12 Uncommon Prepper Supplies You Need

There are many of prepper supplies that you know you need and that you probably already have. But there are some important items that you are probably missing. It took me a long time in my years of prepping to realize their value and I see new – and even experienced – preppers not considering these supplies.
In today’s video we are going beyond beans, bullets, and bandages to explore some of the more… under-appreciated – overlooked – uncommon supplies that every prepper should have stocked.
Important to note, these are items for a LONG-TERM collapse. I’m not going to cover anything that you need for a short-term power outage or natural disaster type of situation. I’m talking about items to stock for an extended crisis. An apocalypse. Doomsday.
Now I want to touch on what I’m NOT going to list as the most overlooked prepper supplies. I call these Common Uncommons. By that I mean, they’re items beyond beans, bullets, and bandages, but they’ve been covered enough times by others who say “don’t forget about this” that they’re now “common” uncommon items… if that makes sense.
There are what I consider to be 5 common uncommons.
The first is sanitary napkins, or menstrual pads. This has been discussed to death. Many men say to stock them because you can also use them for stopping bleeding from gunshot wounds and the like – something that has been widely debunked in the medical community I might add.
As for women, they already know they need to stock pads. In fact, there have even been books published on this topic. See Period Prepper if you want to learn more.
The second is board games or other means of entertainment. This has been discussed at length. But if you don’t have any form of entertainment that doesn’t include a game controller or handheld electronic device, get some now, get a deck of cards at a minimum.
You’ll be busy but you’ll also have down time, and you’ll need to keep the mental post-collapse demons at bay. You’ll only be able to clean that AR15 so many times.
Incidentally, see my list of the best survival board games if you want to keep with the theme.
The third is toilet paper. Years ago, when prepping was still fringe, everyone kept saying “don’t forget the TP.” If we learned anything from the COVID fallout is that you should stock toilet paper. Remember all the toilet paper memes? They were so good. Obviously, if it’s doomsday, eventually the TP will run out, but… there are ways around that.
The 4th common uncommon is condoms. STDs, birth control, filling them with water to throw at your buddies. Whatever. It’s been discussed in prepping circles as a “forgotten” item forever. A common uncommon.
Last thing not making the list is a can opener. If I had a dollar for every time a prepper advised “don’t forget a can opener” I’d trade all those dollars in for stacks of silver coins. We got it, stock a can opener.
Now imagine it’s a post-collapse world and you need to go raiding for supplies because failed to stock these uncommon prepper supplies. There is what appears to be an abandoned 12-unit apartment building that you can raid.
We’re now in the post-apocalyptic world and you’re going raiding into the apartment building. Inside unit #1 you find…
Aluminum foil. It can be used for much more than just wrapping leftovers from dinner.
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Using it carefully, and buying the heavy-duty stuff, you can sometimes use it repeatedly. Then, when it’s completely unusable, crinkle it up and use it to scrape your cooking grates clean, because you’ll be doing a lot of over-the-fire cooking after the apocalypse.
Bonus – what’s the shelf life of aluminum foil? Forever. Oh, and don’t forget tinfoil hats!
Inside unit #2 we have…
In a world forever changed, where once-plentiful resources are now scarce, nutrition becomes a prime concern. The vast supply chains, agriculture sectors, and food variety we once knew might be severely limited or nonexistent. Enter the importance of multi-vitamins in your stock of prepper supplies.
You can kill as many squirrels as you want, but are you going to get all of the nutritional needs you have from squirrel meat? No!
Scurvy anyone? It happens from a lack of vitamin C. It happened to people on the Mayflower. Learn from their mistakes.
Your mind is your most valuable asset in a collapse. Keep it sharp.
While the world around us might change, our bodies’ basic needs do not. Multi-vitamins, though small, encapsulate the essence of comprehensive nutrition, making them indispensable tools for long-term survival in a new world.”
Multi-vitamins typically have a two-year shelf life. Rotate stock.
Inside unit #3…
Most people hate getting socks for Christmas. After the apocalypse, everyone will love getting socks.
Look at history to understand the importance of a dry pair of socks.
Socks, by the way, are also a hot item in homeless shelters. Hikers love warm socks, hunters love them, and the homeless.
This doesn’t have to be wasted money buying extra socks. Assuming your feet are done growing, you can just buy extra socks and “sock” them away. When the socks you’re wearing now have reached the end of their life, just grab a stored pair and replace the one you took.
