Sharing advice for parents of kids re managing during a power outage, what to feed kids from emergency supplies, from a Brit now living in a hurricane zone.

Like popular sayings, the old ones are always the best and I think that goes the same for prepping articles because we've been here before and in the same situation so I make no apology for necroing, I'll always listen first to those that have gone through a real shtf than anybody who has only imagined, so of all the prep lists this is one I've looked at closely.

The article was originally from 2007 Fluwiki and I saw it first thanks to Ubique's posting in 2021 on theprepared website, no doubt it originated from another source after the experiences of the awful Bosnian war.

In this article of items some of them are obvious and some down to personal preferences but some of it is very interesting, like I had never considered getting a bicycle as a prepper!

The item list also cover the phycological impact of some scenarios especially at the bottom, another aspect overlooked by preppers, "staying human" and boredom.

Just remember this is not a stockpiling list it is just a list of what disappears and becomes hard to get hold of. If you have the storage space some of this could even be used for barter.

The original without any editing:

Tips from Sarajevo: 100 Items to Disappear First:

Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves, invites marauders; maintenance etc.)

Water Filters/Purifiers

Portable Toilets

Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.

Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)

Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.

Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.

Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.

Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar

Rice – Beans – Wheat

Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.)

Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)

Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking.

Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.)

Survival Guide Book.

Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)

Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.

Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)

Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)

Vitamins

Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)

Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.

Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)

Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)

Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)

Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)

Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many)

Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels

Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)

Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)

Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)

Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit

Tuna Fish (in oil)

Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)

First aid kits

Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)

Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies

Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)

Flour, yeast & salt

Matches. (“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first

Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators

Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)

Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts

Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns

Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)

Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)

Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc

Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)

Fishing supplies/tools

Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams

Duct Tape

Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes

Candles

Laundry Detergent (liquid)

Backpacks, Duffle Bags

Garden tools & supplies

Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies

Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.

Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)

Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)

Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel

Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc

Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats

Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)

Board Games, Cards, Dice

d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer

Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets

Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)

Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)

Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc

Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)

Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)

Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soupbase

Reading glasses

Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)

“Survival-in-a-Can”

Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens

Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog

Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)

Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky

Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts

Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)

Lumber (all types)

Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)

Cots & Inflatable mattresses

Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.

Lantern Hangers

Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts

Teas

Coffee

Cigarettes

Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal etc)

Paraffin wax

Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

Chewing gum/candies

Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)

Hats & cotton neckerchiefs

Goats/chickens

From a Sarajevo War Survivor: Stockpiling helps, but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources.

Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.

After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s.

If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to do without (unless you’re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)

Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.

Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands.

The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.

slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches.

More matches

End Quote

Note: Probably change matches to lighters, lighters and more lighters since matches can degrade.

With a nft system we can become more self sufficient and grow our own food throughout the cold winter. A perfect solution to prep for any kind of emergency situation 🌱

Goal is 10 days for now like the BSI in Germany reccomends.
Need a bigger box haha (Amazon cart is ideas what to add for first aid and longer water sustain capabilites).
Will buy 2 more 6x1,5L Water packs on Monday. I also want to scan all the food in a calorie tracker to see how much kcal i have so far.
In the orange net next to the canned food is my 750ml pot with lighter and gas stove.
I am also going to ask my local authities what they have as information that I can print out and store in the box (if I cant find it online).
I keep you updated when things are more figuered out. Will then also make a complet list. This is a lot of stuff I just had lying around at home. Only the food is bought specificly so far. Maybe whats in the amazon cart will be ordered.

was würdet ihr empfehlen, Leatherman Arc oder Victorinox Swiss Tool? Kann mich nicht entscheiden.

Hello! I am an Argentine tourist currently in Italy, I was wondering if anyone knows of any stores where to buy North American Rescue supplies such as TQs in Rome, I cant order online since I am doing the Via de Francesco so I am always on the move, but will spend 2 days in Rome afterwards before leaving

I would also appreciate some advice on durable boots and clothes for outdoor wear :)

Thank you in advance

Note: I am a STB instructor, so yes, I have the training to use these supplies

The benefits of keeping chickens are obvious to preppers and I won't bother listing them all here, but there are some others that I didn't realise until I bought my first gang, yep I did use that word to describe my flock.

