Updated August 2024: Removed Glock 17, Glock 42, Hornady .380 Critical Defense, S&W Bodyguard. Added Glock 19, S&W 340 PD, Zion-15.
Many people associate SHTF gear with doomsday preppers, underground bunkers, and enough ammo to support a small army.
The truth is that everyone should have an emergency supply for when shit really hits the fan — not the people who like to plan hypothetical zombie apocalypse-nuclear winter scenarios.
Setting aside some ammunition, extra weapons, and other survival gear is a great way to ensure the safety of you and your family in the event of an emergency.
Today, we’re going to look at some SHTF gear essentials that every survivalist needs to have.
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Best Gear For When The World (Almost) Ends
1. Handguns
We recommend carrying a gun under ideal everyday circumstances. But when things are uncertain and emergency services may not be available, having the ability to defend yourself and your family can be essential.
Personally, I believe that the best SHTF gun is a 9mm pistol — it’s one of the most commonly used cartridges in the world, so coming across ammo for it is going to be much easier than a 10mm.
My pick for the best do-it-all handgun is the ubiquitous Glock G19.
The Glock G19 offers a good mix of size, capacity, and shootability. Since they are so popular, magazines and parts are also extremely common.
One benefit that the G19 has over the larger G17 is the ability to use both the shorter 15-round magazines as well as any longer magazine you may run across. This adds a slightly increased level of flexibility.
In a survival scenario where you might not have the time to pamper your gun like you normally would, you want a dependable gun that will still shoot accurately and cycle through any ammo after some wear and tear.
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You can check out our hands-on 3500+ round review!
Having a second gun in the rare event your primary handgun goes down can be beneficial and we like the Smith & Wesson 340PD as a backup.
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These lightweight 5-shot revolvers have a completely covered hammer that won’t snag on anything. It offers superb reliability and the ability to chamber both .357 Magnum and .38 Special ammunition, both of which are fairly common.
2. Rifles
While handguns are easy to carry, you may want to consider having a SHTF rifle (or two) for various reasons. Rifles can be true force multipliers and indispensable tools for hunting in emergency situations.
AR-15s are the most popular rifles for a reason. Reliability, capacity, ease of use, and modularity make these guns the king or kings when it comes to versatility and useability.
There are a ton of great AR-15s to pick from, but it is hard to go wrong with a standard 16-inch carbine from a reputable brand.
The IWI Zion-15 is a great starting point, but if want to learn more about the AR-15, check out our AR-15 Beginner’s Guide or our article on the Best AR-15s.
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Remember, part of what makes a good SHTF gun is being able to easily replenish ammo, even in a post-apocalyptic world. For this reason, you might want to get a .22LR rifle if you don’t already have one.
It’s not the hardest-hitting round out there, but it is great for harvesting small game and can still work as a defensive round in a pinch. But the big bonus is that the ammo is extremely light.
We like the Henry Survival Rifle — a 3.5-pound, semi-automatic .22LR rifle that’s portable, accurate, and perfect for hunting squirrels, rabbits, and other small game. It can be broken down and completely stored inside the stock, making it easy to stow in a backpack. Oh, it also floats!
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You can check out more light, foldable, and versatile guns in our Best Survival Rifles article.
3. Ammo Cans
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The last thing you want to do is stockpile ammo for an end-of-the-world scenario, only to discover that it’s corroded or non-functional when it comes time to use it.
A lot of people tend to forget that ammunition has a shelf life. However, that shelf life is completely up to you.
Store it right, and it will last long enough for your grandchildren to use. Store it wrong, and you can kill your stock before the next deer season.
One of the easiest ways to extend the shelf life of your ammo is by storing it in safe, secure containers where it’s protected from dirt and moisture. You can learn more by reading our guide on long-term ammo storage.
A simple ammo can go a long way toward preserving the life of your ammunition.
They’re cheap, easy to come across, and are worth their weight in gold if you ever are in a situation where you actually need to use your ammo stockpile.
We also recommend keeping a silica gel packet in your ammo can to help soak up all the moisture and ensure your ammo lasts longer.
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4. First Aid Kit
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Ideally, every home and automobile should have a first-aid kit. For most situations, the standard first-aid kit found in most workplaces will get the job done.
