8 Uncommon Prepping Supplies You Can Use In The Wild (2024)

Your prepping supplies kit doesn't have to be expensive nor does it have to be extensive. In fact,you can turn common items into extraordinary survival tools.

These simple household tools and other uncommon items will make you want to consider your prepping kit.

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Top 8 Unusual Prepper Supplies

1. Chopsticks

If you think chopsticks are merely for eating sushi, then you haven’t seen anything yet, these are excellent survival items.

When you are stuck in the wild, fire is a necessity, and to build a fire, you will need a fire starter.

You can invest in lighters, matches, or even state-of-the-art fire-starting devices. Or you can save your extra buck by using chopsticks. These are useful because they are made of wood and are highly combustible.

To make your recycled chopsticks more combustible, let them dry further in the sun. This will remove excess moisture in the wood.

When thoroughly dried, these thin wooden utensils would be superb for starting a fire. This will save you the hassle of making kindling materials in wet and humid areas.

2. Lint and Cardboard Rolls

Lint and cardboard rolls belong to the trash bin. Or do they? When you are in the wild, this seemingly useless garbage could be gold.

Like chopsticks, lint and cardboard rolls could be used as superb fire-starters.

The process is simple. In just a few seconds, you make yourself a makeshift fire-starter without breaking a sweat.

First off, fill the cardboard roll with lint. After that, you can wrap it with old newspaper. This will make your lint and cardboard roll fire-starter more combustible.

If you camp in a wet or snowy area, this ingenious device would be perfect. Starting a fire anytime will be a breeze.

3. Safety Pins

Safety pins are a simple yet clever invention. But apart from its original usage and fashion-worthiness, a safety pin is a mean survival tool that should always be partof prepping supplies.

These can be used as do-it-yourself fish hooks, makeshift tweezers, and clothes hangers. Aside from these, you can also use them to create hygiene and medical tools.

A bunch of safety pins, on the other hand, can be utilized to craft an improvised arm sling. You can make one out of pins and a t-shirt for first aid purposes.

In worst-case scenarios, sterilized safety pins have been used by medics to close gaping wounds. The possibilities are endless.

4. Cable Ties

Zip or cable ties are common items that can be used uncommonly as part of your prepping supplies.

In the wild, though, cable ties can be an alternative to duct tape. A reliable home repair product, cable ties also have a multitude of functions outdoors.

To begin with. Cable ties can be used to build a shelter. Light-weight yet sturdy, it can bind poles and fabrics to erect tents.

Compared to ordinary strings and rubber bands, cable ties are consistent. It is an excellent binding material. It won’t easily break under pressure.

This is why you should have loads of it in your bug-out bag. Cable ties, among many other uses, can fasten bags, secure tarps, make traps, tie plants, and craft arm slings.

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5. Old Fabrics

Old fabrics from blankets, curtains, and sheets could be used as an essential part of your prepping supplies. Using the old fabric as survival items, though, is nothing new.

Old and worn-out clothing is repurposed as bags, jeans, beddings, army uniforms, and many more. With a little bit of ingenuity, these seemingly worthless items can be transformed into useful materials.

If you are bound to live in isolated areas, old fabrics can build tents, catch fish, trap wild animals, and dress wounds.

6. Tote Bags

Grocery bags, especially heavy-duty ones, are excellent prepper materials. Tote bags made of canvas or polyethylene, for instance, are impressively tough.

They can withstand wear and tear for a much longer period compared to ordinary bags. This specific quality makes tote bags ideal for use in rugged settings.

Need to carry bundles of wood from the forest? No sweat. Use a tote bag.

Since totes are manufactured using high-quality materials, they will never crack from extreme heat or cold. Some are even water-resistant, so you can also use them in repairing tents and making jackets.

7. Tampons

Surprise! Who would’ve thought that tampons would be included on this list? But if you think we are pulling your leg, think again.

Seriously, a tampon is an excellent survival item. It should be included on any sensible list of prepping supplies. So, how is a tampon essential for preppers?

In the absence of real bandages, tampons can be used to treat wounds. With some safety pins and old fabrics to hold everything together, you are all set.

8. Pantyhose

Pantyhose is an amazing survival item. It may look weird on this list but trust us, it works. Even military men have been known to use it as blister-proof materials worn under their socks.

Aside from preventing foot blisters, pantyhose can be used as an improvised mosquito net. If you hate ticks and leeches, wearing one would also help keep these pesky pests at bay.

Want to catch some fish? No problem. Use a pantyhose as a makeshift fishnet. You could also use this clothing article as a self-defense weapon. Just fill it with stones, and you have an instant bola.