Also better for various "can stove" projects.

 

See sig line.

Also: large trash bags can be used as emergency 'vapor shields.' Cut arm/head holes in them to wear.

The pics are probably long gone but 55 gallon drum liners can be used as a poncho, handed some out at a campout we had here several years ago.  Waldo had a truck so he did not get one, I ran out anyway.  



I figured they would be used for picking up trash depending on how messy previous people had been.  



Plastic bags can also be cut up and used as patches or gaskets for some stuff.  Not gonna gasket an motor with one, but plastic of differing thicknesses has its uses.



On the side cutter can openers, I got one made by cia, chefs something or other is what that stands for, and it won't open some cans.  As cans have gotten smaller and I guess rims thinner it can't adjust to cut some of them.  The old style can openers don't care a bit.  But read up on the side cutters.  I still have mine and it is nice when it works because you can just put the lid on the can and use tape or rubber bands or something to hold it on and the leftovers are fine for a little bit.



Is p50 the big military can opener?  Double the size of the little one?  I ordered a dozen of the big ones for a few bucks way back when cause the larger ones are a lot easier to use.  The small one works but makes you work more.  And I have more than a couple of those around as well.



For the small pencil sharpener comment, a single edged razor blade has a lot of uses and is basically what is in a small pencil sharpener.  Most of my pencils look like they were sharpened by a 4th grader using his first pocket knife for everything that pocket knife can be used for.  



If you make a list of tools and stuff you use through the week and then looked at what you have for backups you might be surprised at some stuff you might want to have on hand but would not use at all unless something major happens.



Someone mentioned plywood and 2x4s.  I agree on keeping some on hand.  But cutting it by hand, nailing or screwing it by hand, and generally doing all the work by hand is not something some folks are equipped for.  I wobble back and forth.  I have plug in tools and cordless tools and hand tools.  Goal if something happened is to keep cordless tools charged for some stuff where they are dang handy, like driving screws or drilling pilot holes and what not.



Now one thing threads like this can do is product clutter.



I do not plan to start the clutter thread, but I am currently getting rid of a bunch of stuff that is just in the way.  And overall a lot of it is just stuff I saved and got for free over the years and not worth the hassle of selling, but if something happened I might wish I had kept those empty +10 cans of food opened with a side cutter and used as organizers for right now but in bad times they can be turned into all sorts of stuff.

While this is a good idea; I'd prefer to have it placed into something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/2dayShip-Twist-Spice-Inches-Stainless/dp/B00XK14GDS?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_4&sm  
and you can get the regular metal tins also.  Slip top or screw top. (wanted something for trigger grease, bought a tube of AeroShell 6 and divided it up - which got me off on another tangent  )  My luck, it'd get knocked off the counter or turned upside down in my pack.
Might take one and polish the lid into a mirror and put a screen protector over it and make a survival kit out of it; or first aid kit.

Any good luck on a quality side cutting can opener? One I bought isn't that good, worked for a while and I liked it.  
Ended up buying a couple standard Swing-Aways.  Will probably buy a couple more.

Initially in this thread, I was thinking GHB/BOB stuff, rather than overall emergency stuff. With the various 'storage container' things brought up here it reminded me of a very-good and pretty-cheap storage container choice; simple quart-size paint cans.


Bought clean & unused, they're good for darn near anything but food or caustic chemicals. (And frankly, may be okay for some foods; I've just never tried it.) They can be had at lowes & such, but can be had cheaper online. I bought another case of them just last week from Uline.com. http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-21203/Hazmat-Products/Metal-Can-with-No-Handle-1-Quart?keywords=s-21203

They're obviously not as physically tough as an ammo can, but they're plenty stout for what they are, as well as being watertight, light-tight, airtight and (if sealed correctly) EM- and RF-tight. The way the lids fasten, they're best suited for either things stored long term, or things that can be stored with the container open, or at least un-sealed. For screws, nails, washers, cast bullets (waiting for reloading), they're very handy. For pure shtf or prep use, numerous things come to mind.

Case of 56 was just $53 from Uline, including two-day shipping and lids. For smaller quantities, Lowes or Home Depot carries them locally, but at $3 apiece or so.

Theres a carpenter version: If you're ever lost in the woods, set up a batter board out of treelimbs.

Before long, a dump truck will show up and back into them.

For those that don't know, batter boards are the wooden frames built outside the foundation area of a house or building. Strings are attached to show the perimeter of the building and to make sure its square and positioned where its supposed to be.They are away from the build site to avoid trucks from backing into them but its like they have a target on them.



