Having trouble finding essential everyday and emergency supplies, especially during shortages? Use this quick reference list and practical tips to help you source those items in short supply. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a global pandemic, knowing how to find what you need can make all the difference.
In this post
Have you ever noticed how, whenever a big storm is predicted, people start rushing to stores to clean them out of every food item and supply they have on the shelves? There’s a predictable list of things that disappear in emergencies. With this in mind, a group of Facebook readers was asked to submit their own lists of the most important things for stocking up and what they’ve seen fly off store shelves when a storm or other emergency is on its way. Here is that compiled list of their responses.
Items that Disappear First
Foods
- Bread
- Butter
- Cereal
- Coffee
- Eggs
- Flour
- Fruit, canned and fresh
- Honey
- Meats, canned
- Milk
- Peanut butter
- Pet food
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetables, canned and root vegetables
- Water
- Yeast
Sources of power & light
- Batteries
- Candles
- Charcoal
- Coolers
- Flashlights
- Gasoline
- Generators
- Glow sticks
- Ice
- Lamp oil and oil lanterns
- Lighter fluid
- Matches
- Propane, propane stoves
Fun & Diversions
- Alcohol, drinking
- Beer
- Cigarettes
- Condoms
- Candies and other sweets
First Aid & Medicines
- Alcohol, rubbing
- Antiseptic
- Aspirin/pain relievers
- Cold medicine (This post has recipes for three DIY natural cold and flu remedies.)
- First aid kits
Hygiene Supplies that Quickly Disappear
- Feminine hygiene products
- Paper plates/napkins
- Shampoo
- Soap (Learn how to make basic soap.)
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitizer
- Bleach
Baby Supplies
- Baby food/formula (Read this post for what to do when baby formula and food are scarce.)
- Diapers
Supplies for Improvising Shelters and Repairs
- Duct tape
- Plastic bags
- Plywood
- Radios
- Rope
How to Use This List
Don’t just read this list and forget about it. Take action now! Compare it to your current emergency supplies and identify any gaps. Remember, this is just a starting point – there are countless other items that can disappear during emergencies.
Think back to the COVID-19 pandemic. What items were difficult to find that aren’t on this list? Consider adding these to your emergency kit.
Alternative Sources for Hard-to-Find Items
Online Retailers
- Amazon: Offers a wide range of emergency supplies, including food, water, first aid kits, and tools.
- Walmart: Another major online retailer with a vast selection of emergency supplies.
- eBay: Can be a good source for finding used or refurbished items, such as generators or camping equipment.
- Specialized Online Stores: There are many online stores that specialize in emergency preparedness and survival gear, hygiene items, home maintenance and repair supplies, etc.
Discount Stores
- Dollar Stores: Can be a great place to find affordable items, such as batteries, flashlights, first aid supplies, hygiene items, even eggs and boxed, shelf-stable milk.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores: You never know what you’ll find here but household items and building materials are pretty sure bets.
- Discount grocery stores: You never know what you’ll find at these stores, which is half the fun. Prices are lower and fewer people shop here.
Your Local Community
- Join Local Groups: Look for Facebook groups, Nextdoor communities, or other online forums that are specific to your area. These groups often have members who share information about local stores, pharmacies, and other businesses that may have essential supplies in stock.
- Barter with neighbors: If you’re unable to find essential items, consider offering to trade goods or services with your neighbors.
- Garage and Estate Sales: I have a complete list for you here of things to look for in addition to this list in this article.
- Dumpster diving: This falls into the category of “worst case scenario”, but it wouldn’t hurt to take an occasional drive behind stores to see what has been thrown away. Here are a few tips for doing this.
Related Basic Prepping Content
- The Quick Start Guide for Beginning Preppers
- Last-Chance Apocalypse Shopping: Harbor Freight
- Last-Chance Apocalypse Shopping: Tractor Supply Company
- Is It Ever Too Late To Prep? (3 Warning Signs To Watch For!)