But if you’re in a situation where you really have to use your SHTF kit, there’s a greater likelihood that you won’t have easy access to medical facilities or professionals.
For this type of scenario, you’re really going to want to have a little more than a burn kit, some gauze, and antiseptic ointment.
The MyMedic MyFAK Pro has over 115 pieces of first aid equipment and items needed to stabilize wounds until help arrives, including pressure bandages, dressings, and a tourniquet.
For those looking for something a little more compact and cost-effective, we recommend the Yellowstone trauma kit from Mountain Man Medical.
These lightweight kits are a bit more stripped down but still come with all the necessities you’d need for an emergency trauma situation.
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You don’t want to be stuck trying to read the instructions in an emergency situation, do you? Stay prepared and check out the Best First Aid Classes to find the perfect first aid class near you.
5. Knives & Other Tools
You’ll be surprised how much use you can get out of a good-quality knife.
Not only does your survival knife act as a last line of defense, but it can also be used as an important tool — especially if you’re stuck outdoors for an extended period of time.
Food prep, shelter building, making tools, and even first aid (cauterizing wounds and cutting bandages) can all be done with the help of a quality knife.
The Ka-Bar is a tried-and-tested survival knife that’s been a long-time favorite among survivalists — partly because it’s also the combat knife issued to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
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Don’t forget a whetstone for keeping your blades sharp without damaging them. A dull blade is more dangerous than a sharp one and can lead to wasted time or serious injury.
Some other tools you might want to consider for your survivalist kit include:
If you ever find yourself away from your toolbox, each of these compact tools makes it significantly easier to set up shelter, make fires, or work on anything that needs tinkering.
6. Gun Cleaning Kit
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As you already know, good gun maintenance is essential to ensuring that you can depend on your gun when you need it the most.
It’s not guaranteed that you will be able to trek to the nearest outdoor store and buy more equipment, so having it on hand is important.
For this reason, I recommend keeping a few extra cleaning kits around. Preferably one for your SHTF Bag and another for the trunk of your car.
I also recommend picking up a few packs of Break Free Weapon Wipes.
They will go a long way in keeping your guns, knives, and tools clean, lubricated, and protected against corrosion. This is especially true if you are in a situation where you have to use your weapons and tools daily.
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7. Water
It is pretty self-explanatory that you need food and water. During an emergency or breakdown, going to the store may no longer be an option.
For water purification, it is good to have one option for immediate consumption and one method for you to purify a lot of water. Don’t forget — water isn’t just for drinking. You’ll also need it for cooking, cleaning, and treating injuries.
To get drinking water right away, I love my LifeStraw.
But when it comes to purifying larger amounts of drinking water, you’ll need something like the Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System.
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Long-term water storage can be a bit trickier than shelf-stable food, but a water preserver can help with that.
We recommend the following two items:
Combine these two so that your water supply will last long enough for you to get you through an emergency situation.
Check out our Complete Guide to Water Storage for the best containers and ways to purify your water.
8. Food
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Stocking up on food and water before disaster strikes is always a prudent course of action.
I know a basement full of MREs is the classic prepper thing to do. But anyone who has had to eat MREs for an extended period of time can tell you that almost any other option is preferred.
We have some recommendations on our favorites here!
Each of these pails is a 30-day food supply for one person. That is a lot of food!
Throw in the fact that each of these only weighs 23 pounds, and what you have is a fairly lightweight option for long-term food supply.
Alternatively, you can build your own MREs to save money or address any special dietary needs.
9. Other Survival Gear You Need
Being stuck in an emergency situation means that you could be forced to pack up and move at a moment’s notice.
For this reason, you need to have a dependable backpack large enough to carry your essentials like water, knives, tools, and a first aid kit.
I recommend a 60-liter backpack because it’s large enough to hold your necessary equipment but not too large that it becomes too bulky or gets in the way.
The CVLIFE Tactical Backpack is a popular 60-liter backpack that’s durable and comfortable enough to withstand long hikes and hunting trips.
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Aside from looking cool, the Tactical Backpack has a number of extra compartments for maximizing your storage capabilities.
