10 survival items for beginning apartment preppers

@BTPost - I think you are mixing two threads here. Nobody in this thread is talking about defense (or at least that wasn't the intent when @Motomom34 started the thread). Brokor mentioned higher security locks but I doubt anyone on the site that has been here for more than about 45 minutes would argue that locks are there to do anything more than keep honest people honest.

This thread isn't about defending your stash (I think you are mixing this thread with the one here: TEOTWAWKI Are You Better Off Shooting a Stranger then Letting them into Your Shelter? | Survival Monkey Forums)

This thread is about starting on your self-reliant, preparedness journey while living in an apartment, ie "10 survival items for beginning apartment preppers". Like all threads, this one is going on walkabout, but it hasn't gone that far yet.

So, back on topic. I've ready most of the posts up until now and skimmed the rest as well as hitting the link in the OP. Some of what I'm listing are repeats but sometimes it's best to put everything in one place rather than "everything he/she said plus some lye". While I won't always mention 3 or more ways to do something, the old saw "three is two, two is one and one is none" holds true. This is also focusing on surviving in place and as such doesn't include shelter. Is it important? Duh, of course it is, but that's not what this is about. This is about starting out and getting comfortable with the idea of self reliance in an apartment.

1 - Water, water purification and storage. Next to air and shelter (depending on your circumstances), water is the most vital thing to life. You MUST have water, period, and it has to be potable. You can only store so much so you need a means of acquiring more and purifying it. Heat (boil), chemical (iodine or other), UV (sun?) filter, whatever. I personally would suggest a filter AND something chemical. The means to boil as a third option is covered by other preps. Most people, especially starting out, aren't going to be too excited about water that tastes weird (and yes, iodine tastes weird) or putting a tablet in their water. You don't convince someone to drink water that is turbid but boiled. Ease them into it. There is also something about filtering the water, putting something questionable in and getting something "pure" out. If you can swing it, get a gravity filter because it can be passive. They take up more room than a pump filter but they can be doing the work of filtering while you do something else. What water you store should be something you can lift and move if you need to. A 15 gallon container full of water weighs over 125 lbs. Don't be a hero, store gallons and liter bottles.

2 - First Aid. It's not on the list in the link, but that's likely because everyone has "stuff" laying around for "first aid". I would suggest, however, that you have a little more than a few bandaids in a medicine cabinet. I'm not talking trauma kit here, but I am talking about a bit more than the 120 piece "first aid kit" you get at the store that has 110 bandaids, a roll of tape, a pair of gloves (really? That counts as two pieces? Seriously?), four pieces of gauze and a packet of ibuprofen. Again, this is not an end of the world kit, but really the minimum I would have in the car (actually do have in the car) or around the house (ibid). What I would put in the first aid kit would include, but not be limited to:

• Bandages (traditional) - Yes, they are important, especially in an emergency, but they are a start. Assorted sizes.
• Bandage (liquid) - For cuts that are clean and need an extra bit of securing (stings like a bastard though!)
  
• Butterfly Closures - When you don't quite need stitches and you can't bring yourself to put super glue on a cut (and that shit stings, thankyouverymuch!). These have come in handy a number of times and in many cases I have no scar.
• Alcohol wipes - Small, cheap, and not as likely to spill if you knock over the open packet.
  
• Antibiotic ointment - For surface injuries, a bit of antibiotic can go a long way. From a ruptured blister to an abrasion (that you have cleaned the hell out of), it will help. Brand-name or generic, they are almost all identical. The one exception I have found is Polysporin. There isn't a generic that I have found and it sometimes works better than NeoSporin (or traditional triple antibiotic).
• Pain Killer - Don't just stock one, even if your body only "accepts" one. I know people who don't use Naproxen Sodium due to high blood pressure (yes, seriously, got told NONONONO by the doctor), but you may be able to help someone else who can use it. Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Naproxen Sodium and Aspirin should ALL be in your kit. I personally buy a small bottle from the grocery store one time (or one per kit) and then get a "yuge" bottle at Costco or Sam's and top it off. I do this so that I KNOW what's in it from a label perspective as opposed to a film canister or some other small container.
• Antihistamine - Benadryl if you are brand-name loyal, diphenhydramine if you aren't. Generic is dirt cheap in big bottles (can also be used to induce drowsiness).
  
