SP: The thing about contractor garbage bags is all you have to do is add a wool blanket and you have a Poorman's sleeping bag.

please watch the full video for details. just trying to help if you're short on time. 1. bic lighters 2. toilet paper 3. wet wipes 4. zip ties 5. instant coffee & tea bags 6. socks 7. band-aids 8. antibiotic ointment / neosporin 9. bar soap 10. shoe / boot laces 11. unscented bleach 12. (rechargeable) batteries / battery caddy 13. hand sanitizer 14. oral care (toothbrush/paste, floss picks) 15. duct tape 16. ziploc bags 17. kleenex 18. salt / iodized salt 19. clorox wipes 20. heavy ml / contractor trash bags 21. feminine hygiene 22. hard candy / chocolate 23. chapstick 24. propane bottles 25. liquor thanks for sharing this valuable information. much-appreciated.

This may not be for everyone but me being in a wheelchair one thing I always keep on hand is extra tires and innertubes in case of a flat or just simply the tires getting worn out

Something to add I notice people always overlook is candles. They're incredibly cheap and can keep your house lit and warm and you can use them to cook with as well. I got over 500 3 hour candles for only $20 and they sure helped when the power went out during the last winter storm

I have allergen triggered asthma and when the albuterol ran out unexpectedly I took strong coffee(caffeine) and a shot of whiskey and it worked rather quickly. The caffeine opens the airways and the whiskey relaxes the muscles. Always keep extra medication on hand, but this worked at a really scary time.

Can openers! Great barter and having extras are a must especially if you are stocking canned goods because they do get dull!

Thank you. I would stock up on baking soda. It literally has 100 or more uses, including many for first aid, cleaning, baking, hygiene, . And it's really inexpensive.

Recommendation on the band-aids is to get the fabric backed ones, not the plastic ones. You may have better luck than I, but every plastic backed band-aid I have ever used falls off within an hour. The fabric ones usually have to be painfully scraped off, sometimes several days later.

Aluminum Foil (makeshift anything), Vaseline (Fire starter among other things), Good hand Sewing kit, Gloves (all types), good books to read, cheap bicycle ready to ride. Full outfit that will last abuse (Base layer, Mid layer, wind blocker, insulation layer, rain cover) as this might be what you are wearing everyday.

Moving blankets are great to tape over windows if power is out for several days and there is no heat. They will make the house really dark, so have plenty of lanterns, flashlights, etc

Foot care is an area that I usually see people neglect in their packs or in their preps. The feet are one of the most important parts of your body to take care of.

A few things I'd also add: 1. Gloves - multiple sizes for the whole fam. At least 4 pairs in reserve per person. Not exactly cheap if you opt for leather (my preference) but could save you on some cuts/blisters/scrapes. 2. Utility knife razor blades. These are cheap, plentiful, easy to store, come in packs of 25 to 50 usually and could also be rigged up on other cutting apparatus' if necessary. Sure it's no $300 survival knife, but in a pinch you could probably gut/skin an animal with one if needed. 3. Paper towels/shop towels - cheap, plentiful, can be used as fire starter materials. And there's certainly a handful of uses for the inner cardboard tube. 4. Shoes/insoles. Especially if you have kids that are still growing. Obviously quality incurs cost. But thrift stores always have decent shoes available. And in SHTF you don't or shouldn't, care much about style. 5. Fabric & thread. If necessary you can use it for shelter or clothing. And can repair & extend the life of worn/breaking down clothes. And bandanas/handkerchiefs alone have like 20+ uses. 6. Nails/screws. (Multiple varieties) Easy to store, will keep forever, and it sucks when you run out of them. Good video. Great list. God Bless you and Long live The Republic.

The $1.25 store has started carrying full sized salt in plastic containers. More water resistant than the cardboard boxes.

being from the food business, if you want to save money make a bleach and water solution and put it into a spray bottle and use for your countertops to sanitize. Bleach and water spray with a paper towel is cheaper than the clorox wipes and you can get the spray bottles at any home depot or lowes.

