10 Most Overlooked Survival Items

An in-depth review of the top ten overlooked survival items. 10 Most Overlooked Survival Items thegearhunt.com

When we think about survival, there are always specific items that come to mind first: bandanas, beans and rice, water, guns and ammunition, first aid kits, and so on. Each of these items is definitely vitally important to store, but there are many more items as well that are commonly overlooked when it comes to survival, including by many preppers.

In this article, we are going to outline and discuss the ten most overlooked survival items there are. Each and every one of these items will be very critical in a survival situation, but for whatever reason don’t receive the attention as some of the items mentioned above do.

Ten Most Overlooked Survival Items

Batteries

How are you going to power your radio, flashlights, or whatever other electronic devices you have without batteries? In this regard, storing batteries is almost as important as storing ammunition and gasoline. We are reliant on batteries each and every day and yet we take them for granted without thinking twice about them.

survival Items

The two best batteries to stockpile are AA and AAA, simply because they are the most wildly used ones and can be bought in bulk on the cheap. But of course, you’ll also want to store plenty of batteries for whatever other electronic devices you have as well. For example, most heavy duty flashlights require D-cell batteries, so you’ll also want to include those in your stockpile.

Clothes

Most people don’t think about all of the abuse their clothes are going to go through in a survival or disaster situation. Think about it, we’re going to be hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, fixing vehicles, tending to our property or homestead, chopping firewood, be out in the rain, doing housework, building fires, and so on.

And to top it all off, our washing machines may not be working properly either. So to put things into perspective, our clothes are going to be put through more wear-and-tear than we’re used to, and while anybody with decent sewing skills should hopefully be able to make repairs, our clothes still aren’t going to last forever.

This is why you want to have all of the clothes set aside that you can, from boots and shoes to socks to underwear to jeans to sweat pants and cargo pants to shirts, jackets, vests, coats, hats and so on.

Dental Floss

Really, dental floss is an important survival item? Actually, you’d be surprised at just how versatile of a survival item that dental floss is.

survival Items

Thin, lightweight, and yet strong, dental floss fulfills many more survival purposes beyond oral hygiene. You’ll be able to use it for the following purposes:

– General Cordage
– Building Shelters
– Clothesline (wrap multiple strands together)
– Tripwire
– Snares and Traps
– Fishing Line

Duct Tape

Another highly versatile survival item is duct tape. In fact, we should all pretty much agree that duct tape is just a miracle to have in a survival or non-survival situation. The reason why is because it can repair virtually anything, from clothes to vehicles to shelter and so on. Seriously, why not just have an entire box filled with duct tape?

Engine Oil

Engine oil is easily one of the most overlooked survival items there is. After all, generators and vehicles need oil in order to work.

survival Items

Most survivalists are aware of the importance of stockpiling gasoline, but far fewer actually think about storing engine oil. You should definitely have several bottles of engine oil stored for each one of your vehicles, including any motorcycles, snowmobiles, or ATV’s that you have as well.

Garbage Bags

You’ll never truly know how useful garbage bags are until you find yourself using them in a survival situation. They can serve a number of useful survival functions, including the following:

– Waste Disposal (obviously)
– Shelter Against Rain, Wind, and Sun
– Emergency Poncho (cut two holes in the side and one in the top for your head)
– Signaling Device (if brightly colored)
– Rain Catchment System
– Bedding (stuff with grass and leaves)
– Ground Cover
– Bandage (cut into strips)
– Blanket
– Food or Water Container
– Patch Leaks In Your Home
– Shower (fill with water and puncture holes in bottom)
– Stretcher (makeshift)
– Emergency Toilet

Maps

In the modern day world we live in, we have become so accustomed to maps on smartphones and GPS that fewer and fewer people are buying paper maps. This is a big mistake. For one thing, you may not even be able to use your GPS or phone in certain disaster scenarios (such as an EMP attack). This is why it’s very wise to have paper maps in your possession as well.

survival Items

Not only is it smart to have maps of the entire country, but you also want to have detailed maps of your specific state and your local areas as well. It’s also generally recommended that you invest in maps that are good quality (such as ones that are laminated) to protect against moisture and normal wear-and-tear.

Pen and Paper

Pen and paper are easily one of the most important forgotten survival items on the planet. A simple notebook and writing utensil belongs in any bug out bag or survival kit. You never know when you may need to write down contact information, instructions, a map, or even just a record of what has happened in the disaster.

The good news here is that pens and paper are incredibly cheap; you can purchase entire notebooks for only a few cents. Always store your paper at normal room temperatures and store it in a waterproof container to protect it against moisture.

Toilet Paper

Would you rather use traditional toilet paper or leaves that you pick up on the ground? Besides, toilet paper is bound to become one of the most in-demand trading commodities in a post-disaster world, which makes it invaluable to have for bartering purposes.

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Wood

Seriously, wood? Wood is all around us, so why is it an overlooked survival item? The reason why is because wood is essential for burning fires, and you may need to build a fire to cook food and keep your family warm every day if the power grid goes down.

If you live in the city, are you really going to travel out into the woods each day or week to collect firewood? Since you know full well that the city streets are likely going to be very dangerous in a disaster, probably not. This is why collecting a stash of firewood in your backyard will be critical. But even if you do live out in the country, it will still be more convenient to have a pile of firewood than to go out and cut down your own.