- Footwear: a broken-in pair of quality boots per person + spare laces + insoles. In every long crisis, feet and shoes decide mobility. Add wool socks (×6/person — cotton kills in cold, wool insulates wet), moleskin/blister kit.
- Menstrual supplies: a year's stock, plus reusable options (menstrual cups ~£20 last years, washable cloth pads). One of the most commonly forgotten preps and a top barter item.
- Baby/toddler line (if applicable or possible): formula rotation, cloth nappies + covers + pins, rash cream. Also: contraception stock — a long crisis is exactly when an unplanned pregnancy is highest-risk; condoms also waterproof kit and carry water.
- Spare glasses for every glasses-wearer (order cheap online pairs now), sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, insect repellent + permethrin for clothing (mosquito-borne disease rises when sanitation falls), head-net.
- Reading/morale box: paper books, cards, dice, chess, instruments, kids' art supplies. Twelve dark evenings in, this is medical equipment.
- Wheat berries + hand grain mill (£25-250, cheaper ones are closer to a spice grinder than a flour mill; £150-250 for one that actually mills wheat to flour): whole wheat stores 25+ years (flour ~5); a mill turns your cheapest, longest storage into bread. Add yeast (frozen, lasts years) AND learn sourdough (needs nothing but flour, water, patience — starter is immortal).
- Vinegar (gallons): preservation, cleaning, pickling, weed killer; and baking soda (kilos): cleaning, deodorising, toothpaste, antacid, fire suppression, cooking.
- Manual can opener ×3. Comic until it isn't.
Overlooked supplies
The things people forget: proper footwear, menstrual supplies, spare glasses, three can openers.