This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
We all have family and friends who are not really into prepping, or who mean to but don’t get around to it. It is easy to forget or dismiss the idea of being prepared until something happens such as a catastrophic hurricane or flood and you wish you had done something about it. Since we’re giving gifts anyway, might as well give them something to help them prepare for an emergency.
When I compiled the list, I thought of items I’ve used myself. I use my solar watch daily, and the Swiss Army knife is in my key chain so I never leave home without it. I’ve gotten a lot of use from the Berkey Sport bottle – I even took it on vacation so I was able refill on water wherever we went.
Prepping gear
Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger
Priced around $22
Fold’n Go 2-Burner Stove
Priced around $70
Priced around $35
Solar Watch
Priced around $27
Priced around $10
Priced around $25
Priced around $14
Priced around $5
Priced around $10
Books
Prepare Your Family for Survival by Linda Loosli
Priced around $10 on Kindle
My latest book, The Penny-Pinching Prepper
Priced around $11 on paperback
For additional prepping gear ideas, check out my new AptPrepper Amazon store.
Self-sufficiency
Besides being ready for emergencies, learning to be more self-sufficient is important too. If truck deliveries are ever interrupted and stores are unable to restock, individuals who know how to make stuff will fare a lot better. Besides, if nothing ever happens, you’ll save money making things yourself.
The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
I learned how to make bread with a recipe from the original book. This book makes bread making super easy and non-intimidating.
The Non-Electric Lighting Series
I learned how to make an emergency light from one of the original versions of the Non Electric Lighting Series by Ron Brown.
The books are very informative and easy to follow.
Using a vacuum sealer helps make food last a lot longer, and that includes emergency supplies of your favorite snacks.
You can save time by making meals in advance and freezing them in individual portions. It also helps avoid food waste resulting in money savings in the long run.
Dehydrating food is another money saving activity, as you can dehydrate produce in season, make your own snacks and avoid food waste. I dehydrate herbs, fruit and vegetables and am going to buy a food dehydrator this year.
Sharing your skills
It’s not all about giving “stuff.” If you prefer, you can still give the gift of preparedness by helping someone accomplish a chore that they never get around to doing:
- Back up documents and photos for a close relative
- Share some skills that you have as knitting, canning, yogurt making, breadmaking or cooking lesson for a treasured family recipe.
- Make water proof matches or firestarter with household items such as cotton balls and petroleum jelly and packaging a handful in a jar labeled Emergency Fire Starter, with instructions.
Sharing your knowledge and time is just as valuable as giving an item.
We all want to help our loved ones prepare and Christmas is a great time to spread the “joy of preparedness” in subtle ways.
About the author:
Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
Mike the Gardener, Paracord bracelets are always a hit! We make them as gifts and recipients are always happy to receive them. Thanks!
This does give me some ideas for gifts for the Holidays. And I hope you have good Holiday’s yourself.
Hi Oldguy, Glad you found some gift ideas from the article. Thanks for the comment!
This post is very helpful to me as a prepper. I am collecting gadgets and other equipment in my next survival camp. Thanks for sharing!