Here are a few things that you want to keep in your backpack to keep you prepared for the unexpected:
- MicroPur water purification tablets
- Matches or a lighter
- Backup flint and steel kit
- Tactical flashlight
- AA and AAA batteries (or any other batteries you need)
- Headlamp
You should also think about buying a shemagh.
This traditional Middle Eastern headdress was made popular in the Western world by the British SAS. It’s a versatile cloth that can be used for face protection, as an emergency sling or bandage/tourniquet, as an improvised bag, and much more.
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Prepping for air isn’t something that you may have thought of before, but it should be on your list.
If you really want to be prepared, then you’ll want to find yourself a full biological suit, but for more run-of-the-mill applications, a good mask will do the trick.
Our favorite reusable is the Mira Safety CM-7M.
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Check out our full article on gas masks and respirators, which covers everything from disposable masks to radiation-resistant ones made for rifle shooting.
Final Thoughts
When you’re building an SHTF bag, your goal should be to anticipate and prepare for any situation.
This means thinking past the apocalypse and to more common emergencies such as an earthquake, tornado, fire, and other natural disasters.
Choosing good survival gear isn’t always about maximizing your firepower.
It’s also about making sure that you’ve got clean water, shelter, and enough supplies in the event that you have to gather your things and leave at a moment’s notice.
Are you a prepper? Do you have a store of SHTF gear? Let us know all about it in the comments! Still not sure where to get started? Check out our ultimate guide to Prepping 101 for Beginners.
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Something smells...trollish with that Saint Victor AR-10...maybe it's the barrel length or the mag size, IDK.
Maybe I'm off here but I lived less than a mile from the epicenter of the Northridge earth quake and the main thing I remember was all the neighbors helping oneanother. I met people I lived close to for years we watched TV in the yard with an extension cord and had bbqs (the after shocks were coming every hour or two) and lots of beer!
If you already own an AR-15, rather than another rifle in .22LR, consider a CMMG Bravo .22 LR Adaptor for your AR. Reasonably Accurate to 100', it fits right in your AR in place of the BCG. Comes with a 10 round or 25 round magazine (10 round for those Commie States with capacity restrictions).
I've fired close to 1,000 rounds of .22LR out of my AR, and have yet to have a misdeeds. At 100' mine keeps about a 3" group. At closer ranges, that tightens up even more.
It's a lot less weight than carrying a second or third rifle.
That's an awesome idea but will they work with piston-driven ARs, or just direct impingement? (My SHTF AR is piston driven.)
Josh, I don't believe it will matter. The Bravo operates by direct blowback and doesn't rely on the DI system. The Bravo replaces the standard BCG and its bolt operates with its own selfcontained recoil spring. Your standard charging handle hooks over a tube that holds the guide rod and spring. Because of .22's much lower pressure, I don't believe there's enough pressure to make the piston op rod move anymore than the lack of pressure wouldn't operate the DI system.
I went ahead and sent a question to CMMG's support asking
If it would be an issue, just so we'll have an answer from the manufacterer. I'll save your email and send their reply as soon as I get it.
Outstanding, thanks much Chuck!!
This article feels like parody/comedy. I always love the "SHTF" posts not cause I don't think preparedness is important for a disaster scenario. But rather because the author seems to just be writing out his escapist fantasy that resembles shooter video games more than reality.
Stuff like picking a common caliber, under this idea you're going to be like looting ammo off corpses. Not just looting corpses, but that you'll be engaging in so much gun battling that looting ammo will be an important thing. Pure video game meme.
I just imagine an earthquake happening and someone with two glocks and a kabar suddenly realizing something like a blanket is a lot more useful than a backup gun when the shelters are destroyed and the utilities are offline and it's potentially raining or cold or both. Don't worry guys I'm just freezing to death in a field because emergency personnel can't rescue for a few days and all I packed was my call of duty warzone loadout.
It just cracks me up that a gun cleaning kit made it onto this list that you keep reminding us isn't just for zombies (let's be real this is your zombie larp). Despite any gun worth a shit being able to last longer than the ammo you're carrying without cleaning. But a tarp, sleeping bag, satellite radio, compass, fire starter, pot, etc are no where to be seen. Don't worry though you didn't forget to mention your tacticool shemagh, which is just a cloth square. So if you're not in the desert it's less useful than just bringing an extra cotton tshirt
He did mention lighter or matches and flint and steel kit.. but you're right a tarp, a hank of paracord and a pot (or aluminum foil to make one) would be my choice over a gun cleaning kit.
