They have boxes of trash bags. Dollar Tree has a box of 5ct, 39gal lawn bags but one might go for more "coverage" by getting a smaller bags that have a larger quantity.

 

Sometimes, you can buy 3 mil contractor bags for 50 cents each.

2 bags would do wonders. One could be used as a shelter tarp and the
other can be used as a sleeping bag stuffed with leaves for insulation.

I've done that in 20 degree weather. As long as there's a windblock, it's toasty.

 

Tool: kitchen knife
Cooking: roll of aluminum foil (dozens of other uses, space blanket, vapor barrier, heat reflector, signaling, etc...)
Navigation: sewing kit (magnatize a needle, sew kit good for first aid, make fish hooks)
Signaling: high visibility duct tape (also for first aid)
Shelter: plastic trash bags or shower curtain (piece can be cut to make waterproof sack with tape)
1st aid: antibiotic ointment (also as firestarter)
Water Container: metal water bottle
Fire Starting: lighters or box matches
Pack: re-usable store shopping bag (cut handles and make haversack)
Cordage: clothesline kit or general rope or fishing line

 

Cooking: roll of aluminum foil (dozens of other uses, space blanket, vapor barrier, heat reflector, signaling, etc...)

...hat making...

 

As I posted in another thread, I get these picture hanging kits from the dollar store. 14 feet of snare wire, eye's for making a quick fishing rod and a few other items for fastening stuff. Multiple uses for $1.

 

You could make snare locks from the picture hangers.

While many decent items are obtainable from $ Stores and other bargain outlets, I would make sure that those items I most depend on, and perhaps to gain some comfort from, are of the best quality I can afford. It is one thing to have a kit full of stuff, and quite another to have stuff that will do what needs to be done.

 

Foot warmers...if your feet are cold, it can get miserable out there.

 

Dollar Tree has a six pack opf emergency candles for $1.00

 

Dollar Tree always has steel wool. Some of that and a battery from your flashlight or radio and you're almost guaranteed fire if you have good tinder.

 

1. shower curtain
2. 'nuther shower curtain
3. matches or 3-pack lighters
4. 3-feature pocket knife (I actually saw one today at the Dollar Tree!)
5. laundry rope
6. stainless (or was it aluminum??) water bottle (Dollar Tree!)
7. large garbage bags
8. pack of cheezy cotton socks
9. bag of peanuts
10. mini roll duct tape

 

1)cooking: Small pan $1
2)water purification: Small pan or metal water bottle and lighters $2
3)food procurement: picture hanger kit 50 yd Dental Floss $2
4)navigation: In Florida East and West are too easy, which makes North and South just as easy. Not needed here
5)signaling: fire/smoke for signaling Already Paid
6)shelter: Garbage bags $1
7)1st aid: Antibiotic creme and duct tape $2
8)water container: metal water bottle Already Paid
9)lighting: LED flashlight with batteries included $1
10)fire starting: 3 pack lighters Already Paid
11)pack: You can get 2-3 plastic bags free when buying this stuff $0
12)1 tool: large knife $1

Total $10

 

4)navigation: In Florida East and West are too easy, which makes North and South just as easy. Not needed here Total $10

How do you tell east and west easily? I spent a while in Florida and found that when you are in the woods, its just as hard as anywhere else. What do you use?

 

Great premise for a thread. I've gotten the majority of my 1st aid kits from there (not the main or big one but the FAK stuff) dollar store.

 

I go by the dollar store all the time. In fact I was there just yesterday. Yesterday they had a big carving knife in the kitchen utinsels section. It looked like it had some good, thick metal in the blade so, that would be my first pick.

Second would be the metal water bottles. They look like they would last 72 hours for bioling water etc.

Third would be cordage. I can do all kinds of things with cordage. Build a shelter, start a fire, etc..

Forth would be the three lighter pack. These lighters are pretty decent and would last way more than 72 hours.

Fifth would be the stupid little backpack thing. I bought two yesterday and one will fold up in my pocket. They are basically grocery store sized cloth bags with string for the straps.

Sixth would be the big garbage bags or the rolls of plastic drop cloth for shelter.

Seventh would be a flashlight. They had little LED flashlights at the register that already had batteries included. I think it would get the job done for three days.

Eighth, ninth and tenth would be the biggest bags of chocolate candy I could find for a dollar. That would get me for three days if no other food was available.

 

One of my heroes Mors Kochanski came to the UK to teach us in 2006 and his favourite shop was Poundland (dollar store) and he said you can pretty much kit yourself out there so if its good enough for him its good enough for me?

They'll be stocking more camping kit in the next few weeks but have things like space blankets, enamel mugs and bowls, fishing kit, LED torches, army type mess tins etc.