It’s called rotating sock. (Like that little play on words there?) Of course, after the apocalypse, when your socks have holes in them, you’ll need to do some mending, which brings me to the supplies behind unit #4…
Is grandma going to be around to mend your clothes well into the collapse. Probably not.
Today, where fast fashion and disposable clothing have become the norm, the art of mending and sewing seems like a relic of the past. As we look to a potentially challenging future, the age-old sewing kit emerges once again as an indispensable tool.
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Live long enough after the apocalypse and fashion will re-emerge, post-apocalyptic fashion. In fact, this is already a thing today. See for example Nuclear Snail Studios, Cult of Chrome, Wasteland Warriors, and Molotov Mollies.
Of course, all of those clothes will get dirty over time, which means you’ll need…
While it might seem trivial when compared to food or shelter, history and common sense remind us that clothes washing supplies are more than just a nod to cleanliness; they’re a testament to health, morale, and societal structure.
You don’t have to limit yourself to a washboard either. There are many off-grid clothes cleaning products and supplies out there.
Of course, you’ll also need to wash those clothes with…
In the aftermath of a societal collapse, the most basic amenities can often hold the most profound value. Among these, bars of soap stand out not just for the comfort and cleanliness they provide but for their vital role in ensuring health, hygiene, and well-being.
Reflecting on history, during World War I and II, soldiers in the trenches were regularly reminded of the importance of foot hygiene, with soap being an invaluable commodity. In the wake of a societal collapse, the value and versatility of a humble bar of soap cannot be overstated. It stands as a beacon of cleanliness, health, and a touchstone of civilized living.
Let’s march into the next unit to scavenge…
Today it seems our every move is guided by the blue dot on a GPS screen. The significance of the age-old topographical map might seem antiquated. But in a post-apocalyptic scenario, where satellites might be silent and devices powerless, these detailed, physical maps are critical to navigating the wasteland.
Maps could also help you find your way to the public library, to access plenty of…
We’ve become accustomed to accessing any information with just a few clicks of a mouse or keyboard. We’ve grown dependent on the digital realm to answer our queries and guide our actions. But imagine a post-apocalyptic scenario where the internet, our global repository of knowledge, becomes inaccessible. Suddenly, those physical, tangible field guides and non-fiction books on our shelves aren’t just conveniences—they’re lifelines.
Physical books are EMP-proof. So stock up on plenty of prepper books.
They can also be used to teach you how to garden, when you’ll need to tap into those…
Heirloom seeds are not just tiny kernels of potential food post-collapse, but as the very foundation upon which post-apocalyptic societies can rebuild and sustain themselves.
A quick note about storing heirloom seeds.
Ensuring the viability of heirloom seeds over extended periods requires careful storage. Here’s how to safely store them for years:
Next up is a product I am lacking in my own preps…
Make your own bleach, bleach shelf life 6-12 months, chlorine tablets about 5 years, cheaper, lighter, more compact
Chlorine tablets, commonly associated with swimming pool maintenance, will be exceptionally valuable. Their capacity to be transformed into bleach offers a lifeline in a myriad of critical situations.
Now, as you progress through our post-apocalyptic apartment building, you hear raiders in the apartment next door. You need to take them out – quietly. Did you stock…
Shhhhh! In a drastically altered world where the hum of machinery and the hustle and bustle of modern life have faded, silence can be both a friend and a necessity. When it comes to procuring food, the advantage of silent hunting tools becomes evident, ensuring stealth, conservation of resources, and a minimized impact on the environment.
Examples of Silent Hunting Tools:
Last but not least, inside Unit 12 we have…
After the SPAM runs out you’ll be forced to cook whatever you can raise or scavenge, and you’ll be longing for comfort, taste, and a semblance of the life once known becomes palpable. It’s here that spices, often considered mere culinary luxuries in our present day, take on a profound significance.
If you have any doubt on the value of spices when they’re otherwise not readily available at the grocery store, just read up on the history of the spice trade. Spices are like flakes of culinary gold.
Storing Spices Long-Term:
To retain the potency and benefits of spices over extended periods, it’s essential to store them correctly.
Preppers often feel overwhelmed looking to complete their stock of prepper supplies. There is so much to sort through and so much to buy. Don’t get sidelined by the latest fancy, shiny objects, however. Look at your core needs after a long-term collapse. Use history as an example. Store some of these uncommon prepper supplies and you’ll be in a good position to withstand at least some of the dangers.