As most of the readers of SurvivalBlog know, preparing for disasters can be a lifelong commitment and can be most costly, even when buying used or on-sale items. However, after 30 years of prepping, I find that I do 40-50% of my shopping at secondhand stores, such as Salvation Army, Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, and American Cancer Society, to name a few.
If you visit regularly and keep your eyes open, not only will you find a treasure trove of preparedness items, but the employees will get to know you and your products and put them aside and hold them for you before they get put out on the shelf.
Here is a list of just a few of the items that I’ve picked up:
PUR Scout water purifier – MSRP $80 / used $1 (actually new, never used)
Hudson Bay wool blanket, queen size – MSRP $250 / used $20
Big Berkey water filter (with 4 elements) – MSRP $250 / used $29 (new/never used)
Big Berkey water filter (with 4 elements) – MSRP $250 / used $5 (new / never used. This was found just 2 weeks after finding the first one at another store across town)
BDUs – $5 a piece [for pants or shirts]
Carhart brand overalls (later found to have an original Leatherman tool in one pocket) – MSRP $75 / used $9
Levis Blue Jeans, Dockers, and Khakis – $4 to $5 a piece (for work clothes)
Fleece (in earth tone colors) – $2.99 (again, work/hunting/tactical clothes)
North Face Gore-Tex parka – $15
REI brand down sleeping bag – MSRP $175+- / used $10 (US made, circa 1985)
Presto 23 quart Pressure canner – $5 (I just replaced the gasket, tested it and it works great!)
Food Dehydrator (unknown brand) – $10 (almost new & works great!)
WWII steel canteens & canteen cups with covers – I’ve bought at least 10 of each and the most that I paid was $10 (These were 1940s dated. At gun shows these sell for $25 or more.)
ThermaRest self inflating sleeping pads – MSRP $60+- / used $5
Kelty youth frame backpack (in OD green) – $10 (this came with one of the thermarest pads)
Canning Jars – 10 cents to 50 cents each.
Candles – 20 cents to 50 cents each
Crutches – $7 (probably used once)
Bedside commode – $10 (looks new, took it home & sanitized it, put it with the first aid supplies.
Medical supplies – Unopened packages of gauze & bandages, by the box
Sewing supplies
…and many more
This is just a short list of some of the treasures that I’ve found. so be consistent and keep your eyes open, you never know what you’ll come across…good luck!
Letter Re: Secondhand Store Bargains, by Rucksack Rob
