Non-traditional places to find inexpensive survival supplies

In the days and weeks following a large-scale SHTF event, supermarkets and department stores will be among the first buildings to be looted, meaning that if you need to scrounge for survival supplies, you had better either move quickly or consider unique places that other survivalists would never think of. Last month, ReadyNutrition.com published an article that discussed three places preppers would never think to scrounge for survival supplies. These are places that you really should only search in emergency situations, so keep them in the back of your mind until that day comes. (Related: Sometimes survival means scavenging… but not looting.)

1) Auto Wrecking Yard/Junkyard

 When you take some time to think about it, junkyards can be a prepper’s paradise because of the wide range of useful supplies that can be found here. Seatbelts, for instance, can be pulled out of old vehicles and used as straps. Fabric from various items can be cut and fashioned into makeshift shoes or clothing. If you are able to find a lens from a pair of glasses, you can use it to focus light and start a fire. Similarly, mirrors can be used to either channel light or for signaling a plane or helicopter flying above. Furthermore, the number of things that can be found in junkyards and made into field-expedient weapons is virtually limitless. Glass can be used as daggers, metal poles can be sharpened into spears, rope can be used to make nooses and traps… the possibilities are endless.(Related: Scavenging these ten items from cars will help you survive when the collapse arrives.)

2) Construction Sites

There are quite a few things that can be found on construction sites as far as prepping supplies are concerned. Wood, for example, can be used for everything from shelters, to lean-to’s, to snowshoes, to fuel for fires. If you are able to build a shelter, then you can gather insulation from the construction site, wrap it up in plastic bags and use it to keep the warmth in and the cold out. Much like the junkyard, virtually anything you find inside of a construction site can be made into a field-expedient weapon with a little creativity and imagination. In many cases, creativity won’t even be necessary – if you find a hammer or a nail gun, for instance, you have a ready-to-go weapon that doesn’t require any innovation whatsoever. Furthermore, construction sites are sometimes tapped into a water supply, which you can obviously take advantage of for hydration, cooking, and personal hygiene.

3) Dumpsters and Trash Sites 

Two of the main things that you’ll often find inside of dumpsters and trash sites is cardboard and plastic, both of which can be used in a number of different ways. First, and perhaps most obvious, cardboard burns easily, meaning you can use it to start a fire relatively quickly for cooking and for warmth. Cardboard can also be “sheathed” in the plastic and then used as ground cover to ultimately prevent the conduction of heat inside of your shelter. Furthermore, things like newspapers and magazines can be crumpled up tightly and used to insulate your body – it may not be as effective as a thermal jacket, but in a survival situation, you’ll have to take what you can get. Something is better than nothing at all. AskAPrepper.com noted that apartment dumpsters around the end of the month are typically a good place to search for supplies, considering the fact that they contain everything that the tenants moving out didn’t want to take with them. This may include furniture, electronics, or even full boxes of food.

Sources include:

ReadyNutrition.com

AskAPrepper.com