Good or Bad- 37 Unusual Items to Prep

Kellory I have many also, but being self employed you have to have many hats

 

So, since there is a rise in people wanting a CCW, more people will make money teaching. Supply and demand drive the economy.

 

Yep the more good with a gun to out weigh the bad

 

Check with a pool company for chlorine floats.

 

i thought some of these were great, except for the flag. it keeps resonating in my thoughts "Gray Man"...

 

@Brokor, that makes a prepper a hoarder lol

 

I need to get organized lol

 

Bungee cords and a fire extinguisher are considered "unusual items"?

My favorite misappropriated item was the chop sticks and perfume cards. The author of this list says to save them for fire tinder. What...there aren't enough leaves and twigs laying around that you have to jack extra chop sticks and perfume cards?

Gadsen flag...ok, nice to have but it's not like you "need" it for survival purposes. Does this dude seriously advocate "advertising" who you are? OPSEC is overrated anyway.

Many of the items are useful, but ridiculous rationales are given for for having them. I think whoever made this list is a bit daft.

 

Mosquito net!!!!! Gotta have a couple they don't take up much room and they are light

 

I too thought about a quarter of the items on the list were silly. I'm not saving perfume cards. I'll fill the storage space with something more valuable.

I have two primary factors I consider for what is valuable to store away:
1. Is it something that I can not accomplish about the same thing with something else? So for example, if one has a bad infection a good antibiotic is critical and while for minor topical infections things like honey or sugar can suffice, for a deep infection that could lead to gangrene and/or an amputated limb there just isn't much substitute. So storing those items make sense. Used chopsticks to start fire... not hardly.
2. Store things that can provide multiple functionality. Zip ties are good as they can be used for lots of things, but store black UV resistant ties as they can work anywhere.

Regarding fire extinguishers:
I don't quite get the logic of get em now while you can. You should get them now so you are prepared for a fire that can happen anytime, not just post SHTF. I have saved two cars because of fire extinguishers and could have saved another if I had one.

Basically, you get what you pay for. There are the Kidde and similar low cost units that have a valve system made of plastic.

Over time plastic "creeps," meaning it doesn't have good dimensional stability. Put a plastic washer under a bolt and tighten it to a specific torque. Come back a year later and the bolt will be almost loose and if you remove the plastic washer it will be permanently thinner where it was under pressure.

The plastic valves have been designed to deal with creep but over time, it is still not unusual for the charge pressure to bleed off rendering the extinguisher worthless. Better quality extinguishers will have metal valve systems (usually the main body is aluminum). These cost more but can last decades and decades and can be recharged. Plastic valves often will never seal well long term if recharged; they should be considered disposable.

Be certain to keep metal valve extinguishers dry and clean to avoid corrosion of the metal parts. The metal valves usually are comprised of three or more different metals (carbon steel, stainless and aluminum). Differing metals plus moisture can lead to galvanic corrosion, even inside the valve system.

ALWAYS get extinguishers with a pressure gauge. This is the only way to know it will likely work.

In addition to multiple extinguishers located around the house, I have roughed in (need to finish) basically a recessed medicine cabinet in the hall. I have plumbed a 3/4 inch water line with a quarter turn ball valve and garden hose connector. Soon to be hanging in there will be a hose that collapses flat like a regular fire hose.

The Ultimate Garden Hose, 50 Ft. Long, 3/4-Inch Diameter, Hot Pink:Amazonatio, Lawn & Garden

Nelson 50503 High-Pressure Rated Fireman's Style Industrial Spray Nozzle with Large On/Off Lever:Amazonatio, Lawn & Garden


Extinguishers are great for the first 10-20 seconds of a fire. But after 20-30 seconds, more water is often needed if you are to have any hope of saving anything before a fire department gets there. Try putting out a modest camp fire with a small kitchen size extinguisher sometime. It can be done if you are good but in the heat (sorry, no pun intended) of the moment, it's easy to miss just enough that the fire flares back up and the extinguisher is now empty.

Have fun.
AT

 

Good advice @Airtime , and I like the fire fighting system.... But you need better (non-flaming) cars.

 

For fire extinguishers, it might be a better idea to have a few modern units handy, but mix your inventory with some of the more "old fashioned" hand-pump water types.
There's the antique style units (if you can find them anymore), but there's also the type that the "smoke jumpers" that combat forest fires use, that strap on like a backpack, hold 5 gallons, and have a small spray nozzle on the end of a hose. Might not be able to put out a large fire with them, but you would be able to put a stream of water on the flame.
Also, the standard portable water extinguishers (usually the reflective silver bodies, on the ones I've used) can be refilled, and recharged with compressed air. Hey, it might take a while, with a hand or foot powered air pump.....but your kids have endless energy, right?

 

When in the Marines an "eon ago" we had two buckets out side each tent. One with sand and the other with water. I have a couple of the brass soda/acid that you have to turn upside down to actuate. As for bleach--use THC(pool shock) to make your own "Clorox". The dry powder weighs very little and lasts longer than you and I. Mix it to the strength needed. Never forget "Frisbies" in your kit. They make great plates and you can play with them afterwards--lol. I keep Oxygen tanks w/ masks/canulas/hoses.

 

We are soon coming into that time of year where the box stores will be clearancing their pool supplies. They will have pool shock (granular, pucks and liquid which is often about twice the strength of bleach) and also chlorine test kits. With the test kit you can measure for the right amount of residual chlorine (typically desired to be .5-1.0 ppm) and you add what ever amount of shock/bleach it takes regardless of if it has deteriorated or not to get the appropriate amount of residual chlorine in your treated water. This is the best way and who cares if it has expired or allegedly degraded over time.

AT

 

And temperature greatly affects rate of degradation. Store cool (below 70 F) or even cold.