SURVIVAL · 2015-07-30 · Things You Will Need When the SHTF 2 SURVIVAL 2014 . M any people, when...

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30 Things You Will Need When the SHTF 2

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©2014 SurvivalBased.com

Many people, when first exposed to prepping, are completely overwhelmed with the amount of work that goes into a survival plan. It can be easy to get

so caught up in researching how to prepare that you never actually end up prepping anything.

With that in mind, the goal of this guide is to GET YOU STARTED RIGHT NOW. We could debate endlessly about why we included gas masks but left out assault rifles, but none of that would increase your chances of survival one bit.

This is a basic list that will provide a reasonable starting point for anyone looking to get his or her preparations off the starting line. The most important thing is not what is on the list – those are merely suggestions – but that you take some initiative and actually starting working on your own survival plan.

Keep that in mind as you read the 30 Things You Will Need When the SHTF.

1. Clean Water

Water is the most essential item to sur-vival; therefore, when the SHTF, it is the commodity most likely to become scarce. Each member of your family or group will need one gallon of water per day. You should have more than enough water stored for the length of time you expect to have to wait before finding a new source.

One of the best ways to store water is in plastic containers. They are easy to find

WATERIS THE MOSTESSENTIAL Itemto survival


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and are reusable. Start with one-gallon containers and work your way up to larger containers. Some preppers even go to the extreme of having 55-gallon barrels of water stored in their basements. These are great if you are planning to stay put, but if evacuation is a possibility, smaller containers are more travel-friendly.

2. Non-Perishable Food

The second most important thing you need to survive is food. Chances are high that any doomsday scenario you plan for will require you to perform some physical labor. In order to build shelters, hunt and lead your family, you are going to need to be well fed. Hungry survivors will have a hard time completing necessary tasks and are likely to have low-er morale.

When beginning your emergency food preparations, a good place to start is food supply kits and MREs. While neither of these are going to taste as good as a steak dinner, they will provide your body with the essential calories you will need to survive. If you choose to store canned foods, make sure you have the necessary equipment to access and cook them.

3. Bug-Out Bag

While many of the items on this list will go into your bug-out bag, it is important to remember that you will need the actual bag. A traditional bug-out bag will contain everything you need to survive for 72 hours. It should be big enough to hold everything you need, but also easy and comfortable enough to carry with you.

It is also important that your bug-out bag be durable. It will


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likely have to withstand some pretty harsh treatment. If you are unable to afford one of the nicer bug-out bags available, a simple duffle bag could be a good place to start.

4. Appropriate Clothing

When the SHTF, you certainly won’t want to waste time de-ciding what to wear; your clothing should already be ready to go. The type of clothing you choose will depend on your location, but there are some common factors to consider.

You will want to dress in layers, using materials that are lightweight, but able to hold heat well in cold weather. The material should hold up well when exposed to water and sunlight. And you should also consider the local terrain, as it may be beneficial for you to blend in with your sur-roundings.

5. Appropriate Footwear

Footwear will also depend on your location and plan, but it’s probably best not to plan on bug-ging out in sandals or slippers. Footwear should provide proper support for the ankles, heels and arches of your feet. They should be lightweight and comfortably worn for long walking trips.

It is also important that footwear be durable. Nobody knows what to expect from the “end of the world”, so your footwear should be ready to take on rocky terrain, extreme heat or extreme cold, and should be water-resistant and able to dry quickly.

6. Fire

In most doomsday scenarios, electrical power will most likely have gone out. Without power, fire is the next best solution for heating, lighting, cooking and boiling water. The easiest way to ensure you have fire is to store large quantities of lighters and waterproof matches. Both are relatively inex-pensive and can be purchased just about anywhere.


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More experienced preppers will upgrade to using magne-sium sticks to start fires. These are completely waterproof and climate-proof. They can even start fires in damp or wet conditions.

7. Knife

If you read any beginning prepper guide online, you be overwhelmed with how many tools are considered “essen-tial”. While there are plenty

of tools that could be helpful when the SHTF, a good knife

will highlight any list.

There are literally hundreds of uses for a knife. One of the most obvious is for safety and pro-tection. You can use a knife to prepare bandages or make splints. It can also be used to mark trees or as a last line of defense against animals or other survivors.

Another use for a knife is cleaning and cooking. You will need a knife to skin and prepare any animals you hunt or fish you catch. A knife may also come in handy when you realize you forgot to pack a can opener.

8. Portable Axe

A portable axe is usually the second tool suggested by most survival experts. An axe will make bugging out in the wild a lot easier. Whether you are building a shelter or cutting firewood, it will do in a few minutes what a knife would take hours to do.

