19 Awesome Gift Ideas for Preppers (Christmas 2023)
The holiday season is upon us, and this year I decided to put together my list of top gift ideas for preppers, homesteaders, or anyone who has a passion for preparedness and self-sufficiency. There are a million “gift ideas for preppers” lists out there, but they’re mostly full of cheap junk, gimmicky products, and ridiculous novelty gear that nobody actually wants.
So here is my list of quality stuff that I actually use. In other words: Practical but awesome stuff that the prepper in your family will absolutely love to open on Christmas morning!
Tools
Kershaw Blur Pocket Knife
Starts at around $70
Hands-down my favorite folding knife, the Kershaw Blur is simply an amazing piece of EDC cutlery. The spring-assist mechanism opens the blade in an instant with barely the flick of a finger, and the grippy texture on the handle ensures a no-slip grasp. The Blur comes in a variety of colors and blade styles (including drop-point, serrated, tanto, and various combinations thereof). And as would be expected, the Kershaw blade comes razor sharp right out of the box. I’ve personally carried a Blur for more than 10 years (only replacing it once after somehow losing the first one).
In total, I’ve bought a couple dozen of these knives over the years to give as gifts to friends and family – which is why I think it’s only fair to put it at the very top of this list!
Gerber Truss Multi-Tool
About $46
Who doesn’t love a great multi-tool?? Gerber is known for making quality, rigid tools, and the Truss is no exception. Lightweight and durable, it features 17 separate tools that can help get you out of a jam. I’ve owned a lot of multi-tools of this style over the last 30 years, and this one definitely ranks among my favorite because of the quality vs. cost. For the price, it’s hard to beat.
Fiskars Splitting Axe
Starts at around $59
A quality splitting axe is a must-have for campers and homesteaders alike. Fiskars reinvented the splitting axe with their lightweight, streamlined design. Don’t let the plastic handle fool you; this axe means business. I’ve stacked up countless cords of wood with the help of this baby. The Fiskars splitting axe comes with a hard sheath, and is available in several lengths (I prefer the longest one – 36 inches).
Canning
Hot Water Bath Canning Kit
About $75
The Granite Ware 20-quart hot water bath canner is the perfect setup to start your home canning operation. Suitable for high acid foods like tomato sauces, jams, and pickles, hot water bath canning is the simplest and cheapest way to start preserving your own shelf-stable foods. This canner holds 7 quart jars or 9 pint jars at a time, so you can crank out some big ‘ol batches in less time. This particular canner also comes with a basic canning tool kit, including jar grabber, funnel, and de-bubbler.
20-Quart Pressure Canner
About $160
If you want to kick your home-canning up a notch, pressure canning opens a whole new world of possibilities. Meats, vegetables, soups, chili, and so much more can be processed into beautiful shelf-stable jars for your pantry when pressure-canned. Much like the hot water bath canner, this Granite Ware model will process 7 quarts or 9 pints at a time. While there are much more expensive and complex models than this, this is the exact pressure canner I use for everything. For simplicity and durability, you can’t go wrong.
Other Food Preservation & Storage
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing Machine
About $94
If you’ve watched many of my videos, you know that I use my FoodSaver a LOT. I’m certain it would be impossible to calculate the amount of money I’ve saved over the years with this thing. Buying meat in bulk and portioning out for the deep freezer is the big one. But I find it equally invaluable for freezing my garden vegetables and also my wild game meat. If you opened up any of my freezers, your gaze would be hit with an absolute wall of vacuum-sealed freezer bags. These days there are a ton of brands that make vacuum sealers, and I’m sure many of them are good. But my FoodSaver has served me well for so many years, it’s the brand I always recommend to others. They’re the originals, and their products are top-notch in my experience.
Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator
About $299
When I was a kid, I remember seeing infomercials all the time for small, cylindrical, food dehydrators. A couple relatives bought them and used them approximately once, before shoving them somewhere in the basement for the next decade or so. I never really understood the appeal until I got interested in food preparedness, and realized I could dry my own vegetables and herbs for very long term storage. But the tiny little trays in those infomercial versions don’t cut it, in my opinion, because they’re too small to make the whole thing efficient enough to seem worthwhile. So that’s why I did a bunch of research and bought what is considered the biggest, baddest dehydrator on the market (that isn’t considered commercial/industrial equipment, anyway). The Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator is simple to use and holds a TON of food. The parts inside are simple and durable. This machine was made to do one thing, and it does that thing very well. There are a few different versions of the Excalibur, but this is the one I use.
