Daily Survival

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Children in a Crisis: The Developmental and Behavioral Reality Most Prepper Parents Ignore

When you start planning for emergencies, the gear list comes first. Food storage, water filtration, communication devices, medical kits. And then, somewhere near the bottom of the list, a section about the kids. Maybe a change of clothes, a favorite toy, a comfort snack. What most parents in the preparedness community have genuinely not considered ... Read more...

from Prepper's Will

What Is Panhandling? What Every Prepper Needs to Know

Panhandling is asking strangers for money or goods in a public place. You have seen it at intersections, outside grocery stores, near freeway on-ramps, and in parking lots. Someone holds a sign, extends a hand, or calls out to passing cars or pedestrians. That is panhandling.

Most people walk past without a second thought. Preppers should not.

Understanding what panhandling is, where it comes from, and what it signals about a community gives you information that directly affects your safety planning. When the economy tightens, when supply chains break down, or when a true SHTF event unfolds, panhandling explodes. The person at the corner today is a preview of what large portions of the unprepared population will look like when things get bad.

This article breaks down what panhandling actually is, the different forms it takes, the legal landscape around it, the real dangers it presents, and most importantly, what it means for you as a prepper.

The Basic Definition of Panhandling

Panhandling refers to the act of soliciting money, food, or other items from strangers in a public setting. The word itself likely comes from the image of someone extending a hand or holding out a pan to collect change. It goes by other names depending on region and context: begging, street solicitation, or simply asking for spare change.

There are two recognized forms:

Passive panhandling: The person makes no direct verbal approach. They sit or stand with a cup, a hat, or a sign and wait. No words are exchanged unless the passerby initiates. Courts have generally treated this as protected speech under the First Amendment.
Aggressive panhandling: The person approaches directly, follows, blocks a path, uses threatening language, or applies persistent pressure to extract a donation. This form crosses into harassment and is illegal in many jurisdictions.

The legal boundary between the two matters. According to the First Amendment Encyclopedia at Middle Tennessee State University, aggressive panhandling that includes physical force or highly threatening behavior can legally qualify as robbery. The distinction between passive and aggressive panhandling is not just academic. In a deteriorating situation, that line shifts fast.

Who Panhandles and Why

The population of panhandlers is not homogenous. Some are homeless individuals with no support network. Others deal with addiction, mental illness, or a combination of both. A smaller subset are what researchers and law enforcement call professional panhandlers, people who treat it as an income strategy regardless of their actual financial circumstances.

The numbers are sobering. Studies estimate that around 68 percent of panhandlers are intoxicated at the time they are soliciting. Roughly 40 percent of those who have shared their backgrounds report prior criminal history. And approximately 15 to 20 percent of panhandlers are connected to organized begging networks, meaning they are not acting alone.

It is worth noting that the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty documented a 103 percent increase in laws restricting or banning panhandling between 2006 and 2019, which reflects how much this issue has escalated in American cities over the past two decades.

None of this means every person holding a sign is dangerous. What it does mean is that the environment surrounding panhandling carries real risk factors, and a prepper needs to read that environment accurately.

The Legal Landscape: What Is and Is Not Allowed

Panhandling occupies a complicated legal space in the United States. There is no single federal law governing it. Instead, the rules vary by city, county, and state.

Courts have ruled that the act of asking for money is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. A blanket ban on panhandling is generally unconstitutional. However, governments can and do apply what are called time, place, and manner restrictions. These laws limit where panhandling can occur, at what hours, and in what manner, without targeting the speech itself.

Common legal restrictions include prohibitions on:

Panhandling within a set distance of ATMs, bank entrances, or bus stops
Approaching vehicles stopped in traffic
Soliciting after dark
Touching a person without consent
Following or blocking a pedestrian’s path
Using aggressive, threatening, or obscene language

Cities that implemented panhandling bans saw a 30 percent reduction in public solicitations on average, but researchers consistently found a displacement effect, with activity simply shifting to neighboring areas with less enforcement. Arrests for panhandling-related offenses have increased in some cities following stricter policies, as enforcement gets more complicated without a clean legal framework.

For preppers, the takeaway is this: laws do not eliminate panhandling. They manage and redirect it. In a post-collapse scenario, those laws and the enforcement behind them will not exist.

Why Panhandling Matters to Preppers

Panhandling is not just a social issue. It is a threat indicator and a dry run for what desperation looks like at scale.

Consider what you are observing when you see a cluster of panhandlers in a neighborhood. You are seeing people who have no food security, no community support structure, and no plan. They are dependent entirely on the goodwill of strangers. Now scale that up. In a genuine grid-down or economic collapse scenario, the number of people in that position grows by orders of magnitude. The person who ignored every warning about food storage, who made no preparations, who spent everything and saved nothing, becomes that person at the intersection, except there are now thousands of them and the rules that currently constrain their behavior no longer apply.

