Top 100 Items to Disappear First

[FloridaWyld]

Found this list and thought it would be useful here.

Top 100 Items to Disappear First During a National Emergency

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Livestock

[RangerRick]

This has been posted before over on "Other Self-reliance Issues" but it is still all good info and worth seeing again as a reminder of the world in which we live.

Rick

[wax]

I am interested by the topic not for what it says but for what is left unsaid... I can't for the life of me comprehend a "purpose".

Umm... is it designed to list things to stockpile?
Is it a simple list of things that every household should (or already does) have access to?
I just don't get it.

[wax]

"to Disappear First"

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)

Wax- Assuming that the generation of electricity is of import in some way... the implication seems to be that mine will "disappear" due to thieves.
I wish them luck I guess.

[wax]

I'm going to need to explain a bit more I guess:

Much of the "list" is confusing when it comes to survival.

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
3. Portable Toilets
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)

We could go on of course but none of these things have anything to do with survival in any way.
And some of the claims concerning what might "disappear" are just plain strange!

7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.

Wax- Really?
Sharp edges will no longer cut?
Elastics will no longer snap?
Wow! Amazing!
I can make hundreds of slingshots with a fragmented rock and the tires off my neighbor's car (I wouldn't use mine of course) so how could it even be comprehensible that they might somehow "disappear"?

8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.

Wax- Umm... it gives the term, "beating an egg with a stick" a whole new meaning doesn't it?

33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)

Wax- Really? A must?
Any slotted stick is a clothes pin isn't it?
Any given rope... well... again I must be missing something somewhere.

I don't mean to be too judgmental, I am simply trying to comprehend the reasoning behind such... well... such!
These lists are so common that they remind me of urban myths, a collection made for no other reason than to make a collection.
At best it is a "wish" list... but at worst it is an example of just how screwed most modern people are concerning a breakdown of the false mechanisms which allow them to live.

Listen folks:

If you are a human being... then you don't "need" anything listed above.
Well perhaps a better way of stating it is that everything stated above is a luxury and what you need is knowledge.

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)

The above has only existed commercially for the last one hundred years or so (and some of them only for the last few decades!).
Man survived quite well without them for hundreds of thousands of years... and we thrived through forty thousand years of written history without them.

So what am I missing here?

[AlchemyAcres]

A much better title would be..."Top 100 Items to NOT be dependent upon"!....eh?



~Martin :)

[RangerRick]

I noticed the post is entitled "Top 100 Items to Disappear First During a National Emergency" not necessarily survivalism however I can see a connection.

I suppose it would depend on what level of survival one's perference would be. Logic would indicate the higest possibility of survivalbility for me and mine regardless of the emergency would be the most desirable, come what may.

I can make fire with flint and steel but I'd much rather use a Bic. I can set a snare and skin and tan a rabbit hides and stuff it with cottonwood fluff for the baby but I'd rather use Pampers, etc., etc., etc.

;D

Rick

[AlchemyAcres]

Guess I expect, when and if things get truly bad, *they'll get bad quickly and totally...if there's anyone who's depended upon anything *on that list....this is a wake up call....know how to get along without it...or you're in big trouble!!!

Then again...for even a small disaster...that's one heck of a lota things to worry about!!!!

~Martin :)

[CarolAnn]

This list points up our dependence on "STUFF" to survive, or at least, to be comfortable. I'm amazed at how much we all take for granted - and somehow believe that we can't "live" without it.

It's darn hard to make the distinction sometimes - between what we need and what we want, we can get for ourselves, and what we can do without. It's sort of like my boss telling me to "email the IT department that our system is down." Uh . . . boss, we can't email! "Phone them, then!" Uh . . .boss, the phone system is VOIP - also part of the system that is down. It takes some extra thought to get around the obvious sometimes! ;D

[annabella1]

As I was reading this list, I kept telling myself I can make that, I don't need that, I already have that. So I guess I understand the response, and have a lot of skills to barter.

[oldnndway]

That list shows things that would be real nice to have if one had to either start surviving today or had to hold out for a few weeks.

We didn't have electricity after Rita for (some) a month or more.
Folks had to come home and just make do.
It is nice to be able to crank a generator and have lights, cooking appliances... in a HOT east Texas summer, a fan ... not necessary for survival.

I've grown up camping out.
I like going camping.
But I like the conveniences listed above and when a disaster hits your area there are a LOT of things no longer available...and it takes a while to get stuff on site
We didn't have grocery stores for over a week.
You better have some "stuff" on hand.

...and the neighbors car is more than likely sitting on four (useless for making slingshots) tubeless radial tires.

[Kat]

I guess lists are only good when manufactured for a certain type of crisis, and that's the type of crisis that occurs. When I was married to a husband with guns and had children, I used lists like this, to create a home that could weather many challenging events, as comfortably as possible.

Now it's just me and I'm in the city. While homeless, I learned to live out of just a backpack and a locker. I owned nothing I couldn't carry all at once and had a system of a backpack, front pack and suitcase on wheels, when necessary.