• Burn treatment - I mean for first degree burns or early second degree with blisters that will rupture. Gel can be good as can something like Solarcaine spray to numb it up. Also works for sunburn.
• Gauze - Pads and a couple of rolls. Absorbent (to a point) and can be used to cover other dressings, such as:
• Non-stick sterile pads - THESE are what you put directly over a wound (dressed accordingly). Gauze sticks, these don't (much). Get a couple sizes so you don't waste big ones on small wounds.
• First aid tape - To hold stuff in place. Get good quality but still doesn't have to be brand name. Check it every now and again though because it does "go bad" eventually. Personally I like both paper and the silky tape but cannot stand the vinyl type as it just doesn't hold unless it's the 3" variety (which is overkill for a finger).
• Razor (disposable) - Huh? A a razor? Yes. Ever tried to secure a bandage to a hairy arm or leg? Shave the area if you can and the tape will actually stick to the skin. Obviously don't make a bad situation worse...
  
• Tweezers - Splinters suck and can get infected.
• Thermometer - Digital, mercury, alcohol, whatever, you need one to determine how hot you really are.
• Scissors - The right tool for the job, which includes bandages of the right size (and some tape just doesn't like to tear clean).
• Nitrile gloves - 10 pack at the store, $1.99. Cheap protection when helping someone else or asking them to help you. Unlike latex, people aren't allergic to these.
• Face mask - This is more for large debris in the air. Anything short of a respirator is only for large particulate matter and is more to protect others from anything you have, not the other way around. If it isn't air tight, germs can get in. N95 is the most typical/common mask and available at most CVS/Rite-Aid/Pharmacy type stores.

3 - Food and preparation. You need to eat and taking that a little further, you likely need to cook at least one thing you eat that you can stock up on. You need to be able to boil water too, so you need something to cook in and on. Alcohol stove, cans of sterno fuel, double burner camping stove, jet boil, doesn't matter. You need a way to generate heat to cook with the power/gas off. You can get small stoves just big enough to boil a quart or so of water or you can use your outside gas grill on the patio (super, super wasteful but if it gets the job done in a pinch...). Cheap tablet stoves can be had for less than $5. They aren't ideal long term but I have used them ever since early Boy Scouts and they do, in fact, work (as long as you get real hexamine tablets). If you wanna pop for a jet boil, great, but you're going to pay for the fuel. You can't get a hexamine stove over a certain point but you can keep adding tablets as they run out to keep the heat on as long as you have fuel (again, it's cheap). You also need a pot with a lid at least. You aren't trekking Everest here and it can be an inexpensive aluminum pot (might be good anyway to heat up quickly), it will do the job. Remember, we're starting out here and while I don't like to buy anything twice, if they decide they'd rather give up and/or rely on uncle sugar, we don't want to bankrupt them when starting out. What food you store is up to you but you should have several days of food on hand that doesn't require refrigeration. Soup, canned ravioli/spaghetti/chili, canned fruits, canned veggies (I hate em, but they last), bullion cubes, Ramen (yeah yeah, but you and I both know that's going to end up in almost everyone's pantry), spam, tuna, nuts, granola bars, chocolate (bar, kisses, "mini's"), hard candy, gum, beef jerky, fruit snacks. All of that can actually be eaten cold if necessary, even the Ramen...did it during the college years crushed up and right out of the package with the "seasoning" sprinkled over it. Expand that a little and if you have fuel you can cook as well. Mac and cheese, beans and rice, etc. Don't forget utensils and a can opener. If the power is out, having paper plates/bowls will help with clean-up. If you decide to go dehydrated/freeze-dried, that can go in the stash directly. Use and replace it once in a while though so you know how to make it, know what it tastes like and how your body reacts to it. Consider possibly adding powdered "sports drink" to the mix and/or water additives like Mio (or your local grocery store equivalent) as it can make the filtered/boiled/treated water taste better. One little bottle of Mio is good for at least a couple gallons of water. It doesn't need to taste like Kool-Aid, just needs to taste better than bland, boiled water. Lastly, for clean-up, a container of clorox wipes (or the like) will help minimize the water necessary.

