Budget Prepping

Okay, I'm sure this has been covered before but I thought I add or contribute my experiences in budget prepping.

We all have budgets to meet these days money is tight but you still need to be prepared for at least 72 hours
Right , the correct answer is yes.

So I have set a personal goal this year to prep but spend very little so here is a list of items that I have picked with the associated cost for each item to put together a basic personal 72 hour kit

1) Backpack mid size - 6.00 Goodwill
2) Lighters 7 pack - 1.97 Walmart. Scripto brand (not great but not the worst)
3) cotton balls .99 dollar tree (for making fire with wood use with petroleum jelly)
4) petroleum jelly .99 dollar tree (for use with cotton balls for making fire with wood to burn)
5) emergency blankets 1.99ea Walmart
6) water bottle (s) .99ea Goodwill (both Nalgene name brand and stainless steel types)
7) knife multi tool 10.00 Home Depot (I see these everywhere for cheap no they are not high end)
8) cookset or pots and pans 2.00 goodwill (I found a kit however most will have this in the home already)
9) candles big 20oz candles big lots 2.50ea (these can be used for heat and light)
10) sterno cans 6 pack 6.00 dollar tree ( great for cooking and heat )

So these are the basics I know very basic but this isn't for SHTF more for weathering the storm in place per say
Just since last November I have purchased 6 Nalgene Bottles brand new never used for .99 each as well as countless stainless bottles for the same you find these at every thrift shop in town around here.
I have made many other purchases a great 1950's craftsman axe 7.00 local resale shop a high end looks to be marine corps issue arcteryx or camelback made for Marine corps 20.00

For food in short term I'm big on things like canned soups and so on beef stews , chilies, baked beans
Ramen is great though high in sodium but if you mix some canned chicken in and a little seasoning it helps
Beef ramen is great with jerky the jerky rehydrates when you are cooking quick and easy
Keep in mind some of this stuff you can cook in the can over a fire or over a sterno can limiting cleanup and preserving your water on hand
Plastic bags are another favorite of mine I have two family members that work in nursing homes and occasionally bring me rolls of the plastic bags these are great for various reasons from procuring water to sanitation.
Anyway I know so much of this has been covered but if you are on a budget and wanna prep it can be done very cheap if I can help any of you or answer any questions please drop a line send a message or ask on the board
I'm happy to answer if I can , I'm no expert but its a hobby of sorts and I enjoy it I know a lot of people don't so if I can help I will

And no I'm not waiting for the end of the world I like the creative ideas people come up with in emergencies

Here is something to ponder on,an emergency water filter.

$10

An Emergency water filter so compact it fits in a shirt pocket, weighs less than one ounce, filters up to 20 gallons of water, 99.9% effective against waterborne pathogens and contaminants as small as 2 microns. The Frontier Emergency Water Filter System is ideal for hiking, travel, and emergency preparedness. It is the perfect addition to your 72-hour emergency kit. One unit will filter up to 20 gallons (75L) of water. The Frontier Filter is tested and certified to remove 99.9% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The Frontier Emergency Water Filter System is also easy to operate, just attach and expand the straw, submerge the filter end into the water source, and drink through the straw.

www.cheaperthandirt.net...

A few big trash bags as emergency shelter,you can combine a few of them to sleep in, or what ever else you can use it for,like collecting rain water and such.
Duct tape and cord or rope.

Also,instead of the petroleum jelly,olive oil works great to. It has multiple uses.
My 11 year old loves making fires with his magnesium stick and cotton balls.You would be surprised how long one cotton ball burns when soaked in olive oil.

I recommend developing a kitchen routine, rather than merely a stockpile of foods.

If you are traveling, then you'll have to plan on using minimal amounts of cooking fuel.

Even hunkered down at home, you may need to think about cooking without generating to many ODORS that will draw the two-legged scavengers, who come with an empty belly and a full sense of entitlement.

Many survival meals involve boiling water, then adding it to a container and letting it simmer or steep for a longer period. Rice, potatoes, dehydrated vegetables and soups, etc. You can boil water on a camp stove or backyard grill without generating much noise or odor, then carry the foods inside to steep or simmer.

Washing dishes will also be an issue, if the dirty dishes will draw flies. And you'll need a place to dispose of the dirty dishwater that wont point to your back door.... We have stockpiled paper plates and plastic ware & trash bags to buy us several days without doing any dishes at all, except pots & pans.

Reply to post by geocom

Nice kit you got there, low cost with all basic items. Do you plan to add some gear to it ?


