I keep telling people to save money and follow holiday sales since it’s the best time of the year to buy the stuff you need. Since buying gear for our prepping plans is not cheap, we should make smart choices. Black Friday deals are everywhere and you can buy the supplies you need or gear for a few dollars. Here are my recommendations to buy some useful items for your prepper friends.
I said it before, and I will say it again, there is no need to pay a full price for your survival gear or supplies unless you need those items immediately. Consumers should take advantage of Black Friday deals and shop smart when it comes to their emergency preparedness gear. After all, these are products that have a big discount during this time of year and you will save a lot of money if you shop now.
The items listed in this article are useful for every type of prepper or survivalist and some of them have an ingenious design. I have some of these items, but I’ve also been putting money aside for some of the ones I’m missing.
Puralytics SolarBag Water Purifier
The SolarBag is a filter that requires no maintenance, can carry and clean 3 liters, and kills or removes every single harmful containment, including pesticides. It is reusable a couple of hundred times (over 1000 liters). I’ve used my SolarBag on week-long camping trips. I can tell you that it is great to be able to fill the bag up in a beautiful lake, stream or creek, let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours, then drink tasty, clean water.
The price per liter on the solar bag is the lowest of any filtering system I have seen. I highly recommend it for camping, backpacking, hiking, or emergency kits. Get it from Amazon this Black Friday.
SteriPen Adventurer Opti UV Water Purifier
The Adventurer Opti UV water purifier has an optical eye that senses water to ensure safe use and effective treatments. The water sensor also doubles as an integrated LED flashlight for added convenience on the trail or around the campsite. The Adventurer Opti filter is powered by two CR123 batteries, making it a lightweight water purification system. It also keeps operating effectively in cold environments which is anadded bonus. The long-lasting UV lamp purifies up to 8,000 liters.
This was the absolute BEST thing we purchased for our camping trips since the SteriPEN doesn’t change the taste of the water. Get it on Amazon while the sale lasts.
WaterBOB
This is a bestseller when it comes to water emergency storage solutions and for a good reason. This is a last minute emergency water storage solution, and it’s basically a bathtub-sized food grade plastic container. It allows you to fill up your bathtub with fresh tap water and it holds up to 100 gallons, depending on the size of your bathtub.
According to the manufacturer, the WaterBOB will keep water fresh for up to 16 weeks. It also includes a siphon pump to extract the water easily. This is a perfect solution for emergency water storage if you live in an apartment. Get it from Amazon.
8 Gallon Portable Compact Collapsible Bucket
If you’re looking for an easy way to carry solids or liquids while bugging out or when enjoying a camping trip, this bucket is up for the task. This is one of the most space efficient buckets out there. It is convenient to store when not in use and it weighs little in your luggage. Use it to carry water, wash up a dish or dirty laundry while camping. Keeping the bucket stored in your car makes you ready for any carrying task you might encounter.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if you found a tree full of delicious apples and had nothing to carry them in? The bucket is flat and compact when not in use, but still contains up to 30 gallons once unfolded. Get it on Amazon.
Related reading: Emergency Water Storage Solutions
GoSun Portable solar cooker
This is an excellent cooking device that you can carry with you everywhere you go. The vacuum insulating properties of the design mean food will stay hot inside long after it’s removed from direct sunlight. You can cook now and eat later.
It heats up fast even when it’s cold outside and as long as you read the simple instructions and remember them while handling this oven, you cannot damage it. Get it from Amazon.
Pocket Chain Saw
It looks like a bike chain, but it cuts like a saw. When you are traveling light, this pocket saw can be used by holding the wire end loops in your thumbs or by inserting scavenged sticks into the loops as handles for more sustained use.
For even more comfort, two molded plastic grips are included. Steel alloy blades durable and long-lasting, and it’s great for precision cutting and working in tight areas. You can buy it here.
Coleman Quad LED Lantern
Take advantage of the convenience of four lights in one with the Coleman Quad 190L LED lantern. The lantern brightens your camp with 190 lumens for up to 75 hours. Also, when you need to step away, take some light with you by simply popping one of the light panels of the base to use as a personal light. Each has its own controls and handles to make lighting up other areas easy.
The panels will recharge once they’re back on the base. The lantern’s runtime is 75 hours. It is water resistant to rain and splashing and has a 5-year limited warranty. Available on Amazon.
Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet
With a compact size and slim profile, this survival hatchet weighs just 1.4 pounds. A 3.5-inch blade couples with a well-proportioned design, providing a tool that chops well above its weight class. The rubberized handle fills your hand to create a lock-tight grip that won’t let go, even when wet. Finger notches just below the head let you choke up securely on the axe for more-precise control.
