Because of what had happened with the world over the last couple of years (Pandemic), the number of preppers had since doubled. I can't blame them though. Seeing empty shelves is not something that everyone was prepared to experience. Nowadays, people still have the same concerns adding the concern of shortages. Will empty shelves happen again? Will there be a complete food shortage? I do not know. No one knows. But being prepared is all that we can do with flexibility and a positive attitude is all we can do. I always tell friends who do not know where to start to think and plan ahead. What does your family eat regularly? Start with that. If you need a definite answer, start with water, rice, beans, salt, and sugar. Then expand from there. You will learn as you go. Speaking of learning, aside from food, there are several prepping items that are underrated and overlooked. Sometimes, we just don't realized we need something until we actually need it .  I have complied 20 prepping items that are valuable as well. It goes beyond stocking up on food. If you are a prepper and thought about something that I should have, feel free to let me know.
*Some of the items listed below are Amazon links. If you purchasing from my links, I get a small affiliate commission WITHOUT any extra costs from you.

1. CASTILE SOAP

It is great to stock up on hygiene, laundry, and cleaning soap/detergent. However, if you are on a budget and do not have a lot of space, Castile Soap is the one that you need to stock up on. Castile Soap has so many uses! From head to toe, cleaning the dishes, and laundry. In fact, when we tent camp we always have a bottle of castile soap. If you haven't heard of castile soap yet, just do a quick google search. You can even use Pinterest and search for uses of Castile Soap. 

2. ANTACID TABLETS

 More often, when preppers or new preppers put a medicine stock together they only think of first-aid kits such as antibiotic creams, pain relievers, bandages, and alcohol. Think about when it is time to consume your shelf-stable stocks. Some of your stocks may include food that can cause heartburn.

3. BOOKS

 I just started collecting books as one of our preps. When I say books it means books that contain knowledge of skills that can be very useful when an emergency situation happens. You can read more about prepper books here: Must-Have Books for Preppers. Think about gardening books, herbal medicine, foraging, and food preservation books. Remember that prepping is not just about acquiring physical goods but also acquiring knowledge.

4. SEEDS

 This is probably one of the best prepping items that you can start collecting or acquiring. There is no better way to prep than to plan your own self-sustainable life. Buy the seeds of fruits and vegetables that your family love to eat.  Even if you don't have a garden yet, seeds are priceless.

5. COOKWARE

  Cast iron cookware is not just great for your home but also for camping! Owning a cast iron may be a daunting thought for some. Just the idea of seasoning it and how to properly wash and take care of it may overwhelm a beginner. But I'm here to assure you that it is not as bad as what you think. Sure it needs to be seasoned but how hard it is really to make sure it is dry before putting it away and putting a layer of oil on your cast iron and letting it sit in the oven. Just a quick google search for a proper way of seasoning a cast iron pan will ease your concerns away. The more that you use a cast iron the more confident you will get. 

   Speaking of cookware, you also have to think about another alternative to cooking when the grid goes down. How about owning a camp stove?  I hope to own a wood-burning cookstove. There are a lot of options when it comes to outdoor cooking as well. Do your research and choose the best alternative to conventional cooking that suits your family.

6. BUCKETS

 There are different kinds of buckets that you can use with prepping. You can use regular 5-gallon buckets as storage and as a restroom alternative. There are plenty of DIY restroom tutorials online. Dry campers are very familiar with bucket toilets. When it comes to storage, make sure that you are using a food-grade bucket when storing food for both short-term and long-term storage.

7. MAPS

 When the grid goes down and our phones don't work, how will you navigate to your destination? Paper maps or road atlas can be purchased at any AAA office, bookstore, or online. Even if the grid doesn't go down, we just can't rely on our cellphones. There are just too many factors that contribute to our phones not working.

8. HOME MANAGEMENT/IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS BINDER

 If you are a new prepper one of the many terminologies that you will hear is the bug-out bag or emergency backpack. While it is important to have a bug-out bag or emergency backpack if you need to leave your house immediately, the contents are also imperative. One of the missed items that some forget is the copies of important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, insurance information, the latest bank statement, etc. 

9. FELS NAPTHA  BARS

I always have Fels Naptha Bars in my home. It is great for treating stains plus you can make your own homemade laundry soap. You don't have to keep expensive bottles of laundry detergent.  Need a recipe check here: Liquid Homemade Laundry Soap  and Homemade Laundry Soap (Powder Form)

10. BLEACH

Aside from making our white clothing free of stains and disinfecting purposes, bleach can also be used to treat our water. Especially during emergency situations where clean drinking water is not available, you can purify water with bleach.

Amount of Water: 1-quart          Amount of  Bleach: 4 drops 

Amount of Water: 1.75 gallons    Amount of  Bleach: 25 drops or ¼ tsp.

For more complete details, please read: How Much Bleach to Purify Water for Drinking?

11 FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Every house should have a fire extinguisher and most importantly every member of the family should know how to use it. Additionally, having a fire escape plan is also a must.  

12. EXTRA PAIR OF EYEGLASSES

I don't know about you but I have been wearing eyeglasses since I was in 6th grade. I think that having an extra pair is very important as a backup when your eyeglasses accidentally break. I am nearsighted so driving without it is not an option.

13. PLASTIC SHEETING

Plastic sheeting can be used for covering seals-windows and doors. It can also be used to collect rain (drums or buckets are ideal obviously) but in a pinch, plastic sheeting can do the job.

14. OLD FASHION LAMPS

Old-fashion lamps that use oil lamps can be found not just in stores but in thrift stores as well. Adding oil lamps into your black-out emergency stock along with your candles and flashlights is a great backup. 

15. GAMES/ENTERTAINMENT

This may not sound important but if you have to stay in especially with young children during any storms, having games to play will save your sanity. Having a type of entertainment will your mind busy as well from overthinking and worrying. 

16. VEHICLE ESCAPE TOOLS

My husband got me a multi-tool for the car that can be used as a knife and also a means to smash the car window during an emergency situation. You can find this at Big 5 Sporting Goods or any sporting goods/camping stores.

17. WHISTLE

This may also not sound as important but think about a situation where you have to be located. There may not be other means to locate you in an emergency situation but a whistle is so helpful in making those loud noises for you. It is an excellent tool to grab attention.

18. SOLAR POWER CHARGER

 We have just recently purchased a solar-powered cellphone charger. We are loving it so far during our hiking trips and camping trips as well. I love that when we hike, we just simply clip it to our backpacks so it can continue to charge or leave it out on our picnic table the rest of the day while camping. Being able to charge your phone is so important not just for when the power goes down but a compact solar power charger can save your life so you can make emergency calls.

19. PROPANE

I have mentioned above that owning another means of cooking your food (like owning a camping stove) is important for when the power goes out. I always keep a can or two of camping propane tanks. 

20. GENERATOR

This is still on our must-have list. Generators are very expensive! But I think that it is very essential for preppers. Even if you do have a whole lot of stocks inside your fridge and freezer, if the power goes out... that food will do you no good if you end up throwing them away. There are different kinds of generators and I highly encourage you to do your own research in choosing the best kind of generator that will suit your family's needs.