Gathering survival supplies is more than just stockpiling food, and the grocery store has plenty of items you need in your stockpile. You’re preparing for anything, and while food and water are essential, you also need first aid supplies, candles, batteries, and other bartering items.
I went through my local grocery store and came up with a few essential survival supplies you can get while doing your regular shopping. If you have a local Walmart, you’ll have all of these or more, but most grocery stores sell these as well.
Let’s take a look at the best survival supplies to look for in the grocery store. You might be surprised that a few of these play a part in survival.
1. Aluminum Foil
Have you ever noticed your grandparents saving aluminum foil? During the Great Depression, this was a huge commodity. It works for meal storage, temporary matches, fishing lures, reflective strips, and even mirrors.
2. Baby Wipes
Most people think of baby wipes only for infants, but they’re great for cleaning, wiping hands and faces, and random tasks. Plus, if you have an infant, you need thousands of baby wipes.
3. Batteries
Batteries are useful for flashlights, radios, and tons of other things. If possible, consider buying batteries in bulk because it’s much more affordable.
4. Blankets
At my local grocery store, I see blankets all the time. Staying warm is essential, so make sure each person in your house has several blankets. These also make great barter items!
5. Bleach
Bleach is a must-have item in all survival stockpiles. Not only can you use bleach for cleaning, but it also helps filter and clean water in an emergency situation.
6. Body Soaps
I prefer to stockpile bars of soap because they’re cheaper than the bottles and store well. They’re also smaller and slip into your bug-out bag. Grab a few packs of body soaps.
7. Borax
If you need to clean clothes, borax is a great natural laundry detergent. It’s not ideal to use all the time and by itself, but in an emergency situation, it works.
8. Cable Ties
Sometimes called zip ties, cable ties are another inexpensive survival supply that you can find at most grocery stores. These will tie your shoes, attach items to your backpack, close gates, and so many other ideas.
9. Can Openers
If the electricity goes out and you need to open cans of soup, you need manual can openers. Having several openers make great barter items.
10. Candles
Learning how to make your own candles is a great DIY project, but most grocery stores sell inexpensive candles. These are a great prep item for electricity losses or even a grid problem.
11. Canning Jars
Most grocery stores sell cases of canning jars. You can never have enough canning jars. They help store water, food, and drinking, along with food preservation.
12. Canning Lids
Canning lids aren’t reusable, so if you can food, you have to replace the lids each time. Boxes of canning lids are inexpensive; I buy some every time I go to the store.
13. Charcoal
If you need to cook on a grill, you need charcoal, or you can toss charcoal into a fire pit with a grate over the top for cooking.
14. Cleaning Gloves
If possible, invest in a thick pair of vinyl gloves. These are useful when treating wounds, cleaning, or sorting through debris. You don’t want to touch certain things during an emergency if you don’t have access to medical professionals if you develop an infection.
15. Coffee Filters
Coffee filters work as filters, funnels, and fire starters. They stack well and fit into backpacks or storage well.
16. Dental Kits
If you check the same aisle as the Orajel, you’ll find emergency dental kits. These are little kits that let you fill a tooth at home until you can get to a dentist.
17. Deodorant
Just because there is an emergency doesn’t mean we need to stink – right? Deodorant might not be life-saving, but when you’re living in close quarters with others, it makes a big difference.
18. Dish Soap
Dish soap is a must-have for more than just washing dishes. It’s a multi-purpose cleaner you can use for handwashing, cleaning surfaces, and even as an insect deterrent in a pinch.
19. Disinfectant
Cleanliness is important; you might not think that keeping your bathroom and kitchen clean is important, but it’s needed when you need to survive. The last thing you want is bacteria entering your food, getting everyone in your house sick.
20. Duct Tape
Honestly, is there anything that duct tape won’t fix? Duct tape is versatile and has many uses like fixing pipes, patching holes in a tarp, trail marking, making a DIY sling, and so many other ideas.
21. Eye Drops
Dry, irritated eyes can turn into a real issue in dusty, smoky, or windy conditions. A small bottle of eye drops takes up hardly any space and can make a big difference in comfort and visibility during an emergency.
22. Face Masks
We are so used to wearing face masks nowadays because of Covid, but they should be in your preps too. Pandemic preppers know a far worse virus could arise, so stockpile masks while you can.
23. Feminine Hygiene Products
During an emergency situation, cleanliness is vital. You might not have access to medical professionals, so you need to have plenty of feminine hygiene products. Grab extra pads and tampons for the females in your life.
24. First Aid Supplies
You can never have too many first aid supplies in your survival stockpile. Most grocery stores sell a wide variety of first aid supplies, giving you the perfect opportunity to stock up each time you get groceries.
Examples of some first aid supplies you should stockpile include:
25. Flashlights
Most grocery stores sell small flashlights, so grab as many as you want. Small flashlights fit well in backpacks and purses.
26. Hand Warmers
Those small packs that heat up in your gloves or boots are fantastic for winter prepping. They’re great to have in bug out bags or car kits when you need quick warmth without a fire.
27. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of those versatile items that everyone should have in their pantry. Not only does it have cleaning uses, but it also cleans out wounds and helps to get rid of bacteria that might cause an infection.
