AKA; Survival Gear Sale

Prepping doesn’t have to cost a lot of money if you know how to look for bargains. Garage sales and yard sales are great places to scoop up cheap survival items you might need for an emergency. The old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure certainly applies here.

Many people holding garage sales don’t know the true value of what they’re selling, or they simply don’t see items for how useful they are and end up selling them for next to nothing. When yard sale season is here, get out there and start hunting down the things you need.

Make a list and take it with you. Don’t assume you will remember because there are quite a few prepper items to look for. Here is a shortlist of them…

1. Cast Iron Cookware

This stuff tends to be pretty pricey when buying brand new, but you can get it for about half the price at a garage sale. Cast iron pans are exactly what you need for cooking over an open fire, which is going to take the place of your kitchen stove when the power is out.

Keep in mind that if you buy used cast iron cookware, it will probably be very old and in need of restoration and seasoning. Which is not hard to do and can make it like new.

2. Camping Gear

Anything that has to do with camping, i.e. cookstoves, tents, lanterns, sleeping bags, and so on can all be major assets to your emergency stash. When the power is out or you are forced to bug out, camping will be the way of life and any gear you can bring along will make life easier.

3. Winter Clothing

Old flannel shirts, coats, gloves, and hats are very inexpensive at garage sales. Stock up on these things when you can. Buy several in varying sizes, especially if you have children that are going to be growing like weeds.

Having plenty of coats ensures you will always have something dry to put on if you have to go out and chop wood, hunt, or look for water.

4. Gardening Tools

Buy extra hoes, rakes, shovels, and other gardening equipment. Your prepper garden will need tending and you will likely not have gasoline to run your equipment.

These tools tend to break after time so you want to have backups. You also want to have plenty of tools so more than one person can tackle a big job at the same time.

5. Tools

After a major storm, you will need to take care of any repairs around your house. You may even need to build a shelter. Pick up extra screws, nails, hammers, wrenches, axes, screwdrivers, and so on.

Keep in mind that you can never have too many tools. If you have six hammers, you could always use one to barter with to get something else you need.

You can also find a list of the ones I consider necessity here at Powerless Tools For When There Is No Power.

6. Manual Kitchen Tools

Visit garage sales where older people have lived. You are sure to find old hand grinders and a variety of other hand kitchen tools that will come in handy when you don’t have electricity. Look for can openers, meat grinders, graters, manual hand mixers, and so forth.

7. Medical Supplies

Garage sales that are held following someone passing away who had a long illness are great places to find unused medical supplies. You can often find crutches, splints, slings, and bandages that are all unopened.

Look for boxes of gloves, face masks, and unopened packages of alcohol wipes and syringes. People will typically sell these items for very cheap just to get rid of the evidence of a loved one’s illness and passing.

8. Canning Supplies

There are plenty of people who don’t want grandma’s old canning jars, canner, and all the tools that go with it. Home preservation is something preppers need to do in order to store up enough food to last them for several months. Jars can also be used to store water.

9. Hunting Gear

When there are no grocery stores, you may have to hunt for your food. Buying new hunting gear at a big box store can be very expensive.

10. Bug Out Bag Gear

You are sure to find things like lighters, matches, rain ponchos, knives, and other things you can put into your bug-out bag. You could also look for small tarps and even backpacks that can be used to make a bug-out bag.

If you are unsure about building a bug-out bag go to this link, Build a Bug Out Bag.

11. Storage Buckets

Storage buckets of varying sizes are among the most useful items a prepper can have. They can be used for storing literally anything (food, water, coffee, flour, herbs, soil, etc.) while keeping them protected from the elements. You’re also likely to spend significantly less money per bucket when you go through a garage sale as well.

12. Sewing Supplies

While stocking up on spare clothing is essential, just as critical is purchasing sewing supplies so you can repair clothing, blankets, towels, and anything else made out of fabric. Look for old sewing machines in good condition, needles, canvas, fabric, and so on.

Remember, when disaster strikes, your clothing will inevitably become torn and dirty, and there won’t be any resupply from online or physical department stores. Learning how to repair your clothing, and having the necessary supplies to do so is not something to overlook.

13. Quality Knives

It’s no secret that quality knives can be very expensive. But again, it’s possible to find quality blades for discounted prices when you go to garage sales. Even if the blades have become rather dull (hence why people may be selling them), you can still easily sharpen them yourself if you know or learn how to do so.

In addition to knives, look for machetes, axes, hatchets, tomahawks, scythes, and other bladed weapons to add to your stockpile.

Survival Gear Sales

Just another way to look at a garage sale. There are so many things out there one could acquire dirt cheap. Just remember to make a plan, develop a list, and organize your storage so you are ready before you have to be.

If you need some guidance you can get the free guide by filling out the form in the sidebar or go here.

And always remember, you must have water!

Thanks,

Chad