival skills into your family life by doing things like going camping, hiking, even canoeing and kayaking. Get your family in tune with a more outdoorsy lifestyle to avoid a traumatic shift when something happens. Start hunting, if you don’t already, and work wild game into your family’s diet, while developing the ability to harvest, process, and prepare it.

One of the biggest things you can do to increase your preparedness through lifestyle is to begin keeping more food on hand. I’m not talking survival stores here but rather just what is in your everyday pantry. If you maintain a standing stock that will hold you over for a couple weeks, then you are two weeks into the collapse before you even have to worry about what you have stock piled, which is a huge advantage!

Start growing a garden every year, even before you “Need” one. This is a great way to get some extra fresh vegetables into your diet, and will allow you to learn how to do it now. If your garden fails while the stores are still opened, it’s a minor bummer. If it fails when you need it to feed your family, it is a calamity. Most new gardeners take a few seasons to get it right, so learn it now. Every plot of land is different, so what grows well for your friend three miles away may not work out for you. When it comes to landscaping, think fruit trees instead of ornamental trees, plant hedges and shrubs that produce fruits, nuts, or berries.

Make it a game for your kids, and yourself, to learn how to put together a spring salad of locally growing wild plants. Learn all the native sources of natural foods.

Start watching sales. It is amazing what you can grab in bulk at substantial savings if you keep your eyes opened. Consider joining a buying club, getting a membership at a warehouse store, and joining a co-op. these are all great ways to extend your purchasing power and build up stores more quickly.

If you can, switch to wood heat now. Get into the habit of having plenty of fire wood on hand and using that wood stove or fire place. Again, this will ease the transition when wood heat goes from being quaint to being the only game in town!

The list of small lifestyle changes you can make now that will help you to weather a collapse could go on forever too. But, if you put your mind to it you can complete the list on your own. It is very important to note that you don’t have to throw out all your old ways immediately and jump into a remade lifestyle overnight. Changes can be made slowly and incrementally, and need not cause any large disruptions to everyday life. As you start bringing things into play, you will be amazed at how quickly small changes add up to big change!

Returning to the first paragraph, lists are important! Make a master list of lists. Break it down into categories. Prioritize the categories. Start checking things off. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once, probably not an option. Start with the basics, and work your way from there. Water, food, shelter, and defense should be the first categories you address. Make sure you have enough on hand to get you through a few months.

Any advance preparation at all gives you a leg up when things go bad. So, break it down into small pieces, and address the overall prospect from a standpoint of what you can accomplish easily now.

Don’t drive yourself crazy over survival, slow and steady will win the race, as the saying goes.

Table of Contents

Information! .......................................................................................

Water ..............................................................................................

Food ...............................................................................................

Health and Hygiene ............................................................................ 19

Fire ...............................................................................................

Shelter ............................................................................................

Fuel ...............................................................................................

Weapons ............................................................................................

Clothing ...........................................................................................

Repairs ............................................................................................

Tools ..............................................................................................

Power ..............................................................................................