 

Ok, I get the cheap thing but we are talking about survival aren't we? Are we really talking about $10 as opposed to $20? Consider this. Can you trust medical supplies from a dollar store made in china to be sterile? Do you think they have the same quality control as Johnson and Johnson? What about adhesive on a bandage? Will it stick? Antibiotics: Read the labels. Plastic bags from china or Hefty to survive? $1 survival knife? Really? I've been making and selling Kits and Tins for the last 6 years and the difference when building a $50 Survival Tin with brand products and dollar store items is $13. and people buy them with the extra $13 added in. I guarantee every product I include will perform as expected when you need them. I can do that because the manufacturer backs it up. When an items fails in a survival situation what do you do? I include a 3 inch Lockback folder and it cost me $4.25. I spent 3 hours throwing it against a tree to stick it. Left side scale came off. $1.00 inline folding knife found in a glass jar on a counter. (you've seen them) After 1/2 hour and it broke apart. Finger Saws, $1.59 or $8.99? Duct Tape: Dollar Store or Gorilla Duct Tape(Hell I can't even tear it with my teeth!) Even baseball caps came apart. Stop playing the "better than nothing" game and play the "Best there is" game. It's for YOU remember! It cost a $1.00 for a reason.

Granted some things are just as good as others. fish hooks, line (maybe) pins, sewing kit, No Foods (except the cookies, I love the wafer cookies) no medical items, no shelter items, No critical items. If you take the time to look you can find name brand or better products on sale or clearance.

 

.....Granted some things are just as good as others. fish hooks, line (maybe) pins, sewing kit,.....

No, all that stuff is substandard crap too!

I still like the $10 kit idea(1-3 day kit)-I would have to add a much upgraded knife though. Those $1 pocket knives are horrible junk. If I only had $1 to spend on a knife I would buy one or two of those break off replaceable blade razor knives, you can also buy saw blades for them.

 

FYI-Big lots had some 20' hanks of black paracord for $0.50

 

Was the core filaments or solid? The filament core (nylon strings) is the good stuff. The solid core is cheaper and not as strong, and will not tie as tightly, especially in the cold.

 

Fudge Covered Graham

The other day we picked up some fudge Covered Graham crakers 13oz at Dollar tree (fudge for quick energy and graham carbs for longer) Made in USA

 

Unfamiliar With Thought Exercises?

I like the ideas I've heard so far. The bashing of the concept of the discussion is <sarcasm>very helpful and well thought out</sarcasm>. Limited thinking can be annoying.

The exact items I would pick would depend on whether I was building a single kit or if I were building multiple kits whose cost was $10/each. Here are a few items I have purchased at the dollar store in the past to put in "quick kits":

1) Rat traps
2) Bird seed for bait
3) Magnifying glass to start fires or read maps for us older folks
4) Wooden matches for when the sun is not out
5) Gauze
6) Assorted bandages (I think the quality control and sterility on the dollar store bandages and gauze is better than the moss and sweaty t-shirt material I would likely otherwise use)
7) Plastic laundry bag to keep things dry, hold water, etc
8) Sewing kit for first aid and fishing gear
9) Cordage for shoelace replacement, tourniquet, snares...
10) Metal water bottle

I really like the picture hangar kit idea. Any creative re-purposing gets my attention. I'll be looking at those the next time I go to the dollar store.

 

1. matches or lighter
2. shower curtain - make a shelter
3. small pot - cooking and water purification
4. rope or cord, for shelter
5. flahlight
6. batteries
7. knife
8. package of canned meat and crackers in case I can't get any game or fish.
9. cheese cloth or netting - for fishing
10. roll of aluminum foil for insulation and cooking.

 

great ideas thanks

 

ill spend 5 bucks on a decent kitchen blade.

ill spend 1.00 on a can of Baked Beans. food and a container to cook it in and boil water later.

ill spend 1.00 on garbage bags.

ill spend a 1.00 on some kite string

ill spend a 1.oo on a shower curtain.

ill spend 1.00 on a bic lighter.


Cutting tool
Combustion device
Cover
Cordage
Container



ill do all 72 hours with just this no problem.

 

All of these things can be found at dollar stores in NYC.

1. Water
Wonderful, ubiquitous water. By far the most important item. More important than bullets and fire. Every dollar store carries bottled water.
You can get the smaller 12 oz. bottles packaged together for a better deal. Obviously it varies from state to state. I see 2 for 1$ all the time. Dollar stores don't always have the best deal on water. Check your Rite Aid and Duane Read for deals on pre-packaged bottled water. As it gets older they put it on sale.
2. Barbeque Grill Lighter
These kick ass. The easier an item is to use the better.
3. Canned Food
Many times dollar stores will sell food that is close to expiring so check expiration dates. Mark and rotate the cans in your pantry. Many experts say that expired food can be okay in an emergency (not meat) but why would you put yourself in that situation if you can avoid it by simply checking the dates on the darn can?
4. Extra Socks
Wet feet breed fungus. If you can't walk to safety you will die where you lie.
5. Tooth Brushes
Tooth decay can cause secondary health problems and contribute to heart problems as well as debilitating pain
6. Lip Balm
Petroleum jelly is often the main ingredient. Cheap and antimicrobial. Also a great fire starter.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is great for regular use to manage an ongoing infections, and removing phlegm/ mucus.
8. Bandages & Guaze
You always run out of gauze. Even in non-emergency type situations.
9. Triple Antibiotic Ointment
It contains three killer antibiotics:
bacitracin, meomycin, and polymyxin B.
It's a much better deal than Neosporin, which runs for 8$ at most stores.
10. Can opener
 You can use your knife, but why ruin your blade edge? *Use the dollar store one for camping and survival*keep the good one for your house.

