Note: There are no affiliate links on this page, or most others. I am not making a dime on these recommendations. These suggestions are based on my experience using items I purchased over decades and not a product sent to me by a vendor.
Make it a Prepper Christmas
If you and your significant other are living the prepper lifestyle, Christmas is a great opportunity to improve your preps while giving each other (and maybe your kids) something they will appreciate and hopefully enjoy.
Stocking Stuffers
Here are some smaller items that can be good for stocking stuffers or folks who have agreed not to spend much on Christmas this year:
- Headlamps – The Nitecore NU20 is a lightweight headlamp with a great deal of functionality. It is no toy. There are thousands of other headlamps out there that might suffice. I recommend you get ones that can be recharged or, better yet, use an 18650 or other rechargeable battery. Just stick with better known brands and test their run time. If you buy a cheap light, you may need to invest in some expensive batteries to get better run time.
- Batteries – Speaking of batteries, they make inexpensive but useful gifts. Besides the aforementioned 18650s, consider CR123s, CR2032 coin cells, and standard AA and AAAs.
- Water Purification – At the stocking stuffer level, this could include something like the survival straw or water purification tablets or cachets. I have good experiences with Chlor-Floc and Portable Aqua brands.
- Bushcrafting Gear – Small pieces of kit for outdoor survival such as fire starters, a compass, ranger beads, paracord, bank line, a waterproof match case, or mess kit. Morakniv knives, which many like for bushcrafting, start at under $15. Water bottles or canteens are also useful, if a bit big for many stockings.
- Socks and Gloves – In my opinion, you can never have too many gloves or socks because both wear out. Wool or wool blend is great for socks and OK for gloves. For outdoor gloves, I lean towards synthetic and waterproof. For work gloves, I like leather for some chores, and cheap knit gloves with latex or polymer palm and fingers for processing firewood and other chores. I get the yellow-palmed Hardy work gloves at Harbor Freight for $1.99, but they can go on sale for $1.69 or less.
Medium – Priced Gear
We’ll consider this anything from $25 to $150.
- Flashlights – I have given flashlights to at least four people, and they have always been well received. I have carried a tactical flashlight in my pocket for at least 20 years. My first one was a Streamlight. It still works, but is dim compared to today’s state-of-the art lights. I have also owned lights from SureFire (expensive), Olight, Nitecore and Powertac. I am on the Powertac mailing list and they have a 40 percent off Black Friday coupon. Just use code Blackout at checkout.
- Knives – Yes, you can spend hundreds of dollars on a knife. (The one time I did that, I lost it a few years later.) Or you can spend $9.99. I recommend somewhere in the middle. My current EDC blade was $89 and I have no complaints. If you are concerned about cost, you can get a decent CIVIVI knife at Walmart for under $40. Fixed blades can also be expensive, but they don’t have to be. I have seen the Cold Steel SRK, also a decent knife, for less than $50. Remember, it’s a tool, not a show piece.
- Multi-Tools – Some would say these are knives, but I think of them as a tool that happens to include a blade. I own two of the original Leatherman multi tools, and they suit me fine. In the past decades, the world of multi tools has exploded and you can find a great variety of tools. I would not mind one that has AR-15 tools on it, but buy your partner a tool that fits their job or role. Not everyone will need a mini ratchet set on their belt, but things like an awl, mini saw, scissors, and pliers are useful in a wide variety of situations. I prefer the Leatherman and SOG over Gerber or unknown Chinese brands.
- Camping Gear – Camping and hiking can be good training for bugging out on foot or for surviving off grid, so you could gift things like sleeping bags or tents, or even a camping trip. If you already have these basics, consider a Primus stove, fuel cartridges for a stove you already own, a nice set of nested cooking gear, a pump filter like the Katadyn Hiker or Vario, a folding shovel, or some freeze-dried meals.
- Radios – I recommend a standard set of GMRS radios like those sold to hunters. These will allow you to talk to each other across a mile or two of terrain. You can also consider VHS or HAM radios for longer-range communication, but you should meet the licensing requirements. Even a battery-powered AM/FM radio, a weather radio, or a “world band” shortwave radio can be useful. During Helene, our AM radio was our only source of information for a couple of weeks.
Expensive Gifts
- Guns – I have seen some pretty decent, name-brand guns on sale for less than $300, but do your research. It is hard to go wrong with the Glock 19, but you can buy a PSA Dagger or other knock-off and safe a couple hundred dollars. If you already have handguns, consider an AR-style weapon or a shotgun. And for the partner who has enough guns, ammo is always good.
- Optics and Accessories – After buying new guns, I always seem to spend at least as much on accessories. Red dot optics, holsters, more magazines, baseplates for the magazines, and so forth. All make good gifts, if you know what will work with their particular weapon.
- A Solar Generator – Although I hate the name, I like the product. While bigger and more powerful (3 kilowatt hours or more) is often best, that is only the case if you leave your solar generator at home. If you plan to put it in your car when you bug out, a medium-sized model (1 to 2.5 kWh) might be better. If you need portable power you can carry around the homestead, then a smaller model with 600 or fewer watthours might be your best bet. Just be sure to get enough solar panels to recharge it in three to four hours. If you are stuck between similar two models, I would pick the one that will recharge fastest.
- A Countertop Water Filter – If you don’t plan to bug out, then a large, gravity-fed water filter like the Berkey or Katadyn Drip Filter can help you keep a steady surplus of clean drinking water on hand. These filters cost from $300 to $500, but they can filter thousands of gallons of water.
- Training – Why not sign each other up to a training class that will build your skills? Many people think tactical training when they hear this, but you can find classes on foraging food in the wild, on running a trap line, on seed saving, on emergency or wilderness medicine, on how to use ropes and climbing gear, etc. Even a class on safely using a chainsaw might be useful for someone with no experience.
- Gold or Silver – You could give jewelry, but a one-ounce gold coin will be a better investment. If you have some spending power, consider rolls of Silver American Eagles or one or more Gold Eagles or Gold Buffalos. Preppers might also like rolls of pre-1965 dimes or quarters, which may one day be useful for barter because of their 90% silver content.
Use Your Imagination
Hopefully, you get the general idea, so take it from here. Use this list as a starting point and build your prepping gift list. You have less than four weeks left…
