37 non-food items to start stocking up on

If you've read our free guide on the 37 Foods to Hoard Before Crisis, then you'll want
to take a peek at this free guide of 37 things to hoard that aren't food. You'll be happy
that you planned ahead by stocking supplies for survival and comfort. This list does
not include first aid inventories (unless they have multiple uses), fishing or hunting
equipment, camping equipment or security and shelter tools. These are everyday
supplies which have a multitude of uses.

Remember, this free list is what a prepper needs beyond beans and bullets! Print this
list and head to store now, before disaster strikes.

37 Supplies to Hoard that Aren't Food

#1 Supply to Hoard: Aspirin. Aspirin is a pain reliever with many useful applications
for preppers beyond relieving headache pains.  When directly applied to skin, aspirin
will relieve a bee sting or a bug bite. Some say aspirin can help plants fight infection!
Aspirin applied orally can protect your heart by keeping your blood flowing freely, so
for heart attack mitigation it's highly effective! Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone,
so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

• Here are the 11+ Weird (and Not so Weird Uses) of Aspirin.

#2 Supply to Hoard: Baking Soda. Technically, baking soda is a food (and doesn't
belong on this list); however preppers have many uses for baking soda, which go well
beyond baking applications. You can brush your teeth with baking soda, and even slug
a slug with it.

• Here are 10+ Unusual Uses for Baking Soda.

#3 Supply to Hoard: Bleach. Another prepper favorite is bleach. Preppers have plenty
of uses for bleach, which go beyond washing clothes; however, before you get too
much bleach, read the ten things to know about bleach.

#4 Supply to Hoard: Borax. Sure Borax deodorizes and freshens, but it's also quite a
handy thing to have in post apocalyptic times. Learn the many prepper uses of Borax.

#5 Supply to Hoard: Buckets. You'll need plenty of buckets in addition to the food
grade buckets you store your freeze dried emergency foods. Not all plastics are
created the same. It would be a shame to only have toxic plastic buckets available
when you need to transport water or food. You'll need food-grade buckets to collect
water or crops, like apples from the orchard. Save the other buckets to collect grey
water for your other uses, such as washing clothes or handling sewage.

#6 Supply to Hoard: Bounce and Bug Spray.
Keep the bugs at bay, and here's how:

• Bounce laundry sheets. Don't waste bounce sheets in the dryer, save them to
  repel insects, which will be important when you butcher wild game or eat or
  prepare foods outside! Hang Bounce Laundry where you don't want bugs to
  bug you. The other brands simply don't work.

• Bug spray: Mosquitoes are a problem for spreading West Nile Virus. Ticks and
  chiggars spread diseases. Prepare by securing a supply of bug spray to keep
  your family and pets safe:

o   Learn more about getting rid of bugs naturally.

o   See how you can control mosquitoes this season.

o   Prep for your dog or can with flea and tick spray.

#7 Supply to Hoard: Can openers + Lid Openers (extras). You'll have a difficult time
opening buckets and cans without the proper tools. They will break eventually, so be
sure to have backups! Get military can openers in bulk to keep with all your canned
goods.

#8 Supply to Hoard: Cat litter. Mind you, the suggestion of kitty litter is not for your
cat. Instead, kitty litter has many alternative uses for preppers. Use kitty litter to:

1.    Deal with human waste in an off-grid situation. Just pour the cat litter into your
portable toilet to keep down the smells.

2.    Aid tire traction on icy roads to get you out of a sticky situation in Winter.

3.    Keep potted plants moist. Use equal parts kitty litter and soil to retain moisture.
This will provides the added benefit of helping root them.

4.    Clean up an spill after an automotive oil change.

5.    Reduce mold and moisture around your essential prepping supplies. If you're
storing gear in basement or damp storage area, lay it on a bed kitty litter to
keep the equipment dry.

6.    Plug a mole hole. If you have a cat, use it for litter, then pour the soiled litter
down mole holes to get rid of the pesky little critters your cat didn't catch.

#9 Supply to Hoard: Charcoal + Lighter Fluid. You'll need a variety of ways to cook
your food and charcoal is quite handy. Even if you don't have a fire pit or charcoal grill,
charcoal provides an easy storage answer. Though it's not a long term solution, you'll
want charcoal as you can dig a fire pit.

#10 Supply to Hoard: Commercial Firewood and Tinder. Wood needs time to age,
your stash might get wet. Adding a few logs of commercial firewood to your prepping
list will ease your mind a bit about warmth in the coldest months. Stack up on some
Duraflame logs.

#11 Supply to Hoard: Cotton Balls and Ear Swabs. For application of ointments and
creams, cotton balls and ear swabs are essential first aid supply, but there are many
more applications useful to preppers:

1.    Gun cleaning: If you don't have a gun cleaning swab, the next best thing in an
SHTF scenario are ear swabs. Clean your equipment any way you can.

2.    Pest deterrent: Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil make a wonderful
deterrent for pests, particularly spiders and mice.