The back of the head features a crosshatched striking surface that can be used for all types of camp duties. I already own it, and I’m happy with my purchase. I bought it for $35 and now it’s on sale on Amazon.
Scarpa Kailash GTX Hiking Boots
If you enjoy spending time in nature and long hiking trips you need proper boots. This year’s updated version of the Kailash GTX hiking boots features a new midsole and sole package for added structure and support. Other highlights of this boot include bi-directional ankle flex construction, which provides excellent mobility without sacrificing stability. The forefoot has easily tensioned lacing that offers superior volume control and confidence for bearing big loads and moving over technical terrain.
You need to take proper care of your feet and it starts with the footwear you chose. Check out these boots here.
Aqua Quest Defender Tarp & Accessories Kit
Although it may seem expensive for some, a good tarp can provide you with all the shelter you need, regardless if you’re in the wilderness or an urban environment. I got this kit during 2014 Black Friday sale and I see that the price has dropped significantly since then.
This is a 100% heavy duty waterproof tarp that will keep you completely dry, even in extreme weather. It is extremely durable and it comes with adjustable straps and lightweight pegs. Get it on Amazon this Black Friday.
UST Tarp and Camping Shelter
The versatile, ultra-lightweight UST All-Weather Tarp can be used as a ground cloth, single-person sleeping shelter, gear protection and even as thermal protection in emergencies. The flame-retardant tarp’s reverse side is aluminized for wrapping around yourself for thermal insulation and reflectivity for emergency signaling.
A hidden zipper transforms the tarp into a tube-shaped, one-person sleeping tent, providing protection from the damp ground below and the elements above. Get it here.
Related reading: How To Make a Tarp Shelter – 15 Designs
Bear Edge 71521 Tactical Pen
Made of aircraft aluminum, this pen has a screw-off cap and uses standard Parker refills. It comes with a carbide tip for breaking glass, heads or anything else that needs breaking. It is 5.75 inches long and weighs 1.3 ounces. The cap has a flat top, so it’s comfortable if you need to strike with it (although the pen could use more texture for sure purchase if you need to use it in that capacity).
The machining is done well, with tight tolerances—as is obvious when you disassemble it. As a writing implement, it’s a bit top heavy when the cap is secured on the back end, but it balances well with it removed. This pen is a great buy at its MSRP and you can buy it on Amazon.
Working Clock Gun Concealment Diversion Safe
This is a fully functional and decorative rectangular clock modified to work as a diversion safe with a large secret stash compartment hidden behind the face of the clock that uses a hinge and magnetic clasp enclosure to open and close with ease. The hidden storage space is great for hiding small valuables like keys, cash, jewelry, credit cards, etc.
This safe also fits many types of handguns available on the market. It is felt lined to protect your belongings from damage. It would not look out of place on a mantel, shelf, table or any other common area a clock might be found.
According to the Police departments, diversion safes are far better than regular safes since burglars only spend about six minutes inside a home or office and usually only search common areas, like underneath beds or inside closets. They are also a fraction of the cost of normal safes and you can get it here.
MTM SAC Survivor Ammo Can
The MTM Survivor Ammo Can (SAC) is designed for underground ammo storage and 101 other uses. This 3 piece ammo can system allows you to store your valuables for another day. Makes a great way to hide emergency money, food stash, copies of important documents, basic survival gear, coins and the list goes on. The Survivor Ammo Can keep items sealed in a bucket-style body and a double O-Ring sealed lid and protective cap design.
Every Survivor Ammo Can comes with a Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor plastic bag. It helps to line the ammo can along with Desiccant pack to help with humidity control. Holds up to 500 rounds of .45 ACP. or 223 ammo. Holds up to 16 – 30 round metal AR-15 or M16 magazines. Inside Dimensions: 7”(D) x 12.4”(H). Outside Dimensions: 10”(D) x 13.5”(H). Buy it from Amazon at a 20% discount.
Ghost Rider Versatile SURVIVAL SNARE PACKAGE
The Ghost Rider Survival Snare Package is small and compact and will fit in a day pack for a hunting or hiking trip without adding a lot of weight. Don’t take any chances when taking the field, a little piece of mind goes long ways. Normally, trappers target larger fur-bearing animals for their pelts, but in an emergency situation, game animals such as rabbits can be snared. Available here.
This package contains 12 snares.
- 4-Ghost Rider Dyed/Loaded Rabbit/Squirrel Size Snares
- 4-Ghost Rider Dyed/Loaded Versatile Snares for raccoon to coyote
- and 4-Ghost Rider Dyed/Loaded Large Animal Sized Snares.
Aroma Housewares Professional 6 Tray Food Dehydrator
This heavy-duty dehydrator is excellent for drying fruits and vegetables for long-term storage, making jerky and trail mix, drying herbs and spices, even making potpourri. The height of the six trays is adjustable. Automatic fan ensures even drying and prevents overheating.
