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With all the posts floating around about essential SHTF gear, it can be difficult to determine what is necessary and what is not for you and your situation.
If there is one lesson the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US has taught us, it is this:
Real SHTF scenarios can and will happen at any time. It is imperative to prepare ourselves and our families BEFORE the SHTF.
There are many posts out there that focus on the items that will quickly disappear before and immediately after an SHTF scenario. In the early days of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak in 2020 store shelves quickly cleared out of some of the most essential items such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and paper towels.
Our post today will take it one step further and discuss the essential SHTF gear you should consider having readily available, and what items I found that I had not adequately prepped for. This pandemic has been a real world test of our SHTF gear and has identified vulnerabilities in our stash.
SHTF Meaning
If you have been around the prepper community for any amount of time you have most likely heard the acronym SHTF. If you are new to prepping you may wonder what it means. SHTF is very simply an acronym for Sh** Hits The Fan.
But what is a SHTF scenario?
SHTF can mean vastly different things depending on who you talk to. For many, including myself, SHTF is any scenario that occurs in which preparation ahead of time would ensure a greater chance of survival.
Through this lens an SHTF event could mean anything from losing your source of employment to a severe natural disaster, or even an end of the world type event. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic many people have been ordered to stay at home and have not been able to work to pay bills. I truly can’t think of a better example of a true SHTF scenario. This is not a drill!
Regardless of the specific event, these types of events require a certain level of preparedness including stockpiling SHTF gear and items.
What Should I Stockpile For SHTF?
To answer the question of what should be part of an SHTF gear list we will make the basic assumption that we are preparing for a severe weather event or natural disaster.
My first winter in New England we had a major snow storm that dropped 18 inches in 24 hours with high wind speeds. We all knew the storm was coming a day or two in advance.
Those who were unprepared found themselves battling large crowds at stores and fighting for the limited supplies still left on the shelves.
Don’t be that person. Prepare yourself ahead of time. I sat at the house knowing my family and I were going to be fine. Even if the storm had knocked power out for weeks or months.
I was only able to have this peace of mind because of my SHTF gear stockpile. When building your SHTF gear stockpile, start with the items that will disappear from store shelves first.
SHTF gear List
The items on this list are laid out in order of precedence from most important to least. If you are new to the preparedness lifestyle you should start at the top and work your way down as you have time and money. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of items, but should give you a good starting point for some of the most important items.
***UPDATE POST-COVID-19***
With living through another true SHTF scenario I have determined some different ways of looking at things than I used to. Importance of items is really pretty relative to what the actual scenario is. For example, during this current pandemic the SHTF gear that I would consider most important would be long term food storage, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.
On the other hand, if we were experiencing a natural disaster type scenario the SHTF gear most important would be access to large amounts of clean water.
#1 - Water Storage
Lots of people talk about food storage up front but water is your first priority. The human body can only live a few days without water, but nearly two weeks without food.
During any SHTF event the very first item to fly off the store shelves is bottled water. Do yourself a favor and store at least seven days worth for each member of your family. You want at least 1 gallon per person per day. If you have a family of 4 you would need 28 gallons total at a minimum.
#2 - Water Filtration
Even if you store your own water before an emergency and store it properly you will want to filter the water before consumption to avoid any water borne pathogens.
For families we suggest a counter top model such as the Big Berkey. It processes lots of water quickly and can be used for everyday use even before any emergency occurs.
If you don’t need to filter large amounts of water we suggest a smaller pump type filter such as the Sawyer Mini.
For more information about water filtration options check out our buyers guide.
#3 - Long shelf life food
Food is another item that flies off of the store shelf when a disaster is approaching. You can give yourself plenty of security by storing food in advance.
In addition to canned goods you should also stockpile flour, oats, noodles, rice, and dry beans.
Long shelf life Meals Ready To Eat (MRE) and other emergency food kits. I suggest ensuring that you have enough food on hand to sustain your family for 30 days. Click here for full review of emergency food.
When COVID-19 first started to affect the United States many of the long shelf life foods flew off of the shelves at stores. Initially it was very difficult to find items like canned goods and dry noodles. My family and I always have 30-60 days worth of dry beans, rice, noodles, and canned goods on hand. I was really glad that I had these items because I was not real worried about food supply. Canned food will actually last a long time. Check out our article about canned food shelf life.