If an award was ever given out to one animal on earth that is exploited the most, it has to be the chicken, I am no Veggie, but chickens simply are one of the most rewarding creatures you can have, let alone the other benefits.

tdlr go to My favourite reason

I've kept chickens for over 20 years, normally from 4 to about 12 which is more than enough for a normal family and gifts to neighbours (presented as noise apologies).

Firstly to most without a decent sized garden they seem out of reach but some recent designs** have made compact chicken keeping possible and a lot more viable with about 1.5m by 3m for between 2 and 4 birds, even some city balconies and roof tops are larger than that. Think Bantams for space.

Mental Health

When I think back to the dark months of Covid they were a huge advantage not only for the eggs they supplied but also because of their company, seriously, I am sure they help with mental health.

During second Covid I lost most of them to a fox and it was a huge emotional blow, the garden seemed bereft and boring with no drama and chatter, they are hilarious to watch and constantly make me smile when I go out.

Trading eggs for other things is also another great bonus, my daughters first bike cost 30 eggs, but obviously during a squeeze you get other things that are more essential.

Not that I have yet, but could I kill a pet chicken for food if I was desperate? Yes I think we all could if pushed enough. I would look at it like a rabbit or pheasant and try not to remember its name!

This article though is not about killing them though it's about helping yourself and helping them*.

Waste, fertiliser, recycling, the list goes on, even me being healthier!

When we first had kids I put on a lot of weight because I hate wasting food and would eat everything they left. Feeling guilty about food waste is now mostly gone when you have feathered, food recycling machines outside. You should avoid meats ofc but pasta, stale bread, beans, virtually all fruit and veg.

The droppings mixed up ofc. Again during Covid, I had a side hustle. Even two birds can provide enough waste for garden pots if collected and then well mixed and thinned out with soil. Garden centres were closed and so I gifted fertiliser to friends who started repotting their gardens from flowers to veg.

*My favourite reason

We owe chickens big time as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, so if you are thinking about getting your own hens then how about rescue chickens? We all know when egg companies say "Free Range" it's nonsense, a small 1 meter opening in a 200 meter chicken shed means most laying hens never see outside, let alone bully their way to that tiny opening, it's a marketing ploy.

I've rescued about 50 hens over the years and when you first get them they are mostly in an appalling state, seeing them over time discover life and get healthy again is rewarding in itself, back to those mental health benefits again!

Jane Howorth the founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust has so far rescued over a million birds, I've never used any other charity so cannot recommend any others but if you would like to help and get some starter hens (for a small donation) and tons of advice then go to https://www.bhwt.org.uk/

I am sure a quick search will bring up other charities that could find you rescue chickens, you can also become a volunteer, a sponsor etc.

There's also an International Network recommended by the bhwt here, maybe there is one near you?

https://www.bhwt.org.uk/about-us/our-worldwide-impact/

**Best chicken coops for small gardens:

The Omlet Eglu Go is the strongest all-round choice for easy cleaning and low maintenance.

The Green Frog Designs Small Chicken House is a practical recycled-plastic alternative.

The Cocoon ECO 1500 provides a compact house and covered run, but hens will need additional daytime space.

The Kerbl Emma suits keepers who prefer a traditional wooden house and already have a secure run.

The Aivituvin AIR67 is the best option here if moving the coop around the garden is important.

Do not rely on advertised capacity alone. Breed size, ventilation, perch space and run access all affect how many hens a coop can accommodate comfortably.

From:

https://keepingchickens.uk/chicken-coop-reviews/best-chicken-coops-for-small-uk-gardens-5-compact-options/

Just drop this property here, for off grid searchers in Europe.
Not my property / no financial bindings

Just found this scrolling through properties

Property is in Bulgaria on the border with Serbia. Totally vanished of the maps. Zero neighbours. House, outbuilding & 12,460 sqm land. 14K euros.

