Could those of you responding to this thread list what you have found is an absolute must have for our y2k toolbox. Thanks mike.

-- y2k aware mike (y2k aware mike @ conservation . com), June 25, 1999

Answers

Can you define "toolbox" please? do you mean LITERALLY, as in "hand ttols", or the MUST HAVES that we're buying IN GENERAL?

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 25, 1999.

Give some thought to the little things that we all take for granted, the items we jump into our cars and get when the need strikes us. Are you prepared to quit smoking? Will you wish you had bought a few bottles of your favorite wine? Spare parts for a variety of things that you will have to depend on. Toothache medicine perhaps? The list goes on and on............

-- Barry (barryjaynes@usenvitech.com), June 25, 1999.

I've found two resources very beneficial in making an all encompassing list to work from...

(1) www.y2klinks.net/Y2Ksupplies.htm - Ted Derryberry's list

(2) www.y2kwomen.com - Karen Anderson's list

Hope this helps!

-- I'm (with@titude.now), June 25, 1999.

Since most of the food I've stashed is in cans, I made certain to have half a dozen or so can openers in various places. Also matches & cigarette lighters.

Sometimes the items you're most likely to need slip your mind.

(Guys usually say to buy duct tape & rope, but I'm never sure what those are good for, besides maybe kidnapping someone, which I wasn't planning to do... Maybe one of the guys can explain the thinking here.)

-- persistant cookie (in@my.browser), June 25, 1999.

In answer to dennis Both. The y2k tool box is the essentials that one will need in order to survive an ongoing protacted crisis.

-- y2k aware mike (y2k aware mike @ conservation . com), June 25, 1999.

Things you might forget: a gas nozzle, antifreeze (pipes), a good all- purpose knife; a canteen, iodine (small bottles transportable...a little goes a long way) If you happen to run out of fuel or need to bug out w/out carrying a heavy stove, the best thing I heard was to make a "stove" to warm soup and canned foods using a candle with a coffee can over it (poke holes in the bottom of the can)therefore, extra candles OR buy a $10 dutch oven and poke holes on the top lid and the bottom, line the bottom w/aluminum foil and place over a flame; also garbage and plastic bags, and then more garbage and plastic bags, and plastic garbage cans and buckets(cheap way to store things, or catch rain water). Small tupperware thingies to hold "a little of this" and "a little of that" in case you need to leave. Extra wool socks and hats (if North)

-- NSmith (nitnat3@aol.com), June 25, 1999.

Guys buy duct tape like girls buy a new blouse. Don't REALLY need it, it just makes you feel better.

Me, I run hog wild at the Boeing Surplus store. Keep threatening to bring home a missile nose cone. My wife lives in terror.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), June 25, 1999.

LoL, I was going to suggest duct tape but then I figured that would be dumb because EVERYONE knows why you buy duct tape.

The simple reason is because it can fix anything. From book bindings to tires, it's the miracle product. I've renamed it "MacGyver Tape". I once used it to fix the linkage on a Mustang Transmission. Never once had a problem with it. In fact... duct tape is just a little too perfect. You guys ever see Men In Black? There part where Tommy Jones is talking about how they have the patent on a few items? Well I think duct tape is alien in origin... It's just TOO damn perfect. No HUMAN could have ever thought up a thing like that.

-- (html@guy.com), June 25, 1999.

This really all depends on how long a person is preparing for.... If you think that everything will be hunky-dory in a week then a few cans of soup, tuna, water, alternate heat, and candles. If you are preparing like we are..... the list gets a little different. If trouble lasts for more then a week I think that 1/3 of people will be scared/hungry enough to leave thier home and start looking for food.

A few things I would put at the top of my 'dont forget' lits would be.....

Prescription Medicine

Extra Eyeglasses (especially if you wear contacts)

Antibotics

Sugar

Sugar

Did I say Sugar?

For those of you who are not use to making from scratch some of the staples food we have come to depend on, most of all foods caned or dried has some form of sugar. Food just doesnt taist like food if you have no sugar. Its like cooking without salt, you can get used to it but your kids may starve to death by choice. Example: jelly, 1 pt of jelly contains 1 cup of sugar.