Tarps and Paracord for inclement weather conditions and many other purposes as well. Right up there with Duct Tape.

My uncle was a mechanic and did maintence , he always kept a roll of electrical tape handy and used some tissue to cover his cuts, i do the same to this day if i am not close to a bandaid, if you want to apply pressure and stop bleeding the pull the electrical tape tighter.

Flavored drink powder, lemonade, Tang or Gatorade for electrolytes. Baking soda. Rope, coffee filters. Save your pill bottles with screw on lids great to stash small items. Nails, cup hooks etc

Wool blanket was mentioned for poor man's sleeping bag. As a boy scout mom, wool sweaters & wool blankets & wool socks are excellent because wool will still keep you warm even if soping wet..

Good, strong, sharp scissors! Multiple pairs because even good ones don't last forever, get dull, etc. Great barter item, IMO.

Living in Florida and hurricanes our power can go out for days or weeks. I bought a small battery operated fan that helped me sleep at night after hurricane Ian came through. I also bought tea lights because I live in an apartment and propane is not allowed. I used an 8" x 8" baking pan put 5 tealights in it and a cookie cooling rack over it. I managed to boil water in a small pan for coffee. Love your videos, lots of info.

Just in case I never get another chance I want to say thanks Sootch…for all the years of great videos and all the things I’ve learned from you over the past 9 or 10 years I’ve been watching your videos…THANK YOU!!

I’d recommend adding some Dentek, emergency dental kit. Good for emergency fillings, crowns, etc. cheap at the pharmacy and good to have on hand.

Thank you for this list 🤗 here are a few things I also get.. chewing gum,Cotton balls, Lard,wicks,gloves,hats, blankets... Extra flashlights I just pick up extras every time I go I'll grab one thing it helps a lot..

I stock candy crackers and different snacks because of my hypoglycemia. I also try to keep cat food on hand for my kitties.

Another great cheap item would be a Telescoping Adjustable Rectangular Mirror, looking out window or around corners in a bad situation

The thing with the socks made me chuckle, because I'm the only person I know anymore who darns socks. Come to think of it, keeping a needle and thread kit is not expensive and doesn't tale much,space. The part about toothpaste and brushes reminds me of a show on TV I saw, one of those TV doctors who have short segments. He said the best two things one can do for their overall health is quality shoes, and regular dental care. Your feet and your teeth both have a lot of influence on the rest of your body and your health overall.

1-coffee filters. Many uses including pre-filtering water 2-fire starters. Those little Duraflame things are awesome 3-glow sticks. Surprisingly, They give off some good light. Not something to hoard up on but they work in a pinch

Candles/ and safe ways to use them for light and heat!! Clay flowerpots and the saucers that are sized for the pots, are a great way to heat a small room if you lose power. I use tea lights in the small clay saucers ( 3 at a time), placed in the center of the larger saucer, then turn the right sized pot over it. I use two paper clips under the edge of the pot to give air flow.

Dogs for security, companionship of course. Pet food, pet supplies, including RX' s for Buster.

In a black out, a small candle can be your biggest comfort.

From what I've heard (haven't tried it myself yet), Ivory bar soap can pull double duty if needed; slice a few slivers into a tub of water, and it serves as a decent laundry detergent.

The four items I always keep to hand are cling film, aluminium foil, newspapers and pencils. In an emergency situation they can be the most valuable medical and repair resourses. Cling film can keep wounds clean and dry and help with blood loss by creating a vacuum seal. Aluminium foil can help collect rain water, be a signaling device and, in a pinch, fix electrical equipment. Newspapers are great if you break a bone and you can't get to a hospital straight away. Also, with this, the pencils also come in handy to stablise an injured limb. Newspaper is also a good insulator, if it gets really cold and you can't risk lighting a fire, such as in looting and rioting situations where you don't want to draw attention to your location.

Don't throw socks away. Find an old laundry bag or fabric bag, keep them for fire starters, unraveled, they can be used to fasten items, they can be used to open and sew together as blanket lining, so many ideas. Don't keep crap socks but good, heavy socks. Always buy wool if available.