The presence of active panhandling in your area today tells you a few things worth paying attention to:

The local support network has gaps. Whether it is shelters, food banks, or social services, there are people falling through the cracks already.
Law enforcement resources in that area may be stretched. High panhandling activity often correlates with reduced policing of other crimes.
The social fabric in that zone is under stress. Communities with strong mutual support tend to have lower visible panhandling rates.
In a crisis, this area will deteriorate faster. What is passive solicitation today becomes something far more dangerous when supply chains break.

The Real Safety Risks

Not every panhandler poses a physical threat. But the environment around panhandling carries genuine risk factors that a situationally aware prepper needs to track.

Distraction is the most common danger. A panhandler approaching you directly occupies your attention. When you are fumbling for change or trying to figure out how to respond, your awareness of your surroundings drops. Skilled thieves and pickpockets have operated in tandem with panhandlers in high-traffic urban areas. Whether the panhandler is aware of this or not, the dynamic creates a vulnerability.

Escalation is the second risk. Most panhandling encounters stay verbal. Some do not. When a person is intoxicated, in withdrawal, mentally unstable, or simply desperate, a refusal to give money can trigger an aggressive response. This is not the norm, but it is common enough to plan for.

Intelligence gathering is the third, less obvious risk. If you are visibly well-fed, carrying quality gear, or driving a well-maintained vehicle in an area where most people are struggling, you stand out. In a deteriorating situation, standing out has consequences. The gray man principle, the practice of blending in and not drawing attention to your level of preparedness, is directly relevant here.

Finally, organized networks present a different category of risk. The 15 to 20 percent of panhandlers operating within organized begging structures are functioning as part of a coordinated operation. These groups share information about locations, targets, and tactics. They are a step closer to organized criminal activity than the individual acting alone.

Panhandling After a Collapse: What to Expect

When preppers model post-collapse scenarios, they often focus on bugging out, defense, and resource management. Panhandling, or what it becomes after a collapse, deserves a spot in that planning.

In the early days of a serious grid-down or economic collapse event, the people who depended entirely on the current system begin to surface. They show up at neighbors’ doors asking for food. They cluster near stores, even empty ones. They follow anyone who looks like they have something.

This is not abstract. Historical accounts from economic collapses, hurricane aftermaths, and war zones consistently describe the same pattern. The unprepared become dependent. Dependence, when unfulfilled, shifts toward coercion.

Your response strategy for this environment should include:

Maintaining operational security. Do not telegraph your food stores, your water supply, or your preparedness level to anyone outside your trusted group.
Avoiding congregating points. Locations where desperate people naturally gather, including storefronts, intersections, and community centers without resources, become chokepoints and threat zones.
Having a consistent, practiced response. Decide in advance how you will respond to requests for resources. Hesitation and visible internal conflict signal abundance to someone who is watching carefully.
Understanding that charity has a cost. Giving food or supplies to someone in a post-collapse environment signals that you have food and supplies. That information travels.
Building community before a crisis. The best defense against desperation-driven solicitation at your door is a community that already has its own resources and mutual support structure.

Panhandling as a Skill: What Preppers Can Learn From It

This is where most discussions of panhandling end without going. For a prepper, there is tactical information in how panhandling actually works.

Panhandlers who rely on it for survival are experts in reading people, identifying targets, managing rejection, and working a specific location for maximum yield. They understand human psychology around guilt, avoidance, and social obligation. They know which demographics respond, which locations produce the best returns, and how to adjust their approach based on immediate feedback.

In a survival scenario where you have nothing and need to negotiate or appeal to strangers for help, those same skills matter. Understanding what triggers generosity and what triggers suspicion is useful. Knowing how to present as low-threat while making a need visible is a real-world skill.

None of this means you plan to beg. It means you study the mechanisms so you understand how desperation and social interaction function when resources are scarce. That knowledge has direct applications in negotiation, barter, and reading the intentions of others in a stressed environment.

How to Respond to Panhandlers Today

Setting aside the post-collapse framing, you still encounter this in daily life. How you handle it matters from a situational awareness standpoint.

Keep moving when possible. Stopping to engage extends your exposure and vulnerability window in that location.
Make a decision quickly. Visible indecision draws more attention and often longer engagement.
Decline clearly and without lengthy explanation. A short, firm response is less likely to escalate than a drawn-out justification.
Never give out cash in a parking lot or at an ATM. These are high-distraction environments where your attention is already divided.
Stay aware of who else is in the immediate area. A panhandler who approaches you near a vehicle or in an isolated stretch deserves a heightened level of attention to surroundings.
Trust your read on the situation. If something feels off about a particular encounter, that instinct is worth following.

