What’s One Prep Item You Regret Not Buying Sooner?

[ChrysanthiDream]

Only recently did I invest in a quality water filtration system, and now I can’t believe I waited so long. Before that, I was just stockpiling bottled water and hoping for the best in an emergency. What’s one item you wish you’d added to your preps sooner? Curious if others also put off essential gear thinking they could DIY or get by without it, only to realize later it was a mistake

 

[GarnetDusk]

Honestly, wish I’d picked up a good hand-crank radio sooner. For years, I thought I could just rely on my phone or a basic old transistor that needed batteries (and of course, every drill, flood, or blackout, the batteries were always dead or missing). Finally got myself a reliable crank/solar combo last spring, and it’s been a total game changer for both info and peace of mind. Stays charged, even powers up a flashlight and USB gadgets in a pinch.

It’s funny, I used to look at those radios and think they were a bit

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Couldn’t agree more about the radio and water filter—those “I’ll manage without it” thoughts really come back to bite you. For me, it was a big solar charger for my devices. Kept putting it off, then after one bad winter storm knocked out power for days, I wished I’d gotten it ages ago. Anyone else put off backup power and regret it later?