Iodine, it’s can be used for medical purposes of course but also to treat water….

Keep track of what you use everyday...and stock up on that.

If you wear glasses, having an extra pair might be wise. I don't wear glasses but I would be lost without my readers so have stockpiled quite a few from the dollar store...might be a good barter item also.

15:59 FOR THE LADIES OR THE MEN PREPPING FOR THEIR WIVES-feminine hygiene products have expanded to things that can be washed, disinfected and reused. In a SHTF situation having a couple silicone menstrual cups and reusable washable pads/panty liners can get you through if you have used all of your disposable stock.

Talking about shoe/boot laces. When you wear out a pair of old shoes or boots and are ready to discard them, inspect the laces in those shoes and if they are in decent shape, take them out and save them. I do this for my entire families shoes and it insures I have laces for every size shoe or boot when we need them.

I live in Arizona and a nurse told me to always have Blistex SPF 30, that will help keep my lips protected, especially on the bottom lip.

Eyeglasses. I use inexpensive readers. Keep extra stored away. Utility knifes. Keep several around along with plenty of extra blades. Tarps. Inexpensive and lots of uses. Have dozen with different sizes and thicknesses.

A magnifying glass can be used to start a fire, course it has to be sunny out.

Great list! If you decide to expand it a tad, I'm a big fan of Liquid Bandage, it is an antiseptic and it seals out dirt on small scrapes. It stings though. Also, I think one or two of the long lighters could be handy if you're putting a few of the regular ones back. Small battery powered camping lanterns are nice to have in addition to candles if you have cramped spaces or small kids around. If you have solar powered yard lights you can bring those in at night for lighting. Many have removable batteries so you can either top off the existing ones or swap out fresh ones when needed. An inexpensive toolbox, like something you'd get from Harbor Freight or a competitor is nice to have around if you don't have a shop full of better tools. They make inexpensive invertors that you can run from your car in a pinch. A medium size one can run some gas furnace blowers with a little rigging, or you can charge batteries and run small electronics from it by running your car. They may not run a microwave, and it's not super efficient, but it provides options. I've run a small electric chain saw and another time several box fans in a pinch. If you had water leaks after an event, you could probably run a wet/dry vac if you needed to. Also, if you don't have, can't start, or aren't strong enough to use a gas chainsaw, than an electric chainsaw, or electric pruning saw might be helpful if clearing debris, rescue work, or clearing a road (with a little time). Bug repellant. Sun screen. Tweezers. Work gloves. A hat.

We only used ivory soap when camping, there were times we had to bathe in a lake and ivory floats where other bars sink

Rubbing alcohol, Hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C and D, inexpensive gloves, silver in any coin form, sugar and honey. I liked the smaller bottles of booze Idea, good trade item. Most people don't think about barter and trade with their supplies. I'm not a coffee drinker, but have a few jars of instant coffee and dried milk. People will need their coffee, even in a 2 week situation when you are cut off, Earthquakes, floods, what ever. Barter is still King! like the past 20,00 years🙏🐺

Fritos strangely enough make good kindling for a fire. If you were to stock up on snacks, Fritos are debatably the most useful even after they've gone bad.

If your BIC goes dry, it still gives off spark like a flint and steel for your char cloth, works great!! Dont throw them away.

I’m asthmatic, and when the wildfire smoke hit our area so bad that the air smelled like a damp campfire, the kn95 masks that I had since the pandemic really helped protect my breathing. Cheap, easy to store, and essential for fire season.

Ziploc freezer bags are less likely to leak and can tolerate hotter water than regular ziploc sandwich bags.

There is one thing that may be very useful for lighting a fire. I have mentioned this before, but it is worth saying it again. Women's Tampons. Apart from the obvious requirement they are fantastic for getting a fire started. They are small, waterproof, and fairly cheap to buy. Open them up and tease the cotton wool into what will be a large ball then place your light (dry) twigs then the larger building it up slowly. You will have a nice fire going pretty quickly. Hell! Even the Royal Marines Commandoes have a couple in their emergency belt pack.

I'd like to recommend plastic cutlery, and paper plates. If water is scarce having these will help you to preserve water.

