Desperation Shopping List: 7 Critical Items Guaranteed to be Stripped From Store Shelves When TSHTF

The Desperation Shopping List:

The 7 Critical Items That Are Guaranteed to be Stripped From Store
Shelves When You Need Them Most in a Crisis.

1.) Prescription medications. Don't ever let yourself come close to
running out again, because disasters don't wait until you have a
fresh refill (and some disasters may last longer than your meds.)
Getting extra prescriptions is not a problem if you have a
sympathetic doctor, or order wisely on the Internet. You can always
visit multiple pharmacies with these prescription slips (for ordinary
prescriptions, not narcotics, of course.)

But you probably won't be able to get around the typical insurance
company "three month limit" policy. You must resign yourself to
paying for the extra medications entirely out of your own pocket. If
you buy generic brands, in quantity, and from a discount pharmacy
(such as Sam's Club), then for most medications it probably won't
cost much more than your insurance prescription co-payment.

Store them in the back of your refrigerator or another cool, dark place.

If you want to be ready for the worst, then you need to imagine the
worst. In a real disaster, a pharmacy will be the last place you
want to go. If you do, you will find the sickest, most desperate,
and criminal opportunists congregating. You don't want to go there.
And don't think that your pharmacy has more than a few days supply to
meet normal demand. Your year's supply of blood pressure medicine
probably isn't even on hand today, let alone after all the others in
line ahead of you to get their year's supply.

2.) Over-the-counter medications and vitamins that your family uses
regularly. Stock up at a discount store, or Internet source,
preferably when the medications and vitamins go on sale. Again,
store them in the back of your refrigerator or sealed in a cool
basement. Shop for purity, freshness, and quality. If you aren't
sure of what vitamins might be most essential when you are living off
the food supply you purchased based on Rawles' advice, then refer to
the course's discussion of this important topic. If it's a flu
epidemic, and you are willing to risk infection to face the panicked
shopping crowds, you can bet that anything that people think will
protect themselves against the flu will be sold out.

3.) Water Filtration System. When there is “water, water
everywhere, but not a drop to drink” (because it may be
contaminated) a water filter will keep your family alive. Instead of
the faucet attachment units sold at many stores, Rawles recommends
getting two filters: A compact Katadyn filter (the type used by
backpackers), and a large, high-volume British Berkefeld ceramic
filter. When power and gas is out, no one will be able to boil
water. The portable filter will allow you to travel without carrying
a large water supply.

4.) Salt. When a salt supply runs out, you'll know why Roman soldiers
were happy to be paid in this precious commodity. Of course, the
lessons in the Rawles Gets You Ready course will keep you from living
on just beans and rice three meals a day. If you think beans and
rice are boring now, try them without a grain of salt!

Not only will salt make your meals more palatable, it is crucial both
for preserving food, and for attracting wild game. Unless you live
next to a salt marsh, buy plenty of 1 pound canisters of iodized
granulated table salt. Go to your local feed store and buy several
large livestock white salt blocks. If you have the storage space,
buy a dozen or more. They will be an ideal item for barter and
charity.

If you have a water softener, stop paying for salt delivery, and
stock up your own, so you can have hundreds of pounds on hand at any
time, more than you would ever need. (And anyone can go to the Home
Depot and buy rock salt for pennies a pound.)

5.) Storage foods that yield complete proteins. You think people are
ignorant of how to eat healthy? Think again. Watch for those sacks
of beans and rice to be piled on the carts when disaster approaches.
You don't need a master's degree to know about this basic nutritional
principle.

Animal proteins (meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, and eggs) are
classified as complete proteins. They contain sufficient amino acids
for nutrition. However, vegetable proteins (grains, vegetables,
beans, nuts, and seeds) by themselves are incomplete proteins.

If all that you had to eat was just rice or wheat, you would starve
to death, regardless of how much you ate. Vegetable proteins either
do not have enough of, or completely lack, one or more crucial amino
acids. But you can combine foods (as shown in the lists below) and
then the food will yield a complete protein. Beans and rice are a
classic example. Separately, they have incomplete proteins, but when
eaten together, you have a complete protein. No wonder that burritos
are so popular in Mexico!

Combine Grains and Nuts/Seeds:
Rice cakes and peanut butter
Breadsticks rolled with sesame seeds
Whole wheat bun with sesame seeds

Combine Grains and Legumes:
Rice and beans
Peanut butter on whole wheat bread
Bean soup and a roll
Salad with chickpeas and cornbread
Vegetarian chili with bread

Combine Legumes and Nuts/Seeds:
Humus (chickpeas and sesame paste)
Trail mix (peanuts and sunflower seeds)

6.) Batteries (Alkaline, NiMH, and chargers). Inventory all of your
home electronics that need batteries. Make a list of the number and
types of batteries that they use. Buy three times as many
rechargeable batteries for each of these devices (one set for in the
device, one set for in the charger, and one spare set). You may
spend more on the batteries than the devices, but we are talking
about batteries only for essential items like radios and flashlights.
(That does not mean that you can't save money by using spare
rechargeables in your remote controls and other non-essentials.)

Buy the Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) variety. We found these at very
attractive prices on the shopping trip the course covers. They were
the only item Rawles put in the cart for himself that day (I guess
even the most prepared guy can always improve his position.) NiMH
batteries can be recharged dozens of times. (Buy an even larger
quantity than the “triple” rule for your flashlights, because you
might have to depend on flashlights much more than usual in a
disaster.)

When you consider the cost and preciousness of batteries, you will
suddenly realize that your selection of flashlights is awfully
important. The runtime of a well-selected LED flashlight with
variable dimming can do a lot to conserve batteries, because you
rarely need the full brightness.

You will want to buy at least two battery chargers: 1) A 117 VAC
(household current) "smart charger", and 2) A 12 Volt DC battery
charger. These chargers are available from Radio Shack and RV
accessory vendors such as Camping World.

7.) Hand sanitizer. Buy it in quantity. It will invaluable in the
event of an influenza pandemic. Not just for when you are worried
about surfaces out in the infectious world. Think how helpful it
would be to keep a dispenser at your door, so that everyone cleans up
before coming into the house. If you don't have any on hand, you
won't even be able to take this simple precaution. And if you just
have a little on hand for infrequent use, it will run out fast.

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