The other day I was driving through my small town and barely noticed a cot leaning on the wall of the town’s tiny thrift shop.

After pulling in and jumping out of the jeep I walked over to the cot and saw that it was in usable condition and only cost two dollars.

And the timing couldn’t have been better since I had a camping trip scheduled that next weekend and needed another cot.

Plus if SHTF an extra cot could really come in handy since my place is the likely the first bug out location for most of my family.

But that wasn’t the only awesome bargain that little thrift shop had inside – even though I only had $20 cash on me.

After looking through the contents of the little shop I found a few more awesome deals and my final total came up to $19.45.

Here are the items I was able to buy with the $20 bucks in my pocket.

  1. A camping cot for 2 dollars. The metal bars were a little bent like someone exceeding the weight limit was using it but I was able to straighten them out. The fabric was in great condition.
  2. A tattered light jacket for $3. It was a great outdoor jacket and light enough to wear on fairly warm days to protect myself from the sun. Great for an extra layer or bugging out.
  3. A small limb saw with a good blade for $2. Great for camping and outdoor activities. Especially if you’re in a hurry to build a shelter or even a quick spear or staff.
  4. A baseball catcher’s helmet for $3. I just wanted it and I figured there could always come a time when a little extra head and face protection could come in handy. If it’s good enough to stop a 90 mph fastball it could stop all sorts of objects.
  5. Last but not least a tent with no holes, rips or tears for just 8 bucks. Can’t go wrong there. It even had all the stakes and the fiberglass poles!

Here’s a picture of my haul:

thriftshopgear

It’d be hard to survive the apocalypse with just these items but as you can see they’re all items that could come in handy when SHTF.

And also since prepping can get fairly pricey there’s nothing wrong looking for used and second hand gear. The more you can stretch your dollars the more preps you’ll be able to take care of.

Have you been “thrift shop preppin”? I’d love to hear about all the great survival gear you’ve found at great bargain prices.