28. Ice Packs
Reusable gel ice packs are excellent for first aid, especially for sprains, bruises, or fevers. They’re compact, affordable, and good to keep in a freezer or bug-out bag with a small cooler.
29. Insect Repellent
Bug bites can lead to infections or even serious diseases, depending on where you live. Most grocery stores carry insect repellent sprays, lotions, or wipes. In a survival situation, especially if you’re outdoors or without screens, keeping bugs off your skin helps you stay healthy and comfortable.
30. Lighter Fluid
Lighter fluid makes starting a fire a lot easier. You have to be careful with this, but if you need to start a fire quickly, make sure you have some lighter fluid in your survival supplies.
31. Lighters
Having tons of lighters is a no-brainer when it comes to survival supplies. Fire is listed as one of the most important discoveries ever because it changed our world and humanity. Without fire, you won’t stay warm on cold nights, nor can you cook food.
Yes, learning how to start a fire without a lighter is a great skill – you should practice it – but having an enormous stockpile of lighters is also a great idea.
32. Matches
Matches are even cheaper than lighters, so you can buy large boxes to store with your stockpiles. Boxes of matches are stackable and take up little room in your pantry or emergency supplies.
33. Medications
Pain relievers aren’t the only medication that you need to have on hand for an emergency. You never know what situations might arise. Here are some things to grab at the grocery store:
34. Nail Polish Remover (Acetone)
This might seem random, but nail polish remover with acetone is flammable and works as a fire starter. It also has cleaning and adhesive-removal properties. Just use it safely.
35. Notebooks and Pens
Communication and record-keeping are often overlooked in prepping. A notebook and pen can be used for notes, mapping routes, tracking supplies, or leaving messages. Keep them dry and stored safely.
36. Orajel
Nothing feels worse than a toothache. While good dental hygiene and maintenance are a vital part of prepping, toothaches come out of nowhere. Make sure you have a few tubes of Orajel on hand.
37. Pain Relievers
Fewer medications are as crucial as pain relievers. While you don’t have access to prescription pain medications to stockpile, you should have plenty of over-the-counter medicines on hand. You should stockpile:
38. Paper Towels
You can use paper towels for cleaning spills, wiping hands, filtering water, or even as makeshift napkins and tissues. In a survival situation, anything disposable that helps with sanitation is valuable.
39. Petroleum Jelly
You might not think of petroleum jelly as a survival supply, but it has tons of uses including as a lubricant, wound barrier, fire starter (when used with cotton balls), and even lip balm.
40. Reading Glasses
If you or someone in your household needs reading glasses, having extras is a must. Without them, it’s hard to read labels, fix small gear, or even tend to wounds. And if you know how, you can use them to start a fire. Most grocery stores have cheap ones in various strengths.
41. Reading Lights or Clip-On Book Lights
These tiny LED lights often show up near the book or stationery aisles. They’re perfect for reading maps, signaling, or working at night without lighting up a whole room. They run on small batteries and are a quiet prepper’s best friend.
42. Rubber Gloves
Rubber gloves are great for handling waste, cleaning up messes, or protecting your hands when dealing with unknown substances. I keep several pairs in each bug out bag and under the kitchen sink.
43. Safety Pins
Safety pins are small but mighty. They work for first aid, fixing torn clothes or gear, improvising fishing hooks, and many other things. They always come in handy.
44. Sewing Supplies
Whenever I’m at the grocery store or dollar store, I see sewing supplies. I suggest that everyone has sewing supplies in their preps. Not only are these useful for mending situations, but sewing supplies might be a bartering item as well.
45. Super Glue
Like duct tape and cable ties, super glue is essential for your stockpile. Whether you need to superglue glasses or wood, you can use this.
46. Toilet Paper
You don’t need to stockpile toilet paper as we saw during the start of the pandemic, but it’s one of those items we take for granted until we no longer have it. We saw the panic first hand – people began searching everywhere for packs of toilet paper, and the store began to limit the number you could purchase.
47. Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
You never can be too cautious when it comes to dental hygiene. A tooth infection will kill you, and if SHTF, you might not have access to medical professionals or dentists. Keep your mouth clean!
48. Trash Bags
From protecting items to tossing out nasty waste, trash bags are a must-have item in your preps. They’re not just for garbage. You can use them as emergency ponchos, ground cover, waterproofing for gear, makeshift toilets with a bucket, and many other things.
49. Vitamins
Vitamins should be a regular part of your life; it’s hard to take in all of the vitamins needed through diet alone. In an emergency, when access to food might be limited, vitamins keep your body healthy. They don’t provide calories, but they make sure your body has the vitamins needed for proper functions.
50. Ziploc Bags
Having different-sized Ziploc bags on hand is excellent for storage, organization, and even bartering. They keep items dry, gear organized, and can hold everything from matches to medical supplies. You can use them to ration food, protect electronics, create small waterproof kits. and much more.
Final Thoughts
Next time you go to the store, look for the items above. You might be surprised by the different survival supplies to look for in the grocery store; it’s time to grow your stockpile beyond food!
You May Also Like:
Read the full article here
