Emergencies come in different forms. Most people think of emergencies in terms of nuclear war and natural disasters.
But after 2020, we have learned that pandemics are a significant threat to our lives as well. If you do not want to fight people for food and supplies after an emergency strikes, then you should prepare ahead of time for one.
Below are the top nine essential items you should buy in case of an emergency or shortage.
1) Dog Food
Do you own any dogs? Preppers tend to overlook what their dogs need for survival in an emergency.
If you want your dog to stay healthy for weeks or months into an emergency, you need to have a significant supply of dog food available for them.
There is no sense in giving human food to your dogs because it is unhealthy for them to eat. Not only that, but it takes away from your food supply too. Dog food is made with balanced nutrients to sustain the health of your dog.
2) Water
Water is the most important resource you can store for an emergency because human beings cannot survive without it.
We recommend you store purified water in five-gallon storage containers. Do not purchase bottled water because it will cost you more money in the long run.
Look for a water supplier in your location. They can fill your storage containers with purified water.
It is best to keep at least 10 to 20 gallons of water, depending on what kind of emergency you think could strike in the future.
3) Batteries
Batteries come in very handy during an emergency. Think about all the essential mobile gadgets and devices that require batteries to function.
You will need batteries for your radio, flashlight, and smartphone. Each device requires a different type of battery, so make sure you stock up on the right batteries.
Pay attention to the expiration dates on the batteries as well. If you have not used your batteries in five or more years, you should replace them with new ones.
4) Canned Food
Canned food is critically essential for storage. When you have an emergency where all your local grocery stores are shut down or out of food, you will be in a terrible situation.
If you have canned food in storage, you can rely on that to survive until the grocery stores are stocked with food again.
The best canned food to purchase is salt-free black beans. They are the healthiest and most nutrient-dense food that comes in a can.
5) Manual Can Opener
Do not forget that you will need a can opener to open your canned food. Since an emergency will likely deprive you of electricity, you will need a manual can opener to open your canned food.
6) First Aid Kit
A first aid kit contains basic medical supplies to treat minor cuts, wounds, and infections. The typical supplies in a first aid kit include band-aids, bandages, antibiotics, surgical tape, wound gauze roll, pain killers, Vaseline, and hydrogen peroxide.
7) Multivitamins
It will be difficult for you to get a well-balanced meal during an emergency. Canned food is nice to have, but it does not give you all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.
For this reason, it is a good idea to store multivitamins. One multivitamin per day can keep your immune system healthy as you wait for the emergency to end.
8) Lighters
When you do not have electricity to produce heat for your comfort or cooking needs, you will need to make a fire.
That will require a lighter and some wood. You can easily find the wood outside, so stack up on lighters. They might be the only thing that keeps you alive in cold weather.
9) Survival Knife
A survival knife can come in handy in many different ways. It can be used to cut wood, skin animals, and defend yourself against people or animals.
No one wants to think about ending up in these kinds of circumstances, but you never know what an emergency will force you to do.