I love that contractor bags can be used to build a windbreaker shelter or even use for shade in the hot summer months.

Might sound strange...but pencils. Obviously you can write with them. Easy to sharpen with a pocket knofe. They don't have ink to leak or dry up like pens or even a sharpie. You can use the graphite to lube things like zippers.

A word about wet wipes, don’t ever flush them even though they say you can especially if you’re on a septic system. Zip ties, most people don’t know that Harbor Freight sells stainless steel zip ties Regarding bleach, don’t stock up too much because you have to replace it in six months if you don’t use it. The best idea is to rotate get a couple add a couple more add a couple more and rotate as you use it.

When I put a fence around my garden during 2020, there was no wire thingys available to attach the wire to the posts so we used zip ties. Still going so they were durable and worth the money.

Good list and these things are still fairly inexpensive. I suppose the list could have 50 or more items, but here are a couple of items that might enhance the things you listed: Liquid bleach has a short shelf life. Powdered bleach will last longer and is useful as a disinfectant. Calcium Hypochlorite is also shelf stable and suitable for water treatment. Vaseline/petroleum jelly is a must-have as well and is more versatile than chapstick.

TAPE: I keep all my tape in gallon Ziploc type bags and out of the sun. Nothing worse than having a whole roll of masking tape that breaks up and crumbles as you try to use it.

Cold & flu medication, Tylenol, plus Vaseline are three more that can be a game changer when needed.

The only things I might add would be ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Great for the aches and pains that might come from days of hard work cleaning up after a natural disaster (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, etc.). They maintain their potency for decades. Consider storing children's versions of those if you have young kids too young to swallow adult versions. There have been recent shortages of those and you don't want to be scrambling to find them if your child has a high fever!

Allergy pills like Zyrtec and Benadryl. Keep lots of those on hand if you’re an allergy sufferer.

Cotton balls and Vaseline! Best fire starter ever, and dirt cheap and about as simple as it can get. A spark from a dead Bic lighter will fire it right up!

I love these kind of videos from this channel. There's alway an item that I forget to stock up on.

Along with the coffee and tea, add some Cup of soups..chicken broth, chicken noodle, onion , vegetable,, etc. You not only get something hot, but it has some protein and nourishment.Also stock up on those hand and foot warmers. Amazon has vests and jackets that are warmed by batteries.

Extra drinking water. Simple water filter, knife sharpener, different-size safety pins, simple 24 oz & tuna fish can emergency stove with fire biscuits, pemmican, Liquid Bandage, ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen, DGL(Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root Extract) for indigestion.

As far as getting sick goes, vitamins are another great thing to buy. Foodsave them in dose packages. They will last years.

I got myself a couple of old fashioned double-edged safety razor shavers and about a hundred replacement blades. I found the shavers at thrift stores and the blades are cheap online, much cheaper than the multi-blade cartridge type. Besides shaving, you can duct tape one edge and use them for a delicate use cutting tool.

Long flat scarves. Wrapped across your chest, they really help keep you warm! Thanks for all the great tips!

little sewing kits. reading glasses and eye glass repair kits, essential oils and nail clippers (you can chew off finger nails ,lol... but not many can or want to chew your toenails off)

I’ve been watching for years now and always appreciate these types of videos. Thank you

Finally! You are the first I’ve seen to mention menstrual supplies. I strongly suspect they will be terrific bartering items along with bars of laundry soap and cloth diapers. Socks, underwear, basic toiletries are no brainers along with a battery/solar powered radio. A few other things I keep on hand are a deck of cards and a few small non-electric children’s games to keep MY sanity should I end up at a shelter during a natural emergency.

I bought extra instant coffee and 60 paper coffee cups with lids. They can be thrown away after several uses or fill with food waste for burial or with various wax mixtures to make "fire logs."

I'd say also stock up some materials and tools to repair your clothes and gear. Get some ripstop fabric, various types of needles, nylon thread if possible, milspec webbing for your backpacks, extra repair buckles for your kidney belt and shoulder straps, get some tools for repairing leather items, get tools for replacing brass snap buttons and get extra buttons for your shirts and jackets.

