When SHTF strikes, a systematic getaway is what we need the most. When you have to get out of danger quickly, the gear you may find yourself depending on has to be up to the task. This article is intended to be a focus on the best doomsday gear for female preppers, conceived and developed from a female perspective.
Before we get into the actual recommendations on gear for female preppers, we should back up and look at what we are trying to do. Being prepared consists of several factors:
- Having a rational and focused mindset
- Building an efficient and pragmatic attitude
- Learning and mastering new skills
- Obtaining appropriate survival gear and becoming proficient with its implementation
- Diversity in your group – Not race, but skills, expertise, personal inclinations, and duties necessary for survival
- Thinking through the potential threats you could face and work on a more detailed plan
Being caught off guard by poorly developed survival skills as well as untested gear is such an inexcusable mistake.
The weight of knowledge
Knowledge is not only related to the expertise you gained in the field in learning how to start a fire, to build a long-term shelter, and so on. In fact, knowledge stands also for the features (and issues) related to the gear you should have carefully selected and put inside your Bug Out Bag. And I mean, every single part of it.
In fact, without an accurate apprehension of all the characteristics, you simply cannot claim that it is 100% reliable. In few words, if you rely on it, this means it could literally save your and/or your beloved ones’ life.
The concept of reliability cannot be separated from other important aspects like durability, adaptability, and resistance. For this reason, being informed on all the characteristics of a blade, for example, can help you in figuring out if a particular tool really deserves to be picked up from the market and being part of your Doomsday gear. We will cover soon all these aspects.
Knowledge, in terms of being informed as well as being able to do things, weights nothing.
Don’t forget to put it in your gear!
Establishing priorities
Being a woman surely means having different needs than men, but not different survival priorities. Food, water, a safe Bug Out location, and the means to reach (and to defend it) stand as the very basis in a worst-case scenario.
By saying that, the selection of your gear should address the very essential priorities of every human being. To pursue that, get all the unnecessary gear items off your mind and start to think in a primordial way. There are a lot of things that if you stock up on them, could make your life better in a grid-down scenario but they won’t help you survive. These priorities have to be fleshed out first.
No one will do that for you.
Establishing priorities does not mean giving up on our femininity, not at all. Taking care of ourselves is still something that we, women, can (and must!) do after a possible apocalyptic event.
Assessing essential features in your gear for female preppers
What do you look for in your Doomsday gear?
Generally speaking, good gear should have the following attributes:
- Durability
- Adaptability
- Flexibility
- Resistance
- Maneuverability
Let’s say that you are already in possession of some good survival items you have evaluated on the field and they answered the topics covered above.
In this case, you can actually consider purchasing a second item for redundancy. Same model, same brand. What worked for you on other occasions, could serve you well in an apocalyptic scenario too. Look for any manufacturing defects, and don’t forget to pay a lot of attention.
One mind, one body, one gear
Selecting and testing the best Doomsday gear should involve three different phases.
Do your gear research on the web before purchasing
Making several types of research on the web is obviously the most important starting point. A Female Prepper cannot jump into the first website which suggests a list of items, drop down a list, and go to Cabela’s to purchase them in one fell swoop. This sounds like a prelude to a guaranteed disaster. Instead, consulting various websites, reading articles, watching videos, and asking for advice from people you really trust is the best way to go.
Purchase quality without breaking the bank
There are a million examples of cheap survival items out there and I’m sure you have all seen at least one. The amount of money you should be willing to part with in some cases should be weighed by the importance of the item you are considering.
Take survival knives for example. You can get a knife for less than $25 and you can also pay upwards of $500. There are thousands of options in between, but the absolute cheapest items, with obvious shortcomings in terms of reliability and durability, should be avoided like the plague.
Sure, they may work for a while, but at a certain point, you will surely regret having wasted your money in purchasing them. Focus on the real value of the gear you are purchasing in a survival situation, not on the remote possibility you have to use them.
Test your gear
Once you bought your gear, don’t forget to test every piece of it. As I mention in the first part of this article, you can dedicate one day to test a knife, another to ax, another one in setting and dismantling a tarp. Do it several times, in different physical and mental conditions, and with various climatic and weather conditions.