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Do you live in a home? Use your roof to collect rainwater runoff. You can literally get thousands of gallons in a good 1 to 2" rainstorm. You can get used food grade 55 gallon cheaply and string them together. I'm getting some to water my garden...
Filter before drinking though!

reply to post by Trackhunter


My actual kit has a lot more stuff in it , I just wanted to throw the basics out there
For folks who are holding back due to costs and I think I mentioned that I know a lot of
The tools described I wouldn't wanna use long term for example the multi tool I use one all the time
But mine is a 100 leather man wave (I know they are only like 80bucks now) its a great tool but I am in the
Outdoors a lot if I have time I'm probably camped somewhere and actually I make a lot of time to be outdoors so the pricier tools make more sense, I use the mora knives have for 5 years or so just the basic mora classic
4 inch blade, around here I combine that with a decent hand axe that I payed to much for but you can shave with it lol. I use a 3 liter camelback bladder and I carry 2-1 liter (32oz) Nalgene bottles for my water supply
I carry about 50ft of 550 and about 200 ft of bank line I use the bank line for light chores and save the 550 for when its needed. My cook kit is pretty simple just a basic billy can style kit inside I store my tinder a coffee cup 1 lighter 1 mag block with fero rod , and tinder (tinder varies from dryer lint to cotton balls and oil or petroleum jelly)
In the spring and fall I carry lightweight poly long johns just in case I always carry and wear quick drying neo fabrics for my outer layer these have gotten so cheap now you can get them for 20 bucks a pair they are thin so on the
Upper thighs and to just below the knee I use iron on heavy fabric works great and keeps the pants intact far longer
Wool socks I got these in pairs of three at big lots and I use a nylon sock underneath it tends to wick the water away from my feet better and is super warm, in the winter I wear boots and take along gaiters just because
I the spring summer and fall I usually wear a good pair of tennis shoes . For shelter I use 2 small tarps
A small first aid kit , a shemagh or head wrap and usually a ball cap , in the winter I take a sleeping bag in the spring summer and fall only a wool blanket big one though 108 x 108 . Always a compass always 2 heavy black lawn trash bags and always three or four clear plastic bags (I use the clear bags to harvest water from deciduous plants and trees while I fish or goof off) I carry two small droppers of bleach for water decontamination if I can't bottle it they are eye dropper size and I rotate it out every three months if it doesn't get used I use it on my whites when doing laundry when its time to rotate. Also the wrap around hook and loop (Velcro brand is 15 dollars for 12 ft harbor freight tools has it for 7 dollars for 35 ft great deal this stuff just makes life easy

So that's pretty much what I carry it varies sometimes I take a larger (manly knife lol) knife andleavethe. Of and hand axe and I like to experiment so I change things up a lot andn the process learns heck of a lot ther is more i know I am missing small things like pair or sewing kits but most of that is covered by the above

Anyway back to you guys what kinds of creative things have you done and tell me a little about the deals you have been able to find

reply to post by tovenar

Even hunkered down at home, you may need to think about cooking without generating to many ODORS that will draw the two-legged scavengers, who come with an empty belly and a full sense of entitlement.

A good short term solution for this problem are a couple of cases of MRE's.

Seems like you got all your outdoor needs covered. Budget means making sure you buy quality products but at price which is reasonable, better to purchase a good dependable gear then cheap ones which may fail.

Most bug out / survival bag or kit lack sleeping gears which lead to sleepless tired nights. Few bucks on good nylon poncho, space blanket, all weather blanket, ground foam padding, bar mostiquto net and tarp is must, also a good ka bar utility survival fighting knife.

reply to post by geocom


Also, one of the most valuable things anyone could use for anything is knowledge.

Every now and then, research something you think is credible research on "improvised survival" skills.

It's always good to prep items, but you need to know a general collection of picked-up knowledge about survival, how to skin a small animal and cook it, how to tell which direction is which, how to tell time with the sun, how to survive in a radioactive environment, etc.

Walmart Bakery Dept....Once used food grade 5 gal buckets with O-Ring lock lids...$1 Each for food storage

Everyone mentions MREs, but a couple of cans of Chef Boy Ardee are pretty easy too, can be eaten without heating up, etc. (and unlike MREs, are readily available about everywhere)...

reply to post by Gazrok


As Sherlock Holmes used to say "Alimentary, My dear Watson."

MRE's will hurt your pipes if you eat 'em for 5 days straight. IF you notice, the first thing the military sets up is a forward base with a kitchen. That's because the same qualities that give MREs a 25-year shelf life make it so it wont decay in your colon the least bit. MRE's are only for troops who will deploy for 24 hours to a couple of days.

Even if you sprinkle fiber on them, you're in for a rough ride.

In contrast, the chef boyardee slides right through.

reply to post by geocom


Great thread OP. I love gorilla duct tape is is stronger then regular duct tape by 10x.


Craigslist and ebay are both great places to find high end items for a bargain.


And always remember the RULE OF 3. 3 minutes without air........3 hours without shelter.....3 days without water......3 weeks without food.......3 months without a good women.

Originally posted by Gazrok
Everyone mentions MREs, but a couple of cans of Chef Boy Ardee are pretty easy too, can be eaten without heating up, etc. (and unlike MREs, are readily available about everywhere)...

I believe my fiance would adore you, simply because of this statement.