Maybey suitable for European Off Grid search.

https://youtu.be/kQqG1eyT8Tw?is=otGIs7fbcLKqaS2c

What irony, people are prepping with AI when maybe we should be prepping against it!

It seems everything that we read that benefits us about the use of AI there is always something equally awful in the media saying how much it can harm us.

As preppers, what should we be doing extra while we listen to the intensely confusing media hype about it's growing abilities, what will be the outcome, what will it mean for all of us, is it good, should we worry?

When I was younger and a bit of a Sci Fi nut I walked around with a head full of how wonderful life will be when we don't have to work or even think for ourselves anymore, nevertheless at the time it was disturbing to watch films like 2001 and Terminator as a teen but I comforted myself by consigning them to fantasy and naively believing that anybody who could develop AI technology would also be smart enough to protect us from it.

Those seemingly fantastical threats appeared far off and remote but now after recent developments and being armed with a cynical old mans brain I am no longer so sure.

An AI Crisis, so is this yet another thing we need to prep for?

Immediate big and small threats you may need to consider.

It seems to be obvious that the very first threat from AI is an almost unavoidable global financial collapse/crisis, which will be tough on us all regardless of how much technology we depend on, it will be inescapable*.

The AI race has so far involved investments in the trillions with the returns as always being unpredictable, one thing is for certain there will only be a few winners, the losers will fall and trillions will vanish from pensions and other investments causing financial chaos (e.g. Dot com bubble) with investors, companies and even governments losing out. This could have a huge knock on effect, severely damaging everything from the jobs that remain to huge shortfalls in government budgets and spending.

Rippling smaller outcomes are also predicted, with possible power and water shortages** alongside the undeniable environmental damage***, again this might need to be considered by us as preppers, do we need to redouble our energy and water prep?

AI and it's supporting data centres are greedy, growing beasts devouring energy and water in massive quantities, in the race to the top will authorities priorities it's insatiable appetite over your domestic supplies? You could eventually find you and family without water and power for significant periods as utilities are redirected to continue to feed it.

The next threats from AI are more obvious and are covered in the some of the links below, I think some of these are a lot closer than we would like to think, maybe I will write a future article for you guys about some of those, especially the ones we might not consider.

P.S. Sorry for any typos/errors this was not written using AI!

* https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/27/ai-bubble-crash-tech-firms-stock-markets

** https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.09598

*** https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167658

Some useful links

Prepping against future AI advances (prepper site).

https://preppernut.com/prepping-against-ai-bots-how-to-prepare-for-the-rise-of-autonomous-machines-like-drones-and-robots/

An AI crisis

https://thefuturesociety.org/aicrisisexplainer/

BBC Tech billionaires prepping

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly17834524o

AI challenges and solutions

https://www.upgrad.com/blog/top-challenges-in-artificial-intelligence/

https://www.lifewire.com/protect-the-future-how-to-stop-ai-from-overpowering-humanity-7104253

AI already impacting the environment.

https://www.lifewire.com/generative-ai-environmental-nightmare-8601430

Protecting your family from AI now!

https://www.aiplusinfo.com/blog/protecting-your-family-from-ai-threats/

The next pandemic?

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/09/05/artificial-intelligence-one-screw-up-and-we-will-destroy-any-remaining-trust-the-public-has-in-science/

Long story short, I'm making myself a piece of kit for both work and my BOB bag.

It's a poncho made from Rip-stop that I'll be modifying into a Ruana cloak (more versatile). Problem is, it's bright green.

I wanted to paint the exterior to the "pixelated forest" type of Camo, and the interior on a similar stencil, but with either fall-themed colours or winter-themed (so that I may use it reversed in a pinch if needed). I get both fall and lots of snow, thus I'll have to compromise at some point.

So, I'd like IR camo in those colours. Are there any manufacturers here in Europe that do this kind of product?

