You’re new to prepping and you’re ready to start stocking up on the essential survival items every new prepper needs.
Whether you were motivated by world events, personal tragedy, or just your own desire to be prepared: being a prepper is always a good decision.
And in this article, we’re going to introduce you to 29 survival items that new preppers should invest in.
These tools will get your prepping journey started the right way and help you to get ready for whatever comes your way!
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Firstly.
Prepping is a lifelong journey of learning and preparation for the ‘what if’.
You aren’t going to fill a bunker with beef jerky and be done with it. No. You are starting out on a journey of lifelong preparedness, and you’ll keep learning and adapting along the way.
Secondly.
You don’t have to buy everything at once. When new preppers get started on this journey, they are often overzealous (I know I was)!
But don’t allow your prepper zeal to send you into debt or despair. That isn’t what being a good prepper is about!
Focus on essential investments. Look for deals if you’re on a budget. And keep in mind that you don’t need to buy everything at once.
SURVIVAL ITEMS EVERY NEW PREPPER NEEDS
Keep in mind that these items aren’t necessarily listed by level of importance. They are all important and every new prepper should have these things on hand!
1. FIRE STARTER
Every prepper should have at least two ways to start a fire in the case of an emergency.
Invest in a few of the options below and make sure you have fire starters in your home and your vehicles:
Waterproof lighters
Matches with waterproof case
Firestarter
If you’re on a tight budget, start with a basic package of lighters like this one.
2. TWO WEEKS OF WATER
It’s best to stock up on water before disaster strikes.
And the more people and pets you have in your home, the more water you’re going to need.
Every new prepper needs to store at least one gallon of water per person, per day, for two weeks. If you have two family members in your home, you will want to stock up about 28 gallons of water.
It’s okay to start small: if you’re a new prepper, start by buying an extra gallon or an extra case of water every time you go grocery shopping.
3. WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS
Since we’re talking about survival items every new prepper needs, we have to address the possibility that you won’t have access to clean water at some point.
This is where your water purification options come into play.
Every prepper should have water purification tablets like these and a water filtering straw like this.
It is especially important to carry water purifying tablets and a water filtering straw in your bug out bag (your emergency go-bag).
Since your bug out bag can’t carry the weight of all that water you need to be drinking, it’s essential to have a way to purify whatever water you can find.
4. FOOD FOR TWO WEEKS
The general rule of beginner prepping: store up at least two weeks worth of supplies in your home and 72 hours worth of supplies in your go bag.
NPP PRO TIP: Stock up on shelf-stable foods that your family actually enjoys!
Don’t stock up on crappy nonperishables that your family won’t eat. That will most likely lead to wasted money expiring in your storage shed or emergency kit.
Instead, stock up on pantry foods that your family likes. This way, you can circulate through them as you update your emergency food supplies every 3-6 months.
Stock up on two weeks worth of nonperishables that your family enjoys eating.
Some ideas:
Crackers
Peanut butter
Tuna
Beef jerky
Canned veggies
Canned fruits
Dried fruits
Pasta sauces
Dried beans
Rice
Noodles
5. A CAN OPENER
Ideally, you’ll be able to find canned foods that have a pop-top, but don’t take any chances.
Make sure you have an extra can opener in your emergency supplies.
6. MULTI TOOL
A multi-tool is essentially one small tool that can perform many functions.
This popular multi tool has all of these functions:
Can Opener
Knife Edge
Slotted/Flathead Screwdriver
Ruler
Bottle Cap Opener
4-Position Wrench
Wingnut Wrench
Saw Blade
Direction Ancillary Indicator
2-Position Wrench
The best part? This multi-tool fits in your wallet!
You might also choose a multi-tool pocket knife like this one, which also functions as a screw driver, wire cutters, can opener, and more.
7. EXTRA CASH
When we think of prepping and survival, we often go straight to zombie apocalypse-type situations.
But more often than not, being a good prepper involves being prepared for small setbacks, unforeseen occurrences, power outages, or government shutdowns.
If the banks shut down, or even if the power goes out, you need to make sure that you have some extra cash on hand.
If you are brand new to prepping, it’s okay to start small.
Smart small. Put aside $20 from every paycheck or start saving up your change.
