It may have been awhile since you inventoried your survival supplies. With multiple priorities on the prepping front and with a day-to-day life to live, thinking about advanced supplies or not-so-common supplies may not be at the forefront of our minds. But it makes sense, especially if you can get a good deal on something. To get the ball rolling, I’ll share with you a few supply ideas you may not have thought about yet.
Essential Oils
Needless to say, having an array of home remedies on hand is pretty important to any survivalist, especially in the long run. If you are not familiar with essential oils, check out The Essential Guide to Oils: All the Oils You Will Ever Need for Health, Vitality, and Well-Being (Essential Guides Series). You can use oils to treat skin conditions, dental issues, stress and anxiety and more. Basically, start thinking beyond band-aids and peroxide when you stock your medical bag.
Construction Tools
I once heard from someone very smart that if you have basic construction skills and a good set of construction hand tools, you can always survive. I realized that survival is much more than shelter but everybody needs shelter. With skills and good tools, you can not only build one for your family, you can offer your services to other survivors. Essentially, it gives you a solid, old fashioned trade.
Winterizing Equipment
While this doesn’t affect every single one of you, those of you who live in 4-season climates know that cold can kill you easily as any other threat or at the very least make you uncomfortable. You need to winterize your home, especially since you may not be able to use conventional heating methods. I recommend stocking clear removable window caulk that you can peel off in the summer, plastic window insulation kits and draft catchers for the doors. Also, while you can, request an energy audit from an electric company or from a builder. They will be able to tell you whether you have any areas with poor insulation or roof issues so you can make repairs.
Building And Handyman Supplies
I can’t say that those are critical to your survival, but if you’ve met your basic needs, it’s time to think about building supplies. There are so many reasons to have them on hand! You may need to repair a cabinet, fix your pluming or build an addition to your home. You never know what need may arise around the house and you can’t exactly call a handyman to address it while your world is either collapsing or struggling to recover and find the new normal. When I figured out how lost I would be without building supplies, I sort of went on a shopping spree. I purchased different kinds of nails, screws and bolts, wall hooks, fasteners, putty, caulk, chimney cleaning equipment, extra electrical wire and electrical tools, 2×4 boards and a ton of other small stuff. I get into these supplies now, too and it saves me a trip to the store.
Extra Glass
This may sound silly, but glass can be used in several survival applications and it’s nice to have a few pieces on hand to replace broken windows and build a greenhouse.
Your homework for this week is to review your inventory and make a list of tools and building supplies that you need to purchase.
To your survival,
Joseph Wilkinson