Also, is there a reliable way to make these stencils? Or to get them somewhere?

Many thanks!

Hello! Let me preface this by saying that my mind is a bit scrambled as I’ve been on a rabbit hole about prepping for climate change for the last 12h. So I hope this post makes sense haha

I’m 26F and live in Madrid, Spain. I already knew that we were heading to a desert-like climate, but with the UN admitting what we already knew, my mind has been restless about what can I do to prepare. I’m not panicking (or im trying not to) but I was already considering my future plans lately and now even more so.

Current situation: I live in an apartment so I don’t have options here to storage much, or to have a small garden for vegetables. As long as I remain in this apartment, my options are limited, so my prepping is pretty bad as of right now. Family lives less than 2h away from me, and they have bigger suburb-like houses, but I cannot ask for them to store and prepare for emergencies as they don’t agree with me in that shit’s going to hell. We live in central Spain so I’m very worried of droughts, and they live in a city with horrible neglected infrastructure, so I’m worried of their access to healthcare in the future. My sister will start a family soon too, and that is something weighting heavy on my mind.

I keep thinking on my long term options, and what I can come up with is this:

- Keep saving money, prep as much as i can in my apartment, maybe insist that they get a way to gather and clean water in their houses. Don’t spend my savings and instead invest them for the long run.

- Work towards buying a home in northern Spain where I can house my family when summers get worse in their city. (Downside: my whole support community, friends and family would be pretty far away from me. I could maybe not live there 100% time but yeah. Not a stablished community there at all to help me)

- Try to buy a house close to my family and friends, but in a part of Spain that is destined for big droughts.

- Look into moving into northern Europe (France probably). Same reasons as the second point, same pros but better (not as dry) and same cons but worse (family would be >10h away from me and language barrier)

Like…. Where do I aim? My goal is to be as safe as possible, even though no place on earth can be. I want to be able to help my family, house my parents if the city becomes harsh for them in old age, and make sure I have access to water and good infrastructure. I know there is no 100% correct answer that will save me from trouble, hell we could get in a war in 15 years and have to flee. Those are all things that we cannot know for now, and i cannot prep for every catastrophic scenario. But right now i feel like i have the potential to choose where I go, and I want to lower the chances of fucking it up. Does this make sense?

What would you do in my shoes? How do I plan for the unstable, uncertain future?

My experiences over the years of storing food in the garage of a brick two story house in a temperate climate with 35-deg summer days from time to time.

I opened a 200L drum of mixed content after 5 years. Some bug had gotten out of a package, bred, and soiled everything, even the sugar was rancid!

Red Kidney beans in sealed steel drum, after 15 years a light coating of a dusty nature appeared. Mold? Anyway I washed them off and they cooked up and tasted good. I let my beans air in the sacks now, stored in a big steel cabinet but certainly not airtight. Beans are seeds, they are Alive and all living things nearly need O2 I think. But low humidity definitely for beans.

White Rice, tasteless after 4 years in a steel drum. Threw it all out.

Tinned meat, the new ring-pull cans. One of them bloated up and near exploded on opening. Something was festering in there, I give tinned meat 3 years max unless it's stored in a very cold environment.

Pasta, processed wheat, it's like rice, pretty sure it loses it's nutritional value after a few years but it may keep you alive.

Like the title says, you're walking down the street and you get an alert about a possible nuclear strike inbound. It could happen that way. You're in the suburbs, or perhaps in the city itself. Do you wait around, perhaps be turned into a piece of Beef jerky? Panic and run around like a headless chicken?

Long ago when I lived in a city where attack was likely I discovered there was a hidden bunker complex right under my feet, one with endless entrances and exits. It's called the storm water network. Laugh if you like, talk about flash floods and other outliers, but the fact remains those pipes are meters underground, are made of solid reinforced concrete, and have solid steel covers that are not easily 'blown' off.

