When building your emergency stockpile, it’s important to avoid common prepping mistakes. Stocking up on the wrong items can waste precious time, money and space. As an experienced prepper told me, “An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of stockpiled junk.”
Here are 11 items you should avoid stockpiling when planning for survival situations:
1. Perishable Foods
Stockpiling fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat without proper preservation will inevitably lead to waste. These foods have a limited shelf life and will spoil quickly without refrigeration or other preservation methods like canning, dehydrating or freeze-drying.
Focus your stockpile on non-perishable foods with long shelf lives like canned goods, dried beans, grains, boxed baking mixes, powdered milk and freeze-dried meals. Properly stored, these foods can last for years.
2. Excess Luxury Items
While some comfort items are good for morale in a disaster scenario, avoid going overboard and stockpiling excess luxury items. Things like gourmet foods, expensive wines and spirits, fancy kitchen tools, and other non-essential indulgences should be limited. Focus first on stockpiling basic necessities and survival supplies.
Once your essentials are covered, you can allocate some space in your stockpile for a few special comfort items to help lift spirits if disaster strikes. But resist the urge to hoard expensive liquor and frivolous gadgets that take up precious storage space.
3. Disposable Products
Stockpiling large quantities of disposable paper plates, plastic cutlery, paper towels and other single-use products creates unnecessary waste and takes up space. Reusable options like cloth napkins, metal cutlery, and durable plastic plates and cups are much more practical and sustainable for the long haul.
Stock up on soap, sanitizer and cleaning supplies so you can wash and reuse dishes, utensils and rags repeatedly.
4. Excess Medications
It’s essential to have a reasonable supply of vital medications and medical supplies for existing health conditions. But avoid the temptation to stockpile excessive quantities of medications, especially ones you don’t actually need. This can be unsafe, lead to incorrect usage, and result in medications expiring and going to waste.
Consult with your doctor and healthcare providers to determine adequate stockpile amounts for your specific prescriptions and medical needs. Rotate stock to use older medications first and replace them before they expire.
5. Unfamiliar Tools & Gear
When building your stockpile, it’s best to stick with equipment and tools you already know how to use properly. An emergency scenario is not the time to start experimenting with unfamiliar gadgets or technology you’ve never used before.
Focus on supplies and gear like basic survival tools, radios, lanterns, and cookware that you’ve practiced and trained with, so you know how to operate them effectively when needed.
6. Bulky, Impractical Items
When stockpiling, be selective and opt for space-saving, multi-purpose items whenever possible. Avoid giant bulk products that serve only one purpose and take up precious storage area. For example, instead of cases of bulky bottled water, stockpile portable water filtration devices.
Look for small tools that serve multiple functions like compact shovels with built-in saws or emergency radios with flashlight and charging capabilities.
7. Items with Short Shelf Lives
When stockpiling, pay close attention to expiration dates, especially on items with shorter shelf lives like medications, certain batteries, toiletries, and cleaning products. Avoid accumulating large quantities of these items too far in advance.
Check expiration dates regularly and rotate stock to use up short-dated items first. Then replace them with fresh supply before they expire to keep your stockpile current.
8. Unused Survival Skills
Don’t stockpile specialized survival gear and equipment if you lack the knowledge and skills to actually use them properly. There’s no value in having an amateur radio transceiver on hand if you don’t know how to operate it when needed.
Take the time to educate and train yourself thoroughly on appropriate use of more complex gear like ham radios, solar generators, beekeeping equipment or trapping tools before acquiring them.
9. Pest-Attracting Foods
Grains, cereals, rice, dry beans and other stockpiled food items can attract pests like mice, rats, roaches and moths if not stored properly. Avoid contamination by keeping foods in airtight plastic bins, metal cans or food-grade storage buckets.
Use oxygen absorbers in containers to deprive insects of air. Monitor your stockpile for any signs of insects, rodents or spoilage.
10. Excessive Quantities
The urge to hoard can be strong when prepping, but resist overstocking more than you reasonably need. Take stock of your actual requirements and stockpile appropriate quantities for your household.
As a prepper, it’s also smart to consider sharing resources and collaborating with close neighbors. Your community can accomplish more together than each hoarding supplies separately.
11. Avoid Expensive Freeze-Dried Survival Food Buckets
Freeze-dried or dehydrated “survival food” buckets and kits are commonly marketed and sold online or in outdoor/prepper stores. These kits contain specialized dried foods or entrée options designed specifically for emergencies and long-term storage. While conveniently packaged, these kits come at a hefty price tag.
For a high-quality kit with a 30-day supply from a well-known survival food brand, expect to pay $200-$300 or more. The specialty freeze-dried ingredients in these kits also tend to be unfamiliar foods that many find unappetizing. So the expensive survival buckets often end up forgotten in basements only to expire and go to waste.
You’re better off using your stockpile budget on more affordable, shelf-stable staples you already regularly eat and enjoy. Foods like beans, rice, oats, peanut butter, canned meats and vegetables, bouillon cubes, and boxed crackers will provide nutrition and familiar comfort at a fraction of the cost. Augment with a supply of bottled water and a camp stove or propane cooker to prepare hot meals.
Unless you have ample extra funds and storage space, skip the overpriced freeze-dried kits. Load up on bulk basics you know your family will actually eat if disaster strikes. Those craving comfort foods will be grateful for the familiar, budget-friendly stockpile.
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Sources
This article was produced and syndicated by Viral Chatter.
- cnbc.com/2020/03/13/coronavirus-stockpiling-what-not-to-waste-money-on-pandemic-planner.html
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Martha A. Lavallie
Martha is a journalist with close to a decade of experience in uncovering and reporting on the most compelling stories of our time. Passionate about staying ahead of the curve, she specializes in shedding light on trending topics and captivating global narratives. Her insightful articles have garnered acclaim, making her a trusted voice in today's dynamic media landscape.