I prefer the BBQ style lighters, the keep you fingers away from the flame and they are usually refillable. Also instead of liquid bleach I buy small chlorine pucks for pool use, they seem to hold their strength for a longer period of time.

Rope, I really find the plastic twine that is put on big square bales handy and durable.

I don't need the feminine products anymore but I have stocked up for my daughter's. But I did use the larger pads on my incision after my hip surgery a few years ago. Oh yes! I have stocked up and stored my favorite candy💝.

The 5 packs of Bic lighters at Walmart have been having supply issues at both Walmarts in my small city. I must of seen them in stock twice at least 4 months ago too. I have 55 Bic lighters in the 5 pack 👍🏾

Duracell is notorious for corrosion. I always use Energizer.

I know people like wet wipes. I live in a more wet area so I find compressed towels are the best for me as clean water isn't an issue.

I keep peppermints because they are also good for stomach ailments.

Another great helpful video Sootch. And you're right. . . all these items are currently readily available at the moment, and they're cheap !!!. . . FOR NOW, but they won't be once the SHTF or grid down. Zip ties are a great idea man. I do have some, but seeing this video just reminded me I should get a few more. Never thought about alcohol, so I'm going to get a few of those small bottles.

Thanks for doing this! Cheap prep ideas are always a welcome idea!!

Excellent video, GREAT suggestions! Thanks so much. Only thing I would caution folks on is hand sanitizer: It WILL NOT remove contaminants from you. It kills germs, but it will not remove things like chemicals, pesticides, etc. Also, if you read the label on the hand sanitizer, it tells you it takes 10 MINUTES to take effect for killing germs. Please folks be mindful of that! Hand sanitizer is also a great fire starter! Really good stuff!

These days I only have rechargeable batteries. I don't use anything that requires those flat ones like you see in a watch, etc. I been meaning to get a battery charger that is made to use with solar panel, but never got around to it yet. I don't get alot of money, so I have to pick and choose things over time.

I stock up on charcoal and wood chips of mesquite and hickory. Also some lightweight fire bricks. The fire bricks are light and you can layer them into a rocket stove or grill. Old stove oven racks, freezer shelves/racks and old refrigerator shelves/racks make good grills. If they're a little rusty just cover with aluminum foil to cook on.

FYI you can make your own cotton laces for shoes etc if you have doily cotton and a crochet hook for lace. Start with a row of chain stitch (a little longer than what you need) and then slip stitch back through it and repeat until it reaches the desired thickness. The advantage of this is you can make any length or thickness needed. Also works to make replacement draw-strings for sweatpants or hoodies.

Don't forget bug juice. I get the both with deet and without in case some one is hypersensitive. Also get the pump spray and not the arisol. Something your going to want if your bugging out and the bugs are making a meal of you. Great for barter as well if you've got enough to spare

First time watcher & what a fantastic informative video! I too have purchased every one of those items, but need to increase my supply some more. The very first thing I began to stock up on when covid hit (and still do) is toilet paper and batteries. Besides a myriad of bandaids and elastic wraps for sprains, I include tylenol, aspirin, allergy meds, etc. Also any essential meds you need. Water of course, is so essential as well. I'll be watching more of your videos & just shared this one. Thank you!!

I always love watching Don’s videos when I want to know what’s REEasonable🙂. Great video, thank you!

Although not an emergency, I'm currently having my only bathroom renovated. Fortunately, I do have a separate toilet too, so nothing terrible, however, one survival thing not in this video that's really useful is large body wipes. I have a few that are approximately 30 inches x 30 inches. They're great for freshening up the parts of your body that are a bit tougher to reach, and use no water

No kidding. I can’t see one thing that won’t be used there. If they add some meds, a cheap tent, backpacking stove, sleeping bag* and a change of clothes, lightweight food and water they can survive. *super important in cold climates, use all the money you can on this.

Hydrocortisone. When that itch happens you'll want it. Cheap at the dollar store.