This list is pretty useless to me. As I said in another post, give me modern, quality gear!!!! Stuff that will keep me mobile and able to cover long distances, even with these aging joints.

Do always add entertainment to any list, though. Your brain is your most important part of your body and in a crisis, don't assume you won't start crumbling fast. It's amazing how playing a few rounds of solitaire can calm you!!!! Warm liquids are amazingly calming too. And why do we feel the need to write and draw when under stress???? I can't tell you how often I lugged a thermos, cards and art supplies over many miles as I couldn't stay sane without them.

[Penny_Plinker]

Kat, you refer to all those miles and staying mobile and recently being homeless. Being that active is great if that's what you want to do but it seem overkill if it's just for physical conditioning. Are you doing the intense workouts to keep your mind off of the situation that made you homeless? Or do you have an important need to get someplace and walking is the only way to get there. Nothing but admiration for you and please pardon my curiosity but what is the method to your madness ???

Penny

[Kat]

I was out on the streets about 17 hours a day because I hated to be in the shelters. I didn't go back to a shelter until I was ready to collapse and everyone else was asleep. I left before they all woke up. The employees at one shelter nicknamed me "the Ghost".

I had a lot of appointments spread out all over the city. Sometimes I used the buses and trains, but sometimes I was just too anxious to get crowded in. I have pretty severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Walking is calming. Buses are overstimulating.

When appointments were close to meal time and I was too anxious to use a bus, I had to run for meals if I couldn't afford to buy food. Some parts of the city are just easier accessed by foot, anyway. Sometimes I ran to catch a bus if another one would take a long time to come. I never ran unless I needed to. It's hell on my joints.

I walked people places who were afraid to go alone. They spent their money on cigarettes and alcohol, so couldn't take the bus, or there was no bus to where they were going.

I was actually trying to pace my joints and tried to keep my walking to under 10 miles a day, but it just didn't always work.

I learned that with proper gear I could walk MUCH further with the same wear and tear on my aging body. I often had to carry the load of the person I was walking with, as with just cheap sneakers and a shoulder bag, they were in pain.

I still have a ton of appointments and my new apartment is far away from most of them. I'm still walking a LOT and even still running when time crunched. Sometimes I cannot go home till late as there isn't time between appointments to go so far. I'm trying hard to slow down. It's just going to take awhile before things get "normal".

Kat

[Penny_Plinker]

Thanks for answering. Sounds like a hard life. Surely God will bless you for all the people you helped and i hope things get normal for you soon.

Penny

[idris]

I agree that much on this list is illusory, if the main point is survival. Remember: Refuse; Reuse; Repair; Retain; Recycle; &c. If you don't really need something, don't have any truck with it, for tis but a waste. Survival means the choices that we make now, for our continuing enjoyment of the now, rather than the accumulation of dysfunctional commodities. Don't I sound the grouch! ::)

[jjspirko]

I think the issue here is first what is your "vision" of an emergency or disaster.

Are we talking the great big giant SHTF that creates a total and complete, TEOTWAWKI if so this is still a good list though it may not be very practical.

On the other hand I believe that it makes the most sense to be prepared and EXPECT a personal or regional/local SHFT. This can be a natural disaster, major loss of a family member, a really bad pandemic and many other things. Each of which are far, far more likely then a global attack of "black helicopters" or say a giant meteor or perhaps a few rouge states starting WWIII with some nukes.

So when we are talking a massive storm, an unexpected freeze that shuts things down in the south where no one is prepared, etc. Then having most of the "stuff" on this list is pretty damn nice.

More often what people miss is that the SHTF for individuals and families ever single day. Lost jobs, loosing a breadwinner, etc. Again being prepared is smart. I happen to have most of the stuff on this list and I do simple things like I keep 4 gas tanks for my grill and never let more than one go empty, etc.

Two years ago we had an ice storm in North Texas that took us by surprise and we had no electricity for 4 days. I cooked on the grill, we kept food in coolers out side (hey it was plenty cold) and I kept logs on the fire. We did just fine, I fired up the generator as needed but only as needed (we did watch some DVDs during the evenings). We had the lanterns going for light.

We had plenty of food and would not have had to leave even if it lasted weeks. We did not even scratch the "reserve food" but it was comforting knowing we had it.

Personally my biggest risk to my home is a tornado and I am about damn tired of them! I want out of north Texas soon. All I need to do is convince the wife to go. We have a place in the Arkansas mountains too, if all went to hell here we could always bail and head there, which is what I want to do anyway. The Arkansas place is nicely equipped as well.

Call it extravagant, call it dependent, call it luxury, call it what you want. I call it the ability to be comfortable in most any emergency unless I am dead or hurt and you can only plan for so many things.

I look at it from a simple stand point, I can buy and store up stuff like this, it makes my life a lot easier so I do it. If you want to live like an Indian go ahead I won't stop you but that won't mean that I won't keep some lanterns around, ammo, guns, water, etc. All the stuff here makes life a LOT easier in a bad time. That to me is what "survivalism" is really all about,