If you plan to bug in, an axe is just as essential. You may need it to break through any damaged or fallen portions of your home caused by a natural disas-ter or fire.

There are literally

hundreds of uses for a knife.


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When choosing an axe, portability is important. Ideally, you will want a small axe that can be attached to your bug-out bag. Carrying a full-sized axe to your bug-out location might

be a bit uncomfortable.

9. First Aid Kit

Having a first aid kit when the SHTF is even more important than it is to have one now. In your dooms-

day scenario, you won’t be able to make a quick trip to the drug store for ibuprofen or bandages. And hospitals may not be a viable option either.

This means that if a slight cut were to get infected, you might have no way to treat it. A well-stocked first aid kit will allow you to treat any minor injuries quickly before they grow into problems that require professional medical attention.

10. Firearms

The best researched survival plan is doomed from the start if you aren’t able to protect yourself from someone whose survival plan is to steal from others.

Handguns are the perfect protection for these types of sit-uations. They are designed for close combat and are relatively easy to use. A handgun will give you the upper hand against an attacker with a knife, and can level the playing field when confronted by someone else with a gun.

In addition to having a handgun, a rifle can provide great


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long-range defense against enemies. It can also be used for hunting to provide food for your family.

Purchasing the most commonly used firearms will make it easier to find parts if necessary.

11. Ammunition

Your firearms will be virtually useless without enough am-munition. You will want to store an abundance of ammo in order to make sure you don’t run out. It’s also helpful to keep ammunition in different places so you won’t be left high and dry if one stash is raided.

Most preppers anticipate that ammunition will become the standard currency for purchasing other goods when the SHTF. Storing plenty of excess will give you buying power when negotiating with other survivors.

12. Heavy Duty Flashlights

When the power goes out (as it likely will), you will need a bright, reliable source of light. A strong, durable flashlight with plenty of batteries will prove ex-tremely helpful.

You may also want to consider a lan-tern-style camping flashlight as a sec-ondary light source. This would be excel-lent for a relocation trip that might take a few days. However, no amount of batteries will last forever, so allocate your space wisely.

13. Multi-Tool

One of the most underestimated surviv-al items is the multi-tool. A multi-tool is a portable, hand-held tool that integrates the functions of many different tools. It generally in-


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cludes scissors, screwdrivers, a knife, a can opener, tweezers, pliers and a number of other helpful utilities.

The scariest thing about preparing for doomsday scenarios is not knowing what to expect. The last thing you want is to be desperately in need of one simple tool you didn’t anticipate needing. The goal of a multi-tool is to cover a host of basic tools for those types of situations.

14. Important Documents

No one knows for sure what documents will be neces-sary after the end of the world as we know it; however, if the damage is less severe than expected or a new world is to be built, you will want to have all of your important documen-tation. This includes birth certificates, marriage licenses, driver’s licenses, social security cards, medical records and passports.

All of these documents should ideally be kept together in a waterproof envelope. Fortunately, they are lightweight, so they will be easy to carry. If you end up needing them to cross a border, you will be glad you have them.

15. Personal Hygiene Products

While personal hygiene products are not essential to your survival, they might play an interesting role. The level of mo-rale in your family will make or break your survival efforts, and a few simple personal hygiene items could make all the difference.

Items such as toothbrushes, dental floss, shampoo, deodor-ant, soap, toilet paper and mouthwash will allow your family to cling to some sense of civilization, even if there is no civili-zation left. This could mean a lot when times get tough.

16. Portable GPS Device

Whether your plan is to bug out or bug in, you should be pre-


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pared for the possibility that your plan may have to change. In the even that your location becomes unsafe and you need to relocate, you will need to navigate your route safely and without getting lost.

A portable GPS could prove extremely helpful in finding and traveling to a new location. Of course, GPS devices must have a power source or be fully charged, so make sure your device is ready to go at all times.

17. Maps and Compass

While a portable GPS is an ideal navigation tool, there is a good chance that your survival scenario will involve disabled satellite reception. You also may not have a way to recharge the device, so while it could he helpful, you will need a back-up plan.

The simplest solution is a package with maps and a compass. Pack multiple maps that detail both local and national roads

and terrain. Make sure the maps are updated and test the compass to

ensure that it operates smooth-ly.

18. Battery Operated Radio

Regardless of the scenario, you will surely be curious about how the rest of the world han-dles the event. Having a small, battery-operated radio with you will allow you to listen to any emergency broadcasts.