4 - Heat generation or retention - You need a sleeping bag or the means to "make" one. Having a bunch of blankets is great, as long as you can arrange them to minimize heat loss. If you are in an apartment and stuck indoors, do NOT run a grill or stove inside for heat and if you run it inside to cook, do it near an open door or window. Otherwise, you...will...DIE. Your best source of heat in a cold, power out environment is...you. Stoke your personal furnace with the food you have stored and get in the sleeping bag. No, not a slumber bag, a sleeping bag (or blankets that will TRAP the heat). Have appropriate clothes, gloves and a hat.

5 - Light/power. Candles are nice and work but open flame in an enclosed space is typically a bad idea long term. Oil and propane lamps are an equally bad idea. If you need light, strongly consider something with a solar re-charger that has a very low draw. LEDs are awesome for this but not always affordable. There are fairly inexpensive solar lights (inflatable in some cases) that can fully charge during the day and give you several hours of at least some light once the sun goes down. A couple of good flashlights are always a good investment. If you have a big box hardware store around, I can almost assure you that you can find a multi-pack of 7-9 LED, 3xAAA battery flashlights for less than $10. At least once a year, Home Depot here locally has a "10-pack" of 8 flashlights and 2 headlamp lights for $10...and they include batteries. I can't buy that many batteries all by themselves for that little. And yes, they have all lasted at least a year (in time to buy new ones if I had to...for less than the cost of batteries). They shouldn't be considered a replacement for a good flashlight or two or even a battery powered lantern, but they will do in a pinch and let you put a flashlight in every room just in case. A crank flashlight can be a good addition but honestly, cranking gets old and you very quickly tire of it and learn to live without or decide whatever you were going to do that needed light just isn't worth the effort. Ditto for a crank cell phone charger. If you need to recharge your cell phone, consider spending the money on a "brick" and just keep it topped off. They cost more, but they hold several full phone charges worth of power. Yes, it's finite, but again, we aren't looking at the collapse of society we're talking about "the beginning". There are many, many other ways to generate power as well and a crank may be a good backup to a backup, but it's third in line in my opinion. If you rely on battery powered "stuff", make sure you have spare batteries in every size you use. Whatever you use for light and cooking, you need to have matches (kitchen, stick, strike damned-near-anywhere variety) and at least one lighter. Go with the long, extended ones if you like, but you need at least a couple of ways to light a fire no matter what. Any flashlights should have at least one spare bulb (except for the multi-LED cheapies...they aren't replaceable).

6 - Personal hygiene & medications. Never, EVER run out of toilet paper. Do NOT live on the edge here. When you have 3x 4-packs left, go get more! Generally everything else should already be covered because you're brushing your teeth every day already, right? But, in a power down situation, baby wipes are actually a really good way to get clean without taking a bath. If you can get them at the big box store they can be pretty cheap. Paper towels, toilet paper (yes, I'm mentioning it again), an extra toothpaste, etc. If at all possible, refill your 30 day supply every 28 days and stock the rest in case for a short term inconvenience. Tampons/pads should be included if appropriate for you situation.

7 - Duct Tape and plastic sheeting/drop cloths. Duct tape has 1001+ uses and the plastic can be used for a number of things from covering a broken window/door to catching rainwater to wrapping a body (wait...scratch that, forget I said that...moving on). Like mentioned in the article, it can be used to partition a room for heat retention and or create a minimal "air lock" for wet, windy, dusty environments. Multiple layers a few inches apart will also grant at least some privacy although it only gets so opaque/blurry.

8 - Work gloves. While you may not use them on a daily basis, if the power is out due to a weather event, you may find yourself having to pick up broken wood, glass, metal or other debris. Gloves are a must. Leather work gloves come in many shapes, sizes, styles and colors. I'm not going to be that prescriptive.