3.    Fuel / Tinder:

• Create fire starters with cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly. This
  method is a scouting favorite.
• Create fuel for your bugout bag with cotton balls soaked in wax. This acts
  as a small candle and can keep a flame for around five minutes. It is a
  bushcraft favorite.

o   NOTE: Do not use cotton swab sticks in the ear canal as it could cause injury. To
remove ear wax, apply hydrogen peroxide drops into the ear to flush the wax.

#12 Supply to Hoard: Dishpans. Ideally you'll need three dishpans for your off the
grid kitchen: one filled with water to scrape off the food particles, the next to wash the
dishes clean, and finally a chlorine bleach and water rinse. Be sure to add a final rinse
with chlorine. One cup full in a Rubbermaid dishpan filled with water is sufficient.
Dishpans would also be helpful for rinsing fruits and vegetables and collecting water in
the absence of buckets. In an off grid world, you may find them helpful for bathing.

#13 Supply to Hoard: Duct tape, Cable Ties and Super Glue. Be a fix it prepper!
Mending things is a prepper skill.

• Duct tape: A prepper will find infinite uses for duct tape in crisis from hemming
  clothing or patching up gear to medical uses and more.
• Cable Ties: Cable ties are an essential for your bugout bag to fasten camping
  equipment. You'll find cable / zip ties handy for automotive repair, too!Of the
  many creative uses for a cable tie, we've seen it used as a hair fastener,
  tourniquet, kindling tie, food sealer.
• Super Glue will repair shoes and will help you fit together any piece of plastic.

#14 Supply to Hoard: Dish Washing Soap (liquid) + Dish Washing Gloves. Prepare
for an off the grid cooking scenario by stocking up on dish washing soap for cutting
boards, dishes (when you run out of the paper ones), utensils and pots and pans.
Just, don't scrub your cast iron pans with liquid soap or you'll provide an unsavory
soapy seasoning to your food. Dawn contains a biodegradable surfactants, and
contains no phosphate, making it an ideal choice. It's not for vanity's sake that you will
need dish washing gloves. In doing the dishes you may cut yourself! Minimize the risk,
so you won't get an infection.

#15 Supply to Hoard: Facial Tissues. You won't want to rough it out on your nose
during a cold or flu. Facial tissues will provide comfort in uncertain times, but ultimately,
they will also help prevent the spread of sickness, which would be particularly
important during a pandemic.

#16 Supply to Hoard: Fever Reducer. The single most urgent medicine in your
prepper's medicine cabinet to own is a fever reducer. Children's Advil suspension is a
fever reducer and pain reliever contains ibuprofen to temporarily reduce fevers, relieve
minor aches and pains due to the common cold, flu, sore throat or headaches and
toothaches; however ibuprofen may cause a severe allergic reaction, especially in
people allergic to aspirin. Ask your doctor what fever reducer is appropriate for you.

#17 Supply to Hoard: Freezer bags. Freezer bags are stronger than ordinary plastic
bags and have a multitude of uses for preppers. Not that you'll be freezing in an off
the grid scenario, but freezer bags will help you preserve or re proportion food. In
your bugout bag, these bags will keep your contents dry and may even help you
collect more food and water.

#18 Supply to Hoard: Garbage bags. You'll be using garbage bags more often in
uncertain times, including sanitation of human wastes and even for use in burying the
dead. Costco and Home Depot carry large garbage bags in bulk by the rolls and at
very reasonable prices. Stock up while they are still available.

#19 Supply to Hoard: Hand sanitizers. Minimize water use in times of drought by
keeping hand sanitizers handy. Stocking up on hand sanitizers will help you through
pandemics, and for cleaning hands after meat handling. Handy indeed.

#20 Supply to Hoard: Hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is essential in first aid,
but Hydrogen Peroxide has so many other applications including water purification and
cleaning kitchen tools.

• See the many prepper uses for hydrogen peroxide.

#21 Supply to Hoard: Lamp oil, Candle Wax and Wicks. Candle making will be
essential when the lights go out permanently. You can mind your own beeswax by
stocking up on supplies.

• Stock up on the tools to craft your own lamps, and learn the lost art of
  candlemaking.

#22 Supply to Hoard: Lip balm, Lotions and Creams. Skin hydration will be key,
particularly when water is at a premium or when you reside in arid areas of the
country as Arizona. Don't overlook these inexpensive finds at the dollar stores,
including Blistex and Chapstick lip balms, cocoa butter creams. The bonus of packing a
petroleum based lip balm, such as Chapstick is that the balm itself may be used as a
firestarter.

• Stock up also on Vaseline. With petroleum jelly you can make your own lip balm
  and skin softener. Preppers have endless uses for Vaseline!

#23 Supply to Hoard: Lysol. You'll appreciate keeping cold and virus flus at bay with
Lysol. It's also effective in combating lice, which may spread rapidly in uncertain times.

#24 Supply to Hoard: Matches. Matches are easy enough to procure at the market.
Stash them in a mason jar with a sandpaper striking lid to keep them dry and ready
for use. You should also invest in a magnesium fire starter.