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Final Thoughts

Panhandling is a window into what human desperation looks like when systems fail. It exists on a spectrum from a person quietly holding a sign to an organized network operating as a criminal enterprise. Understanding that spectrum, the legal landscape around it, the risk factors it carries, and what it signals about a community’s resilience gives you information that directly applies to your preparedness planning.

The people panhandling today are operating within a functional society with laws, shelters, food banks, and social services standing between their situation and something far worse. In a genuine collapse, those buffers disappear. The scale of what you observe on a street corner today is a fraction of what emerges when a real crisis strips the system down to nothing.

Prepare accordingly. Know your community. Know your environment. Know what desperation looks like in the early stages so you can recognize and respond to it when the stakes are higher.

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The post What Is Panhandling? What Every Prepper Needs to Know appeared first on Ask a Prepper.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2026

101 Prepping Items You Can Get At The Dollar Store

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

When you think about where to shop for survival supplies, the dollar store might not be the first place that comes to mind. But you'd be surprised at the treasure trove of useful items you can find there. From tools to help you in an emergency to everyday items that can be repurposed, the dollar store offers a ton of affordable options.

Some of the most useful survival items are the ones you can grab for a dollar or two at your local dollar store. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned prepper looking to stretch your budget further, making regular dollar store runs is one of the smartest habits you can develop.

It's also worth pointing out that dollar stores carry a rotating stock of items, and availability varies by location. The key is to shop often and grab things when you see them, rather than waiting until you need them. Build the habit of scanning the aisles every time you go in, because you never know what useful prepping supplies might show up between visits.

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In this post, we'll explore 101 invaluable items you can pick up that could make a big difference in your survival strategy. These essentials aren't only cost-effective but also incredibly versatile.

Note: Although it's not exactly the same, the list below was inspired by a video by Canadian Prepper.

