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25 Things Everyone Should Hoard

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Today, it’s all about 25 things everyone should hoard for an emergency. When disaster strikes, it’s typically too late to start planning, making a list, and then heading to the grocery or big box store to pick up your needs. By the time you get there, people could already be out of control, ransacking the shelves looking for foods and supplies that you should have already stockpiled.

With some of the floods, tornados, fires, and extreme drought conditions we’ve been hearing about, I wanted to update this post I published a few years ago, just as a reminder. I’m sure you all took seriously my suggestions back then, but there’s no harm in a friendly reminder, right. LOL

This doesn’t have to be you in this type of situation. Be prepared. Take a look at these 25 things that everyone should hoard in case of an emergency. My list may not contain items you feel are important based on your family’s needs. Can you think of other things everyone should hoard for an emergency

25 Things Everyone Should Hoard for an Emergency

25 Things Everyone Should Hoard

1. Pain Relievers

Pain Relievers

Having aspirin on hand can be useful for relieving headaches and reducing fevers. Applying the cream version directly to burns, scrapes, and cuts can reduce pain quickly too. It even works well on a bug bite or bee sting.  If you use Tylenol or Ibuprophen, please stock them and be sure to rotate as needed based on expiration dates shown on the package.

2. Electrolytes

Catching a fever with flu-like symptoms during a crisis is not only bad but can be deadly. Stocking up on electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Pedialyte can help replenish your electrolytes and keep you from dehydrating. We had some family members experience dehydration the past few months. One ended up in the hospital for four days. We must have liquids available when we get sick.   

3. Hand Crank Radio

Not being informed during an emergency can be even scarier without the critical information from the outside world. Purchase a hand-crank radio to help with this challenge. How do you make important decisions if you don’t know what’s going on in your area? The good thing about this solution is that no batteries are required. 

4. Multi-tool 

Having a multi-tool you can attach to your belt during a crisis could prove to be more effective than carrying around a toolbox full of heavy tools everywhere you go. Most of them have knives, scissors, screwdriver, bottle opener, can opener, and pliers. 

5. Firearms or Other Weapons

Unfortunately, bad times usually bring out the bad in people. Having firearms stashed away for protecting your family is important, even if you aren’t fond of them. If you are totally against guns, find some other solution or form of protection for keeping your family safe.

It isn’t good enough just to have them, you also need some training and practice so you can effectively put them to use. Personal safety is critical since you could misuse the firearm or other weapon and actually hurt yourself or other innocent people.

6. Extra Blankets 

Heaven forbid if an emergency were to strike in winter. But if it did, make sure that you are ready. Electricity and keeping your home heated by natural gas might not be options. Make sure to have plenty of extra blankets stored away, just in case.

It’s also a good idea to have warm coats, long sleeve shirts, thermal underwear, thick socks, stocking caps, etc. You need enough for all family members, keeping in mind different size requirements.

Read More of My Articles  15 Items to Stock Up On For Winter

7. Duct Tape

Duct Tape

Duct tape has so many uses. You could patch a tent, patch a hose, better insulate your shoes, and so on. Mythbusters (television show) even made a kayak with duct tape and a few pieces of wood. In case you missed this post, Duct Tape: Why You Need to Store It

8. Paracord

Paracord, like duct tape, has many uses. It’s much stronger and lighter than typical rope. You can use it to tie sticks together to make a shelter. Paracord can also be used for climbing, a fishing line, a sling, and countless other survival uses.  

9. Batteries

You are going to go through a bunch of batteries during the emergency, depending on its severity and the length of time it affects your area. Make sure you stockpile batteries of all kinds while preparing for an emergency. If someone in your family uses a breathing machine or respirator, be sure to stock up on the appropriate batteries.  Please look into a solar-powered backup system like a Goal Zero Solar Unit.

10. Flashlights

Flashlights

Having extra flashlights hoarded away will keep your family out of dark situations at night. In my opinion, you can never have too many flashlights. Matt, one of my readers, told me about OLights, you can’t go wrong with these. They are now my favorite flashlights. OLight Flashlights

11. Can Openers

Canned food (besides your dehydrated and freeze-dried food) is about the only source of food you will find that hasn’t spoiled. So when hard times hit, make sure to have a handy can opener with you. You can never have too many can openers, right? Regular Can Openers and #10 Can Openers. Be sure to have the manual-operated openers besides some electric models since you may have lost power to your home.

12. Charcoal/Lighter Fluid/Campfire fuel 

Fuel

Charcoal is a great way of cooking your food. Be sure to have plenty of lighter fluid or campfire fuel to help speed up the process. Besides charcoal, there are other good options for fuel, so just in case you missed this post be sure to check it out: My Favorite Emergency Fuel To Store For Survival

13. Camp Stove 

Camp stoves are not only great for camping but also have available in case of an emergency. They don’t give off smoke like a campfire does, keeping you from giving away your location if you feel the need to hide for some reason.

