SELF-RELIANCE / PREPAREDNESS GIFT IDEAS

There are lots of ideas for gifts to give family or friends who are “into” Emergency Preparedness or Self-Reliance. For those that aren’t but you wish would be more prepared, giving a gift of this nature can encourage someone to take more steps to better prepare themselves. You can spend a little or a lot but whatever you do will put someone else in a better position to take care of themselves in the event of an emergency.

You can choose a theme from one of the twelve areas of preparedness (shelter/clothing/heat, water, food, hygiene & sanitation, light & power, 1st aid, communication, safety & security, tools, cooking, important documents, transportation) and include several items to create a kit, similar to the ones below. Some of the links (in green) might give you more ideas (these are not affiliate links).

Light kit: glow sticks, flashlights, maybe a flashlight and radio combo, rechargeable headlamps, candles in glass jars for power outages, or solar lights that can be charged during the day and brought in at night during a power outage.

Food for 72-hour kit: while some of the contents of 72-hour kits differ from person to person, they all need food. Give MRE meals, water, energy bars, and other shelf-stable foods that can be part of their 72-hour kit.

Car Emergency Kit: purchase a pre-made kit or make your own to include an orange safety vest, first aid kit, rechargeable headlamps, glow sticks, work gloves, food and water, space blanket, rain poncho, hand-warmers, flashlight, car escape tool, seat belt cutter, etc.

Food storage starter kit: A case or individual cans of freeze-dried and dehydrated food will provide a nice starter kit for their long-term storage. On a smaller scale, provide several jars of meals in a mason jar with a related book like Dinner is in the Jar or Meals in a Jar.

Garden Kit: purchase a garden bucket, add some packets of seeds, garden hand tools, a planting guide and a gift certificate good for your help in next Spring’s Garden.

Canning Kit: for someone wanting to start or expand their canning skills, give a case of new canning jars, canning lids, the new Ball canning book or the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, some of the basic tools needed such as jar lifters, magnetic lid lifter, wide-mouth funnel, or gift them some of the more expensive equipment like a water bath canner or pressure canner. Check with a nearby farm or orchard to see if they offer gift certificates that can be redeemed in the upcoming season.

Alternative Cooking: these can be pricey, but for someone who is up for an adventure, a solar oven, a volcano grill, or a Dutch oven and supplies such as tools or charcoal starter kit provide the means to provide a hot meal when there is no electricity.

The theme approach is just one way to give the gift of preparedness. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You could give individual items. Here’s a list of items that are $50 or less. Some are inexpensive enough to be stocking stuffers.

Inexpensive gift ideas for preppers

Solar Powered / Crank Radio ($50)

Headlamps (I prefer the ones you can recharge) ($20)

First aid kit ($15)

Multi-tool ($15 – 25)

Emergency tent/shelter ($25)

Metal Mess kit ($25)

Hand or foot warmers ($15)

Emergency whistle ($10)

Compass ($10 and up)

Lifestraw Personal Water Filter ($15)

Emergency Car Kit ($25)

Solar Lantern ($25)

Cell Phone Solar Charger ($35)

Ferro Rod Fire Starter ($15)

#10 can(s) of dehydrated/freeze-dried food ($15)

Glow Sticks ($10)

Mylar Emergency Blanket ($10)

Rain Ponchos ($10)

Paracord kit ($15)

Flashlight ($10)

WaterBOB / AquaPod bathtub water storage ($35)

Preparedness / Survival / Bushcraft / Food Storage Books ($15)

SEA and Sky Discover Wilderness Survival Playing cards ($12)

Tealight Candle Room Heater ($30)

With a measure of imagination and inspiration, anyone can make preparedness fun and personal. And when an emergency happens, being prepared, even a little bit, is more bearable than the alternative!