Backpacks – Essential for creating portable emergency kits, allowing you to carry supplies hands-free. A basic backpack from the dollar store works great as a dedicated bug-out bag for a child or as a grab-and-go bag for a secondary vehicle.
Baking Soda – Useful for cleaning, deodorizing, and even fire extinguishing. It can also be used as a toothpaste substitute, a mild antacid, and a leavening agent in baking when you don't have access to commercial baking powder.
Baking Tins – Can be used to cook or bake over open fires or makeshift stoves. They're also handy for organizing small items like screws, nails, or seeds in your storage area.
Bandanas – Serve multiple purposes: from headgear to emergency bandages or water filters. You can also use them as a sling for an injured arm, a dust mask, a signaling flag, or a way to bundle and carry small items.
Barbecue Lighters – Reliable tool for starting fires safely, even in windy conditions. The extended reach makes them safer and easier to use than standard lighters when lighting candles, camp stoves, or tinder.
Batteries – Power sources for flashlights, radios, and other essential gear. Stock up on multiple sizes, particularly AA and AAA, and store them in a cool, dry place to maximize shelf life.
Bleach – For water purification and disinfection, crucial in avoiding illness. Unscented bleach can be used to purify drinking water in an emergency by adding approximately 8 drops per gallon of clear water.
Body Cleansing Wipes – Helps maintain hygiene when water is scarce. These are especially valuable after physical labor or in a situation where bathing isn't possible for several days, helping to prevent skin infections and rashes.
Boxcutter – Versatile cutting tool for everything from opening packages to emergency situations. Keep one in your bug-out bag and one in your vehicle for quick access.
Bungee Cords – Great for securing gear or makeshift shelter components. You can use them to strap items to a backpack, hold a tarp in place, secure a load in a truck bed, or even improvise a clothesline.
Can Opener – Crucial for accessing food in canned goods. Pick up several of these, since they're cheap, easy to lose, and you don't want to be without one when you need to open dinner.
Candies – Quick energy sources and morale boosters. Hard candies in particular are great for keeping spirits up, especially for children, and they store well for a long time.
Candles – Provide light and heat in power outages. Taper candles and tea lights are both commonly found at dollar stores and can provide hours of light. Group several together for more significant warmth in a small space during cold weather.
Canned Foods – Ready-to-eat meals that require no refrigeration. Look for high-calorie, protein-rich options like beans, tuna, chicken, and soups. Even dollar store brand canned goods have a shelf life of several years when stored properly.
Canning Jars – Ideal for storing food, water, or medical supplies safely. They're also useful for storing dry goods like rice, beans, and pasta to keep pests out.
Carabiners – Useful for attaching gear together or to a pack. They can also be used to hang food bags from tree branches, clip a water bottle to a bag, or organize tools on a workbench.
Cast Iron Pan – Durable cooking tool that can be used on various heat sources, including open flames, wood stoves, and camp stoves. Cast iron retains heat exceptionally well and, with proper care, will last a lifetime.
Cheese Cloth – Useful for straining liquids or making herbal extracts. It also works well as a pre-filter for water before further purification, or as a cover for fermenting crocks to keep out debris while allowing airflow.
Clothes Pins – Not just for hanging clothes, but also for hanging items to dry or seal packages. In a grid-down situation, air-drying laundry becomes necessary, and you'll wish you had more of these than you thought you needed.
Coffee Filters – Can filter particulates from water before boiling or chemical treatment, removing sediment and making purification more effective. They can also be used as improvised bandages or as fire starters.
Compressed Towels – Compact and expand with water, useful for hygiene or as a compress. They take up almost no space in a bug-out bag and are surprisingly absorbent when fully expanded.
Contractor Bags – Sturdy enough for waste disposal or as emergency rain gear. They can also be used to collect rainwater, create a temporary shelter, line a backpack to waterproof it, or seal off windows and doors in a contamination emergency.
Cooking Fuel – Essential for heating food when traditional power sources fail. Canned cooking fuel like Sterno is a common dollar store find and is safe to use indoors with proper ventilation.
Cotton Balls – Useful for fire starting when soaked in petroleum jelly, which turns them into long-burning fire starters that light easily even in damp conditions. They're also useful for medical applications and applying ointments.
Cutting Board – Provides a clean surface for food preparation. In a survival situation, food safety matters more than ever, and having a dedicated cutting surface helps prevent cross-contamination.
Disposable Plates – Minimize the need for water to wash dishes, which is critical when water is being rationed. Stock a large supply so you can conserve your water for drinking and cooking.
Disposable Silverware – Convenient when sanitation services are disrupted. Pair with disposable plates to eliminate the need for dishwashing water entirely.
Drawing Board – Useful for mapping, planning, or as a hard writing surface. Having a rigid surface to write on can be helpful when you're outside or working in a makeshift shelter without a table.
Dried Food – Lightweight, nutritious, and long-lasting food options. Dollar stores often carry dried fruit, jerky, and instant oatmeal packets that are great additions to an emergency food supply.
Duct Tape – Fixes practically anything, crucial for emergency repairs. Use it to patch a leaky tarp, repair a broken tent pole, seal a cracked water container, reinforce a worn-out shoe, or even close a wound in a pinch.
Dummy Security Cameras – Deterrent against potential looters or trespassers. In a crisis situation, the appearance of surveillance can discourage opportunistic theft, buying you valuable time and peace of mind.
Fishing Line – Strong and versatile, fishing line can be used for its intended purpose or repurposed for other needs, including setting snares, repairing gear, hanging items, or creating a perimeter tripwire alarm.
Flashlight – Essential for power outages and nighttime navigation. Keep one in every room of your home, in your car, and in your bug-out bag. Dollar store flashlights won't last forever, but they're perfectly serviceable as backups.
