Dollar Store Survival

[RichieRiot]

Ok, so I am new on here and I figured I would contribute a little.

I have been in the process of putting together a BOB as well as some items to keep around the house for any situation that may come up in the future. While on my normal trip to a Dollar Store to get a few things I started to realize that there are many useful items that I can get for my BOB or home survival kit.

Here are some of the items that I have found so far....
A Sports Wistle, Glow Sticks, A sharpening stone, plastic containers, various hygene items, duct tape, gardening gloves, socks, first aid items, a mesh laundry bag, shoe laces, wash cloths, various kitchen items, tools etc...

Here are some other things that I have found uses for....
Velcro computer cable ties (I use them to secure items to my BOB)
Large childrens chalk (a piece of chalk could be handy for writing SOS message on a street or wall)
Sterno (While it's not something I would carry with me, I have it for power outages at home)
Candles (I personally recommend novina candles, the tall glass religious candles, they burn for days)
Travel Games (thay are usual small and very portable things like cards, or have many games in a small pack)

one note on the quality of some dollar store items. The tools/harware items are usually total garbage, but you can occasionally find something that is worth having. I did find a LED flashlight that worked quite well and I would keep around to use as a backup or spare. Then there are the batteries that they sell, don't even bother, nine times out of ten they either don't work or won't work for long. As for food items, always check the package... some things are not bad to pick up (ie: spices). Just use common sense. For example, I bought one glow stick and tried it out before going back to buy more, I was just skeptical about how well they would work.

Anyway, they are just some of the things that I have found at a dollar store. I know that many of the items that you can get from a dollar store can be total crap, but every now and then you find something that is good. Just take a stroll through one and use your imagination. The best part is that you can get a lot of items pretty cheap all in one shot. So when you are on a budget like me and want to put together a well rounded BOB, it's not a bad place to look. Plus it leaves me with more money to spend on the more important things like ammo.

[dawg]

We shop at the Dollar stores too. Like you said, some things are worth buying, others are just junk.

[E`omer]

Dollar store flatware should be good enough for BOB . There is a 9'x12' plastic drop cloth that is big enough for a lean-to or similar project .

[Christian for Israel]

shower curtain liners make good tarps for your BOB, they're light weight and compact. i get the fake tupperware containers for holding reloading supplies. the tools are definately light duty, but will often still work for light jobs and are cheap enough to keep a few around the house. among other useful items i've found at the local dollar store...plastic emergency ponchos, small purses/wallets/fanny packs that are useful for compartmentalizing your gear inside your pack, towels and washcloths, hard candies, zip ties and other fasteners, etc. most of the food at our dollar store is store brand and bought fresh. i have to be careful though as some items aren't worth a dollar (can be bought elsewhere for less), so you should still comparison shop. btw, the LED flashlight i got there two years ago is still going strong. it's made of aluminum, takes 2 AA batteries and has 3 LEDs. i have carried it in my fanny pack since i got it and use it all the time. it's looking rough but it's still just as bright and even is still on it's first set of batteries. :)

[Stainless]

Dollar tree, Dollor General, Big Lots, Freds, are all good stores to check out for cheap stuff to fill out a BOB or just for extra items around the house. I went to Big Lots just the other day and picked up a couple of green tarps for shelters and coverage. My wife picks on me because I currently own about 20 flashlights from my good mag lights to cheap dollar ones. It is like having a cheap pistol. They are not my first choice but as a back-up or to bury they will be better than nothing.

8)

[ZombieHunter_EKY]

Dollar stores are a great place to buy can food and such. Cheaper than going to wal-mart and buying the same amount.

[dukenukum]

when I redid the " the man cave " read here reloading area I went looking for some cheap containers for empty brass , and found at my local dollar tree heavy plastic bins that are no kidding made in AMERICA . :rifles:

[Christian for Israel]

something else made in the USA and marketed ONLY at dollar stores is 'LA's totally awesome' line of cleaning products. the surprising thing is, they work GREAT. they're all we use now and in fact, i use them to clean my brass before reloading. the cleaner in a hot water bath does a better job than tumbling and lasts forever.

[ZombieHunter_EKY]

Dollar Store Mean Green will eat the paint off of a car. Don't ask how I found out. But damn that some strong cleaner guys.

[Christian for Israel]

Dollar Store Mean Green will eat the paint off of a car. Don't ask how I found out. But damn that some strong cleaner guys.
i wonder how well it'd clean lead out of a barrel.