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A while ago in one of the "what's in YOUR bug out bag" (not your wallet!) Threads, I mentioned that when I get new prescription glasses, I put the old recent glasses in the bug out bag and stash the then older ones from the bob in a drawer.
Some said they wished they could rep me 1000 times, because they never thought of it, and YES it would be necessary to "have eyes" if the ones they wore broke.
Not to mention a repair kit.
I'm very nearsighted and can read the fine print on a prescription bottle, but I also have astigmatism and beyond my short arm length everything is blurry blobs!
An older, but recent glasses is better than being blind.
Not to mention parts off an older pair.
So..I thought of starting this thread.
This thread is NOT about "rice and beans and beans and rice" stock piling.
Instead, it's for the things I/you/we might NOT think of...like an extra pair of glasses, yet may be a "dire need" come SHTF.
I also wear dentures..so: denture cream/paste, reliner kit, and cleaning tabs are back up items for me. I also have kept my old partials...a partial is better than gumming the venison I just shot!
Which reminds me: do you have dental "repair kits" (i.e. temp filling kits) on hand? Ambesol?
So..let's see what items we'd not normally think of for a prep...yet will be golden if we can't get it later....
I spent a small fortune on eye surgeries so I don't need glasses of any kind, though I regularly wear sunglasses. Fortunately they are cheap enough that when I found a type I liked, I bought several pairs of them.
We do have dental repair kits in our medical supplies.
"What items we'd not normally think of for a prep."
Since we plan to bug in, rat / rodent / pest poison bait and appropriate stations. This is something we do anyway, but it's good to have extra bait on hand. Snap traps are minimally effective on their own. Sevin dust. It will wipe out a chicken mite infestation with one application and it solves most pest problems in the garden. Lots of people are talking about gardens and fertilizer but don't forget about products and practices to keep pestilence from destroying your hard work. There are thousands of years of recorded history of humans sometimes losing this battle. Even if you don't normally need to use these products, every pest has a boom cycle.
Black nylon cable ties (the UV resistant variety). They have unlimited uses, everything from quick installing / repairing fences, attaching tarps, tourniquets, handcuffs, etc. 8 or 9 inch are a good size, you can connect 2 or more together to make them longer. Make sure they have at least 50 pound capability. There are stainless steel varieties that are rated to 250 pounds for heavy duty applications. While they do sell the steel ones at Home Depot they are MUCH less expensive on Amazon. The nylon ties at Home Depot are pretty affordable in the 1,000 bulk pack. We use them almost daily on the farm, I consider having only a bag of 1,000 of them as being "almost out of cable ties". Similarly, hose clamps are like cable ties on steroids, the downside is that you need a tool to use them. Almost anything duct tape can do, cable ties can do better. Speaking of duct tape, roofing tape is much better.
Good quality electrolytes. If one finds themselves physically exerting themselves beyond what one is used to, an electrolyte imbalance is an uncomfortable but likely outcome.
Eye vitamins. Reading glasses of 3+ or 4+ to see better with blurryvision caused by Rx meds.
Foot arthritis shoes.
Candles used to have a collection of 676 but over the years was used up now just 1 shoebox left and no not counted them, from travels used to bring back bags of candles from Scandinavia etc. but travel stopped due to severe health issues. Matches are down to 1 full tea caddy.
Bar soap. Very few brands sold like is unpopular younger ages same for talcum powder my yardley tin is from way before corona not seen it anywhere.
Sore throat lozenges made with sugar not sweeteners. I get nausea headache from all sweeteners.
Candles used to have a collection of 676 but over the years was used up now just 1 shoebox left and no not counted them, from travels used to bring back bags of candles from Scandinavia etc. but travel stopped due to severe health issues. Matches are down to 1 full tea caddy.
I learned my lesson in Yorktown. We brought or gifted lots of Yankee Candles. After our first few blackouts, I realized the smells from multiple candles made me sick. I replaced candles with hurricane lamps with extra oil/wicks. The lamps are scentless and burn brighter.
My second big lesson from Yorktown is paper plates, plastic bowls, cups and silverware. Unless, I boil water for scrubbing dishes, they don't get clean - particularly the dog bowls. It's just easier to use disposable ones.
Finally, I have coolers. Even with a generator, I didn't want my kids continuously opening and closing the refrigerator.
For light you can use what the old timers here called a "bitchlight". Just a metal or porcelain cup or tin can with oil or grease and a wick. The Eskimos call it a kudlick.
Works like a candle, but uses any kind of rendered fat or vegetable oil. It can use kerosene too if you've got kerosene. Old pioneers, prospectors and mountain men would sometimes use skunk oil. The rendered fat from a skunk for their lights.
My best advise for bugging out is have a place already picked that you can go to. If you don't, you're just stumbling around until you get picked off.
OMG my glasses broke during the early stages of covid-19. No one was open to fix the darn glasses let alone replace them. I usually have two of the same prescription one for everyday and another in case of a special occasion that happens to come up and for an extra spare.
Well don't you know it I had to use thread to keep the closed tight enough for the Lense to stay in until the repair place opened up. I was so upset with myself for not havening those spare glasses.
You just reminded me next time I get my eyes checked again I need to make sure I have them up to date for when some other damn thing happens that makes them all close up shop again.
Every time people talk about glasses in this scenario, I think of the Twilight Zone "Time enough at last".
It's my worst fear! I have an semi-broken set of reading glasses outside the locked gate so I'll be able to read the numbers on the lock box to get back in if I get locked out, lol.
Glasses are super important! This was a good reminder, OP.
The next purchase I'm going to make will be a portable solar generator, solar panel and mini fridge.
I'll likely end up storing it in a faraday cage. I'm looking at getting some sort of constant never ending power that's portable and can recharge batteries/comms and small creature comforts like a mini fridge (give me the ability to temperature regulate insulin indefinitely) and on a 90 degree day a cold drink would feel like heaven when you are on the verge of heat fatigue.
That's my plan. I'm looking into systems like the jackery 1000 or the bluetti or similar
Ammo, a reloading press and all the stuff to reload. Many pairs of backup reading glasses. A solar panel with a real good battery. As much fuel as you can safely store. Candles and solar powered lights. Good sharp knives and a way to sharpen them like a wet stone. Hand held radios that use multiple frequencies. Priceless.
Ammo, a reloading press and all the stuff to reload. Many pairs of backup reading glasses. A solar panel with a real good battery. As much fuel as you can safely store. Candles and solar powered lights. Good sharp knives and a way to sharpen them like a wet stone. Hand held radios that use multiple frequencies. Priceless.
Salt for curing. That's a big one.
I second the handheld radios.
I had forgotten: I had some silly outdoor solar lights in with a Christmas candy cane theme. An impulsive purchase from Kmart or Walmart or some such place.
Well, I brought them inside during one of my power outages. They worked well lighting the hallways and were safer than candles.
I have no idea what happened to them, but I will definitely purchase solar lights - maybe without the Christmas theme.
The other prepping items were old fashioned games like Sorry!, Risk, Monopoly, etc. It's a good way to pass the time.
Last edited by YorktownGal; 04-19-2022 at 09:27 AM..
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