Be Prepared in 3 Weeks with Fast Track Prepping
Are you ready to take control of your family’s safety and security in just 3 weeks? My Fast Track Prepping course offers a step-by-step plan to help you become prepared for any emergency. Learn how to stock your pantry, store water, pack a bug-out bag, equip your vehicle and plan evacuation routes. With easy-to-follow weekly planners, you’ll be ready in just 3 weeks!
Get all the details and purchase instant, lifetime access to Fast Track Prepping here.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for emergencies doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you choose to take action on your own or go through the Fast Track Prepping course, the important thing is to start. By following the simple guidelines and using the provided resources, you’ll be well-equipped to handle unexpected challenges. Remember, preparedness is an ongoing process, so continue to review and update your plans as needed.
Originally published 4/22/2013 and has been updated.
Great list. But I am always amazed as to why people grab all of the stuff that will spoil first in the event of a long term power outtage … i.e. the milk.. which is #10 on the first list.
The Dollar Store in our nearest town, (55 miles one way) stocks boxes of milk, whole, 2% and 1%. We buy several of them and keep them in the pantry so we always have liquid milk. And there is no difference in taste. That store also advertises that if you can’t find enough quantities on the shelf, order what you want online and they can have it delivered to the store for you to pick up.
You’re right. Boxed milk is so much better than powdered milk. We try to keep a good supply on hand.
Powdered milk is probably what she means….it is perfect to keep on hand and mixes up with water nicely
I was talking to a friend who worked in the meat dept and he was laughing at all the people stockpiling meat. This will spoil if the power is out for any period of time but they grab them with both hands.
We call them “French Toast People”
It’s like they run to the store and buy all the makings for french toast.
I’m 100% on-board with the masses on this one. As soon as an emergency arises I start making french toast and won’t stop till my wife drags me away from the stove and pries the spatula from my cold syrupy hand. I need all the butter, eggs, bread, and milk I can get my hands on. French toast hoarding!!!
Just kidding of course. But if you think about it, it makes sense for all the little problems most of us have encountered in our lives. Only inconvenienced for a few days – what will you “need”? The things you buy every few days, but won’t be able to get this week. Most of us have never been through worse than that. We’re lucky.
I read this very same article a few days ago on thesurvivalistblog.net I suppose it is important enough to post on other blogs.
Our main home is in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Each year there are public service announcements advising people to gather their hurricane supplies or check their existing supplies. I have a very well stocked food pantry in addition to the recommended hurricane supplies. And we keep our vehicle fuel tanks at least half full at all times. Each time landfall of a hurricane is predicted or there is a power outage of more than a few hours because of high winds or earthquake tremors (the local power company shuts down the power plants at the first tremor), local stores see panicked buying as people stock up on bottled water, rice, Spam, charcoal, milk, bread, flashlights and batteries. Small generators and battery-powered radios also sell out. And there are very long lines at gas stations.This despite annual warnings to prepare for hurricane season. My conclusion is that many people refuse to actually prepare and prefer to wait to the last minute and if they have leftover supplies from the last power outage use them up rather than storing them. How someone living a five-hour flight from the nearest large landmass and on an island heavily dependent upon slow cargo ships for delivery of almost all supplies can fail to prepare is beyond my comprehension. But I see this failure to prepare happen again and again despite annual public service announcement about gathering hurricane supplies.
here’s a helpful hint on power outages you know those stick in the ground path solar lights they work great , pull them up , put into a vase , and return them outside to be recharged .
I work for a grocery store, so I see a mild version of this first hand. I’ve been at the store 3 times in the past few years when the power went out to the neighborhood. Customers walk in the store shocked that we are affected by the power outage as well. The store has a generator to allow for limited usage.
The customers don’t understand why we don’t have hot food ready for them because most of them don’t cook at home even when the power is on. We have an increase in sales when the power goes out, so we joke that the power goes out and customers run to the store. The weather changes and the same thing happens. Most are unprepared to go without electricty, or even a few days without a trip to the store.
What? No chocolate or snack foods written on this list??? Those should definitely be in the Top 50!