Meat Processing
Electric Meat Grinder
About $99
When I first decided to buy a meat grinder, it was because I wanted to process my own venison to make sausage. And while I certainly use it for that, I’ve since realized a lot of other great uses for it. Actually, the main thing I use it for is grinding pork. You need pork for basically any sausages that you intend to taste delicious. Even venison sausage calls for 50% pork. The point is: buying ground pork is expensive. It’s so much cheaper to buy a pork shoulder and grind it yourself (or better yet, ask your butcher for some of their trimmings, which are even cheaper).
And while I use my grinder a fair amount, I don’t use it enough to warrant a commercial-grade monster of a machine, so I started off small. Actually, I first started with a KitchenAid grinder attachment. That worked OK, but it definitely left something to be desired. I’m so much happier with my stand-alone grinder, even if it is on the smaller side. I use the Altra MG090 grinder shown here. It’s ground everything I’ve thrown at it, and I definitely recommend it for light-to-medium use.
LEM 5-Pound Sausage Stuffer Machine
About $179
And since we’re already talking about sausage making, it only makes sense to put my LEM sausage stuffer next on the list. I’ve noticed that basically every meat grinder comes with sausage-making attachments, but I’m telling you from experience that they are practically worthless. Using a meat grinder as a sausage-stuffing machine is an exercise in insanity, and (after having tried it a few times) I absolutely don’t have the patience for it. But when I bought a proper, quality stuffer, the sausage gods smiled upon me. LEM is the industry leader in sausage-making equipment, and even though this is one of their lower-end and smaller models, I can’t even begin to tell you how nice it is to use for cranking out some serious sausages.
I usually make 10 pounds of sausage at a time (because that’s about how much I have the attention span for at one time), so I only have to fill this machine up with meat twice to make a few dozen brats (or way more breakfast links). A quick tip though, if you buy this model, I do recommend upgrading the plastic tubes to the stainless steel ones they offer; they’re a little thinner and smoother, which makes loading the sausage casings easier in my opinion.
Chef’s Choice Electric Meat Slicer
About $101
And what home-meat-processing operation would be complete without an electric slicer?! I first got my slicer when I started curing my own pork belly at home, so I could slice up some perfect strips of bacon. But since then I’ve found a bunch of other uses for it. Perhaps my favorite is shaving venison to make my wild game version of a Philly cheese-steak sandwich. Much like my grinder, this is a medium-grade “home-use” model. It’s definitely not commercial equipment, but so far it’s made quick work of anything I’ve run through it. There are some cheaper ones out there, but I found the Chef’s Choice to be a good middle-ground in quality and price (considering the pretty moderate amount I use it).
Hunting
Laser Range Finder
About $86
I was a deer hunter for ages before I ever used a range finder, and I consider it to have been a game changer when I eventually did. I borrowed one from a buddy, and it was amazing to have an instant and accurate distance reading (particularly for someone with a terrible sense of distance such as myself). When I decided to buy one for myself, I was shocked at the prices for these little things. I ended up going with one of the cheaper options, and I have to say it has served me perfectly well for many years. The Halo XL450 laser range finder does exactly what I need it to do: It tells me the distance of whatever I’m pointing it at – no more, no less.
Deluxe Pop-Up Hunting Ground Blind
About $59
My favorite place to hunt is in a raised deer blind, but I have bagged more than a few deer and turkey from a trusty ground blind. A lightweight but sturdy blind that can be deployed in minutes is a must-have when it comes to ground blinds, and the Guide Gear line of popup blinds will do just that. This compact blind can fit 2 people, or 1 person and a fair amount of gear. This blind also features a very handy backpack case for easily getting it to and from your spot.
Deer Pulley & Gambrel Hoist
About $29
When it comes to field dressing, skinning, and quartering, a good gambrel and hoist is a necessity. This hoist system from GearOz is a revised version of the classic pulley-hoist gambrel. It can support up to 700 pounds (which is enough for any deer, or small elk). The gambrel is easily detached and folded, allowing for space-saving storage and effortless transportation. This is especially nice for stowing in a backpack or storage tote, since my traditional gambrels are always the big and clunky thing that doesn’t really fit into any of my bags or bins.
