What items are best to have on hand when you're in your bug out cabin? Take a look!
Honey. Honey has a indefinite shelf life. Along with being a great sweetener, it has health benefits too (antimicrobial).
Nylon rope. A waterproof nylon rope (e.g. clothesline rope) will have plenty of general purpose uses apart from those of Paracord.
Signal Mirror. A signal mirror is a good addition for a emergency preparedness kit. After you get one, learn how to use it.
Insulated Work Gloves. Heavy Duty insulated work gloves are much better than typical winter gloves which aren’t designed for heavy wear. I own these particular gloves and they’ve been great so far. Nice and warm.
Fishing Line. Not only will fishing line enable you to fish (with a hook of course), but serves other purposes (trapping, stealth line, improvised cordage, etc..).
Toothbrushes. Your electric toothbrush will be worthless without electricity, and it’s always a good idea to have plenty of regular toothbrushes for home or while traveling. Good hygiene is essential while remaining healthy during any situation, especially a longer term disaster.
Paper Towels. Too many uses to mention, and a good idea to have them as part of your overall storage.
Magnifying Glass. Use a magnifying glass to start a fire (while the sun is visible), or to assist while removing a sliver, etc..
Salt. Salt has important attributes for food preservation as well as being a flavor enhancement to your food storage inventory.
Bar Soap. Soap for sanitation is so very important – especially during a time of disaster or SHTF while avoiding infections, keeping utensils clean, and you could even wash your clothes with it…
Duck, Duct Tape. OMG there are a zillion uses for Duct (Duck) tape and it’s perfect for preparedness.
Can Opener. Picture trying to open some of your canned food during a power outage without a manual can opener.
Solar Charger. When the power goes out and you no longer can charge your electronic devices, this solar charger will enable a full charge (via USB ports).
Cotton Balls. A million uses for cotton balls. First Aid, Excellent Fire-starter (e.g. mixed with Vaseline) – great to be kept in kit (e.g. stored in small Ziploc) for firestarting.
Pellet Gun. This particular pellet gun (which I own) is amazingly powerful (1000 fps) and effective with most varmints and small game. Ammo is cheap and it’s much much quieter than a .22 rifle. A great addition to your preparedness supplies.
First Aid Kit. This is a very good general purpose first aid kit (Made in USA) and you should have one at home, in your vehicle, and place of work. Consider getting extra first aid supplies too, beyond what’s in a typical kit.
Survival Reference Books. Books that will provide information and instructions on survival, preparedness, cooking, plant identification, etc..
Quality Water Filter. Keyword, ‘quality’. It’s hard to beat the ‘Berkey’.
Cold Weather Sleeping Bag. If the power goes out (along with your heat) a good cold weather sleeping bag will be a welcome comfort for sleeping. Also an obvious advantage for while on the go.
Candles. All sizes. Not only for light at night, or for longevity help while starting a fire, but could also used to heat food in small cookware.
Some of these might be more self-explanatory than others. But cotton balls?! And honey?! I would never have considered those. For more ideas for preparedness items that you should consider including in your kit, take a look at the Modern Survival Blog.
Featured Image via Johann Bödecker/Flickr