Glow Sticks – Provide immediate, safe, waterproof light without batteries. They're excellent for marking pathways, identifying rooms in a darkened building, keeping kids calm during a power outage, or signaling your location to rescuers.
Hand Sanitizer – Prevents the spread of germs when soap and water are unavailable. It also works as a fire accelerant in a pinch, since most hand sanitizers are alcohol-based and highly flammable.
Hats – Protects against sun exposure or retains heat in cold weather. A significant amount of body heat is lost through the head, so having a warm hat in your emergency supplies is more important than most people realize.
Heat Packs – Useful for warmth in cold environments or for treating hypothermia. They're also helpful for soothing sore muscles after a day of hard physical labor, which is something you'll be doing a lot of in a grid-down scenario.
High Visibility Vest – Increases your visibility to rescuers or in traffic during emergencies. If you're ever stranded on a roadway or trying to signal for help, a bright vest can make a significant difference.
Inspection Mirror – Can be used to signal for help using reflected sunlight, or to inspect hard-to-see areas when making repairs or checking equipment.
Instant Coffee – Provides a quick and comforting source of caffeine. Beyond the morale boost, caffeine can be medically useful for treating headaches in a situation where pain relievers are running low.
Insulated Soles – Keep feet warm in cold conditions. Slipping an extra insulated insole into your boots can make a significant difference in cold weather, helping to prevent frostbite during extended outdoor exposure.
Insulation – Can be used to keep warmth in shelters or clothing. Foam insulation rolls from the dollar store can be cut to fit inside a shelter, wrapped around pipes to prevent freezing, or layered inside clothing.
Jars – Secure storage for food, liquids, or medical supplies. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are particularly useful for storing dried goods and keeping them safe from moisture and pests.
Jute Twine – For tying down tarps, making repairs, or starting fires. Jute is a natural fiber that catches sparks easily and makes excellent tinder. It's also useful for lashing together shelter components.
Knife – Essential for cutting tasks, food preparation, or self-defense. Even a basic utility knife from the dollar store is better than nothing, though you should keep a higher-quality blade in your primary kit.
Large Zipties – Ideal for makeshift repairs, organizing gear, securing tarps, or bundling cables and supplies together. Stock a variety of sizes for maximum versatility.
Longer Matches – Ensures you can start a fire even in windy or wet conditions. The extra length keeps your fingers away from the flame and makes them ideal for lighting candles, lanterns, and camp stoves.
Magnifying Glass – Can start fires using sunlight, which is a fuel-free fire-starting method worth knowing. It's also useful for reading small print, inspecting wounds, or doing detail work.
Masks – Protects against dust, debris, or pathogens. Even basic dust masks filter out particulate matter, which is valuable during wildfires, building collapses, or disease outbreaks.
Mesh Netting – Useful for fishing, carrying supplies, or creating bug barriers. Hanging mesh netting around a sleeping area can make the difference between a restful night and a miserable one in bug-heavy environments.
Metal Strainer – Can filter debris from water before purification or steam food over a pot. It's also useful for draining pasta or rinsing foraged foods before eating.
Mirror – Essential for signaling in emergencies. A reflected flash of sunlight from a mirror can be seen for miles, making it one of the most effective low-tech signaling tools available.
Multi Vitamins – Supplements your nutrition when diet is limited. In a survival situation, food variety drops significantly, and vitamin deficiencies can set in faster than most people expect, weakening immunity and overall health.
Nails – Handy for building or repairing shelters. A variety pack of different lengths covers most basic construction needs, from hanging items on walls to joining boards together.
Napkins – Basic hygiene and cleaning. They can also be used as improvised tinder, bandage padding, or paper towel substitutes when supplies run low.
Oven Mitts – Protect hands when cooking over open fires. Handling hot cast iron or metal cookware without proper protection is a quick way to get a serious burn, which is a much bigger deal when medical care isn't readily available.
Pencil Sharpener – Sharpens writing tools or can create fine wood shavings that work beautifully as tinder for starting fires. A manual sharpener requires no batteries or electricity.
Permanent Marker – For labeling gear, food storage containers, and medications with dates, or leaving messages for rescuers. Date-labeling your stockpile is one of the simplest ways to keep your food rotation organized.
Petroleum Jelly – For minor wounds, fire starting, or preventing chafing. Rubbing it on exposed skin before cold weather also helps prevent windburn and frostbite on the face and hands.
Plastic Tarps – Multipurpose and waterproof, great for creating shelter, covering gear, or collecting rainwater. A tarp is one of the most fundamental survival tools you can own, and having multiple on hand in different sizes is always a good idea.
Playing Cards – For entertainment and stress relief. Mental health matters in a survival situation, and boredom and anxiety are real problems. A deck of cards takes up almost no space and can occupy hours of time for the whole family.
Pocket Tool – Compact multi-tool for various small repairs or tasks. Even a basic dollar store pocket tool with a knife, screwdriver, and small pliers is more useful than carrying nothing at all.
Pregnancy Test – Important for managing health and wellness in long-term survival situations. Knowing early is critical when medical care may not be available, as it affects everything from nutrition and activity level to planning.
Pry Bar – Useful for opening locked doors or containers, pulling nails from old lumber for reuse, or forcing open debris after a structural collapse.
Rain Ponchos – Lightweight, compact, and waterproof protection. Staying dry is critical in cold or wet conditions, as hypothermia can set in even at moderate temperatures when clothing is wet. Stash one in every bag and vehicle.
Razor Blades – For general cutting tasks or personal grooming. Single-edge utility blades are especially useful for precise cutting tasks like opening packaging, shaving down materials, or making fine cuts in rope or tape.
Reflective Safety Tape – Makes items or clothing more visible at night. Use it on the outside of your bug-out bag, on your vehicle, or on shelter markers to make them easier to locate in low-light conditions.