14. Water Filters

Not having clean water to drink will get you sick in a hurry. Have several survival water filter units to keep your drinking water fresh, and be sure to stock up on some replacement filters as well. Water Filters If you have barrels full of water, you need to be sure they have the attachments to get the water out, if necessary.

I put Water Preserver in my barrels and storage tanks since it keeps the water in drinkable condition for up to five years.

15. Hand Sanitizer

Stock up on hand sanitizer ahead of time to keep germs away. You may not have access to fresh water and hand soap available during an emergency, and this is the next best thing.

Over the past couple of years, we all should have become very aware of why it’s a great idea to have plenty of hand sanitizer where we can get to it easily.

16. Freezer Bags

Freezer bags will not only store your food and keep it fresh longer, but they work great for storing other things as well. You can even use them like a mixing bowl or for marinating your meat. 

We have found the gallon size bags to be the most useful, but the pint bags are great too. Better to have a bag this is bigger than you need than ones where you have limits to the volume needed.

17. Garbage Bags

Garbage bags serve many purposes, not just for taking out the trash. They can be worn as rain ponchos, shelter covers, and human waste sanitation and disposal. 

Read More of My Articles  Common Misconceptions About Preppers

Be sure to follow the guidelines of your local sanitary disposal agencies so your family is kept as safe as possible. And in the event we need a temporary body bag these will have to work.

18. Paper Cups/Plates/Towels

Don’t eat like an animal just because it seems like the end of the world has taken place. Eat and drink like a king on paper plates, cups, and paper towels to clean your mug. Please stock up on paper plates, cups, bowls, and plastic silverware.

19. Toilet Paper

Just imagine not having toilet paper during a crisis. Now that’s talking about “the end of the world” scenario. Stockpile toilet paper for a much softer, more sanitary way of cleaning yourself. You’ve seen stores like Costco run out of toilet paper and paper towels from time to time over the past couple of years. Don’t be the family that has run out and is in need of this critical product. Janet reminded me about getting a Toilet Bidet, it works well even without electricity. Less toilet paper is needed.

20. Laundry Detergent

Another great item to hoard for an emergency is laundry detergent. You might not have a working washing machine, but you can still clean your clothes the old-fashioned way, with laundry detergent and your two hands. I did a post a couple of years ago in which I highlight some “do-it-yourself” clothes washing machines. In case you missed this post, check it out: How To Make Emergency Washing Machines

21. Shampoo/Soap

Taking a shower every day after a catastrophic event has taken place might not be an option. Yet when someone in your party begins looking at you funny or is avoiding you, at least you collected plenty of shampoo and soap to get the job done. Please stock up on some baby wipes, even if they dry out you can add water to them and perform a critical body area “sponge bath!”

22.Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly)

Vaseline

If you’re already in a miserable situation, getting an injury sure doesn’t help. Vaseline works great on soothing cuts, burns, and scrapes. I recently wrote a post that outlined a number of ways Vaseline can come in real handy. In case you missed this post, you may want to take a few minutes and read it: 20 Ways to Use Vaseline

23.Tooth Brushes/Toothpaste

Gather several toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes to keep your teeth pearly white on the grayest of days that you can remember. There is no reason we can’t keep up with many of those personal hygiene steps we take for granted.

24. Lysol/Clorox Bleach

25 Things Everyone Should Hoard for an Emergency

Lysol and Clorox bleach help to kill germs on countertops, doorknobs, and other areas in your home where you want to keep you and your family members safer from sickness. Consider Lysol your new best friend during an emergency. 

25. Gasoline/Propane

Having ways to prepare your meals or keeping an automobile running might be tricky without gasoline or propane. When an emergency strikes, you can count on them not being available.

Gasoline should be good for up to 3-6 months or longer if you add appropriate additives. Be cautious where you store it. Never store these in your home or garage. I don’t even like having them in my shed. I personally don’t store gasoline on my property because of fire danger near our home.

If you do store gasoline, I’d keep it at a minimum like a 5-gallon tank, and consider placing it in a covered area away from the house. I do keep my propane tanks on my back patio sheltered from the sun.

Other Items/Steps to Consider When Storing for an Emergency

  • Stored water
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Pet food
  • Purify your water with a filter
  • Don’t forget to check expiration dates
  • Baking soda
  • Firestarter
  • Rice, beans, pasta
  • Bottles of water
  • Buckets
  • Bleach (good for 6-12 months-use for sewage issues)

These are 25+ things that everyone should hoard in case of an emergency. If you’ve taken measures to prep for the unexpected, what other items would be crucial for survival? 