Spot on.
Shoestring with a knot in it seems to work in Africa pretty well using AKs. If you are in a cold climate like Maine you need a real shelter and a real pot for boiling water/food. Lose the POS Eastwing hatchet unless you are really good at stitching up nasty wounds. If the wood is small you don’t need a hatchet and if it’s bigger you need an axe that keeps your body away from the cutting edge.
LOL Man You read my mind no lie, So true all these SHTF Prepper/Survivalists/Gun Bunnies/ All hoping for the end of days so they can live out their Book of Eli roaming the wasteland Apocalypse LOL. I have an Emergency Bag in my car with extra clothes-shoes+socks, Blankets, Towel, toiletries,Water,Energy Bars, extra tools, Flashlights. If SHTF most likely it will be natural disaster People do come together and help one another. If I see some clown in tactical gear I'm running the other way. Your spot on in your assessment.
Sorry but your Saint Victor AR-10 picture is not an AR-10 or a Saint.
How to prepare for the coming crisis.
Approach every day as if it mattered in the long run. Strive to have your s__t squared away. Keep all the tanks filled, keep the place free of trip and slip hazards. Have a year of this, six months of that, and at least 3 months of those. Keep the options open. Be ready to put your kid through college. Check the mousetraps and re-bate them once in a while. Keep your word. Get exercise. Show your appreciation. Don't complain down, suggest up.
Stock up on medication if/when possible. In my case insulin and the necessary refrigeration is a big issue. OTC anti-inflammatories, anti-biotics, Neosporin, Aleve, Advil, aspirin, etc.
Learn to make and use a slingshot.
Ammo is literally laying everywhere
You can also buy lead shot balls for this and have them be dual-purpose. Slingshot ammo as well as something that could be melted down wholesale and cast for bullets.
Don't forget your rocket stove. :-) I built one last year out of bricks and high-temp construction adhesive, really makes a lot of heat and helps to eliminate smoke.
I have a lot of respect for everyone's tips and comments. I bet a lot of people read those and thought you guys were just paranoid. Fast forward to Oct 2020 and we are about to have an election and no matter who wins half the country is not going to take it lightly. With that said, to all of you that prepared for a rainy day......looks like there might be some showers in our forecast. God bless us all!!
A semi auto depends on the scenario,and I don’t mean a 44-magnum vs 9mm in Alaska (6-rounds vs 15+ rounds)Ny brother lives in California(yes I know gun laws are ridiculous)But that being said the Glock-17 is(legally only allowed 10-round mags.So I believe in that kind of situation,all states with ridiculous firearm laws.If it be Glock a Model(21 or 30)10-round equivalent is better.
Right know with the run on guns and ammo whats left on the shelf, not 9mm. Plenty of .38, .357, .41, and .44. My Saiga 12 is a lot more versatile then any 9mm, oh yeah, 12 ga ammo is on the shelf too.
Two words: toilet paper. Actually hygiene supplies generally. Read factual accounts of situations where civilization collapsed in modern times, and the importance of supplies for hygiene is clear and right up there with guns and ammo.
82nd_ABN is right. You need other people. And since you'll be needing a community, best to know something to make yourself valuable and enhance the survival of your community. Learn how to make stuff people need like food or fuel, and/or how to fix things or people. .
Two more words. Feminine products. Talk about something worth its weight in gold.
Menstrual cups...
To (possible loosely) quote Chuck from Supernatural, "horde all the toilet paper you can. Treat it like it's made of gold, because it is."