Rubber Gloves – Protects hands from chemicals, dirt, and infection. Always use rubber gloves when handling bleach, treating wounds, or dealing with waste, especially in situations where medical care is unavailable.
Rubbing Alcohol – For cleaning wounds or sterilizing equipment. It can also be used as a fire accelerant and as a quick-drying disinfectant for surfaces.
Safety Pins – Can repair clothing or equipment, close a torn bag, secure a bandage in place, or serve as improvised hooks for hanging lightweight items.
Salt – Essential for flavor, preserving food, and maintaining electrolyte balance. Salt is one of the oldest and most reliable food preservation methods in human history, used to cure meats and preserve vegetables through fermentation.
Scissors – For cutting fabric, bandages, rope, or other materials. Keep a pair in your first aid kit specifically for cutting bandages and clothing away from wounds.
Sewing Equipment – Repairs clothes or gear, essential for long-term sustainability. A basic sewing kit with needles, thread, and a few buttons can extend the life of clothing significantly, which matters a great deal when resupply isn't an option.
Shammy Towels – Highly absorbent, quick drying, and space-saving for cleaning tasks. They can also be used to wring water out of clothing or to dry gear quickly before packing it away.
Shaving Cream – For personal hygiene and comfort. Maintaining grooming routines helps support psychological wellbeing during stressful situations and also prevents skin irritation from repeated shaving without lubrication.
Short Matches – Backup fire-starting method. Keep them in a waterproof container to protect them from moisture, and always have more than one fire-starting method in your kit.
Shower Curtain Liners – Use as a waterproof shelter or ground cover, a rain poncho in a pinch, a divider between sleeping areas, or a privacy screen. They're lightweight and surprisingly versatile.
Silicone Mitts – Heat resistant and useful for handling hot materials, cookware, or anything pulled from a fire. Unlike cloth oven mitts, silicone mitts are waterproof and easier to keep clean.
Soap – Maintains hygiene, preventing disease and discomfort. Bar soap is compact, long-lasting, and can be used for handwashing, body washing, laundry, and even as a lubricant for stiff zippers or saw blades.
Socks – Keeps feet warm, dry, and protected. Foot care is critically important in a survival situation, since blisters, trench foot, and frostbite can quickly become debilitating. Stock more socks than you think you'll need.
Split Shot (for fishing) – Useful for makeshift fishing gear. These small weighted sinkers attach easily to fishing line and help get your bait or lure down to the right depth quickly.
Sponges – For cleaning and hygiene purposes. They can also be used to collect dew or wring water from vegetation in a water-gathering emergency.
Steel Wool – Can be used with a 9-volt battery to start fires by touching the battery terminals to the steel wool and igniting the resulting sparks. It's also excellent for cleaning tough messes off cast iron cookware.
Sun Reflector – Useful for signaling rescuers or maximizing sunlight for warmth in a cold shelter. Emergency signaling mirrors and reflectors can be seen from aircraft miles away.
Super Glue – For quick repairs on a variety of materials, from cracked plastic to split leather. It can also be used to close small cuts on skin in a pinch when bandages aren't practical.
Tarp – Provides shelter, collects rainwater, or serves as a ground cover. A tarp is arguably the single most useful item on this entire list. Grab as many as you can find.
Thermal Blankets – These blankets reflect body heat back to you, making them essential for staying warm in cold environments. They're also highly visible and can double as emergency signaling devices.
Tin Foil – Useful for cooking, signaling, or wrapping food. Heavy-duty foil can be used to create makeshift cookware, line a solar cooker, or wrap coals to slow-cook food over a fire.
Towels – General hygiene and cleaning tasks. Large bath towels can also be used as blankets, improvised stretchers, padding for injured limbs, or ground covers.
Tuna – Ready-to-eat protein source that requires no preparation. Canned tuna is calorie-dense, high in protein, and has a shelf life of several years, making it one of the best bang-for-your-buck survival foods available.
Utility Knife – More robust cutting tool for heavier tasks like cutting rope, breaking down cardboard, scoring materials for bending, or trimming tarp edges cleanly.
Vinegar – For cleaning, food preservation, or medicinal uses. White vinegar is a natural disinfectant that can be used to clean surfaces, treat minor skin irritations, and preserve foods through pickling.
Water Bladders – For portable water storage and transport. Collapsible water bladders take up almost no space when empty and can hold several liters when filled, making them ideal for both bug-out bags and camp setups.
Water Bucket – Essential for collecting and storing water. A basic five-gallon bucket can hold enough water for drinking and basic hygiene needs for a day or more for a single person.
WD-40 – For lubrication and moisture displacement, helping maintain tools, firearms, zippers, and hinges. It also removes rust and helps free stuck bolts, which is invaluable when maintaining equipment over time.
Whistle – A loud whistle can be a lifesaver in emergency situations, especially if you're lost or trapped. Three short blasts is the universal distress signal, and a whistle carries much farther than a shouting voice.
White Sugar – For energy, food preservation, or wound care. Sugar can be applied to open wounds to help draw out moisture and inhibit bacterial growth, a technique used in field medicine when antibiotics aren't available.
Wires – For repairs, building makeshift antennas, creating tripwire perimeter alarms, or fashioning snares for small game. A variety of gauges gives you more flexibility.
Working Gloves – Protects hands during manual work. In a post-disaster situation, you'll be doing a lot of heavy lifting, clearing debris, chopping wood, and building, so a good pair of work gloves is essential.
Yeast – For baking or fermenting foods. If you have flour, water, and sugar in your stockpile, yeast allows you to bake real bread rather than relying on flatbreads. It can also be used to ferment beverages and make homemade vinegar.
Ziploc Bags – Perfect for waterproofing important documents, organizing small items, and keeping food fresh and protected from moisture and pests. Stock a variety of sizes, from sandwich bags to the large two-gallon size, and use them throughout your entire prep kit.