30 Non-Food Survival Items To Stockpile

Things to Stock Up On Before a Hurricane

Final Word

It’s a good idea to be prepared for natural disasters in any way you can! While you’re at it, make sure you have good bartering items on hand, and check the shelf life of items you’re hoarding and storing. These are things we should hoard for an emergency, I promise. May God bless this world, Linda


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39 Comments

  1. PRI-G will keep fuel up to 6yrs. Ive only gone 5 myself though. PRI-D for diesel.
    Ammo- that gun don’t run without it.
    Buy it cheap stack it deep

  2. Linda, what a great practical list. The title of your article was Very Humorous this morning as I was listening/watching Hoarders TV show while clearing my bathroom cabinet of seriously old ‘product’. Yep, I’m trying the de-cluttering thing. While doing this, I thought about another article of yours about saving money. Many of the really old hair products were impulse buys. I did dredge out some items that are fine, but…yrs of storage changes things. Like, Irish Spring soap: the bars seemed shriveled? Toothpaste seemed hardened? Yea, because I like to have extra, I buy extra when on sale. So, while I rotated my food stuffs, I didn’t do same with hygiene stuff. Just something I learned this morning, lol.

    1. Hi Wendy, I tell you I am getting Mark to declutter now. I guess because he proofs my articles before I publish them. YAY! He is starting to understand get rid of stuff! The bathrooms are the black hole sometimes! LOL! Thanks for the reminder, I’m going to go do one after I answer these comments. Thank goodness for trash cans. And thrift stores. LOL! Happy Sunday! Linda

  3. Emer-gen-C brand has an electrolyte in packets to add to your water that has no added sugar and no weird sweeteners. I just bought some and have not used it yet, but the brand is good!

  4. We have several manual type of can openers. I also carry a P38 and P51 style can openers. These were issued by the military and can be found in almost any store that sells outdoor gear. You can get them at a military surplus store and on Amazon. I’ve had a P38 on my key chain since I was in the National Guard in the 70s. One word of caution, they may be difficult for people with arthritic hands to use.

    1. Another thought. Vinegar! I had got tea spilt on my chest, arm and hand. I had heard about using vinegar to stop the burn. I yelled at my husband to grab the vinegar. I poured it into a washcloth and when I covered the burn area….it stopped burning! That fast! Use it on accidental burns or sunburns. I don’t think it matters which kind of vinegar. AMAZING! No one seems to know this trick.

  5. I don’t keep aspirin in my preps. Instead, I keep white willow bark tea – the original aspirin! Aspirin expires but the tea if stored in a jar with an oxygen absorber will keep for years.

    In addition to some of your suggestions: hand sanitizer – look on-line and find a “recipe” for homemade sanitizer. I keep the necessary ingredients and don’t use alcohol. I also do keep alcohol for other purposes, however. Also, for laundry soap, one might keep the ingredients to make your own.

    I would love to have a garage that I could store a lot more for the SHTF times but no such luck. I don’t have anywhere to store gasoline/other fuels so that is out of the question for me. I keep my camping gear handy and I do have some butane for my camp stove as well as some charcoal for using my dutch oven. Other than that, I do have some fire starting materials – tinder, kindling, paper in a sturdy zippered case (the kind sheets and blankets come in) and some small wood.

    1. Hi Leanne, thanks for the tip on making my own hand sanitizer. I’m on this one for sure, love it! I will need to order some white willow bark tea, thank you!! Aspirin is the only thing that helps my Glaucoma headaches. Thank you! Linda

  6. Hi there,

    Regarding Vinegar, history would tell you that “smart people” would use apple cider vinegar to cleanse wounds to kill bacteria and virus germs. I keep several gallons of it on my shelves so that I’ll have it for medicinal use as well as culinary use.

  7. Okay, Linda,
    We are fairly well covered on all of those except need a little more of number 22. Will get that covered today. Hang in there and stay warm!! You need to move to Texas. We are at 65° right now going up to 80° today. Cooling down later in the week so we may need those extra blankets.

    1. Hi Harry, oh my gosh, I would love to move to Texas!! After living in the desert for over 12 years, it’s nice to see the beautiful snow. Luckily, Mark and I don’t have to shovel it. LOL! Stay safe, my friend, and stay well. Linda

  8. I found that during a 2 day power outage I was using baby wipes to clean my hands since we have to be careful using water because the well pump did not work. I have a paraplegic dog so I buy alot of them to clean him up because he is incontinent.