Hot glue gun sticks can be melted over a fire or flame and used to repair many things. No electricity or glue gun needed. I always buy the little packs at the Dollar tree and throw them in with my camping / survival items.

Love your videos, Don. You always give great advice and helpful tips. There are so many things that you should stock up on but after you get the basics needed to survive, I recommend getting the basic things that you will need for at least a year. I know not everyone can do that and especially all at once, but think about the things that you use every day, or even every week, and start with maybe getting enough to last 6 months, and then you can go back and get more. If we end up in a nuclear war with Russia, China, North Korea, or even Iran, all those countries, with the possible exception of Iran, have the ability to take out most of our electrical grid. The leading experts have said that for most places it would take years to replace just the transformers that we see on the power lines and poles. They are difficult to make and I don’t even know if we have the facilities to make them here. It would take a long time to get the manufacturing process up and running and even then it would take years to get everything replaced. Nobody really knows how long it would take but most people would die of sickness and disease first from lack of sanitation and many others would die if they couldn’t get their medications. Remember, without electricity the water sanitation systems would not be functioning, and the water you get from the city would not be able to get pumped up to the water towers or be sanitized. It you have well water, the pump wouldn’t be working but if you had a hand pump and the ability to hook it up to your well-pipe, you could at least get it out of the ground and pump it into storage containers. Most cars won’t be running because of the electrical system being fried as with most electric devices that were not protected by a Faraday Cage or EMP proof bag, cover, or something, but even the people who have a car or something that runs on gasoline-the gas pumps won’t be working because they operate with electricity. Once people figure out how to get to the underground gas tanks, it won’t take long before the thieves and desperate people get all the gas left siphoned out. Basically, we will need to learn very quickly how the pioneers lived and all those who lived before electricity. A lot of people are getting solar powered generators/inverters, which is a great way to get a little electricity and the people who can afford multiple ones of the biggest and best solar generators will be in even better shape. But think about what you will need for a year and especially a year without electricity. Having things to barter with, like liquor, tobacco, sweets, and ammo, can help you get some things that you need but don’t have, however, you also need to be able to tell who you can trust, which isn’t always easy. Having some extra OTC medication, diapers, and dog food could really help someone who needs it. Try to keep some extra things to help others who are in worse shape than you are in but you’re not going to be able to help everyone. Your family and inner circle of friends and neighbors will usually have to come first. And don’t advertise everything you have. I don’t even have enough to take care of myself and my family so I can’t help anyone else at this point. I didn’t mean to start writing a book here but if you want to learn more, go watch Don’s videos on Sensible Prepper. He has a ton of great videos that cover almost everything you can think of! We should also be praying that this illegitimate regime doesn’t get us into a nuclear war to begin with. God help us.

This video inspired me to request a (not sure how to phrase this) but a video on substitution solutions for not necessarily a SHTF situation but rather maybe "tight times" economic situations. Lots of people are at different economic stages/situations in life. Some people are at the earning and saving age/stage, some may be close to or at retirement age/stage where capital preservation is a must for the future. Keeping that in mind, (and you may already have one) a video or another video about things that can be used for multiple purposes during a personal economic crunch. For example; the many uses for Irish Spring soap, which some claim is a good bug repellent too or Ivory soap is also good for laundry and dishes etc. Advice for younger people who are just setting up households, an informative video on what they can do to prep for a financial crunch. Just an idea 😉

Thanks! I made wax matches like you instructed….I don’t need any more lighter fluid for charcoal even. They work super great!

This was great! Really enjoyed your presentation. Very informative and thought provoking.

Great reminder of items to stock, thanks Don.

rubbing alochol, peroxide, midol (pain reliever - works for more then period relief.), clear nail polish - superglue seals cuts, standard can openers, rubber bands, extra underwear (I know you mentioned socks but if you ever had wet underclothes and get a rash dry underwear is vital.

Great video Sootch! I haven't seen you in a while.Keep up the good work.

Didn't see: Seeds Everyone always forgets seeds.

Another great video as always. Great list of items and very informative. Yours is one of my favorite channels for these types of videos. Keep up the good work. ATB