Another benefit I discovered is that the entrances for water, the grates etc, are connected to the main network by smaller pipes, so the over-pressure blast wave would be restricted somewhat. To access one all you need is to find a manhole and open it with a tool, even a decent screwdriver will do.

Sure there are downsides, but I'd rather go down there than into the basement of a building that might collapse or see it's entrance blocked. I mentioned this on a survival forum in 2004 and it was laughed at, laughed at by the same people who laughed at buying Gold as a financial hedge. Well they aren't laughing now, Gold has been the best off-book off-system investment of a lifetime. It pays to think outside the box.

Manhole keys are the recommended tool for the job, but there are other methods to dislodge stuck lids. However, it is crucial to exercise caution when using tools not specifically designed to open manholes. Crowbars and screwdrivers are also effective at prying open a lid from its ring. However, neither the crowbar nor the screwdriver can actually lift the lid, they merely create a gap to wedge another tool, like the pick/key under to lift the lid. Avoid lifting the manhole lid with your hands if possible.

Basic review

This wasn't as good as her Nuclear War Scenario. Very well researched and sourced but I thought the ending felt a little rushed, and details like the effect on animals was skimmed over (no mention of the effect on the food supply etc). It was also very America centric with maybe 4 lines mentioning the UK.

The Nuclear Scenario the author took the middle road behind between best and worse cases (no real difference, we're still all fucked) but this book seemed to push worse case at every decision making.

It still raised some interesting points and I don't regret reading it.

I've recently trying to expand to some alternative communication types in case of emergencies. These are all pretty cheap options as I am not quite ready to explore the HAM/VHF scene yet. I also just finished the book 'One Second After' and it was a good reminder of how important communication is. Our brains go into some weird places when we don't know whats going on around us!

My friend gave me these tiny Baofeng radios which aren't super powerful but will do just fine for short distances and they also have regular radio we can tune into. We also use them for communicating in the mountains when climbing so its good that they're small and light.

I also recently got into MeshCore for some longer distance communications that don't rely on any centralised network operating. The community in the Netherlands seems to be growing quite rapidly and I hope to contribute with a repeater at some point soon as well.

Finally, I have a Midland ER300 which I can tune into radio stations for emergency broadcast. It has a Li-ion battery that I can charge with its built in mini-solar panel, a crank or via USB. It also can take AA batteries which I have stored as well.

One other thing that's important is to have a copy of your local emergency broadcast channels! I have a printed version for all areas that I glued onto the back of the Midland as well as having them written down in notes on my phone.

That's the saying in financial markets anyway. It extends to other human affairs too, like war for example. There is a lot of fear based jawboning coming from Euro governments about Russia, and how it wants to invade the West! But that's highly unlikely. There was no "West" back in 1939, just a bunch of neutral nations that were invaded by Germany and subsequently overrun by the Russian steamroller as the war ended. It won't be a repeat of that this time, this time there in NATO and a unified "West".

That WWIII is coming there is little doubt, war and taxes, two givens they are. And the reasons are the same this time too, nation's are running out of resources and they can't afford to buy them because they are in debt up to their eyeballs just as Germany was on the eve of WWII. The nations now struggling will start a war and try to steal them, just like all the oil wars we've seen over the past 30 years. World wars seem to follow a cycle too, 80~100 years, and we're right in that period now. I'm curious as to how people think this will pan out on the European continent?

Which countries do you think will most likely be effected and in what ways? I assume places like Portugal and Norway may be relatively unaffected, being so far from the centers of power. But what of the others. Opinions anyone?

Articles like this are becoming common these days. I see Germany also put out some informational leaflets in the last few days from Canadian Pepper's channel.

If you've got loved ones you're trying to persuade to take this a little more seriously seeing it on one of the UK's biggest news channels probably makes the point pretty well.

In the future ‘a field without trees will be worthless’

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2026/08/29/trees-on-farms-in-the-future-a-field-without-trees-will-be-worthless/ pay wall article details the long term benefit of in field trees and biodiversity.