Your gear should become an extension of your body, so be sure you are really able to handle it in the proper way. An over-sized knife, for example, could be a threatening tool in case of aggression, but are you 100% sure you will be able to control it when the time comes?
Ask yourself this simple question and take your time on the field to see if your gear is good enough for you and vice versa.
Learn how to take care of your gear
Learning how to properly maintain your gear is one of the most important duties of both Male and Female Preppers. Take extreme care in selecting the place where you store your gear: excessive heat or humidity can soon damage some items quickly. Actually that should factor into your gear selection also.
Check it periodically, and clean it after every test you make. Your gear should be serviced and ready to go when you need it. You don’t want to run out of the house with rusty, dirty, or missing items in your survival kit. Think of your survival medical supplies, these should not be depleted at all when you need them.
The concept of πολυτροπία
This Ancient Greek word stands for something which has several functions. Specifically in the case of Doomsday events, owning a tool that has different functions means relying on an item that has a lot of benefits.
Think about the common example of storing some tampons along with your gear. Being made of cotton, they are an excellent tinder to start a fire, or they can be used to stop a bleed too. Just shove them in the hole. When setting your Doomsday gear, don’t forget to consider how many functions a single item can have. The more versatility your items have in terms of saving your life, the more it deserves to be inside your Bug Out Bag.
Selection of the best apocalypse Gear for Female Preppers
This is obviously my personal choice of tested gear. You have to use the techniques above to find the best survival gear for your needs.
Knife
Wander Tactical Knives are surely one of the top options for survival knives on the markets in terms of durability, efficiency in cutting, chopping, batoning, and defending yourself from potential aggression by predators.
Alternate Option
- Full tang heavy duty field knife suited for camping chores.
- Made in Olean New York, U.S.A
- Designed by Ethan Becker
- Manufactured by KA-BAR Knives Inc.
- Comes with a hard shell black nylon sheath.
Survival Axe
Winkler Combat Axe is perfect for female handling, without losing kudos in performances.
Alternate Option
Multitool
Leatherman Wave is definitely a must-have multitool which includes knife blades, screwdriver, scissors, saw blades, pliers, bottle opener, file, wire stripper, and cutter.
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Pocket blade
Chris Reeve Sebenza fits perfectly a female hand. And it can be stored in a pocket.
Alternate Option
- HIGH-QUALITY: The 154CM stainless steel blade is tough, rust resistant, and holds an edge well. The glass-filled nylon handle is tough yet attractive, making it ideal for hard jobs and everyday carry.
- WELL-DESIGNED: Benchmade's AXIS lock is exceptionally strong and fully ambidextrous. The Mini Griptilian 556 is a manual knife that can be opened and closed single-handedly.
- COMFORTABLE: The 556's smaller, lighter design and handle grips make it comfortable to hold, use, and take anywhere. The reversible pocket clip offers ultimate accessibility.
- VERSATILE: The Mini Griptilian 556's drop-point, utility blade style and all-around functionality make it ideal for everyday use, outdoor activities, and even tactical applications.
- GUARANTEED FOR LIFE: Benchmade's limited Lifetime Warranty and LifeSharp Service keeps your knife in the best condition. If your knife needs repair or sharpening, Benchmade will take care of it. Available for knives purchased from an authorized dealer.
Shelter
NapSack Hammock Tarp with Zip Closure Doors It is made of 40D 260T Ripstop Nylon with one side PU Coated and the other Silicon and it is extremely light to carry.
NapSack Trekker Plus Hammock provided in a tiny bag, this hammock can be combined with the tarp, offering the best insulation and coverage.
Carinthia Survival One Sleeping Bag is my personal choice for sleeping outside on temperatures hitting severe standards.
Waterproof Bags
Zulupack Smart Tube 40 L helps me to keep food dry and off from humidity.
Alternate Option
- Top Rated By Wirecutter: Durable, reliable, and wallet-friendly are just a few of the reasons why The NY Times Wirecutter chose earth pak as one of the top dry bags of 2024! Our classic roll-top design keeps your contents dry and all our bags are all protected by a five-year warranty.
- Shoulder Strap: 10L & 20L dry bags come with a 24-42 Inch single shoulder strap. 30L, 40L, and 55L waterproof backpacks are equipped with backpack style shoulder straps that also come with a sternum strap for added stability. Our new 55L also comes equipped with a heavy duty waist-belt, which relieves added pressure and helps support your load.