I really dont think that the 'computers will all crash' and everyone will go screaming into the streets on Jan 1. I do think that there are enough small/mid size buisness going to shut down if even for a month or two, to cause a depresion. I think that our goverment will not be able to handle the load of people wanting help (if they still are avalible to offer any help at all). That = hungry people.

-- bulldog (sniffin@around.com), June 25, 1999.

From the bottom:

Beans, rice, wheat berries, sugar, powdered milk.

Flashlight and plenty o' batteries.

Big ol' pistol and plenty o' bullets.

That about covers it for me. And BTW, Cookie, as far as duct tape and rope goes, didja ever know a guy who didn't try at least once to get his missus into a little light bondage? ;)

-- ready (or@not.hereitcomes), June 25, 1999.

Let me explain duct tape to those who lack the finer points. Its good for both minor and major repairs. Minor repair = one layer of duct tape. Major repair = two layers of tape. If this will not hold move on to bailing wire.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), June 25, 1999.

If we're talking about a bug out bag, please don;t forget a small first aid kit. Also the hubby and I have decided to prepare separate bug-out bags in the depressing scenario that we are somehow separated once we bug out. Both bags have stuff for our 5 year old daughter, as who knows which of us she would be with? (Though I am betting me.) The actual bags are Army-style rucksacks that you wear on your back and that you can attach a rolled up sleeping bag to (have that.). We don't plan on doing any bugging out unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. We have made enough preps to not even walk out of our front door for approximately 8 months. (Wish I could say 12 months.)

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), June 25, 1999.

Waterless soap, baby wipes, tea tree oil, clorox Advil, Sensodyne toothpaste, and all consumer items that you will need in the next year or more, including when the power is back up but companies might not be producing things or they might not be getting to the stores-- like your favorite soap.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), June 25, 1999.

Look at everything you use everyday and stock up big time". Look at what you use that comes in from outside the country....and buy a bunch. Salt, sugar and pepper have long long shelf life. TP and more TP.

-- rb (phxbanks@webtv.net), June 26, 1999.

water food animal food personal toiletries First aid kit hand tools garden tools fishing gear fishing lure and sinker molds bicycles spare parts for everything essential

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 26, 1999.

I just went through my list of preps and marked the ones that I thought would be most often forgotten or underestimated. These things will be difficult to come by. After completing the list, I counted 23 items. I thought I might pare it down to a round top twenty, but found I couldn't choose any of these items to eliminate. Here they are, in no particular order, since they are all essential:

silver, in case paper money becomes worthless granulated superchlorinator, compact & powerful water purification powdered eggs called for in many recipes salt, a so-called essential mineral canola, a so-called essential oil multi-vitamins, to combat malnutrition Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carly Emory non-hybrid seeds to have a shot at multiple years of gardening matches fire extinguisher for when the fire department doesn't come lite salt, an ingredient of rehydration fluid potassium iodide in case of a nuclear event morning after pill due to increased barbarism vermifuge to combat various intestinal worms latex gloves to protect from other's body fluids toilet paper unless you like using leaves rat poison to combat rabies, plague & food inventory shrinkage mechanical pencil for after everyone's pencils are stubs fountain pen for after everyone's ball points run dry smaller underwear long blade knife wind-up shortwave radio in case anyone is out there

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), June 26, 1999.

let's try that list again:

silver, in case paper money becomes worthless

granulated superchlorinator, compact & powerful water purification

powdered eggs called for in many recipes

salt, a so-called essential mineral

canola, a so-called essential oil

multi-vitamins, to combat malnutrition

Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carly Emory

non-hybrid seeds to have a shot at multiple years of gardening

matches

fire extinguisher for when the fire department doesn't come

lite salt, an ingredient of rehydration fluid

potassium iodide in case of a nuclear event

morning after pill due to increased barbarism

vermifuge to combat various intestinal worms

latex gloves to protect from other's body fluids

toilet paper unless you like using leaves

rat poison to combat rabies, plague & food inventory shrinkage

mechanical pencil for after everyone's pencils are stubs

fountain pen for after everyone's ball points run dry

smaller underwear

long blade knife

wind-up shortwave radio in case anyone is out there

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), June 26, 1999.