101 Multipurpose Items You Should Stockpile ASAP

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101 Multipurpose Items You Should Stockpile ASAP

In the 2008 film Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood’s character, Walt Kowalski, shows his young neighbor, Thao, his workshop. When the boy laments that he’ll never be able to collect so many tools, Kowalski pulls out just three items: WD-40, vise grips, and duct tape.

“Any man worth his salt can do half the household chores with just those three things,” Kowalski tells the boy. We can’t disagree. And those three items definitely made our list of multipurpose items you should have on hand for an emergency.

We know you’ve seen many lists of foods and supplies to stockpile for an emergency. However, these lists can be daunting in terms of the amount of money it takes to purchase them and the space required to store them.

One of the best ways to lower the impact of both concerns is to focus on multipurpose items. Let’s look at a few potentially lifesaving examples. Some of the things on our list literally have dozens of uses, from hygiene to weaponry and from hunting to keeping warm and dry.

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Baking Soda

You probably have a carton or two of baking soda in your pantry or in the back of your refrigerator. That’s because baking soda (also called bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate) is a common baking ingredient and works as a deodorizer.

But did you know this light, fluffy powder also has dozens of other uses? Here are just a few of the reasons you should stockpile this inexpensive product:

You can use it as toothpaste or mouthwash.
It soothes bee stings and insect bites.
It relieves sunburn pain and rashes.
You can use it as an underarm deodorant.

Dental Floss

Here’s another item you already have in your home. But it’s time to bulk up your supply of this dental hygiene product. In addition to helping you clean between your teeth, dental floss has the following survival uses:

Fishing line
Shoelaces
Woven together to make a rope
Thread
Snare

Pantyhose

Lightweight, strong, and washable, pantyhose can do much more than serve as ladies’ stockings. Here are a few survival uses for nylon pantyhose.

Insect netting
Facemask
Pouch
Water filter
Tourniquet

Superglue

You know how to use this product made of synthetic polymers to repair broken household items. But did you know it has a potentially-lifesaving purpose? You can use it in an emergency to close small wounds and protect the area until new skin forms.

Trash Bags

Plastic garbage bags – especially the heavy-duty kind – have myriad uses other than their intended purpose. Here are just a few of them:

Backpack cover in a rainstorm
Makeshift poncho
Mattress or pillow protector
Ground layer for your sleeping bag
Rainwater container

Here is a list of 101 multipurpose items you should stockpile:

As severe weather events become more commonplace and geopolitical events continue to teeter on a precarious edge, it is not only adventurers who may face survival scenarios.

A Virginia woman who only gives her first name, Christina, has faced three major hurricanes this century. She shares some of her advice on the National Weather Service website focused on hurricane preparation.

“I have been through three major hurricanes that tore up my area of Virginia pretty badly,” Christina writes. “I do not play with these storms.

“Do not think just because you’re not taking a direct hit that it can’t be destructive! Prepare ahead of time! Buy lots of water, fill up large buckets with water to flush toilets, buy batteries, charcoal to cook food, table sandwiches food like peanut butter and jelly will help too.

“Always have paper plates and plastic utensils. Get baby wipes for personal hygiene for everyone, not just babies. Fill your vehicles up with gas, and remember your pets! Get extra pet food, litter, etc. Get your prescription and over-the-counter medicines ahead of time! And don’t forget you need an NOAA Weather Radio when the power goes out to stay on top of things!

“Be prepared to be self-sustaining for days because you will be without power for days and possibly stranded for days. Do not ever wait until the last minute to gather supplies, and if they tell you to evacuate, then do it!”

Every family’s needs are a little bit different, depending on the size and the age range of your family members. The type of emergency will determine the supplies you may need as well.

However, you can cut down on the number of items you need by gathering as many multipurpose items as you can. What multipurpose items would you add to our list?

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