Perfect for everyone from outdoor hobbyists to the health-conscious, this dehydrator is designed for efficient, even drying. Fruit leather, Trail Mix, Dried Herbs and Spices. Prepare all this and more with the flip of a switch! It handles everything from fruit slices to beef jerky. Now with a 30% discount on Amazon.
Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Lodge Dutch Ovens are top-of-the-line, American-made versatile cooking implements. Legs on the bottom allow you to place the cast iron oven directly into the coals. The flanged lid also holds coals for surrounding your oven with heat for baking.
The lid can be flipped over and used as a griddle. This oven is 12 inches in diameter with a 6-quart capacity. Many of the pieces of cast iron cookware made in the Lodge Foundry over a century ago remain in use today.
A simple Cast-Iron Dutch Oven, like the one your grandmother used, still ranks as one of the best cooking utensils ever made. It gives you a nearly non-stick surface, without the possible harmful fumes generated by preheating chemically treated nonstick cookware. Buy it here.
Related reading: Dutch Oven Cooking – Mastering the Basics
Heimplanet Fistral Inflatable Geodesic 2-Person 3-Season Tent
This one- to two-person tent offers a compact design with a stylish, yet practical, inflation system to make setting up camp easy, fast and efficient. Two entrance points allow fast access in or out of the tent, and its two vestibules provide maximum wind and harsh-weather protection. A gear loft and internal pockets provide much-needed storage space.
For everyone who loves traveling and simplicity! Inflatable frame, inner and outer tent work as a unit and only need to be assembled on the very first setup. From the second time on you just need to pump it up. Besides their great stability, geodesic domes offer a very efficient structure due to their excellent material-to-volume ratio. They are a little bit expensive, but they are worth it. Buy it from Amazon.
Klymit Insulated Double V Sleeping Pad
As kids, we never had a problem getting a good night’s rest in a tent pitched atop bumpy dirt. But as we get older, our spines protest any time we’re without a mattress. Camping gear technology has since advanced in leaps and bounds, not just regarding support, but also warmth. For example, the Insulated Double V is a two-person sleeping pad with a 4.4 R-value (a measure of thermal resistance).
It features Klymit’s V-chamber design and signature body-mapping technology — fancy talk that means it minimizes airflow, heat loss, and the sensitivity to movements of your sleep mate while providing an ergonomic platform for your body. Plus, it inflates quickly, with just 8-10 pumps using the included air pump that doubles as a stuff sack. You can get one here.
BioLite Inc. CampStove 2 Bundle
The award-winning BioLite now offers its innovative products in convenient packages. The CampStove 2 Bundle includes the KettlePot (it cooks like a pot and pours like a kettle), the Portable Grill (with an intake lid that lets you add branches to the fire without disturbing the grill itself), and of course the CampStove 2. As the heart of this package, the CampStove 2 uses any biomass (twigs, pinecones, etc.) as fuel to cook while producing 3 watts to charge devices or to store in its 2,600-mAh battery.
The CampStove 2 conveniently nests inside the KettlePot for storage and portability. There’s also the CoffeePress (sold separately for $15 and shown here with the bundle), which brews six cups of java at a time using a French press-style design. Buy one here.
Leatherman’s MUT EOD
If you’re looking for a portable toolbox that can fit in your pocket, then look no further than Leatherman’s MUT EOD. When you’re under pressure, the last thing you need to be worried about is not having the right tools on you at the right time.
This well-constructed tool provides needle-nose pliers, electrical crimpers, saw, and Bolt Override Tool, along with the essential Phillips and flat head, just to name a few. Accomplish your mission, maintain your field gear and lighten up your kit. All in a day’s work. Available on Amazon.
Related article: Survival Gear – Small Tools For Big Tasks!
Pocket Shot Slingshot
While a slingshot might not be the first sporting arm chosen for the woods, the Pocket Shot is unique in that it collapses down to fit in a pack or even a pocket for use pretty much anywhere.
The circular design fires projectiles up to three times faster than standard slingshots, and a screw-on Whisker-biscuit adapter can be added to fire standard-size arrows, meaning it can be used for larger game in the event of a bow malfunction. Ammo is also available separately.
This pocket slingshot is a fun and useful addition to your bug out bag. Buy it from Amazon.
FiveJoy Military Folding Shovel Multitool
This all-in-one survival tool should be found in the trunk of every vehicle. Heavy Duty Shovel, Sharp Axe Blade, Serrated Saw Edge, Hammer, Paracord…Check! We’ve got all the must-haves for surviving in the outdoors covered. Conveniently dig trenches with this versatile multifunctional tool with a hidden rescue knife and saw, emergency whistle, fire starter (magnesium rod), bottle opener, and more!
