10 Non-Edibles for Your Emergency Stash
While not exactly edible, stocking up on these ten items will make everyday life more comfortable, whatever your emergency. 
- deodorant/anti-perspirant. Picture this. You’ve been in your bunker for three weeks. Sponge baths are a rare treat. Then you remember your stash of Secret anti-perspirant. Ahhhh….. instant morale booster, especially if shared.
- feminine products. Periods don’t stop for something trivial like a nuclear war. A six month’s stash of tampons, especially o.b., won’t take up much room, and will greatly improve your quality of life.
- small items for entertainment. Choose multi-use toys and games. Playing cards or Play-Dough, for example.
- Bar soap. In a pinch it can be used for shampoo and even laundry.
- Zip-Locs of all sizes. These can’t be beat for everything from a tooth for the Tooth Fairy to containing nuclear waste, aka dirty diapers.
- Rope for a clothesline and clothes pins. Air-dried laundry smells and feels so clean and crisp. It may become your preferred method of drying, even after the electricity comes on, and of course there’s the added benefit of being oh-so-Green!
- a pack of never-before-opened underwear for each family member. Enough said.
- battery-powered CD player & CDs. There’s just something about beautiful music for defusing tension and calming nerves.
- Tylenol PM. Seriously. Do you really want to be 100% conscious wrapped up in your silver emergency blanket, huddled in the back seat of your mini-van?
- Toilet paper. But you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you??
Preparing for natural disasters, nuclear war, complete societal breakdown, doesn’t mean we have to lose our sense of humor. In fact, your sense of humor should be #1 on this list! Don’t ever hunker down in your bunker without it!
© 2009, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
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Great List
If you have allergies, and/or the deoderant causes discomfort for
others ( in the bunker)
use baking soda instead. Use a salt shaker to dispense
the baking soda which also has multiple uses ie brushing teeth,
washing dishes, and clothes.
That’s a great suggestion, not just to include baking soda but any other item that has multiple uses. Thanks for visiting my blog!
)
Lisa
Really helpful info. LOVE the Tylenol PM! I’d probably also take along some Motrin. Handy for us ladies when that unwelcome aunt visits, and handy for hubbies who have to put up with us putting up with said aunt.
Sherri, I’m so glad you found my blog! Be sure to double check the expiration dates of any medication, and circle it with a Sharpie. If we’re going to be taking drugs, we want to make sure we get their full effect!
Lisa
Don’t forget a Tide bleach pen……no tellin’
how long you will have to wear the same set of clothes!
Debbie,
I don’t think a Tide pen ever crossed my mind, but you have a good point! Wearing the same clothes for even a couple of days in a row feels pretty icky. Add a few food and grease stains, and now your self-esteem is at rock bottom!
Most women want to look as good as possible no matter the circumstance. So, a stain remover pen is probably a good item to stockpile, and can you just imagine the barter potential??!
Seriously, a good friend of mine is already stockpiling Clairol Nice’n Easy #117, Natural Medium Golden Brown. Just in case.
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Lisa
For more then a day or three’s survival it would be wise to include ‘family planning’ as a consideration. When it gets dark and there is not tv or the internet people tend to find other ways of staying entertained. All other elements aside it would be nice to have your family planning done by you and the spouse not being bored for that week when the power goes out.
Great site and post. As much as I dislike buying a lot of Made In China goods, I admit I've been Dollar Store stashing lately. Packing away plenty of liquid soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol, bandages, bar soap… AND plenty of TP- I'm stashing big packs wherever I can.
No moviestar or natural or manmade disaster is going to convince me one square is ever enough!
Thanks again.
I know what you mean about Made in China!! It drives me crazy, too, but right now with so many of us wanting to stock up ASAP, those goods are often the cheapest out there.
Good luck with all your prepping, and here’s hoping for a bright future.