 

I'm all for personal usage preferences and all that, but #1 I'd have to objectively strongly disagree with you on.
Buying a dollar's worth of water instead of a metal bottle to purify water in is like buying a fish instead of a fishing tackle.

 

In response to the person that said not to trust dollar store first aid supplies (I'm too lazy to go back to find the post to quote, sorry), I have used the dollar store varieties of band-aids, triple antibiotic ointment, aspirin, tylenol and even benedryl for years. I've honestly had the same results as with the brand name equivalents. If you read the active ingredients, most are 100% identical.

But thats just me. Who knows, I might grow a third arm or eye at some point from using them

 

In response to the person that said not to trust dollar store first aid supplies (I'm too lazy to go back to find the post to quote, sorry), I have used the dollar store varieties of band-aids, triple antibiotic ointment, aspirin, tylenol and even benedryl for years. I've honestly had the same results as with the brand name equivalents. If you read the active ingredients, most are 100% identical.

I'm happy the stuff works for you, but be aware that China does not have the same constraints we have in this country. They can put anything in the tube, list the ingredients as it suits them, and call it whatever they want to with no oversight. If they are being honest concerning the ingredients-great! But I don't trust their products. Have you never seen videos of working conditions there?

 

1. metal water bottle (carrying and purification)
2. can of food (obviously calories but also bait for traps and secondary container)
3. fishing line (fishing, shelter building, snares)
4. garbage bags(rain gear, container, dry bag, shelter, ground cloth)
5. bic lighter
6. antibiotic ointment (first aid and fire starting)
7. knife
8. safety pins (clothing repair, fish hooks, bird hooks, fishing rod eyelets)
9. shower curtain (shelter)
10. aluminum foil (cooking, container, insulation, fishing lures)

I think this a great excercise!

 

If you buy an aluminum water bottle and some rubbing alcohol you can make a great backpacking stove for days when you cant start a fire.

 

I set my eyes on the Dollar store water just for storage!
To heck with buying pop and reusing the bottles, buy a few cases of water and shelve it.

 

Not much quality check if they can put antifreeze in milk bottles.

 

Alright, I'm going to chime in: I don't get it. What's the point?

My main point is that I don't understand why any person with a mind on survival in an outdoor setting is trying to find a way to do so for between $10-$20. Regardless of if we are talking about what we have in our car, or carry with us when we are hiking and camping, we all probably have things that we like to have with us. Unless we are talking about just playing around, the key word that I took away from this was "survival." Aren't we talking about the difference between living and dying if survival is invoked? What the point would be in spending the least amount of money to insure my living in a setting trying to kill me is beyond the imagination. I have a kit in my car. I have another in a pack that I carry. I feel the items are important, and I went ahead and spent the money on something good to insure my survival. Although I'm not rolling in money, I have a good job and can afford to spend a small amount on good gear. I'm not talking about being an intelligent shopper, I'm saying that I don't understand the concept of spending the least amount of money on crappy gear when it is supposedly your life that you are worried about. I'd pay money to see some of you trying to survive 72 hours using garbage bags for a shelter, and some of the other options that have been mentioned. I bet the last thing you would be thinking is "I'm glad I got the cost down to $15, even though I could have afforded to spend more" as you struggle to survive.

 

I'm on a tight budget. My big purchases where a gerber knife, leatherman, and MAXPED pack. I have a cellphone bill. Gas(I budget enough to get me to work and 2 extra days) Car payment. car and personal insurance. That's $600 or so per month. It's not easy when lately I am making $800 a month. That does not count food, rent, car repairs and fun stuff. And saving for school. The difference between spending $5 for brand bandaids, $20 for an bivy, $6 or $7 for MRE or mountain house meals and spending $4 total for dollar store bandaids, a can of beans or chef boyardee or whatever, and a roll of tinfoil and box of garbage bags is a lot-considering I won't put all the bandaids, bags or tinfoil in a 72 hour kit the cost would be closer to $2. $30 or $2? I can use that extra $28 for oil change, more than a weeks worth of gas, go to a hockey game and buy supper there, 5 meals at work. Use it for my recreation, or that could pay for half of the flashlight I've had my eyes on, or to further my hobby. I don't get out much as I'd like. 2 years in school and I get a job then I can spend more. Making $30-$50 an hour I could handle buying a Bivy and a case of MRE's. I could handles buying a Leatherman just to sit in my BOB. I could be able to spend $300 a pop for gear that I may never have to use, but in the meantime that $28 will help me get to school, and eventually be able to afford those things. Remember you just need enough to survive, not feel like you're in the Hilton.