 

Add a quart sized ziploc freezer bag and food might be ok

Hand sanitizer. Of course it can be used to sanitize your hands when water is scarce or unavailable. But it has other uses.

I both agree, and dis-agree. If the cause of the problem is bacterial or parasites, then yes, flushing is the best answer, lots of fluids. If on the other hand, the problem is viral, Immodium AD or Kaopectate may be your best friend, along with re-hydration. There have been some terrible viruses make the rounds in the not that distant past.

Flint knapping tools?
Hell, flint
Hatchet?

EDIT: SS pot

There's a chemical that is so effective and versatile that I'm surprised it hasn't been regulated to death.

Baking soda has many uses. Hygeine, cooking, odor control are just a few of them. 36 uses for baking soda!

To this I will add that if Imodium doesn't work, it's time for the doctor. I found this out when I drank from a spring that everyone said "It's safe, everyone drinks from it." I even put purifying tablets in it! 3 days later, got the squattytrots. In the middle of my workday. Spent 2 days at home, best thing I did was to get 2 bottles of 7-up. Went back to work 2 days later.

I wonder what bug you got?  Would a filter have helped in this case?  Most likely, I'm guessing although hard to know when we don't know the organism.

What purifying tablets did you use?

LASIK eye surgery.

Most anything mentioned can be scavenged.  This can't.  Plus losing your glasses/contacts, pretty much puts you out of commission if you're very nearsighted.  Few things are more essential for survival

Very good point... This is actually one reason I keep several pair in my dresser, wouldn't help if my glass's were broken or missing out somewhere though. Everything's blurry as hell beyond my elbow

Some surplus iodine, I think. Tasted like hell. And it didn't work. A filter or ceramic straw would have done it I think. The wate was coming directly out of the rock though, I thought it'd be OK.

I NEVER hike anymore w/o at least 2 liters of tap water with me.

For cheap spare eyeglasses, look at Zenni.com. I got some Clark Kent frames for something like $6.00 plus a few bux for shipping.

The Oxo has held up now for about 6-7 years. It's slower, at least it feels slower, that a traditional can opener. It works well and has a jaw for grabbing the lid once it is cut.

I have this exact same model can open and it is a gigantic piece of CRAP.  It just "spins it's wheel" on about half the cans I try it on.

I go into a panic when we run low on baking soda. Stuff is magic!

+1 on zenni.
I am planing on RPK in the future but until then I have about 10 extra pairs.

37: neutralize acid spills.   If you ever spill acid on yourself dump some on the affected area.  In college chem lab there was always a big tray you could use to powder your hands/arms if you got some acid on you.  I was recently cleaning up some old grout with muriatic acid and found it very handy for cooling off the spots where little droplets wound up on my arm.

This is a little quirky but having a lacrosse ball would be nice to have if you end up having to do a lot of walking.

U mean PRK or you gonna have Russian machine guns for your eyes? :) Nobody does PRK anymore since the advent of intralase

There are a couple different types of caffeinated mints. I use "Penquin Mints" and they are great for a tiny pick me up while driving or doing other stuff where you don't want to stop and have a cup of coffee, or don't want that much caffeine.

 

Works well on bug bites too. I keep a sewing kit with various needles and thread types and sized in an altoids can.

Thats in fact correct. Its a bad idea to stop diarrhea with meds. Instead add hidration salts .


cant say for sure but the one I had was terrific at killing any small animal that got close to it. If its about its size or smaller my money would go to the JRT. Its a fast, leathal SOB for its size. Keep in mind they were used in rat killign competitions in England. They would drop a JRT in a pen full of rats, and the one that killed the most in a given period of time won.

Amen to that, got it done and its the best moeny I ever spent.

Another thing Ive been working on lately and giving  alot of thought. Clothes. All of them, socks, underwear, jeans, top, jacket, shoes, etc.
It used to be that I would just wear 5.11 pants, some safety or hiking shoes and thats that. I didnt look at the specific fabrics. If I wore jeans, Id just weat cotton jeans.
Since then I upraded to all synthetic underwear and socks. I got rid of my old cotton socks and replaced them with technical liners, anatomically L and R and for my shoe size. The difference is noticeable. For tops and went with synthetics and merino. Even for my jeans I went for 50/50 jeans. This sounds silly but there are a few advantages. Clothes last much longer than cotton. They dry faster and dont require ironing. This isnt just more convenient, it also cheaper in nonSHTF, normal life. Talking with my wife she menitoned how much faster the synthetic clothes dry, which I already knew, but she was the one that pointed out that those dont need to bet thrown in the dryer and that the 50/50 jeans dry much faster and dont need ironinng.
So Ive bene buyign some nice clothes with a very practical/tactical perspective.
FerFAL

Why burn expensive olive oil? Just buy the cheapest corn oil or whatever vegetable oil is cheapest in your area and burn that instead.
FerFAL

I keep several bags of old candle wax from my SO's candle collection. There are various uses..fire starters, water proofing and.others.