- IPX8 Certified Waterproof Phone Case: We have included our IPX8 Certified 6.5 Inch waterproof phone case that will fit even the largest of phones. This case features a very simple snap and lock access that has dual-sided clear windows that allow to take pictures while still inside the case. Suitable for phones up to 6.5 Inches of diagonal screen size.
- Ideal For Travel: Our water bag is very lightweight and compact making it an essential dry bag for all your travel plans. Easy to fold and pack tight in any sized luggage!
- Keep Your Items Dry and Protected: Protect Your Valuables with our 5L, 10L, 20L, 30L, 40L, or 55L Dry Bags! Just toss your gear inside your water bag, roll it down, and you’re good to go on your next adventure.
Charging station
Powertraveller Tactical Extreme works with a solar panel and it allows me to recharge different devices at the same time.
Alternate Option
- 25000mAh High Capacity: With its high capacity Lithium polymer battery, this solar charger has 8 charges for iPhone 11, around 6 charges for S20 and at least 2 charges for tablet, ideal for fishing hunting skiing.
- 4 Solar Panels: When its solar panels is unfolded, the solar power bank captures solar energy almost equivalent to an ordinary 5W wall charger. While when them is folded, it is small and compact to carry.
- Dual 2.1A USB: The solar phone charger can charge two devices simultaneously. A 2000mAh phone can be fully charged by our solar charger power bank in 1-1.3 hours and a tablets is about 2 to 3 hours.
- Rainproof and Practical: The solar panel charger has a waterproof silicone cover to protect the USB ports. And the built-in bright LED light has 3 modes (Steady-SOS-Strobe), perfect for camping, hiking and more outdoor activities.
- Multiple Protections: Our portable solar charger has multiple protection design; providing superior protection for itself and your devices against over-charging, over-voltage, over-current and short circuit, safe and reliable.
Personal Weapon
Due to the strict legislation in Europe, I do not have a personal self-defensive weapon. Anyway, I still can count on the ax and the knife. For those of you in the states, there are plenty of recommended firearm options.
Fire kit
It consists of several Ferro rods, different tins containing birch tinder, char cloth, fatwood, cotton, tampons, wax, windproof matches, and so on.
Cooking Kit
I use an Esbit Stove with solid fuel tablets. No smell, no big fire, easy to store.
As Meals ready to go my choice goes to Adventure Menu and their sterilized meals ready to eat as well as lightweight vacuum-dried meals. I have also several packages of Bivo, a meal replacement gluten-free made of oat flour, pea protein, vegetable fiber (natural prebiotic, from chicory), coconut oil, rice protein, linseed, borage oil. By adding some water, I can also make some bread out of it!
Water Filtration
GRAYL Geopress is one of the best water purifying devices on the market. Grayl removes all pathogens: Viruses, bacteria, and protozoa – from any freshwater source on Earth. It filters pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and microplastics and improves taste.
- ONEPRESS GLOBAL PROTECTION: Empowers international travelers and outdoor adventurers to make the world’s sketchiest water sources clean to drink. Ideal for global travel and outdoor adventures (hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing, hunting) and survival scenarios
- REMOVES ALL PATHOGENS: Viruses, bacteria and protozoa - from any freshwater source on Earth. Filters pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and microplastics; improves taste
- UNRIVALED EASE & SPEED: Effortlessly purifies 24 oz (710ml) of water in as quick as eight seconds. Requires no setup time, pumps, hoses, sucking, batteries, chemicals, or prolonged waiting. Simply – Fill. Press. Drink.
- MAKES WATER TREATMENT EASY: Use your body weight on the SoftPress Comfort Pads to power purification. Drink and share safe, clean water through the SimpleVent Cap
- AWARD WINNING ONEPRESS VERSATILITY: No straw, pump or gravity bag can match. Effortlessly fill from any spigot, hotel sink, murky river, taco stand, lake, or well.
Conclusions
Being prepared is a state of mind, no doubts about that. Be ready involves not only your mental attitude but the status of your gear too. Quoting a popular motto, take care of it, and it will take care of you.