#25 Supply to Hoard: Paper cups, Paper Plates and Paper Bowls. For your hot
beverages (coffee, tea, cocoa), using paper cups will save on the precious resource of
water and is far more healthy than drinking from Styrofoam. You'll likely need more
paper bowls than you think as they are ideal for soups, cereals and chili, as well as
freeze dried pasta and rice dishes. Get a few sizes of paper plates to accommodate
your meal size.

#26 Supply to Hoard: Paper Towels. If you're short on space, consider Shop Towels,
pictured immediate right. These strong, absorbent towels are great for wiping hands
and cleaning up grease, oil, grime, and fluids. You'll need fewer than ordinary paper
towels, so it will take up less space.

#27 Supply to Hoard: Paracord. An essential for your bugout bag, paracord will also
provide entertainment.

• What will you craft from paracord?
  

#28 Supply to Hoard: Plastic Cups + Utensils. Plastic cups will hold up better than
paper cups. Mark plastic cups with a Sharpie to ensure water glasses are used to their
full potential. Save your water in using disposable utensils as well.

#29 Supply to Hoard: Propane + Propane Tanks. One of your most essential
prepper fuels, stock up on the propane for generators and cookstoves.

#30 Supply to Hoard: Shampoo, Soap + Deodorant. In an off the grid scenario, like
an EMP, there won't be much opportunity for bathing unless you've made plans, such
as a solar shower or a galvanized tub. For an economic collapse; however, you'll be
glad you stocked up on shampoo, soaps, and deodorants. You'll want your money
spent acquiring fresh meats, produce or other essentials.

#31 Supply to Hoard: Nails, Bolts, and Screws. You will need to repair and rebuild at
some point. Having the necessary nuts and bolts will get you through the job.

#32 Supply to Hoard: Sewing Materials. A survival sewing and repair kit is essential
for a well packed bugout bag. Tents tear, equipment may rip and clothes will
eventually wear. Make do with what you have by fixing it.

#33 Supply to Hoard Steel Wool. Steel wool is an excellent supply to help you scrub
pots, but did you know that steel wool is an excellent fire starter? All you need is a 9-
volt battery and some steel wool. Here's how to make fire from steel wool. Save this
for your personal survival manual.

#34 Supply to Hoard: Toilet paper. Preppers often find toilet paper high on their
personal prepping supply list! Proper sanitation, including adequate supply of toilet
paper is essential. Learn how people survived before toilet paper.

#35 Supply to Hoard: Toothbrushes + Toothpaste. Buy one toothbrush per month
for each family member and six toothpaste tube per family member for a one-year
supply. Get them cheaply: see the 99-items to buy at the dollar stores.  Don't have a
dollar store handy, no worries. You can get four Oral-B toothbrushes with included
shipping for under $5 (pictured right).

#36 Supply to Hoard: Vaseline (Petroleum jelly). Vaseline or the generic equivalent
is an ideal fuel when combined with cotton balls as a firestarter. Petroleum jelly helps
protect minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and also protects skin from wind burn and
chapping. Use petroleum jelly as a lip balm! To help heal chapped hands, load a
generous portion on hands, then cover hands in plastic bags to keep them moistened
for 20-minutes.

#37  Supply to Hoard: Writing instruments and pencil sharpener. Pens, pencils and
paper will be a luxury in an off grid world; however, they are also essential to
providing an education, fighting boredom, and providing a record for future
generations. A Sharpie pen will help you label food expiration dates on cans and shelf
stable items. Additionally, it will help identify assigned cups and plates. If you
anticipate a home school scenario, consider getting chalk and a chalk board.

• Pencil sharpener use: A good quality manual pencil sharpener will become a
  precious commodity at home, but you should also consider having a small pencil
  sharpener in your bugout bag. A pencil sharpener can help make tinder from
  twigs!

In case you think we forgot about water, read on! We recommend you store distilled
water or bottled water to sustain you. Read more in  37 Foods to Hoard Before Crisis.

PREPPERS NEED TO STORE MORE WATER THAN THEY THINK! On top of drinking water
and water to clean utensils you'll need...
* a half gallon of water just to boil noodles
* 1 cup of water for each individual serving of freeze dried food.
* 2 cups of water for every cup of rice
* Cover dried beans with three inches of water to soak
Add up your inventory and you'll be surprised where you stand.

The time to build a well is not when you're thirsty. A family of four needs five 55-gallon
barrels to help survive three months. Learn the seven lessons of Water for Survival.

Hoarding food and supplies?
Preppers have the right to gather supplies for their survival.  The United States
Constitution guarantees this right. Arm yourself with knowledge! The Fourth
Amendment  prohibits unreasonable search and seizure for concerned citizens of the
United States of America. Have the constitution on hand to defend your rights.

What are the most hoarded items in an emergency?
Preppers can learn from disasters of the past (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and
tornadoes) about the things that disappear first from a grocery store before and after
crisis. We gathered a list of the top ten things to disappear in crisis by following news
clippings.

    Top Ten Things to Disappear from Grocery Shelves in Crisis

1.    Bottled water

2.    Soft drinks

3.    Bread

4.    Chips and crackers

5.    Snack bars and energy bars

6.    Medications

7.    Diapers

8.    Alcohol

9.    Cigarettes

10.Garbage bags (used to loot the wares).

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