Skip to main content

3 Prepper Essentials Hidden At Your Local Thrift Shop

Foraging isn't just an outdoor activity.

Stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army are home to incredible finds that can save you thousands of dollars per year. 

And today's article will show you the three best items to look for when you're out thrifting.

Helping you maximize your haul, and pick up hundreds of dollars in quality goods - often for as little as $5.

1. Winter Clothes

One nice thing about cold weather is that you can protect yourself from it by putting on more layers.

Having extra coats, gloves, and hats in your car or closet is a great way to protect yourself during an unexpected emergency. If your vehicle slides off the road or the power goes out in the dead of winter - you can always wear another layer.

Look for jackets, flannels, hats, gloves, sweaters, blankets, and anything else warm.

Remember, these are emergency survival clothes.

They're meant to be warm, not stylish.

A $1 ugly sweater or old coat might not win any fashion awards. But it could keep you or a family member from freezing to death.

2. Vintage Books And Reference Manuals

On my last trip to the thrift store, I picked-up a complete medical reference books for $0.25.

New, this guide costs $79.99.

Thrift stores are goldmines for reference books and vintage "how-to" guides.

You can find titles on everything from gardening and fishing, to auto repair and first-aid.

Stores like Goodwill are a fantastic place to build your prepper's library.

3. Enamelware Coffee Mugs And Home Appliances

A Coleman 12-ounce enamelware coffee mug costs $4.99 on Amazon.

At thrift shops, you can often buy whole sets of enamelware mugs and plates for the same price.

Likewise, thrifting is a great way to acquire cheap appliances you can repurpose in unconventional ways. For example, many gardening books will recommend making your own homemade, organic insecticide. 

And most of these recipes involve running natural, albeit unpleasant, ingredients through a coffee maker.

You probably don't want to brew coffee in a machine that made bug spray.

And, you can save yourself $19.99 on your "insecticide coffee maker" by finding an old Mr. Coffee or BUNN for a couple bucks at Goodwill.

Conclusion

Thrift stores are a great way to acquire your emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency supplies. They're always stocked with old winter clothes. Perfect for keeping on hand during a brutal cold spell.

And, thrift shops are a treasure trove of reference manuals and "how-to" books.

Many of these places sell books for $0.25 - $0.50 each, allowing you to buy hundreds of dollars worth of manuals and guides for less than $5,

And finally, thrift shops are a great place to buy enamelware coffee mugs and plates.

These are great for camping, or heating over an open flame. And you can buy whole sets of cups and dishes for the same price as one, single new mug off Amazon.

If you're looking to hone your foraging skills in a non-outdoor environment, give thrifting a try!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7 Edible Tree Leaves For Survival Foraging

Most foragers look for fruits and berries they can eat. But, there are also edible tree leaves which can keep you alive in a worst-case scenario. These take no preparation, and can provide you with enough nutrition to stay alive. Here are seven common tree leaves that you eat. 1. Maple Leaves Maple leaves have a distinct five-lobed shape, making them easy to spot. You can pick maple leaves off the tree itself.  But remember to leave plenty of leaves behind, so you don't damage the tree or stunt its growth. Maple leaves taste bitter. So, you'll want to boil them for at least five minutes. This helps to improve the taste. Additionally, maple leaves make an excellent addition to salads. And some foragers like to eat their maple leaves with a little powdered sugar or syrup. Adding some sweetness to the leaves will make them taste significantly better. 2. Birch Leaves Foraging for birch leaves and eating them is an age-old tradition in many parts of the world. It's something tha
Post a Comment
Read more

Book Recommendation: Last of the Breed, by Louis L'Amour

Last of the Breed , by Louis L'Amour is a fantastic piece of adventure fiction. And, a book that's centered around foraging and survival advice. The story follows Joe Mack, a U.S. Air Force pilot and Native American. Mack has been shot down by the Soviets, and is trapped inside Siberia wilderness, forced to rely on his survival skills as he slowly makes his way to freedom. Foraging, plant identification, and tracking all play key roles in the story. With author L'Amour sharing practical survival advice. He considered himself. From boyhood he had at every opportunity gone back to the woods. He had lived and survived under some of the bitterest conditions. He had killed or gathered his own food; he knew how to make clothing; he had often made moccasins, something not every Indian knew how to do anymore. Joe Mack banked his small fire and bedded down in a mound of leaves with fir boughs over him. It was cold and it was drafty, but Joe Mack had lived so before this. The story i
Post a Comment
Read more

Foraging In Action: The American Civil War

Many preppers dismiss foraging as a waste of time. They'll say things like "You can't live off nuts and berries." Or claim that stockpiling canned goods is more efficient. Keeping an emergency supply of non-perishable food is great. But foraging is practical too. And anyone who thinks foraging is "useless" or a "waste of time" needs a quick lesson in military history. Foraging In The American Civil War Canned food was invented by Napoleon to feed his armies as they marched through Europe. Before then, soldiers got most of their food through foraging. And even after  Napoleon, a lot of armies still relied on foraging. During the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers foraged for food. While troops were issued rations, supply lines were inconsistent. And many goods never arrived to the front lines. Because of this, soldiers would often hunt for eggs, pick fruit and berries, and shoot rabbits or ducks. Knowing how to forage allowed t
Post a Comment
Read more