Prepping lists for me are like a gnat to flame – I can’t help but be dawn to them! But it also matters who’s sharing them. The Urban Prepper is a guy I used to follow a lot years ago, back when I lived in Washington State, but has since fallen off my radar because we live very different preparedness-related lives these days. Nonetheless, he always provides wonderful insights, and this list of ten overrated preps you might regret buying is no exception.
The surprising part is that the list includes more than a few items which get high marks among many in the preparedness community! Sadly, I have most of these items, lol.
In the video, he talks about high-lumen flashlights, ferro rods, multifunction demolition tools, hand-crank radios (I hate these things too!), Rite in the Rain notebooks, Rambo-style knives, survival shovels, freeze-dried food buckets, survival paracord, and MOLLE webbing.
In general, I tend to agree with his assessment. For starters, he points out a few items, such as the hand-crank radio, Rambo knife, survival shovel, and even survival paracord, as ultimately being a waste of money because they try to do too much. In other words, your radio should just be a radio. That shovel should just dig holes, not include a compass, axe, and bottle opener. I agree. I strongly advise against survival gear that purports to be an “all in one” or “multifunction” anything. Get the best singular tool you can buy and you’ll be much happier. Perhaps the only exception to this rule is the use of pocket multitools, like the Leatherman Wave or similar.
Next, the high-lumen flashlights are just silly. I’ve seen the trends online and I just laugh. There are flashlights online that say they’re 90,000 or 100,000 lumens for less than $40 or even $20. That’s just B.S. There are physics involved, and those physics demand certain things which you’re not going to get from a $20 flashlight. Granted, I’m not saying these flashlights aren’t bright or useful, just that they’re far from what’s claimed.
Two interesting additions are the ferro rods and Rite-in-the-Rain notebook. I’ve got these and find them useful, but he does have a point, in that, from an urban or even suburban survival standpoint, you’re surely better off with a Bic lighter or matches and a regular notebook and pencil. No arguments here. Honestly, I’d still include matches and a Bic lighter over a ferro rod in my bug out bag, especially since most people are familiar with their use and not so much with ferro rods. That said, I’d still go with the Rite-in-the-Rain notebook for bug out purposes.
The freeze-dried food bucket was a surprise to me. Considering that he’s an urban prepper, one would think he needs to save space, travel light during a bug out (freeze-dried buckets are a good choice for this), and stockpile items that most people might not instantly find useful (as opposed to cans of food, for example). But I get where he’s going with the argument that you should just “store what you eat and eat what you store.” My only disagreement is that you should be stockpiling healthy, nutritious foods in your pantry.
I’ll leave the last few items he discusses in the video for now. The takeaway, as I see it, is this: Money is tight for most of us. Don’t get lulled into believing that you’re saving money by purchasing gimmicks. The survival space is becoming rife with ill-advised advice and gear. Not only are you wasting money buying the wrong stuff, you could be putting your very survival at risk. Consider from whom you take your advice, even me. Ensure that what they suggest works for you or, at minimum, that it can be tailored to your situation and needs. Think for yourself because nobody, not even me, cares as much about you as you!
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