The Ultimate Emergency Survival List for Beginner Preppers

It is never a bad idea to get prepared. Whether you want some supplies incase the power goes out from a bad storm or to keep your family safe from a “zombie apocalypse”, having an emergency stash can be really helpful. At the end of 2020 and watching the toilet paper and grocery store wipe out fiasco we decided to take prepping more seriously. My advice: Start out slow. Slowly grab extra items each week to build your stash. After researching and reading tons of articles on how to prep, these are the items we felt would be the most important for keeping our family of 5 safe in any emergency. Here is our Emergency Survival LIst.

Don’t aimlessly buy thing. Use the list below (and edit it as you see fit). As you stock your prepper closet keep it organized and keep inventory of all your items. This way you can keep track of what you have enough of and what you need more of. You can also use your inventory list for when you run out of pasta for dinner and snag a box from your prepper stash….adjust the inventory list so you know you need to restock.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I’m always so thankful when you make purchases through links of our favorite things as it helps support our family.

Emergency Survival Items for Preparing for any emergency

Emergency stock pile of food and supplies.

What you need for any kind of emergency

Here is my ultimate list of survival items.

#1 Protection

If you are preparing for an emergency that is going to last more than a few days you have to have a plan to protect yourself. Guns and Ammo. End of story. After a few days without power/food/water/safety people will start to panic and get desperate. It’s the ugly truth and people who survive years of civil war will say that the #1 thing to make it out alive is having a way to protect yourself and your family. Ammo makes a fantastic tradeable good as well.

Biometric Gun Safe | Bear Spray

#2 Water

Did you know you can only survive 3 days without water. Kind of puts things into perspective doesn’t it? Since bottled water is the safest and most reliable source of water, you will want to stock up. You should store 1 gallon of water per person per day. Don’t forget it’s not just for drinking. You will use water to cook and clean too. If you live in a hot climate you might want extra. Grab some water purification tablets and a lifestraw incase you are in a bind and need to drink water from an outside source. I also made sure to grab other ways to hydrate like Gatorade, Pedialyte (the powder packets), and our favorite liquid electrolyte solution. Dehydration and diarrhea is one of the top causes of death in an emergency.

Water Purification Tablets | LifeStraws | Stackable 5 gallon Water Containers | Electrolyte Hydration Powder

List of food supplies to stock pile for an emergency.

#3 Food

Kind of a given. Again make sure to have at least 2 weeks of food. Take inventory of what you have and make sure to wander down and go through and check expiration dates every 6 months. Here are some food items you should store. If the power goes out and your kitchen appliances are electric you will need to find a way to cook your food. We bought a camping cooker that runs on propane.

Canned Soup
Rice
Dried Beans
Canned Beans
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Dried Milk and Evaporated Milk
Canned Meat
Beef Jerky
Granola Bars
Crackers
Cereal
Ramen Noodles
Pasta
Spaghetti Sauce
Peanut Butter

Tip: Really think about what you would need in an emergency. Boxes of macaroni and cheese are shelf stable but in an emergency situation that won’t be the best thing to store since you would need water, milk and butter to make it. Don’t forget your can opener!

Preserving Your Own Food

If you are into food storage like me, a freeze dryer is definitely an investment item, but a wonderful survival tool to have at your home. You can freeze dry ANYTHING, including your dinner leftovers. Freeze drying preserves almost all the nutrients and locks in the taste in your food. We own this freeze dryer and use it almost every day. From preserving eggs, milk, fruit, garden harvest and leftovers. It can do anything! Stored properly in mylar bags and your food will be good for 20+ years!

Another great skill to learn is canning. Learn how to preserve fruit and vegetables from your garden. THIS KIT comes with everything you need to get started water bath canning (a great and easy way to start preserving food), and THIS BOOK will ensure you do it safely and makes a great educational source for beginners learning how to can.

If you don’t feel like stocking up from the grocery store there are a ton of food supply kits. Check out the one below that is a 4 week supply!

#4 Tradeable Goods

This was one of the top 2 things to stock up on if you find yourself in a civil war type emergency. If your emergency situation lasts longer than a month you will want a stockpile of tradeable goods. Money will be worthless but the following are excellent things to trade.

Lighters/ Matches
Alcohol (survivors of the Bosnia Civil War said alcohol consumption went up 10 times)
Ammo
Gasoline
Cigarettes
Hygeine Products
Medicine

Small Lighters | Matches | Bath Toiletries Kit

#5 Survival Items

Think about what you will need to survive if the power goes out for an extended period of time.

Generator (Gas or Propane run OR if you want to get really serious a solar powered generator!)
Emergency Radio (A solar powered/crank radio)
Emergency Blankets
Duct Tape
Fire Starters
Trash Bags
Batteries
Candles
Lighters
Gas Mask
Water Purification Tablets
Plastic Eating Utensils
5 gallon bucket (good for collection water or carrying supplies)
Seeds for growing your own food (Check out my post for the best way to Organize and Store your Seeds)

#6 First Aid and Hygiene Products

One of the worst situations you can find yourself in is injured. Injuries can mean infection which leads to death. Make sure to have a really great first aid kit. You also want to stock up on hygiene products. These can be great tradeable goods as well.

Pro Tip: Anytime you are traveling and staying in a hotel, snag the hotel soap and shampoo and put it in your personal hygiene stock pile!

Bars of soap
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Women’s Sanitation Items
Toilet Paper
Sanitizer
Hydrogen Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol

#7 Medicine

Another must have category is medications. You don’t want to be sick, and medicine is a great tradeable good.

Tylenol
Ibuprophen
Imodium (one of the top leading causes of death in an emergency is diarrhea)
Antibiotics
Hydrogen Peroxide
Vitamins
Pedialyte / Electrolyte powder or solutions

#8 A Plan and A Community

In a long term emergency situation camping out in your home might not be the safest. Having a go bag full of all weather clothes, extra shoes, socks, and underwear is a good idea. Another fascinating tip I read multiple times from people who survived real, long term emergency situations was you CAN’T survive alone. You have to have a community or group of people you can trust. Get with like minded friends and family and make a plan. A meet up place and a list of items you are responsible for. A way to communicate if all communication goes down. When your area is in chaos you won’t want to be going out alone. Small packs is how you will find food and supplies safely at night.