During the COVID-19 outbreak we were very lucky that supply chains were not severely affected which allowed our stores to replenish these supplies to match the increased demand. If our supply chains had been severely impacted many people would have had to go without for a longer than comfortable period of time.
If you are out of power for any extended period of time you will also need a way to heat your food.
The great thing about MREs are that they come with a heating pouch that will do this for you through a chemical reaction. For other foods you want to have a good quality camp stove.
#4 - Heating
Heating is one element that people seem to forget when they are building out their SHTF gear stockpile. Depending on where you live heating may be absolutely necessary for survival.
The desert can also get severely cold during the night so stocking up on blankets and other emergency heat sources is important for you folks too.
If you are able to stock up on wood for a wood burning stove, that’s great.
For everybody else you may want to think about a Mr. Heater propane space heater. These little guys can heat small spaces efficiently with a proper supply of propane. 
#5 - First aid equipment
Besides the basics of food, water, and heat, first aid equipment is among the most important SHTF gear to have. During a SHTF scenario you cannot rely on emergency services to be able to access you if you are injured.
Along with a quality first aid kit that includes basic trauma gear you want to do some research to gain a basic knowledge of lifesaving techniques. Obviously, it is important to gain this knowledge prior to actually needing to utilize it.
You will also want a smaller trauma kit for your bug out bag. Our buyers guide gives you our favorite options.
#6 - Communications
Communication between your party members or with the local community and government is a necessity. You will want a way to stay connected to the outside world and understand the state of the situation.
Investment in a quality emergency weather radio will allow you to receive updates on any impending severe weather. It will also allow you to receive information from the government on evacuation and recovery efforts.
Having access to good quality long range walkie talkies will allow you to stay in touch with team members during any reconnaissance or scavenger missions.
We have buyers guides available to give you the best options for both emergency weather radios and long range walkie talkies.
#7 - Lighting
When the power grid is down it is important to have some way to see what you are doing. There are several options for lighting including emergency candles, flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns.
While lighting may seem like a no brainer it is one of those items that some people can overlook. It is also an item that makes a huge difference in your morale and one of the next items to disappear when the SHTF.
I suggest having a couple of different lighting options as well. Having the brightest light is not always the most favorable condition. If you are scavenging and want to remain undetected you will need a low-light option as well. I suggest a tactical flashlight with low power option.
#8 - Lighters and Matches
One of the cheap items that can make a huge difference in your SHTF gear are matches and lighters.
It is important to have a way to light your camp stove, emergency candles, and start a fire if needed.
Lighters and matches are cheap to purchase, take up a small amount of space, and will be extremely valuable during any emergency situation.
#9 - Bleach Tablets
Bleach is important for disinfecting as well as water treatment. Bleach tablets are a better choice than liquid beach because they take up a small amount of space and have a longer shelf life.
#10 - Solar Power
When the power grid goes down you will no longer be able to keep your electronic devices charged. That is, unless harness a sustainable power source.
Solar technology has become cheaper and more accessible in recent years. Download critical checklists and survival resources to electronic devices then keep them charged with solar power.
#11 - Toilet Paper
While this item may seem ridiculous it will be invaluable in a SHTF type scenario. With roads blocked and stores inaccessible you will be stuck with what you have on hand. If that only happens to only be a roll or two, the sh** has literally hit the fan.
In my home I have 4 large packs put away at all times. ***UPDATE*** During the COVID-19 pandemic we saw that toilet paper was actually one of the first items to sell out of all local stores. One lesson I learned here is that the 4 large packs I had on hand may not actually be enough. My family of three actually uses a lot more toilet paper than I had imagined.
Once this current situation is over I plan on stocking a minimum of 6-8 large packs. We did alright with our supply but would have been more comfortable knowing that we have more.
#12 - Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is another common sense item, that most of us don’t store enough of. When water supply is limited hand sanitizer is necessary to clean your hands without wasting precious water. The importance of having plenty of hand sanitizer in your SHTF gear stockpile is probably well known post COVID-19.
conclusion
I want to stress again that this is not an all inclusive list. This is a starting point of the main considerations you should be making when building out your SHTF gear. This list continues to be added to so please bookmark this page to check back as you build out your own SHTF gear.