Just make sure that you are committed to keeping some cash in your home and vehicle in case of an emergency.
8. CAMP STOVE
If the electricity is out and your home suddenly becomes an unexpected camp-out, you’re going to want a camp stove that allows you to do some cooking.
This affordable Coleman camp stove comes with a fuel tank, which saves you the hassle of finding a fuel tank on your own.
Regardless of the camp stove you choose, just make sure that your prep supplies include some way of cooking food.
Other affordable options:
- GasOne Emergency Gear Camping Mini Butane Portable Gas Stove with Carrying Case
- Outbound Two Burner Gas Camping Stove
9. AXE
You might need to chop wood for a fire, and having a reliable axe is important.
Our top pick is the Zombinator by Survival Frog. This small, handheld axe has an attached paratinder cord so that you can start fires easily.
When it comes to preparedness though, any wood-chopping axe is better than none.
10. GOOD KNIFE
A good knife will come in handy for all sorts of important survival and safety situations.
Whether you’re cutting string/rope, making makeshift tents, prepping food, cleaning fresh-caught fish, protecting yourself, or anything else that requires a sharp edge…. A good knife is essential.
A small tactical knife like this one and a large machete are both good items to have on hand.
Don’t skimp on the knife though, it’s worth investing in a quality tactical knife.
11. TENT
A tent can quickly become a necessity in the face of an emergency, so make sure you have one on hand.
This 6-person Coleman tent is sturdy, weatherproof, and easy to assemble. One person can assemble the tent on their own in less than a minute.
A small lightweight one-person tent is a great alternative if you’re a single prepper.
12. MYLAR BLANKETS
Emergency mylar blankets are one of the most affordable survival items every new prepper needs.
Although we hope we won’t have to use them, these emergency blankets retain 90% of body heat and keep out the cold, rain, snow, and moisture.
Buy a multi-pack of Mylar blankets from Amazon right here >>>
13. FLASHLIGHT
If you’ve ever been outside at night in a place with no street lights, you probably understand just HOW DARK it really gets out there at night.
Even if you have emergency candles, someone might have to separate from the group at some point, and they need to have their own light source that can move around with them.
If someone has to go on a supply run or even on a bathroom break away from the house or camp site, they’re going to need a flashlight.
Make sure you have:
Tactical Flashlights
Headlamps
Headlamps are especially great for lighting the way for a group. You just need one person in the back and one person in the front with a lamp, and the rest of the group will have a light pathway!
14. CANDLES/LANTERNS
It’s also a good idea to have some emergency candles and lanterns.
We prefer bright mini-lanterns like these, since there is less risk of fires.
Grab a pack of four so you can have one in the bathroom, common area, bedroom, and one for supply runs.
15. BATTERIES
This one might sound like a no-brainer, but make sure you take inventory of your supplies and keep extra batteries for each resource.
Nothing worse than needing double A’s and only having triple A’s in the emergency kit!
Most common battery types:
Double AA >>> Buy on Amazon.
Triple AAA >>> Buy on Amazon.
D Cell Battery >>> Buy on Amazon.
16. SOLAR CHARGER
Make sure you have a portable solar charger on hand as well. That way, you can charge any of your electronic devices, even if the power is out.
We recommend using this affordable Renogy portable solar charger for your survival kit.
17. FIRST AID KIT
Everyone needs to have a first aid kit in their home and car, whether you’re a prepper/survivalist or not. But about half of Americans don’t even have these basic first aid supplies for the case of an emergency.
Make sure you don’t fall into that statistic.
Your first aid kit does not need to be extensive or expensive.
It just needs to be stocked up with absolute essentials for First Aid emergencies. You can buy a pre-made First Aid kit like this one or you can stock up your own.
If you choose to build your own, make sure you have these essentials (and any prescriptions you and your family might need):
Bandaids in various sizes
Gauze pads
Cloth tape
Antibiotic ointment
Burn cream
Anti-itch cream
Benadryl
Painkillers
Peroxide spray
Instant cold compress
Non-latex gloves
Thermometer
Tweezers
Soap and water wipes
Super Glue
18. BUG OUT BAGS
All new preppers needs to pack a bug-out-bag in case of an emergency.
