# Putting a "Garage Sale" find to good use...



## Sparky_D (Jun 3, 2013)

I'm always on the look out at Yard Sales, Estate Sales, Garage Sales, thrift shops, etc... for things I can use, especially for prep stuff.

A lot of times, I'll find something and have a use that is different than the items intended use, like the Magnesium Anode rod I posted here:
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f32/another-option-magnesium-firestarters-19914/

Well, this weekend, I picked up a couple empty soft sided Bosch drill cases at a garage sale for $0.25 each:



















I plan to use these to make supplemental under seat bags for my vehicles.
The size is just right to fit under the passenger seats of both my vehicles.

I plan to include items like an inexpensive fixed blade knife, a Swiss Army knife and/or multi-tool, a Space Blanket or 2, a vacuum packed pouch of ammo for my carry pieces, a couple light sticks, Para Cord, Duct Tape, a lighter, some matches and a fire-steel, Iodine water tabs, and a few other bits that'll fit and be useful as I think of them. Feel free to add suggestions.

(The beginnings...)









This would be to supplement my GHB, not as a replacement for it.
My GHB already has most everything I'd need to get home in the event of a disaster/SHTF scenario.

So, what interesting or unusual items have you found that you have repurposed for your prep needs?


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't like lightsticks at all.

These are 1000 times more useful:
MXDL 3W LED Mini Pen Flashlight AAA Battery
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-MXDL-...er-2-AAA-Battery-With-Belt-Clip-/151070540700

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Mini-Pen-type-MXDL-3W-Led-AAA-Flashlight-Torch-Lamp-Black-/230804973294

The one I carry everywhere is the second one, with a single AAA. I give them to friends all the time, and they are amazing handy.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

I have to agree with LincTex and suggest a flashlight and extra batteries instead. If you need to turn it off you can with a flashlight, but not so much with a light stick.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

The little 3 watt AAA mxdl flashlight runs somewhere around 50 hours on one battery, I would guess. I use it probably 5-10 minutes every day for around 5-6 months before I change the battery.


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## Sparky_D (Jun 3, 2013)

According to the listing, 


> Runtime: 1.6-3.7 hours( depends on battery capacity )


I do have flashlights with spare batteries in each vehicle as it is and a crank light in my GHB, so I'm not concerned with light sources for illumination.

Light sticks can be used to make signaling devices (3' of paracord and swing it in a circle) and can be used safely in hazardous areas as well as under water.

I can't believe this thread morphed into a discussion about flashlights vs. light sticks...


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Sparky_D said:


> I can't believe this thread morphed into a discussion about flashlights vs. light sticks...


yeah...my bad


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## kilagal (Nov 8, 2011)

Then let's turn it back. I have a small cooler that I got at a yard sale for dh. And what I did is I put drill bits in it. At Christmas time here Ace Hardware puts DeWalt bits on sale for a very good price. And they have severall different packs. And I now think we have all of them.. But to make it easier to keep them all together I got the small cooler to keep them together. He is working on a camper out in the driveway so he has a way to keep them all together.


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