A Prepper's Hanukkah

Hello, fellow Preppers. Hopefully all of you had a pleasant and filling Thanksgiving, Ours was very nice, and our refrigerator is full of leftovers we will consume over the next week or so, including at least one batch of Turkey Soup.

Now we are about to enter the December gift giving holidays. Since this time can cause some amount of stress, I've decided to put together some gift lists to help make shopping easier. So for your consideration, here's a list of eight item categories (with examples) for yourself or the prepper in your life.

LED Keychain Flashlight

Being Jewish, I celebrate Hanukkah, which is also called the Holiday of Lights. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to start my list with a flashlight.

Aurora A1

Only slightly larger than a AA battery, the Aurora A1 packs a lot of light in a small, inexpensive package. It's rechargeable through a USB-C power port (USB cable not included), and the listing claims it can reach full charge in as little as 60 minutes.

The Aurora A1 has five light settings: Moonlight, Low, Medium, High, and Strobe, as well as a lockout mode to prevent unintentional activation.

Don't tell My Wife, but she's getting one of these for her purse light this year.

Emergency Keychain Car Escape Tool

This time of year is also frequently one of travelling, whether to the mall for shopping or out of town to visit family, and a constant risk when on the road is some form of motor vehicle accident. While the likelihood is generally low, and the chance of getting trapped in a vehicle is even smaller, this inexpensive tool makes for an excellent insurance policy.

ResQMe Keychain Car Escape Tool

Combining the ability to both cut a jammed seatbelt and break an inoperative car window in a small and convenient package, every vehicle should have at least one of these devices accessible to the passengers and driver.

Knives

Speaking of cutting, a good knife is a treasure. We've all sung the praises of Morakniv and their budget friendly offerings; I keep one in my car kit. 

Morakniv 511

For something a bit nicer, the Ontario Knife Company Rat-3 comes highly recommended and still doesn't break the bank.

Ontario Knife Company Rat-3

Self Adhesive Bandages

Anyone who's dealt with long term storage has probably had the experience of finding some item which was supposed to have a sticky side end up being not so sticky. This happened to me recently when I tried to put up a new Command Hook and the adhesive on the tape strips had de-volatized, but that's a minor inconvenience compared to bandage tape that won't stick. 

Self Adhesive Bandages

I keep a roll of these Self Adhesive Bandages in various places. As added bonuses, they neither pull hair out nor leave sticky residue when removed.

Back to Basics

No gift list would be complete without at least one book. With over 4,000 reviews and an average 4.7 star rating, Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills is high on my wish list.

Back to Basics

With chapters on everything from buying land, to building a house, to planting and harvesting, this book covers a lot of ground.

Ties that Bind

This isn't a Father's Day post, so I'm not going to recommend any actual ties, but rather items that can be used to secure other things. Traditional rope has its place, but tends to be bulky. These two offerings are quite strong (1,100 and 2,200 pound test respectively), and being flat, a larger quantity can fit in a smaller space.

Rapid Rope

Redback Strap

I'm A Frayed Knot

If I'm going to talk about tying things, then the next logical gift will be knot references. While there are an almost infinite variety of knots, most people need fewer than a dozen. These two references each include instructions on over a score of knots.

Knot Tying Kit

The Knot Tying Kit includes a portable plastic card with diagrams, as well as two lengths of rope, and a couple of carabiners for both practice and to clip the cards to a piece of equipment. As mentioned in my Pocket Survival post, I keep one of these in my jacket pocket. 

Useful Knots Book

The Useful Knots Book contains information of tying and using a number of knots and includes information on terminology and rope care as well.

Walk the Line

Socks are a traditional Hanukkah present, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to our readers. Instead, I can wholeheartedly recommend these insoles. They were suggested to me by a podiatrist and make a world of difference when I have to spend a day on my feet standing on concrete floors. 

PowerStep Insoles

One important detail to remember is that insoles should be changed out every three to six months.

So there you have it: eight gift ideas for preppers for the eight days of Hannukah. May you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season, and I hope you get gifts you enjoy!