Want to give some practical and helpful gifts to your adult children or grandchildren? If you are looking for great stocking stuffers, here are some much-appreciated gift ideas for preppers, outdoors enthusiasts and survivalists.
Many of these items are also in my Emergency Water Bottle Kit, which also makes a great stocking stuffer in its own right.
Rechargeable Hand Warmers
These electronic hand warmers can get quite warm! They are rechargeable with a USB cord.
Life Tent
Perfect item to put in a vehicle or bug out bag for emergency shelter. A Life Tent is like an oversized mylar blanket that can be hung to make a snug escape.
Emergency Radio
Radios are so important to have in a household. They let you tune in to emergency broadcast stations to learn about the weather, road conditions and disaster recovery supplies.
Be sure to get an emergency radio that can be charged in a variety of ways, such as this radio. Having a hand crank is especially important, but solar charging and USB charging are also great options, too.
Cell Phone Charger
It’s always important to have battery backups for your phone. This Mini Portable Charger is among the smallest that I have found and easily fits onto the bottom of your phone without need of charging cords.
Of course, any type of portable power bank would be great, especially ones that can be recharged by solar panel.
Emergency Blanket
Necessary for staying warm in your vehicle should you need to stay the night.
Also works as a great tent when used with the paradors. Can also be used to collect rain water and funnel it into your bottle or zip-top bags.
These cost less than $2 each when bought in multi-packs.
Flashlight
One of the must-have items in any emergency kit. Solar-powered or hand-crank is the best, but those rarely fit into smaller water bottles.
Make a reminder on a calendar to switch out the batteries every 3 months so that they are fresh and not corroded.
These flashlights are similar to mine and are affordable when bought in bulk.
Head Lamp
You won’t realize the convenience of a head lamp until you are trying to clean a room or fix something in the dark. Hands-free lighting that moves where you do is invaluable in an emergency.
This is the type that I used, and I am very happy with it!
Mini Knife
Knives can be used to cut duct tape, paracord, branches, and more.
Most knives are too big to put into small water bottle emergency kits. However this mini knife is small enough to fit inside even the smallest water bottle!
We are really surprised at how well the knife cuts and highly recommend it for small emergency kits not intended for off-grid survival for several days.
Rain Poncho
In case of rainy weather, you are going to need a rain poncho to keep yourself dry and comfortable.
Plastic rain ponchos also work great as a waterproof layer between you and the ground when sitting or sleeping.
Ponchos can also be used to gather and collect water.
Identification Guides
ID guides are fun to use and have such important information. This Herbal Medicine Quick Reference Guide is great to have on hand for wellness, and a Mushroom Guide can be important if foraging for food.
Bandana
A cotton bandana is best.
Choose a bright color that will attract attention in an emergency, such as safety orange, yellow or red.
A bandana can be tied to your rearview mirror or radio antenna to signal an emergency.
Bandanas can also be used for:
- Filtering water
- Emergency toilet paper
- Sweatband
- Wrap wounds
I bought mine at Hobby Lobby for .99 cents.
Paracord
No emergency kit is complete without paracord!
This thin rope can be used to tie around trees to make a tent with the emergency blanket. It can also be used in a variety of other ways.
Paracord can be opened at the end to reveal several more strands inside, which means you have even more string to work with.
It can also be used as a firestarter.
Waterproof Matches
Important to start fires to keep warm, boil water or cook. You can easily make your own waterproof matches using dollar store matches, rather than spending a lot of money on pre-made ones.
Or buy a waterproof match kit in a water-tight container for ease in storage.
Water Purification
There are a variety of water purification methods to choose from including powders, tablets, mini-filtration systems, etc. What you use will depend on the size of the bottle.
Some great ideas are:
- Lifestraw Sip
- Lifestraw
- P&G Water Purification Packets
- Portable Aqua Tabs (put in your own mini plastic bags)
- Aqua Tabs (individually wrapped)
- Mini Sawyer Filtration System
Whistle
There are so many different types of whistles, from large plastic whistles on lanyards to small, thin whistles you can put on a keychain.
Hand Warmers
Even in warm weather climates, add at least one hand warmer or foot warmer to an emergency kit. You never know when the weather might be unusually cold.
Zip Ties
Can be used in a lot of ways! Get a pack at the Dollar Tree or Harbor Freight.
Socks
Make sure you get wool or cotton socks. Polyester does not wick away moisture well and you’ll have wet, damp feet prone to blisters.
Ramen
Easily found in a super market or dollar store!
Freeze Dried Meal
Pre-packaged freeze dried meals can be incredible expensive. I’ve found these Ready Wise meals at Ingles Super Market for half the price of Mountain House or other well-known brands.
First Aid Kit
You can find basic first aid kits in small plastic containers at Dollar Tree. Larger travel size first aid kits are also readily available or make a custom kit with your own supplies.
Dude Wipes / Cleansing Cloths
We are a big fan of Dude Wipes because they are suitable for men and women, as well as being unscented.
Mini Fan Handheld
Heat and humidity can be just as dangerous as the cold. A mini handheld fan is great for emergency kits for anyone living in locations where it gets hot.
Super Glue
Watch my YouTube video showing how I got all of these items in a water bottle!
Want to save this list for later or share with friends? Be sure to Pin It to Pinterest.
This is just one of our many emergency preparedness ideas. Be sure to see our other helpful guides, such as:
- 27 Free Things To Add to Your Prepper Supplies
- 50 Things We Did Right Prepping for Hurricane Helene
- 25 Things We Did Wrong in a Hurricane
