you guys have been talking about things to have

if things go south on us. I found this list of 26 things to have around should that happen. Some of this is a list I found on the internet, the rest I have added to it. Some sound silly, but... also there are dozens of other things I could add to this list but these are a starter.

1. portable radio, especially one with NOAH radio for the weather.

2.seeds..for planting for future food

3.warm clothes and blankets

4.bar-b-q tongs. I wouldn't have thought about this but if there is no electricity and you end up cooking on a grill the tongs could come in handy

5.personal hygiene...especially for the ladies and small kids and you big macho men tend to stink after a couple of days.

6.trash bags...if things go south the garbage pick up trucks probably won't be running. Think about how much trash you end up with in a month..

7.water filters....for under your sink or small manual filters

8.bottled water..stock up. It doesn't go bad.

9.para cord or rope..endless uses

10. cash and coins...although in a really bad situation paper money might serve better as toilet paper. Things would probably be more in a barter situation. Gold or silver coins would tend to be worth more.

11.solar charger...we sold a lot of these small chargers a while back and they work.

12. duct tape..many uses for this. A must to have around.

13.swiss Army knife...like the tape above, lots of uses for this

14.12" adjustable wrench...again many uses for this one.

15.a camp ax or hatchet plus a larger ax for chopping wood.

16.flashlight and batteries.try to get the rechargeable batteries. The solar charger above could recharge the batteries.

17. canned sardines...sounds strange but canned sardines last almost forever and are full of nutrients.Plus they stack well in a small space.

18.personal prescriptions...obvious for the older crowd.But even things like cold medicine or other normal things to have around.

19. canned food and a manual can opener. Even though they have a date on top of the can, they are still good well after that date. The date is "best if used by this date" not a "don't even think about using this if the date has passed" situation.

20. A small selection of tools for around the house or your vehicle.

21. stock up on toilet tissue and Kleenex. Paper towels too.

22. a selection of band aids and other items for small cuts or burns.Alcohol and iodine too. Q tips come in handy, especially with little kids.

23. one of the old fashioned coffee pots. One that you could sit on an open fire. Plus a supply of coffee grounds. Your electric coffee maker probably wouldn't work.

24. like the coffee pot a selection of pots and pans that could sit on an open fire. The cast iron skillets and pans are good but a bit expensive.

25. a good supply of matches, especially the long 10" matches.

26. Should you end up having to make a fire outside or in a wood cook stove a fire starter is necessary. When I do my bluing I use a lot of the brown paper towels like you see in service station rest rooms that I buy in bulk. The ones I use end up covered in oil. I set these aside as they make perfect fire starters. If you have a quart of oil handy you can pour a bit on the paper towels and they make starting a fire quick and easy.

If you have other ideas feel free to add to this list.

I have a personal list for guns and ammo that I will get to later.