These broadcasts will give you information about which locations

might be safe enough for relocation and which loca-tions to avoid. They could also provide information regarding problems ahead of you or if it is even safe to come out.


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19. Water Filter

No matter how much water you have stored, it will eventually run out. This is why it is a good idea to invest in a water filtration device. Having the ability to filter dirty wa-ter will allow you quite a bit of flex-ibility and comfort, especially if you expect to be on the move.

If your plan is to relocate, or if you are forced to relocate, there is no way you could carry a reasonable supply of water with you. However, water bottles with built-in filtration systems can turn water from any al-most source into drinking water.

20. Shelter

As we have discussed, even the best-laid plans may be forced to change due to unforeseen circumstances. If this happens, shelter will become a primary concern. You will either need to have a shelter ready, find a shelter or build a shelter.

A well-prepared survivor wouldn’t bank on finding a shel-ter – they will either already have one or will build one. The simplest shelter available is a camping tent. If you are a little

more industrious, you can build a nice shelter using a tarp and wood cut using your portable axe.

21. Paracord

Like the multi-tool, paracord is an extreme-ly underrated survival tool. Its primary advan-tage is that there are nearly unlimited possi-bilities in terms of use-fulness. In SHTF situa-

paracord isan extremely underrated survival tool.


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tions, paracord can be used as a fishing line, tourniquet, and clothesline or even as rope to tie together your custom-built structure.

One current trend among survivalists is to wear paracord in bracelet form. This allows you to bring it with you without taking up space in your bug-out bag.

22. Manuals and Books

No matter how prepared you think you are, there is going to be something you wish you knew or remembered how to do. The information-crutch of the Internet won’t be available for a quick search, so you will want to stock your shelter with manuals and books.

This obviously won’t be feasible for a mobile survival plan, but if you are planning to bug in or relocate to a bug-out

shelter, why not make sure you have survival and medical references available?

23. Sewing Kit

Just like many of the recommended survival tools, you may go for years and never need a sewing kit. However, if you happen to rip your clothes, your bag or tent, you will be grateful you thought to bring it with you.

A sewing kit will enable you to get the most out of your gear. It can also literally save your life if you need to stitch a wound.

24. Gas Mask

Gas masks are yet another item you may never need, but you could die quickly if you need it and don’t have it. Like man-uals and books, gas masks may not fit into your bug-out bag; however, you will likely have plenty of room to stock masks at your shelter.

Gas masks will prevent you from breathing toxic fumes that


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could arise both from war conditions and natural disasters.

25. Fishing Equipment

While every bullet you store can kill at most one animal, one fishing hook can catch literally hundreds of fish. Fish-ing equipment helps you access an excellent, abundant food source (depending on your location in relation to water).

Fishing equipment can be as simple or advanced as your plan permits. A rod and reel along with an assortment of lures is advantageous, but a simple piece of fishing line and one hook can do the trick as well.

26. Duct Tape

Much like paracord, duct tape is valuable because it has literally hundreds of uses. It can be used to repair equip-ment, shelter or clothing. It is also waterproof and ex-tremely inexpensive.

Duct tape is famous for being able to fix anything, making it the exact type of tool you are going to need when the SHTF.

27. Bug Spray

If you are planning on spending any amount of time out-doors, bugs can become a major irritation, not to mention a potential health risk. A bottle of bug spray will work wonders to help keep a level head during what is sure to be a stressful situation.

A simple bottle of store-bought bug repellent will work just fine.

28. Sunscreen

One of the dangers of the outdoors that many prep-pers forget to consider is


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the sun. Whether or not you believe in the danger of UV rays and the depletion of the o-zone layer, we can all agree that sunburns are painful.

Keep a bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen with your equipment to help avoid getting burned, provided you remember to apply it.

29. Playing Cards

Once you resolve pressing issues like food, water and shelter, the end of the world as we know it is likely to be pretty boring. You will want to bring something along to keep you and your family entertained.

A deck of playing cards is a small, lightweight option that can contribute hours of fun and games to your otherwise gloomy situation.

30. A Backup Plan

No matter how well thought out your plan is, you cannot pos-sibly predict all of the things that could go wrong. You could spend all of your time preparing the most well stocked shel-ter, but what if something happens to that shelter?

The best survivalists have multiple backup plans and backup plans for their backup plans. A good exercise is to imagine anything that could possibly go wrong and then adjust your survival plan to account for that possibility.

the end of

the worldis likely to be pretty boring.

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SURVIVAL · 2015-07-30 · Things You Will Need When the SHTF 2 SURVIVAL 2014 . M any people, when...

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