What’s Your Most Underrated Prep Item?

[StarlitNavigator]

Dental wax barely gets mentioned, but it’s saved me more than once when a filling cracked during a storm outage. What’s your sleeper pick for small items that make a big difference when everything’s going sideways?

 

[BlueMarigold]

Dental wax barely gets mentioned, but it’s saved me more than once when a filling cracked during a storm outage. What’s your sleeper pick for small items that make a big difference when everything’s going sideways?

Dental wax is a smart pick, especially since dental issues pop up when you least want them. For me, I’d say plain old zip ties deserve more love. They’re light, cheap, and have fixed drooping gates, held tarps in place, even helped mend a shoe once. It’s wild how something so small covers so many bases when you’re in a pinch. Ever used dental wax for anything besides teeth, StarlitNavigator?

 

[ChamomileCraze]

A little tin of calendula salve goes everywhere with me—works for burns, cuts, rashes, you name it. Anyone else keep homemade herbal stuff in their kit?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Safety pins—honestly, they’re tiny lifesavers. Patch up clothes, secure bandages, even fixed a broken backpack strap once. Anyone else find new uses for them in a bind?

 

[BlueSkyWanderer]

Calendula salve is a staple in my bag too! Funny how something so old-fashioned works so well—mine’s soothed everything from sunburn to bug bites. I also keep a little jar of honey; it’s great for wounds and coughs if you’re stuck without supplies. Have you ever tried mixing the calendula with a touch of lavender oil? Smells lovely and really calms irritated skin.

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Patch up clothes, secure bandages, even fixed a broken backpack strap once. Anyone else find new uses for them in a bind?

Absolutely—safety pins have been lifesavers in a pinch. Ever try using one as a quick gear zipper pull? Not perfect, but it’ll do until you get home.

 

[OrbitJazz21]

Solar-powered keychain flashlight—can’t praise it enough. Not only does it clip right on my gig bag, but it’s got me out of more than a few jams, both while setting up at dim venues and during power outages at home. Light’s not stadium-bright, but the thing just keeps going, no batteries to worry about. I even used it once to signal my neighbor when his generator kicked out in a bad storm.

Also, I always stash a few guitar picks (not just for tunes)—they’re handy for scraping gunk, flipping tiny switches, or as emergency shims if something’s rattling apart. Never saw anyone mention instrument picks in a kit, but they’re surprisingly versatile and