9 - Tools/tool kit. I would suggest a couple of things. A small tool kit that includes a hammer, a couple of the screwdrivers (common and phillips), a razor knife, a pair of pliers and some electrical tape. Check your electrical tape yearly at least and replace it when (not if) it starts to not stick anymore (same with the duct-tape, although that's usually good for several years). You can add sockets to this if you will use them. A multi-tool can also come in handy as a pair of pliers, knife, scissors, etc. If you get one, get decent quality and keep the blade sharp. And extra knife if you usually carry a knife (ie: pocket/folder).

10 - Something to put it in (that has additional uses). I like the bucket, but we're bigger than a bucket at this point. Maybe a couple of buckets, with lids. The nice thing about the bucket is it's one more holding container once you empty it.

• Toilet (with bag)
• Water storage (not at the same time as being a toilet...ewww)
• Hauling firewood (if it comes to that but we're getting a bit far afield in an apartment)

This isn't going to fit in a school type backpack, but it's also a heck of a lot more than most of the 72-hour kits you find online. Most of those include a couple of pouches of water, but no way to purify more water, and you will need more water. They come with 30 stick matches that require you to use the box. They come with a pound of band-aids and very little else from a first-aid standpoint. They include a couple of mylar blankets, but unless you are exhausted, you cannot sleep in those and while they can be useful, the utility there is minimal.

I didn't include things like a whistle, or a road flare, because you live in an apartment and we're talking about getting started and mostly for power outages or a water main break. If your building collapses, you probably don't have the whistle in your hand at the time so in the bucket it doesn't do you much good.

I also wasn't looking to "bug out" with this list, but shelter in place during a minor inconvenience. I didn't include a deck of cards because most millennials wouldn't know what to do with them anyway. Instead, spend the extra on the big power brick for your phone and load it up with games and books. That's where they all read anyway. That isn't a ding against them and please don't start with the snowflake comments. I'm not patronizing them, I'm being honest about what they will and won't use (hence the inclusion of granola bars and fruit snacks). I'm not being a jerk, I'm trying to give them a list of stuff that they might actually use.

 

Thank You

 

The most important survival item for an apartment dweller is a BUG OUT plan, using FIRE as one of the most likely reasons for bugging out. If you start with that at the top of the list, the remaining items become more readily apparent.

 

A place out of the city to retreat to where you are not viewed as a needy refugee. And the plan and means to get there with minimal risk.

 

Oustanding post, @DarkLight! I enjoy seeing your attention to detail, knowing that may others will learn from it.

 

When my oldest son and daughter moved out, we purchased a 'homewarming' gift for them.

A years worth of Renter's Insurance from All State - because the broker would let us do that. Cost, ~$100. Value for my peace of mind - priceless.

 

Loved @DarkLight post

One thing i would add (or two actually) is buckets for contining human waste, one for pee and one for poop. If you live in an apartment and the plumbing goes bad you dont want everyone tracking in and out to go to the bathroom. So a containment system is a good idea, and cheap if your plumbing goes out.

 

A fire, rope ladder .
They can be bought for 2 and 3 story apartments.
larger buildings I would strongly consider climbing ropes and repelling gear for each person. and training/practice.
Also fire extinguishers ,if in the event the system crashes there won't be any fire department or other emergency services.
Those in high rise apartments might strongly consider parachutes . remember 9/11

 

One thing the original list did not have was heating. Since a blizzard just hit parts of the East Coast, the weather station was telling people not to run their generators inside. That made me wonder where I would run mine. I have a detached garage but still does not feel safe. Apartment/townhome dwellers who have generators, run the risk of their generator getting stolen. Everyone would hear it so I think one would have to have a big strong chain to secure it if you had to use it during a black out.

 

Secure it on the balcony?

ETA: Or in a closed room vented to the outdoors...

 

If you have a bath tub and window above ,make a custom fit platform that will not mar the tub ( carpeting works great) the generator can be on . open the window and close the bathroom door and block the gaps at the bottom of the door and air-conditioning ducts.