Posted on 12/08/2012 4:26:42 PM PST by KosmicKitty
I'm looking for some suggestions from all my FR friends out there.
For too many years now, I give my best friend a practical Christmas gift. One year, many years ago, it was a pair of jumper cables when I found out she didn't have any.
Anyway, she and her husband are into prepping big time and I would like to give them something that they could use if the SHTF. I''d buy ammo, but my friend's husband is so paranoid that I have no idea what ind of guns they have.
They already have tons of food supplies, but I was hoping someone could suggest a practical gadget that no prepper should be without.
Any suggestions are most welcome.
I would like my own island.
or an underground bunker
It depends on the amount of money you want to spend, and what they already have.
Here’s a website that could give you some ideas, and then you could google for the best deals.
http://beprepared.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_404_A_c2c_E_ln_A_name_E_RadiosandCommunication
This brings you to several types of communication devices. I myself am kinda looking at the combo hand crank radio and cell phone recharger, since my car radio died and the lighter doesn’t work anymore for recharging the phone.
They have all sorts of other neat stuff too.
A Gerber or Leatherman multi tool is always a good gift.
The best one I have is an older Vice-Grip with semi needle nose pliers and Schrade tools on just one side. I am not sure if it is still made but that tool gets more use than anything I have.
Check out this cool little stove that makes power for USB devices!
http://www.biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/
That is interesting. I have seen it or something like it before. I think it was in one of those companies which send deals to me in my email. Not spam but ones I allow.
Or the Kelly Kettle. Closer to $100 but a great gift idea. Get the stainless large version.
Many years ago, comedian George Carlin did a stand up routine called “stuff”, that had a grain of wisdom in it about prepping.
He started out by describing your house as “a place to keep your stuff”. Then, when you travel a long way on vacation, you take a subset of your “stuff” with you. At your destination, you take an even smaller subset of your “stuff” as you go short distances. Finally, for the briefest of trips you take only your “bare minimum stuff” with you.
But this also applies to prepping. If you are staying home, you have all your prep things with you. But if you are evacuating, yet have time to evacuate, you still take a lot with you. Yet if you have only an hour or two to get it together before you go, a smaller amount still. Finally, if it is “grab a few important things” and dash out the door, you have the bare minimum you need to survive.
Now this being said, it is a major help if you have enough organization ahead of time to have different “manifests”, based on the situation.
And I imagine that most preppers don’t. They may have a good “whole house” prep set up, and maybe an evacuation manifest, but they might not have either a “two-hour” prep list or a “grab a bag and head out the door” manifest.
And *this* is your opportunity to give them a gift. It is as much giving an idea as it is giving “stuff”, but if you want you can make them a kit for the prep they haven’t yet made, but should.
Those are nice too!
Lots of good solar stuff at www.goalzero.com. A lot of their products are also on amazon.com.
Give them a how-to book so they can learn a skill. A local area foraging book with color photo pictures. A book on flint knapping and tools. A battery operated soldering iron with flux and solder. Farmers’ Almanac. A sundial. A 5 gallon bucket of canning salt. As many used Foxfire volumes as you can get for $50.
Since they have everything, send them a fruitcake in a tin. Darn things last forever. When they need the fruitcake, they can open the tin, throw out the cake and use the tin for water storage, a shovel, a brazier, candle holder, a small game trap, ,hat,ammo storage, water cup, food storage, mixing bowl, etc.
And best of all, its less than 50 bucks so you can buy more than one.
Heh, some of that B&M canned bread (check Kroger) might do better than fruitcake.
As for reusable gifts, check out the BlastMatch fire starter. $30 or so, but dead simple to use. Do they have backpacks? If not, a milsurp ALICE pack can be had pretty cheap.
Crank radio or crank lights...crank anything....
My parents bought all the kids a BeyGen crank radio/light combo back during Y2K - I still use mine all the time - it’s 13 years old!
(AM, FM, ShortWave...with a light-I don’t think they make BeyGen’s anymore but one like that is great - no batteries)
Great post/thread BUMP! Have multiple plans for multiple scenarios.
Small solar panel kits from Harbor Freight - also good.
Ammo. The gift that keeps on giving.
“Katadyn water filter. If they have one...”
They’ll have a backup! For lots of that critical stuff, having backups, alternatives, etc. is important. If you know the brand/type of stuff they already have - get another one so they can interchange the parts.
Guns, knives, swords, and particularly ammo, will be the new currency. Even good quality spears.
Long storage food will probably be even more valuable.
Water, food, protection, and shelter.
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