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Ticks On Humans: What To Do

Whether you’re out on a camping trip or spent the day hiking, sometimes a tick will come along to try and put a damper on your day. After all, when you look down and see one that’s latched on for dear life, the first thought that may be going through your head is Lyme disease. But as much of a nuisance as they can be, and the fear of you catching a disease can certainly be unsettling, you don’t need to freak out. As long as you know the proper steps to remove one, you should be fine. I’d like to take a few moments to share with you which symptoms to watch for in Lyme disease, as well as how to remove a tick embedded in your skin the right way. Ticks on humans: what to do… Originally posted on June 7, 2023. I decided to repost in light of the hoopla surrounding Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS). Tick Removal Kit

Ticks on Humans: What to Do if You Find a Tick

For those of you who have never had a tick on you, your day is probably coming. Do you know what proper steps to take when that happens? If your answer is no, I’d encourage you to stick around because this information could keep you or a loved one from getting very sick after a tick bite. Please note, I am not a doctor, nurse, or anyone in the medical field. Please consult with your health provider.

Don’t Panic!

Although Lyme disease is a growing concern, especially concerning tick bites, your chances of catching the disease are extremely low in the first 24 hours. So if you plan to camp or go hiking, be sure to check yourself immediately afterward rather than waiting. If you do happen to find one latched onto your skin, take a deep breath and try to stay calm. This will make the process a whole lot easier to properly remove it.

Have the Proper Tools

Don’t make the mistake of using your fingers to remove any unwanted tick. Doing it this way may remove the tick’s body, but the head may still be there, continuing to spread harmful pathogens into your body without you realizing it. Fine-tipped tweezers are the best tool for removing a tick. In the past, you may have seen someone use a lighter or a hot match tip to kill and remove a tick, but this is not a good idea because it can cause the tick to regurgitate pathogens that can lead to a serious infection. There’s also the chance you can burn yourself with that method.

Proper Method for Removing a Tick

While using tweezers, get as close as possible to the base of the tick where it’s latched on, and gently apply pressure without squeezing for the best removal.
Don’t twist or jerk the tweezers while you’re pulling upward. Doing so can cause the head or the mouth of the tick to remain behind underneath the skin even when you’ve removed its body. This can lead to a serious infection if it goes unnoticed.
Should the head or parts of the mouth remain behind, continue to use the tweezers to remove it. If you are unable to remove everything beneath the skin, thoroughly clean the area with rubbing alcohol, then finish washing with soap and warm water. It’s important to try to remove tick parts that have been left behind. You should also consider applying a strong antiseptic to try to kill any “germs” left behind. Do your best for the overall best results!
Look for any red discoloration of the skin or swelling in the area of the bite. If you see these signs, it’s better to be safe than sorry by going to a health professional for a check-up.

How to Dispose of a Tick

While that tick may have caused your anxiety level to kick up a few notches, don’t try to put it out of its misery by crushing it between your fingers. Doing so can cause the tick to release and expose you to whatever pathogen or disease it may have been carrying. Instead, you can choose to flush it down the toilet or drown it in rubbing alcohol before discarding it.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Although Lyme disease is hardly ever life-threatening, the symptoms can be much more severe when left untreated for too long. Do you know what to look out for? These are common symptoms of Lyme disease to watch out for.

Fever
Flu-like symptoms (vomiting, chills, nausea, headache, joint aches and joint pain, tiredness, muscle aches, and stiff neck)
Rash
Aching over your entire body
Lack of energy

Symptoms of tick-borne illnesses aren’t always noticeable. Know the signs of the most common tick-borne diseases, so that you can stay protected. The type of tick matters, and the bite of infected adult ticks can change your life forever. If you’re worried about finding ticks on humans, then know these symptoms!

Pay Attention to the Bite Site

If you start to notice a bull’s-eye rash starting to develop in the region where the tick bit you, or a few weeks later, you’re getting symptoms that are common with Lyme disease, you need to head into your nearest urgent care to get evaluated. Getting an early diagnosis and the proper treatment can greatly improve the outcome. Your or a loved one’s health is extremely important, so don’t wait!

Stay Away From Tick-Infested Areas

Finally, another way to avoid those ticks is to stay away from the tick-infested areas. There are many different types of ticks, so make sure you do your research! Even if there is a rumor that there are tons of ticks in the wooded area, it’s best to steer clear as much as possible.

