For liberty-loving Americans and preppers alike, the socialist state of Venezuela is a perfect example of what the United States should avoid at all costs. Not only are the people of Venezuela living under the iron fist of government, but they are also having to fight day in and day out just to survive. It is, for lack of a better term, a real-life SHTF scenario.

Recently, J.G. Martinez D. wrote an article for The Organic Prepper discussing the current situation in Venezuela, and what preppers should learn from it, regarding stockpiling food and supplies. “After careful study,” Martinez writes, “I could detect that these five items could be significant to be stockpiled, or even better, homemade: vegetable oil, vinegar, biodiesel, soap and toothpaste, alcohol.”

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil can be obtained via the proper processing of corn and other seeds that you decide to use, and it has many uses. For instance, vegetable oil can be mixed with some eggs to make mayonnaise. You can use it for preserving foods like sardines and other perishables in cans by adding in a bit of salt. After it has been used for cooking, vegetable oil can also be used as fuel for anything from a wood stove to a makeshift water heater. Vegetable oil was one of the first things to disappear from the shelves in Venezuela, so it’s a good idea for preppers to stock up on it before SHTF. (Related: Here are some important tips to remember when organizing  your emergency food supply.)

Vinegar

Finding vinegar in Venezuela is possible, but the price is so high that most people simply can’t afford it. In addition to making a good disinfectant, vinegar can also be used to preserve foods to make sure that they don’t spoil. If you can find bottles of vinegar for a relatively low cost, you may want to consider stocking up on it before a large-scale crisis occurs and vinegar becomes unavailable. (Related: Here are ten super affordable survival items you can stock up on without breaking your wallet.)

Biodiesel

When you find yourself in the middle of a survival situation, finding fuels to power everything from vehicles to generators won’t be nearly as easy as it is right now. As Martinez states in his article, “I never thought that diesel would be my choice for an engine, but this is the fuel that will be the future of the preppers.” He continues, “A small facility to produce biodiesel, for those with enough skills, should not be very difficult. The time to find a blueprint, assemble a pilot device, and buy the needed parts to escalate it in the future, is now. In that future, this could be a great side business and generate lots of income.”

Soap and toothpaste

At one time, store shelves in Venezuela were stocked with all kinds of soaps, the most popular of which was called “blue” soap. It was extremely effective at maintaining personal hygiene, and doctors would even recommend it to clean wounds from surgeries. Now, most soap and similar hygienic products like toothpaste have all but disappeared. Learning how to make homemade soap and possibly even stockpiling toothpaste will make sure you’re ready for SHTF, when these products are no longer on the market.

Alcohol

You may feel like an alcoholic stockpiling booze, but the truth is that alcohol has more uses than most people even know. Just some of these uses, as UrbanSurvivalSite.com points out, include disinfecting wounds, removing odors, starting fires, cleaning teeth, relieving irritating bug bites, and even treating colds. That being said, stocking up on alcohol before SHTF is definitely a good idea for anybody that considers themselves to be serious about prepping.

Sources include:

TheOrganicPrepper.com

UrbanSurvivalSite.com