You can find the full list of bug-out bag essentials right here.
These bags are similar to emergency kits, but they are smaller backpacks that hold your survival essentials for up to 72 hours on the go.
19. SURVIVAL BOOKS
Knowledge is power when it comes to prepping.
Even the best emergency kit in the world might not prepare you for survival in certain disaster situations. And if the grid is down, you can kiss search engines (all online information) goodbye.
It’s important to build your ‘survival smarts’ just in case you are in a unique situation that you didn’t plan for.
A few good books worth reading:
– How to Stay Alive in the Woods
– SAS Survival Handbook
– The Survival Medicine Handbook
– The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide
Even if you aren’t into reading survival books right now, make sure you have a few on hand just in case internet goes down for any period of time.
20. HAND CRANK RADIO
Sounds like an ancient tool that no one will ever use, right? But a hand crank radio can come in handy in an emergency situation.
This hand crank radio is a wind up emergency AM/FM/SW/NOAA weather alert radio with a built in flashlight, a reading lamp and a cellphone charger.
21. PEPPER SPRAY
An essential for every self-defense supply list. Pepper spray can protect you from wild animals, intruders, attackers, and more.
You need a pepper spray can in your home, your car, and ideally, on your keychain.
You can get a 7-pack bundle of small pepper spray cans right here.
22. WHISTLE
Get a whistle. Keep it in your emergency pack. Never know when you might need it!
23. WALKIE-TALKIE
A walkie-talkie, or two-way radio is an essential communication tool for your group in the face of an emergency.
You’ll need to be able to communicate with the rest of the group if you break up into pairs, head out for supplies, or need to talk to someone at a distance.
Get a simple set of walkie-talkies like this one on Amazon.
24. TOILETRIES
Basic toiletries are an essential for your prepper needs, for obvious reasons.
But it’s more than just toilet paper.
Oral hygiene is important in all scenarios, but even more so when you can’t go to a dentist to help with your tooth ache or an abscess.
Some toiletries/hygiene essentials peppers should have on hand (adjust for family needs):
Toilet paper
Baby wipes
Soap
Hand sanitizer
Shampoo/Conditioner
Razors
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Toothpicks
Deodorant
Peroxide
Clove oil (for toothaches)
Feminine hygiene products
Lip balm
25. TRASH BAGS
Large black sturdy trash bags. They can double as ponchos, make-shift tents, storage bags to keep clothes/goods dry, or disposable waste storage for make-shift toilets… Believe me, you want to have one of these!
26. 5-GALLON BUCKETS
Speaking of make-shift toilets….
If there is no running water or plumbing, you can make a decent make-shift toilet out of a 5-gallon bucket and a trash bag.
5-gallon buckets can also be used for food and water storage, make-shift washing bins, and more.
If you choose to store food in buckets, make sure they are food grade buckets like these.
27. BASIC PPE
Personal protective equipment is an essential survival item for every prepper, new or seasoned.
At the very least, you should have:
A filtering facepiece respirator
Protective gloves
Ear plugs
28: GASOLINE
If there is any chance that you’ll need to fuel a generator or vehicle, having some extra gasoline on hand will be an essential.
Fill up a few no-spill 5-gallon gas cans with gasoline and store them safely.
NPP Pro Tip: Be sure to add this storage fuel stabilizer to your emergency fuel stock.
29. COOKING SUPPLIES
You don’t need a full suite of extra pots and pans right now. Just a small cast iron skillet and a spatula are a good start.
With the above supplies, you’ll be able to stay warm, feed your family, drink clean water, travel to necessary local locations, stay current on news and weather, and protect your family in the face of danger.
Of course, there are always more survival items we can think of and add to our lists, but this is your best starting point.
OTHER ESSENTIALS FOR NEW PREPPERS
Make sure you make adjustments and additions to this list as it applies to your family.
If you have pets, of course you’ll need to stock up some food, water, and potential medications for your pets. Having carriers and leashes would be a good idea as well.
If your family has unique medical needs or prescriptions, be sure to account for that as well.
Did we miss anything important on our beginner’s list of survival items every new prepper needs? Leave your suggestions in the comments so others can add these essentials to their lists too!