Prepping at the Party Store

My youngest daughter developed a passion for special effects make-up.  Make-up artistry is not a skillset that I have ever thought to cultivate.  In fact, I barely wear street make-up, I never paint my fingernails, and the first time I ever colored my hair was during the COVID lockdown (and that was because my daughter needed to practice and the only people she had access to who had uncolored hair were me and Deus Ex Machina).

As a homeschooler, I like to encourage my daughters' passions - even if (maybe especially if) they don't align with my own, and what that means is, when she asks if we can go to the Party Store, because she needs a bald cap, I don't say no.  Besides, she has a job and she's spending her own money.  All I'm doing is providing transportation.

Well, that's not entirely true.  When she asked if I could take her there, I immediately thought of the one thing that I know I can always find at the Party Store, and that's really useful - especially during power outages.  

Chem Lights!

From a prepper standpoint, these lights are pretty cool.  The first time I used these during a power outage, I was surprised by how much light they actually put out.  It was plenty of light for brushing my teeth.  

I found the display of chem lights, grabbed a few packages, and continued to wander around the store while she stocked up on her FX make-up.

As I wandered around, I noticed that there were actually quite a few things that are useful for preppers.  I was surprised, and then, I thought, "Of course there are!"  

Because Prepping doesn't have to be about specialized equipment.  It really is about seeing the usefulness in every day items. 

So, I started taking pictures of things that I saw that I knew were incredibly useful "prepper" items.  Here's my list of 9 prepper items I found at the Party Store.

1. Bandanas

Every hiker, survivalist, and prepper knows that bandanas are incredibly useful.  They can be used for all sorts of things, from pressure bandages to water filters.  Today, with the pandemic raging, bandanas are a popular face covering. 

The Party Store has lots of options for bandanas, and what I found particularly aesthetically pleasing was that the bandanas were sorted by color with other fun things that were all the same color.  I'm particularly fond of purple.  

2. Socks.

I love socks.  As a soldier, I learned the value of dry socks, because dry feet are healthy feet.  Later in life, when I moved to New England and quickly figured out that wearing sweaters and socks was cheaper than paying for heating oil, I learned the true value of a good pair of socks.  The best advice for keeping warm in cold weather is to start small - with one's own body.  Layering clothes is the oft given advice in survival circles.  When I'm cold, instead of turning up the heat, I put on socks.  It's amazing what a difference it makes. 

I don't know why I was surprised to find socks at the Party Store.  I'm sure one can find cheaper socks, but if the Party Store is the only option, they have socks, and socks are good.  

3.  Tee Shirts

Right under the socks I found tee-shirts.  Like a bandana, a nice, cotton tee-shirt has dozens of uses - including the fact that it can be worn as, well, a shirt.  In a survival situation, clean, dry clothes can help prevent hypothermia and provide cover from the sun, and *clean* clothes can help prevent body lice.  Body lice are parasites that feed on humans, but they LIVE in clothes.  Changing clothes, frequently, can prevent lice.  Just FYI.  

4.  Hats!

I love hats!  I can't wear hats, because I don't look good in hats, but I still love them, and I dream of someday being a little old lady in a big purple straw hat tending my garden or putting laundry on the line.   I never really appreciated the value of hats, especially for providing shade, until I was in the military.  For keeping the sun off one's head and out of one's eyes, there's not much better than a hat with a wide brim.  

As a prepper, hats are great for sun shade.  They can also be good as a collection basket when foraging.   

5.  Lip balm.

I apologize for the terrible pictures.

Lip  balm is great for its intended purpose - to provide a protective layer on one's lips.  It's good for helping to prevent/sooth lips chapped by the cold or sun.  

6.  Magnifying glasses.

Magnifying glasses can be used as a fire starter.  They can also be used in first aid.  Ever get a stubborn splinter?  That magnifying glass can be very helpful when trying to get it out.  

In addition, for those of us with "old" eyes, a magnifying glass could be very useful if something happens to our glasses.  

6.  A whistle.

For those of you who haven't seen Titanic, spoiler alert!

In the film, Rose is lying on a piece of a door in the frigid north Atlantic waters.  She is suffering from hypothermia and likely to pass out and die at any moment, when she hears rescuers slowly moving through the debris of the shipwreck looking for survivors.  She tries to call out, but she can not speak.  Then, she sees a whistle around the neck of a floating corpse.  That whistle saves her life.  

Survival manuals recommend a whistle in one's gear for that reason.  We can't always count on the ability to call out if we're in danger, but blowing a whistle - we can do that.  

7.  Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer may not be a usual offering at the Party Store, but it was there (along with face masks, which I am not including in this list).   While I don't, under normal circumstances, like using hand sanitizer, in a survival scenario, it can be useful.  Keeping clean without soap and water can be difficult.  Hand sanitizer is also made mostly of alcohol.  It could be used as an accelerant for fire starting. 

8.  Carving tools.

Pumpkin carving tools are likely seasonal, and for survival purposes, there are probably better cutting tool options, but if one only has the Party Store as a resource, this cutting tool could be useful.  

9.  Lights.

For the same reason that I like to stock-up on chem lights, I also look for lights, like these.  They are safer to use than candles, but provide enough light for basic tasks.  In a powered down scenario, I would love to have these lights under my kitchen cabinets or running down my hallway.  

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One of the most useful attributes of preppers is our ability to look at every day items and see their value in extraordinary circumstances.  As I walked around the Party Store, I found a lot of great prepper supplies.  There are definitely other things I missed or didn't include, because they were no brainers (like all of the napkins, plastic spoons, and paper plates).  

What prepper items have you found in unusual places?