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Whenever survival com
es to mind, there are always specific items that we think of first. Food such as beans and rice, clean drinking water, firearms and ammunition, medical kits, and gasoline probably come to mind.
That being said, there are also many more essential items to store as well but that don’t receive nearly as much attention in survival items as they should, or at least not as much attention as the items listed above.
Here are the top eight most overlooked survival items to stockpile:
BAKING SODA
Without a shadow of a doubt, baking soda is easily the most versatile cleaning and personal hygiene agent on the planet. It’s also incredibly cheap and easy to store, and as a result, you would think that it would receive just as much attention as items such as food, water, and ammunition in survival circles. But for whatever reason, it doesn’t.
With baking soda, you can make toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, dish washing soap, and floor cleaner to name a few. It will prove itself as one of the most useful products you can own not only in a survival situation but your everyday life as well, so be sure not to overlook it as part of your disaster preparedness plans.
CLOTHES
Have you ever thought about what your clothes are going to go through in a survival situation? You’re going to be gardening, foraging, fishing, hunting, making repairs on vehicles, tending to your home or homestead, chopping firewood, completing chores around the house, building fires, sleeping outside, being out in the rain, and so on. And to top things off, your dryer and washing machine may not be working either.
The point is that your clothes are going to be sustaining much more abuse than they usually do, and you’re not going to be able to clean or tend to them like you usually would. Even if you have decent sewing skills, it doesn’t mean that you should be buying and storing more clothes (of varying types) for disaster preparedness.
DENTAL FLOSS
Dental floss is one of those everyday items that can be used for virtually anything. Well, not anything, but you get the point. It can be used for a lot of applications, but despite this, it is rarely recommended as an essential survival item to store.
You can use dental floss for the following purposes: cord (wrap multiple strands together to make it stronger), shelter building, clothesline, fishing line, snares, makeshift shoelaces, clothing repairs, and tripwire to name a few. Never underestimate what dental floss can do for you.
DUCT TAPE
Another everyday item that can be used for a great multitude of purposes in a survival situation is duct tape. We use duct tape a lot in our day-to-day lives anyway, so why wouldn’t you use it equally as much if not more so during a survival or disaster scenario?
The beauty of duct tape is that it can repair virtually anything, ranging from shelters to clothes to vehicles and even to our homes (or parts of our homes). It’s an excellent survival item to have and one that deserves more attention.
ENGINE OIL
Power generators and vehicles of all types (cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, etc.) need engine oil to run, right? Since you never know how long a disaster, you’ll be much better off having more than just one or two bottles sitting in your garage.
While many preppers are incredibly conscientious about how much gasoline they store, they seem to pay far less attention to engine oil. But the truth is that you need to have engine oil set aside for each vehicle you use, and you need to give it just as much priority as you would gas or diesel.
GARBAGE BAGS
Let’s put it this way: you’ll never truly realize how useful garbage bags are in a survival situation until you use them. Beyond their intended purposes of storing and throwing away trash, you can also use garbage bags for a makeshift toilet, for a shower, for a bandage, a blanket, a poncho, for catching rain, for a signaling device, for a temporary shelter, for bedding, for patching leaks in a building…the list goes on.
MAPS
Why do you need a map when you have a perfectly good GPS or two in your possession? A traditional map seems outdated when we have navigational devices such as a GPS or our phone.
Nonetheless, disregarding maps is a huge error. Both a GPS and a phone are dependent on batteries to run (which you could run out of), and in the event of an EMP attack, they won’t even work, to begin with. For this reason alone, you need to have high quality and detailed maps of both the United States and of your general area in your possession.
TOILET PAPER
Finally, many preppers disregard toilet paper as part of their survival stockpile, figuring that they can get creative and use other items instead. But the truth is toilet paper will always be the more convenient and suitable option for its marketed purpose, and you don’t want to overlook it.
Ask anyone who’s been through a survival situation and toilet paper ranks high on the list! You won’t regret having plenty of toilet paper!