Lightweight (only 1.2lbs), and amazingly compact, this is an essential gadget to add to your outdoor first aid survival kit/ gear. Easily fit this foldable entrenching tool in your backpack or the trunk of your vehicle.
It is forged from heat-treated High-Quality SOLID Carbon Steel (Blade and Knife) and Aerospace Grade Aluminum (Knife), for maximum strength and lifetime durability. Get it now on Amazon.
World Gone Silent EMP Bag
As depicted on our cover and various stories in this issue, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or coronal mass ejection (solar flare) would wipe out any circuitry and computers not hardened for such an event. Sure, you could build a Faraday cage of sorts using a metal trash can or steel ammo container, but World Gone Silent has an easier solution.
This EMP Bag is made from a double-reinforced fabric that’s resistant to radio frequencies. It can succesfuly shiel your smartphones, radios, and other vital electronics. And they’re simple to use: insert said items, roll down the top, seal the Velcro. Available on Amazon in matte black with a nickel lining or in copper for five additional bucks.
Goal Zero Yeti 1400 Lithium
Gasoline, propane, wood — all fuels that, in a long-term survival situation, will eventually be as scarce as honesty on a campaign trail. But there’s one resource that’ll never run out: sunlight. That’s why Goal Zero’s latest solar-powered portable power station is winning awards.
The Yeti 1400 Lithium is essentially a giant 1425Wh battery that can power a fridge for a day, provide juice for a 12V LED for almost 20 days, or charge a smartphone 70 times. Once it’s depleted, the Yeti 1400 can be charged by a Boulder 100 Solar Panel (sold separately for $250) or by using AC power. In fact, you can charge via both means simultaneously.
Plus, it has a user-friendly display with real-time usage info. While definitely pricey and weighing a whopping 45 pounds, the Yeti 1400 is an ideal bug-in investment for those with the scratch. Combo deal available on Amazon.
Books – You can’t go wrong with a good book!
The Lost Ways 2
The first volume – The Lost Ways – was a high buzz of 2016 amongst preppers and survivalists and for a good reason. With his book, Claude Davis brings back some of the knowledge of our grand-parents to these modern times.
The book shares the life lessons of our ancestors. Now, he is back with his second volume. In the new book, you will learn how our grandparents managed to survive when the odds were against them. How you can put to good practice their skills, even today when the world is flooded with technology.
This is a highly appreciated survival book as it teaches you some of the lost skills of our ancestors. Everything can be found in these amazing books. All the information provided by this book has been thoroughly researched. Many experienced historians provided the know-how listed in the Lost Ways 2 book.
Root Cellaring Complete
In their book, Mike and Nancy Bubble teach us everything we need to know about natural cold storage of fruits and vegetables. This book will help you discover how easy it can be to turn some extra space in your basement, garage or even your closet into your very own root cellar. Root cellaring is one of the lost arts that many remember, but only a few people still practice. The suggestions for building your own working root cellar are clear, with illustrations to help you plan.
In the book, there are also lists of things that keep well and under what conditions to keep them. If you plan to live off-grid, regardless your location or how much space you have, the Bubels are likely to have a root cellar option that will work for you. This was a recent addition to my SHTF library and after reading it, I decide it is worth a place on the must-have, how-to survival books list.
Related article: 10 How-To Survival Books Worth Owning
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning
This is a book that my wife bought back in 2009. Back then, we had no idea what emergency preparedness was and how it works. It makes a very nice addition to my SHTF library. Many of the recipes from this book have been passed down from generation to generation. They stood the test of time and you will find them useful. If you plan to live off the grid, this book is definitely for you as it provides great tips.
It also gives step-by-step instructions on how to preserve foods using salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, drying, cold storage and lactic fermentation. Easy to read, well laid out, and detailed, this book is for anyone who is interested in food preservation that doesn’t involve chemicals or other modern techniques.
A final word about Black Friday Deals
Many great Black Friday deals can help you stock up on supplies you need and even get the stuff you want. Take advantage and get what you’ve wished for at a fraction of the original cost. Now is the time to buy the things you need and save some money.
Not having enough money and resources is the number one excuse people give for why they don’t prepare for emergencies. Although this excuse may hold some truth to it and it’s understandable that someone struggling financially may see it useless, prepping doesn’t have to be costly. Just spend some time to look for the things you need and I’m sure you will find an offer for your budget.
Other Useful Resources:
Learn How Our Ancestors Managed To Survive Without Technology
This ONE THING Can Help You Terminate Your Store-Bought Dependency
Learn how to Safeguard your Home against Looters
The Best EMP survival and preparedness guide available for the general public