I cannot believe that after being available for 40 odd years, people STILL dont know about the .22lr conversion unit for the 223 AR-15. That makes the gun a fine small game -getter, It's ideal for training novices and snapshooting practice, and with a silencer for the 223. You need lumninous iron sights, a scoped option, subsonic Aquila 60 gr 22lr ammo, 60 gr 223 softpoints. Forget about long shots, You'll just miss and tell everyone where you are. You have no evac chopper, no attack choppers, no cavalry coming to help you., no supply drops. Best just stick to darkness and be discrete. The animals will all be gone 2 months after shtf. You'd better have night vision, concealed armor and a hole in the ground.,, with 6+ months of food cached near your BOL. All above ground shelters, vehicles,etc will be searched, many times and people will shoot you on sight. You dont want any noisy gun, nor anything that cant' be taken down and concealed in your pack. You dont want anything that can't pierce cars and soft armor, or which doesn't offer lots of rapidfire. It has to take 9mm, 223, or .22lr ammo. It has to have night sights.
As far as being prepared it's a good idea for people to be. And as far as guns go on your list it depends on were you are living glocks are awsome I like them I have one a little sub compact in 45acp that is my edc get home gun/back up for shtf situations. My home defence handgun is a 9mm a sa mod 2 service model which doubles as my handgun of choice for shtf I love that gun fits great in the hands reliable no ftf no jams no problems it is also a soft shooter. Yea probably not going to finde a lot of spare parts like the glock but if the situation is that bad your probably not going to finde much for spare parts for any gun. As far as rifles go ar15 a good choice but as far as ar10 go's and bigger calibers my self personally ones again were you live I would take a bolt action rifle with iron sights and a internal mag. It won't hold as much ammo as an ar10 but I already have an ar15 with a
Something I believe that went overlooked. A small fishing set up. While a 22 can get dinner, it's loud, and may attract unwanted attention, plus it's limited to the ammo supply.. A pocket fisherman is wildly compact, silent, and can perform indefinitely with a supply of hooks and some extra line. Very minimum you should keep a little spool of fishing line and basic hooks. Someone mentioned a needle and thread... which can apply to catching fish too. Just add some fur and feathers so you can tie your own fly. Last thing, don't forget to carry a small supply of salt. It makes food better. Plus in a survival scenario, if all you can drink is plain water, you will eventually need to replenish your electrolytes. Probably get all you need from what you eat, but times I hydrate heavily and really crave salt, your brain needs it to communicate.
dont forget... a way to sharpen your knife. also a small sewing kit with thread needle and buttons is good. if you are going to have electronics get batt. charger and a roll up solar panel. para cord for making a bow drill when matches/ lighter runs out. most important of all is ammo. you need a ladle to melt lead and pour, a mold for slugs and buckshot or whatever caliber you use.... this is not good for glocks as will foul and go kaboom. and a small screwdriver to remove wheel weights from car wheels or some other prying device.. ;)
Portable generator, extra gas cans, gas siphoning hose, portable rechargeable handheld 2-way radios, hand cranked portable A.M./fm weather and international band radio, 12 gauge short barrel and a 20 gauge long barrel with bird shot, 00 buck, and slugs, lightweight tent and sleeping bags, rain suits, boots, gloves tactical and for warmth, leather holsters for handguns, portable propane stove, propane bottles, adapter to siphon propane from larger tanks to portable bottles, small denomination silver and gold pieces for barter. Also, I have read that bottled water, that has not been opened, and is stored in a cool dark location remains good drinking water virtually indefinitely. Thoughts?
Bottled water will still go bad. Not the water itself but the plastic it is stored in, after a long enough time the plastic will degrade and leach chemicals into the water. Stored in a cool, dark location will keep it from going bad longer (sunlight degrades plastic much more quickly) but it will still go bad eventually no matter what.
Normal bottled water bottles really aren't designed for long-term storage. If you want to store water for years then you'll need to invest in some high-grade containers that are designed for the task.
Personally, the tap water where I live is fairly bleh tasting so I actually use bottled water for 99% of my cooking/drinking to start with. Because of that, I just keep a large store of those on hand at all times and simply use/replace them as I go. This makes it easy to keep a fresh rotating supply of good water all the time with little effort and none of my water is more than a couple months old at any time. Having that water supply on hand is part of my earthquake plan and doubles as a decent SHTF plan.
If you have a pool then find a way of distilling over a wood fire.
I read that the expiration date on bottled water is for the bottle. Water itself will evaporate, but not "expire."
