10 Free Preps to Hoard from Your Hotel Stay
My wife and I just got back from a trip where we stayed in a hotel several nights and I noticed all the freebies that come along with your hotel stay. While, I know that you ultimately pay for those things, people do tend to leave these items behind instead of thinking of how they could be utilized for future purposes. While most of these items don’t come in huge quantities, every little bit helps especially if you travel a lot. So technically these aren’t freebies since you most likely pay for them anyway, but most folks don’t think of all the possibilities they leave behind when they close their hotel door for the last time.
Just a few nights ago I used a bar of soap we collected from our last hotel stay. Without further ado, here are 10 prepping items you may not have thought about.
Soap Bars
While most homesteaders and some preppers know how to make soap, it’s always great to collect these small bars for hard times. Keeping yourself, eating utensils or medical items clean is really important. Packaged soap can also be a highly coveted bartering item.
Shampoo
Much as is the case with soap, shampoo is a great luxury or barter item especially for women. It can also be used as soap in a crunch. Once you use all the shampoo, the bottle can be used as a small water collector for your bug out bag.
Cups
Any type of storage container is a valuable prep or survival item. Usually hotel room cups are a durable styrofoam that will hold up fairly well.
Coffee
Americans are addicted to caffeine, in fact so addicted that most experience head aches and fatigue if they don’t get their morning dose. This may benefit you or it could benefit someone that is interested in bartering or giving you a service in return.
Shower Cap
Any type of plastic bag or container is good for a survival bag. The main purpose of it would be to collect water. There are a few methods on collecting water that includes wrapping it around a tree limb to capture dew or allowing rain to collect inside it. In a crunch it could also be used as a glove if you need to keep a wound sterile when treating it.
Eating Utensils
Most hotels offer a small continental breakfast. Plastic forks, spoons and knives are plentiful. After you use them, wash them and pack them away. It’s hard to reproduce utensils in nature or a survival scenario.
Jam and Jelly
Pre-packaged jam and jelly will keep for a while unless opened. In a SHTF situation these types of items can bring a smile to your face.
Salt, Pepper and Sugar
Most prepping food can be bland, such as beans and rice. Salt and pepper can make a bad meal, great. The same goes for sugar! Stock up on those packets when you sit down for your breakfast at a hotel.
Room Key
Your hotel room key is more durable than a credit card and can be useful in cracking a door lock if you are skilled at it.
Ice Bag
This is the bag that usually accompanies the ice bucket. This can be used much like the shower cap in collecting water or it can be used as a way to store old bandages that need to be thrown away. It makes a great trash bag for your survival bag.