First Aid & Health
Compact “Stop the Bleed” Tactical Trauma Kit
About $45
There are a lot of elaborate first aid kits out there, but so many of them don’t include the basics to address a serious wound in an emergency situation. This compact tactical trauma kit by Rhino Rescue has the necessities packaged up in a easily-stowable package. The kit comes with 1 vented chest seal, 1 non-vented chest seal, 1 4” Israeli bandage, 1 metal tourniquet with pen, 1 compressed gauze, 1 nasal airway, 1 lubricant, 1 emergency blanket, 1 bandage Scissors with buckle,1 pair nitrile gloves,1 instruction card.
Upgraded Combat Trauma Kit w/ Molle Pouch
About $109
And if you want to kick your trauma preparedness up a notch, try the Rhino Rescue expanded trauma kit. Packaged up in a tactical molle pouch, this kit includes gear for hemorrhage and circulatory care, respiratory, airway, and hypothermia treatment, bone fracture treatment, and more. The molle pouch is available in black, red, or multi-cam.
Emergency Antibiotics Kit from Jase Medical
About $269
I debated with myself about putting this one way closer to the top of the list. But since I decided to categorize all the stuff on this page, it just made sense to include it under “First Aid & Health”.
For years, antibiotics have been a hot topic among preparedness enthusiasts. And until recently, our only options for having a supply of common antibiotics on hand were to either do something unethical, do something illegal, or buy fish antibiotics. But the last couple years brought with it huge strides in the tele-medicine industry, and that includes getting certain prescription drugs online.
Jase Medical is a legitimate organization that is operated by a real doctor. They work with real pharmacies to provide these genuine antibiotics to anyone who goes through the process on their website. And I have to tell you….the process is barely more complex than buying something on Amazon. Seriously, I don’t know how it can be as easy as it is.
Albeit a little on the pricey side, there really is no easier or faster way to get a stash of real, proper antibiotics to add to your preps. I actually did a full video review on this kit and the company, if you want to learn more about it.
Also, this year Jase has begun offering dozens of other common prescription medications as well. If you’re looking for an emergency supply of any of your regular daily meds, visit the website and click the “Jase Daily” link to see if they have what you need.
And by the way, use my code GREATLAKES10 to get $10 off if you decide to place an order.
Lighting & Power
Off-Grid Solar Lighting System
About $274
There may be other off-grid lighting systems out there, but I told you I was going to be talking stuff I’ve actually used. And I have to say that the BioLite 620 Solar Lighting System is very cool in my opinion. This unique package comes with a wall-mountable control box, 6-watt solar panel, 2 hanging lights with individual dimmable switches, and a motion sensor light that saves power and alerts you to nearby movement. Basically, it has everything you need to have a full complement of lighting in your cabin, tiny home, large tent, or even just as a backup for when the power goes out at home.
Bluetti 600-Watt Portable Power Station
About $299
There’s simply too many cool things to say about this little power station to list here. I first wanted something like this to run my C-PAP machine while camping. But this little powerhouse can run all sorts of things for quite awhile before needing a charge. And it charges back up very fast when plugged into a standard AC outlet, or you can plug a solar panel into it and charge it in real-time on the go (the internal solar controller supports up to a 200 Watt panel). It’s got 9 various outlets (standard AC plug, car cigarette lighter, USB, etc), and you can even use this thing as a full-on UPS for your computer. For its features, portability, and a brand name I actually recognize, I definitely am a fan of this power station.
Dual-Fuel 5500 Watt Backup Generator
About $649
Now we’re getting serious! Short of buying a full-fledged automatic home backup system, nothing beats having a big, mean generator to run the show when your electricity goes out. I got my first DuroMax generator in 2014, and it still purrs like a kitten. More recently, I got another for my parents and they love the fact that it has a battery-powered electric ignition (in addition to the old-fashioned pull-start option).
This generator pumps out enough juice to power everything in my entire house, minus the central air conditioning. That includes furnace motor, sump pump, fridge, freezers, and well…everything else. And the very cool thing about this model is that you can use either gasoline or propane. More fuel options equals more preparedness!
This is the most expensive and hardcore piece of prepping gear in my list, but honestly nothing else quite compares to a generator in an emergency situation. And if you buy it online, they’ll bring this big, heavy thing right to your front door!