  9. I get 500 capsules of acetaminophen for $8 at DG…seem to do the trick.
    I found painters tape to come in handy …..like holding sheets in place when blocking an area to conserve heat/cool air….won’t leave adhesive marks or ruin paint.
    In my area, there are no paper cups and plates. I have to order from Amazon for cups and stopped buying plates altogether.
    My favorite tp is Angel Soft and I am always adding to my stock, but I had to buy generic at DG last month…discovered yesterday the container had 32 rolls…not bad for $9.
    Will try emergen-C..thanks Jan.

    Southern Kentucky is 60s and 70s for several days now. Again the next three days.

    1. Hi JayJay, oh, that is a good buy! I like your tip about the painter’s tape, I love it! It’s crazy about so many supplies right now. Paper cups and plates are in short supply here as well. It’s awesome when we get a good deal on TP! Great weather there in Southern Kentucky! Linda

  10. I responded to your original post but want to add to it.
    A) I don’t hoard – anything! I am prepared as much as I can be, given my personal space in my apartment.
    B) When going to the dentist I always get the toothbrush and toothpaste and other samples the give out. My dental office staff know I use an electric toothbrush as well as homemade tooth powder (my daughter makes it so I don’t have the recipe). Those brushes and travel sized toothpaste tubes are easy to store and can be included in a give-away bag if desired.

    1. Hi Leanne, hoarding is probably not the best word, we all call it stockpiling what we need. I love getting those toothbrushes from the dentist, they add up over the years! They are perfect for those give-away bags! Great comment, again! Linda

    1. Linda, I have heart problems but was told to NOT take aspirin. I have weak veins. My point is, talk to your doctor first. My husband does take an 81 mg aspirin daily. He can’t take baby aspirin as it has sugar.

  11. Linda, My memory is not what it once was, so I try to print out each of your posts. Then I store the printouts in three ring binders beside your book. However, all the pictures make printing some posts impossible due to the page count and amount of ink it would take. Love your blog keep the great work. Joy

    1. Joy, I ‘copy and paste’ articles which I want to keep. With this method, you can change font size, eliminate photos/ other information that is not desired, etc.

      I ALWAYS make sure to copy/paste the URL as well, so that it is easy to return to the article and/or website; also, the title of each article is added as a footnote to each page, so if the pages get mixed up (I’m a klutz), it is easy to restore them to the right order. This should help to reduce the amount of ink used.

      I also have a file on my computer with folders inside, which is used to organize information by subject….

  12. I agree with everything but the hand sanitizer for me at least. I will stock up on Dial. I am allergic to the hand sanitizers. They have something in them that burn my hands. I am going to stock up what I can each week until I have enough of everything. This is a 25 stars article.

    1. Hi Jackie, you are so sweet my friend, a 25 stars article, you made my day! I love Dial soap, it works great! We’re all stocking up a little at a time. It’s all good, watching our shelves at home fill up! Linda

  13. Put in a bidet toilet seat. As long as the water runs, it works. You still have to have some TP stocked, but not as much.

  14. We love your articles and I have a ‘file’ on my Yahoo, for Food Storage, so I never miss an article.
    Several years ago, I began to break out with a slight rash and sometimes small sores [no not shingles.] My husband told me he thought it was the 1/4 cup of laundry detergent, we used per load. I went to the store and bought 20 mule team BORAX. It was only $1.95 for a large box, so I was thrilled. Then COVID hit. The box is now OVER $5 so I thought:
    I bought a gallon of white vinegar. I fill the ‘cup’ in our front load washing machine, which is only about 1/2 cup.
    We have been using vinegar now for several years. My rash and any sores are GONE.
    We do NOT use softener or dryer sheets, and do not have any static in our clothes [or socks either].
    I told our friend that has skin issues and bought him dryer WOOL BALLS too. He loves the wool and the vinegar too.
    Vinegar now is about $5 a gallon so whenever I see it on sale, I buy several. I keep small 2 quart size plastic bottles in my washer ‘drawer’ so I refill them from the gallons.
    Thank you

    1. Hi Daun, well, you made my day with your kind words, my friend! I am so glad you mentioned this about a skin rash. My husband is constantly itching, we couldn’t figure out what it was. He started taking a 1/2 of a Benadryl every day. We were at our wits end over the itching. (Not dry skin either). I am going to try your vinegar trick! My grandson washes his hair with white vinegar and I think baking soda?? Not sure. Wow, I will have to look at the prices the next time I go to the store. Thanks for the tip on the vinegar! I LOVE hearing stuff like this. Linda

  15. Thank you for a very helpful list of things to store!
    Am I wrong, or did I not see matches mentioned?
    Matches, soap bars, iodine, 1st Aid supplies, playing cards,
    pencils and paper, batteries etc are not only necessary for our families
    but also good for bartering!

    1. Hi Helen, oh you are so right, we need all of these as well. I write so many articles those items will be on one of my lists!! Thank you for the reminder, Linda

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