What kinds of ticks exist?

Deer tick
American dog tick
Blacklegged tick
Brown dog tick
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
Lone star tick
…and many more!

What diseases do ticks cause, and which ticks cause them?

If you visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases, you’ll find a full summary of the various diseases, the most common ticks that transmit them, and the locations where those ticks are most often found. Here are a few:

Anaplasmosis: blacklegged tick – northeastern and upper midwestern U.S.B
Babesiosis: blacklegged tick – northeast and upper midwest
Colorado tick fever: Rocky Mountain wood tick – Rocky Mountain states at elevations from 4,000 to 10,500 feet
Heartland virus: Lone Star ticks – midwestern and southern states
Lyme disease: blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks – northeastern U.S., upper midwest, and Pacific Coast
Rocky Mountain spotted fever: American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, brown dog tick – More often in the Rocky Mountains region

Can my dog get sick from tick bites?

A number of the diseases listed above can also be contracted by dogs. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the U.S. It is transmitted by blacklegged and deer ticks. Symptoms of Lyme disease found in dogs are fever, lameness, swollen joints and lymph nodes, and lethargy. The symptoms usually show up within 36-48 hours. Each time you go near grassy and wooded areas with your dog, be sure to check for and remove any ticks you find.

Follow Precautions for Tick Prevention and Disease Control

The best way to avoid ticks is to wear insect repellent containing DEET and avoid heavily wooded areas.
Wear light-colored clothing.
Wear long-sleeved shirts.
Always wear long pants, high-in-the-calf socks, and boots or high-top shoes.
When checking for ticks, be sure to look closely in the groin and armpit areas of the body since the ticks like the warmth found there.

What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)

Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) is a tick-transmitted allergy that causes the human immune system to react to a sugar molecule found in red meat and other mammal-derived products. Here is a thorough overview.

What It Is

“AGS is an IgE-mediated allergic reaction to a carbohydrate molecule called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, primarily linked to Lone Star tick bites in the United States. Unlike conventional food allergies, the allergen responsible is not a protein but rather an oligosaccharide, which is a type of sugar molecule”. ScienceDirectWiley Online Library

How It Is Transmitted

“The condition develops after a tick bite sensitizes the immune system to alpha-gal. In the US, the distribution of AGS cases closely resembles the distribution of the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum. However, research has also documented cases linked to other tick species, including the deer tick”. PubMed Central

What Triggers a Reaction

“Alpha-gal is found not only in mammalian skeletal muscle but also in mammalian organs, smooth muscle, dairy products, gelatin processed from connective tissues, and even certain biological drugs and vaccines containing mammalian alpha-gal. This means reactions can be triggered by eating beef, pork, lamb, venison, or products derived from these animals”. Wiley Online Library

Symptoms

“Symptoms range from hives and gastrointestinal manifestations to delayed anaphylaxis following red meat consumption. A key feature that sets AGS apart from most food allergies is the timing. Symptoms present two to eight hours after consuming a product containing alpha-gal and can be life-threatening. This delay often makes it difficult for people and doctors to connect the reaction to food”. ScienceDirectPubMed Central

How Underdiagnosed It Is

“AGS is widely considered an underdiagnosed condition. A 2022 survey found that 42 percent of health care practitioners in the US had never heard of AGS, and an additional 35 percent were not too confident in their ability to diagnose it. It is estimated to impact up to 450,000 individuals in the US”. PubMed CentralPubMed Central

A Serious and Growing Concern

“In 2024, what is thought to be the first-ever fatal case of Alpha-Gal Syndrome was reported in the United States. The individual, a 47-year-old man from New Jersey with no known prior health issues, died suddenly in the summer of 2024. His death was initially classified as an unexplained sudden death before an allergy specialist ultimately linked it to AGS”. PA Tick Research Lab

Management

There is currently no cure. The primary approach is strict avoidance of red meat and, in many cases, other mammalian products. Some people with AGS can tolerate dairy while others cannot. Symptoms in some individuals diminish over time if they avoid further tick bites, though the allergy can persist for years.

Because of the delayed reaction window and the broad range of triggering foods and products, AGS is one of the more challenging food-related conditions to recognize and manage.

More Tips for Pests

Final Word

For those of you who have a love for the outdoors, the likelihood of you getting a tick bite is much higher, but don’t fret! You’ll have nothing to worry about when you follow the tips I mentioned above. Don’t take any chances with your health, especially when it comes to a tick on humans. Do you have any other helpful advice for those who may have come across a tick on them? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Don’t forget about your pets. Check out this first aid kit for pets! May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Tick Bite Depositphotos_53022467_S, Lone Star Tick Depositphotos_565635692_S

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