My husband and I took a walk through our grocery store just before a huge winter storm hit the East Coast this past winter. (The Governor was shutting down the entire state in anticipation of the weather we were expecting…no one would be allowed on the roads as of a certain time, with the exception of emergency personnel, or they would be fined/jailed.) It wasn’t that we needed anything at the store, but people had told us that store shelves were empty and my husband wanted to see it for himself. Coming from Canada, where it snows all winter long, people are almost always trying to be prepared. In all of my years growing up there, I never saw the shelves empty. That was not the case here. We were amazed that, as people have mentioned, milk, bread, eggs, bananas, and tomatoes were all non-existent (lots of other fruit and veggies though). The other areas that had dwindled dramatically were the snack foods, ice cream, and FROZEN WAFFLES of all things. We pondered that one for a while trying to understand why waffles would be such a critical item to people that they would wipe an entire section of the freezer bare.
When people are aware of an impending situation, they seem to stock up on comfort items. People interviewed on the radio about their preparations for the storm repeatedly mentioned going out to buy snacks, cookies, beer, and other foods, sort of to ride out the storm like a party. I guess you may as well make the best of whatever is tossed your direction.
In response to concerns for people going out and purchasing perishable items…it really depends upon what you are expecting. If it is a winter storm, by all means, grab all of the milk you want. Worst case scenario, you store it in a cooler in the snowbank that is rapidly accumulating outside your door. In a hurricane or summer storm, it wouldn’t likely be as prudent to stock up on foods that require refrigeration.
Great post! Living in area of the country that receives its share of hurricanes and ice storms, I can tell you that these items go fast. Around here if you they utter the dreaded four letter word – SNOW- in the weather report ALL of the grocery stores will flooded with people buying bread and milk.
When the hurricanes blow in, you won’t be able to buy a battery of of bag of charcoal for weeks.
Another thing to consider is price gauging in the aftermath of a disaster event. It’s against the law in most states, but we all know how supply and demand works. Stock up!
Wow, an awesome list
I think Tom did a great job putting this together but obviously no list can be all-inclusive. Some other items that I think I would add to this list include plastic sheeting(painter’s plastic), camping meals, lighters, boxed meals(hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese, etc.), and fuels(gasoline & kerosene) to name a few. Reading this post and the other comments just really enforces the need to plan ahead and be prepared. Be proactive and not reactive!
Ice! In the summertime when you are at risk for storm power outages, a freezer with excess space filled with frozen water jugs will help keep the rest of the food in the freezer cold longer. (A full freezer takes less energy to run than a half empty one when the power is on as well.) We dump our ice maker out occasionally and store the ice in bags in the freezer as well, to use in our coolers for picnics or just for keeping the beer and pop cool while boating. In an extended power outage the fridge contents can be put into a large cooler with your extra ice dumped over. No air spaces means the food won’t lose their cool temperature quite as quickly.
If you have an ice maker, put it to use now and stock up the cubes for later needs. You likely won’t score a bag of ice after the power has gone out after a storm.
I appreciate the list and isn’t interesting what people will buy first. In this past year our water was shut off for several days and I was amazed how quickly bottled water ran out at our nearby store. It was an eye opener to me and since then we have had a power outage too and for both incidents we were completely unprepared. SPAM LINK REMOVED
Generally good lists. Bread and milk make sense if 2-3 days of cutoff from stores.
Prolonged outage-catastrophe– meds, generator, fuel, beans, matches maybe canned meat, seasonings. Propane cook stove with Coleman L has been very helpful to us in the 3 one week outages in N.C. in 30 years. Light, cook stove, some heat. Core of a kitchen. Propane safe, easy to control. Stoves, lights not that expensive. 20lb propane tank probably last a month in cooking mode. Have extra tank for grill and can go inside or out depending on weather. Propane keeps indefinitely. Would keep outside in little shelter or under plywood and tarp. Instant coffee, hot chocolate powder– much positive psych.
I worked in a supermarket in the bakery during hurricane Iniki in Hawaii. What we found so funny , all these people were buying frosted cakes. Hurricane party perhaps?
Some people evidently need comfort food
I will use this as I attempt to be ready for hurricane season. Too bad about the generator, though.