)
Lisa
I just found your site and I think it's great. I have a really long essential non-food list. But the one thing I wanted to add to yours was vitamins. On a good day my kids don't eat all there vitamins, let alone if the choices are limited. I like the family planning addition. I also think any prescription meds needed for the family need to be stockpiled as much as possible. Some doctors even work with you to do this depending of course on the medication.
Louise,
I'm glad you found my site, too! You are right about vitamins, and I actually have quite a few bottles stored. They have a limited shelf life, so it's important to keep track of your stock and rotate it. I would note that it's also worth your while to research which brands have the highest quality content.
Lisa
This is the first visit to your site. I am very impressed. I intend making this a site I visit alot. Very good info,Lots of ideas I have not thought of. Just wanted to say thanks. I'm from Texas. Lots of preppers here. I intend telling all my friends about this site.Keep up the good work!!!
You know, it's comments like yours' that make me feel like a million bucks! Thanks so much! My blog will have a completely new and gorgeous look in about two weeks, so keep checking back!
Lisa
Thank you,I will certainly check it out. Like I said this is a great site. I am fairly new to all of this. I only started my long term food storage a few months ago.I have made fairly good decisions,i believe. Its hard to get started when you need it all…lol.Your tips are invaluble to someone like me.
Magnesium fire starter. Can be used for longer than you're likely to use it, and under more conditions than most matches.
Good suggestion. Even Bear Grylls uses one when he's out in the wild. (My kids have recently become "Man vs. Wild" fans!)
After Ike hurricane we were w/out power for nearly two weeks. Despite having ALL laundry done before the storm, I found myself washing clothes in the tub.
I purchased the Wonder Wash and took it camping to Colorado this August. It really did work! Each evening we washed 3 – 4 (small) loads and hung them to dry. (2 adults and 2 boys) The team effort took us 30 + minutes each evening. The clothes weren't 100% clean, but close enough. I'm glad I own one now!!!
Disclaimer ~ The base is more "rickety" than I like, but my husband's a tinkerer. He's promised to build me a new stand if (or when) this one breaks.
Check out the Youtube demo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUVR2vjRJRo
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Wonde... is where I purchased it. It was less than $50.
(2 loads at the washateria use to cost me $10!)
Another thing to consider is diaper wipes.
When I mentioned them to my wife she commented that was all the troops had for bathing for the first year in the Sand Box. Don't know if that's true, but you can do almost the equivalent of a shower with a couple.
And of course they are designed to replace TP.
There are a few items you just cannot have too much of, and TP and baby wipes are two of them. I can't imagine having only baby wipes for bathing for a year, but in a severe water shortage, I'd be grateful. Thanks for visiting my blog!
Most baby wipes are NOT flushable, though. You can buy brands that are, but they are more costly. The ones they sell at Costco are good, AND they have small packs you can carry with you – or put in your BOB or car bag. Not all brands break down well in the septic tank, apparently, so that's something to be aware of. Cottonnelle brand flushable wipes do fine in ours, though, per our septic tank cleaner.
That's very good information, Liz. When I had babies around the house, I pretty much relied on the Costco brand but, then, didn't have a septic tank to worry about. As long as we're all stocking up, we might as well buy brands that are septic tank friendly.
Hi great web site.
Just my two cents for what it is worth. Disposable diapers cost big and a year's supply may take up more space than a small elephant. In the current economy maybe it is time to consider taking a step forward into the past? I'm talking about cloth diapers. Yes they stink and have to be washed. But after the initial out lay the cost detergent is much cheaper than disposables. To go with are baby safety diaper pins available today only at specialty baby shops, if you can find them and MHO plastic baby panties in graduated sizes. Leaks do happen.
The pluses are: less cost, less trash for landfills, less storage space needed.
The downside: more work, smell and less convenience.
I have friends who have used cloth diapers and survived! Until I have grandkids, hopefully many years from now since my kids are so young!, I'd be willing to give cloth diapers a try. The idea of paying for a few dozen diapers once, as opposed to many, many packages of disposables, is pretty tempting.