NO SHIT.  THIS!

+87

these things are great

Your medicine. Essential to you. Say if you have asthma. Or something. cannot function when sick.

I keep a pair on my keychain. They are also nice for trimming fishing line

1. A 5 gal bucket ($2 from firehouse), Magellan outdoor bucket toilet lid ($5 Academy), and Reliance Double Doodie bags 6 pack ($12 Academy). Maybe some cat litter even though the bags can come with an odor eliminator.

Good for avoiding having to fill the upper deck of toilets to flush (manually or electrically). Also, flooding can back up septic systems. Good for primitive camping, too. Each bag can handle multiple visits.

2. Knowledge of "contraflow" city plans. Some highways are designated one-way only out of major cities.

3. Having an MD's personal contact information for disruptive/relocative emergencies.

4. Silly string. Troops use it in Iraq to check for booby traps before entering a structure. Doubles as morale booster

5. Waders if prone to flooding. Many people die from contaminants wading around their own front lawn from septic system overflow.

Cravat

Surprised no one has said this.

Paracord. I have used it on everything from a sun shelter to a kitty leash.

Cold steel spetsznaz shovel. Great for chopping wood and camp fire tending.

Shemagh. Everything from a camp towel to a hat.

Claritin.

Chocolate bag. Helps women and children keep sane.

A good bottle of multivitamins as the nutritional change to most of us will probably cause us to get sick fast. Paracord its great for lashing bootlaces and ect.ect.ect.

While I agree with having 5 gallon containers........I completely disagree with moving 55 gallon drums.

A filled 55 gallon drum weighs less than 400 pounds. It's relatively easy even for an old cripple like me to
move a 400 pound drum with a good hand truck. It has little to do with strength and is all about technique.

Just something to think about.....

bolt cutters - you never know what you may want to get into (or out of)

Went down my inventory list of what's inside my bug out bag.  I keep the plastic bags I get from groceries and use them as trash bags when on the go.  I have gun oil, unclean guns will run with the help of lubrication.  Cleaning kits are bulky and unnecessary.  And I saved a few of my Army PT reflective belts.  I keep one in my bag in case I have to be noticed at night, more like safety use.  I have yet to add a deck of cards to my gear.

Gun oil has many uses as if it were to replace WD-40.  I have used gun oil on squeeky doors, bicycle chains, loosen screws, etc.  I would also add rubbing alcohol, many household uses for that, just mind you that it can take up space in your BOB and it is heavy per volume because it is a liquid.

Read about the hand sanitizer before buying.  Not all is going to burn well.  



55 gallon drum on concrete can also be rolled on an edge and "walked" along.  I prefer a hand truck but long ago working in a factory I watched some folks who had little strength move drums of liquids around with ease.  I was new and wanted to muscle it the time I helped.  Technique mattered a ton more than muscle.



Now a partially full anything is something to respect.  Sloshing liquid can really make moving stuff a danger.



I miss the heavy old plastic bottles.  2 liters still have some ability to be cut into other things and and do a job.  But water bottles and what not are pretty weak.



For the most part I have a stash of empty containers like coffee cans and the rare 2 liters I buy and as I am cleaning and getting rid of some clutter I figure I will regret getting rid of some of the metal coffee cans I have not found a use for yet.

Everclear, the 190proof variety.  Endless applications beyond getting schwasted.

Lock picks and bump keys.  Check your local laws first, but basic lockpicking is a VERY handy skill.

A sewing kit that includes several sizes of safety pins.

A small bag just for binding/adhesives.  JB weld and bailing wire, loctite and zip ties, superglue and paracord.

Don't know if I mentioned this yet.

Eye wash. A post-SHTF world is likely to have a lot of smoke & ash in the air.

Arizona Tea gallon jugs are one of the thickest disposable containers I've encountered. I re-task them for water storage. Ocassionally they are used for targets.

A chainsaw.

What's the first thing you hear (other than sirens) after any major ice storm, tornado, etc.?

I take old candle wax, melt it, mix it with dryer lint and use cardboard egg cartons as a form to make portable fire starters.

I think dental floss would be useful.  If you have the waxed kind it is waterproof and very strong. Could be used to lash small items, and if you rip apart the container and just store the spools you can have a lot of yardage in a small space.

I've used tennis grip tape for knives, axes, etc...  It makes a world of difference for comfort and grip