10 Preps for under $10

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission.

Evelyn is out of commission with an ambush headache (I feel ya, sister, I know how much those suck) and so I'm posting a this last-minute "10 for $10" list.

This is essentially a companion piece to Friday's "Preps Found Around the House" post. I figured readers might find it useful to have a post of all the preps I can think of which can be bought on pretty much anyone's budget.

Hopefully you will find this list helpful.  Yes, it's filled with Amazon referral links; I have the pay the bills somehow. However, I've used everything listed here, and I'm only recommending things that I believe in.

1) Mora Knife.  Every prepper needs a good fixed-blade knife, and Moras are some of the best kept secrets of the knife world -- very sharp, durable, high in quality and ridiculously inexpensive.  The carbon steel version holds a sharper edge, but is more prone to rusting, so I recommend the stainless steel version for new preppers or for folks who just want to throw a knife into their bags and not worry about it.

2) Break-Free CLP.  Speaking of rust, something like this goes a long way towards keeping your investments of metal tools free of corrosion.

3) EZE-LAP pocket diamond sharpener. If you carry a knife you'll need a way to sharpen it, and this little gadget is both effective and convenient. I've been carrying one in my EDC kit for years.

4) Nalgene Bottle. It holds a quart of water (almost a liter) and is practically unbreakable. (I'm sure dedicated destructoids could find a way.)

5) Stainless Steel Cup.  Get one that fits over the bottom of said Nalgene bottle.

6) Esbit Folding Stove. Put your cup on this stove and you can boil water, then pour the purified water into your bottle.

7) Water Pasteurization Indicator. Hey, you don't even have to boil water; just pasteurize it instead. Save time and fuel!

8) Sparkie Fire Starter. Recommended by Lokidude, this will get your fire going and you can even use it one-handed.

9) Rescue Blanket. They aren't exactly comfortable, but they're light enough to carry anywhere and they'll keep you warm and dry in a pinch. I suggest getting the two-person version, as it's always better to have more blanket for one person than try to fit two under a single-size.

10) Shemagh. I talked about this in the second Gun Blog Variety podcast. Get one in military colors and avoid red, red & white, black & white, and if you're in gang country, blue.