I would add solar recharger given the large amount of items these days that need their batteries recharged
I harp on my one friend 8 boxes of ammo for a society crash of each caliber. I stock 800 17hmr incase of a crash along with other ammo for defense. If you don't have a full emergency kit with tourniquet your already in trouble in emergencies. As well as 2 water filtration system per person. A face mask should have micron and chlorine gas filtration abilities to protect against the worst case of situations. You can't be stingy either on quality of what your going to rely on. A 22lr is better than nothing in a disaster situation.
Our crew pushes a minimum of 1500 rounds per individual weapon. Our standard per weapon is 2500 in reserve, and 500 in operation. Usually the new stock goes straight into reserve, moving my oldest reserve up into service. Don't think you are doing it wrong... but you could tell you buddy what you've recommended is only a half measure to others. A friend once told me "you don't want to get into a gun fight... you want to WIN a gunfight..." and running out of ammo is high on the list of ways to lose.
Really good piece, here! A *lot* of great stuff on this list--I would add that folks should really consider CERT training (almost certainly available in your area, if you have a fire dept or a community center--and it's FREE!) as well as Red Cross CPR/basic first aid training that you can also get for free.
One point of contention:
>>"You might also want to get you a .22LR rifle...It won’t protect you against the bad guys, but it’s useful for >>hunting small game to eat… if need be."
I still don't buy the idea that .22LR is somehow an inherently inadequate tool for home defense, self defense, and nearly anything else. The oft-cited chestnut from the '89 DOJ study (direct quote: "Probably more people in this country have been killed by .22 rimfires than all other calibers combined...") has been argued about 'til the cows come home, but a few truths remain:
* 22lr is way CHEAP, and readily available practically everywhere--a substantial SHTF consideration if there ever was one.
* it's STILL gonna intimidate would-be attackers--and (especially fired from a rifle) kill them just as dead, if necessary, as something that makes a bigger hole.
* yes, while--strictly speaking--it may *incapacitate* less, it is just as lethal as any round when applied properly. (Citation: .22LR causes the "2nd highest percentage of hits resulting in a fatality and the 3rd lowest rate of incapacitation," from Greg Ellifritz, "An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power," 2011).
P.S.: I'm not saying it wouldn't be NICE to have something that punches bigger holes and provides more decisive knock-down power... :-) but I'd debate the idea that "it won’t protect you against the bad guys." At least with my .22, I'd practically never run out of ammo!
Good tips, especially on CERT training!
I look at having extra food and water as insurance. I have paid for car/home insurance yet in 30 years I have never been in a car accident..... One thing I did not see mentioned is a heat source. Most of these 25 yr dehydrated/freeze dried foods require warm water to reconstitute. Also know your local climate. especially those is cold weather areas. 6 months of food, and cases of bullets do you no good if you freeze to death... I don't think there is anything wrong with being prepared/prepping as long as it doesn't take over your life and budget... Just do a little each month. It took me a couple of years to stockpile a large variety of things. I also stored extra for some extended family. for those that refuse to do it. The more people you can join with in a bad situation the better you will be.. Lone wolfe "Rambo's" will not do well... You cant be awake 24/7 if things go bad. Plus other people will have skills you wont.. Be it a doctor, nurse, mechanic, soldier... Strength in numbers.... When I started out I just took some time with my wife and made of list in a notebook and added to it when we thought of something.. Then started slowly buying things... And just like insurance I hope I never use it.. I love going to Disney, and eating Pizza on occasion .. One final note is physical fitness .. You don't have to be Sylvester Stallone, But you better be in decent shape in the event you need to use this stuff. Good Luck
I love all the advice I see on SHTF post about “finding common ammo”. Where, in this kind if situation, are you “finding” ammo? Really life isn’t Call Of Duty and ammo boxes arent hiding behind trees. Stores are closed, homeowners shoot on sight, police stations are choas... if you want more ammo, BUY IT BEFOREHAND. Youre not finding anything other than store-brand diet cola and Q-Tips when things go wrong. So carry what you want but stock up what you have.
Oh, and clean air, water, food, and shelter are still WAY more important than a gun.
Scavenger perk, bro! But in all seriousness you are right. I at least try to coordinate with my friends in the area to buy/stock roughly the same calibers.