You do not need a specialty survival store to start prepping. Walmart carries everything you need to build a solid emergency foundation, and most of it costs less than a pizza dinner. Every item on this list is under $20, available in-store or online, and genuinely useful in a real emergency.
Here are the 15 best prepper items at Walmart right now, organized by survival priority.
Water Storage and Purification
1. Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-Gallon Water Jug — ~$13
This is the gold standard for household water storage on a budget. The 7-gallon Aqua-Tainer is stackable, BPA-free, and has a built-in spigot for easy dispensing. One jug gives a single person almost a full week of drinking water. Buy two and you have a family of four covered for 72 hours.
2. Aquatabs Water Purification Tablets (50-pack) — ~$8
Each tablet treats one liter of water. A single pack gives you 50 liters of safe drinking water from questionable sources. They weigh almost nothing, last five years in storage, and work in about 30 minutes. Toss a pack in your go-bag and forget about it until you need it.
Food and Cooking
3. Great Value Canned Chicken Breast (12.5 oz, 4-pack) — ~$10
Shelf-stable protein is the hardest macro to store cheaply. Canned chicken lasts 3-5 years, requires no cooking, and delivers roughly 60g of protein per can. Four cans give one person several days of protein. Walmart's Great Value brand runs about half the price of name brands.
4. Great Value Quick Oats (42 oz) — ~$4
Oats are one of the best calorie-per-dollar foods in existence. One container delivers around 4,000 calories, stores for 1-2 years in a cool pantry, and can be prepared with just hot water. Add peanut butter or honey and you have a filling, calorie-dense emergency meal.
5. Sterno Canned Heat (2-pack) — ~$7
When the power is out, you still need to heat food and boil water. Sterno cans burn for 2-5 hours each, work indoors with proper ventilation, and are safe to store long-term. Pair with a cheap wire rack or Sterno folding stove and you can cook a real meal during a blackout.
Fire and Light
6. BIC Classic Lighters (5-pack) — ~$8
Forget the ferro rods and magnesium sticks for now. A BIC lighter is the most reliable fire-starting tool in any emergency kit. They work wet, they work cold, and a 5-pack gives you thousands of lights. Stash one in your go-bag, one in your car, and the rest in your kitchen drawer.
7. Ozark Trail LED Flashlight (250 lumens) — ~$5
Walmart's Ozark Trail brand makes surprisingly solid flashlights at rock-bottom prices. The 250-lumen model runs on AA batteries, lasts 10+ hours, and is bright enough to navigate a dark house or signal for help. At five dollars, buy three and put them in different locations.
8. Emergency Candles (115-hour, 2-pack) — ~$7
Long-burn emergency candles provide ambient light for days without batteries. A 115-hour candle lasts almost five full days of continuous burn. They also provide a small amount of heat in a confined space. Keep them in a holder on a stable surface and never leave them unattended.
First Aid
9. Equate All-Purpose First Aid Kit (140-piece) — ~$13
Walmart's Equate brand first aid kit includes adhesive bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, medical tape, and basic OTC meds. It is not a trauma kit, but it covers 95% of the injuries you will actually deal with in an emergency: cuts, scrapes, blisters, minor burns, and headaches.
10. Equate Ibuprofen 200mg (500 count) — ~$8
Pain management matters more than people think during a crisis. A 500-count bottle of ibuprofen is cheap insurance against headaches, inflammation, fever, and general misery. Store it in a cool, dry place and check the expiration date yearly. Generic works identically to name brand.
Tools and Shelter
11. Ozark Trail Multi-Tool — ~$10
A basic multi-tool gives you pliers, a knife, screwdrivers, a can opener, and a bottle opener in one pocket-sized package. You will use the pliers and knife constantly in any extended emergency. The Ozark Trail version is not Leatherman quality, but it works and costs a fraction of the price.
12. Blue Tarps (6x8 ft) — ~$5
A cheap blue tarp is one of the most versatile survival items in existence. Use it as a ground cloth, rain shelter, emergency roof patch, water collection surface, or privacy screen. At five dollars, there is no excuse not to have two or three stored in your garage. Fold them tight and they take up almost no space.
13. 550 Paracord (100 ft) — ~$6
Paracord handles 550 pounds of tension and has dozens of survival uses: shelter building, clotheslines, gear repair, tourniquet, fishing line (inner strands), and securing tarps. A hundred feet is enough for most emergency scenarios. Walmart stocks it in the camping aisle.
14. Mylar Emergency Blankets (4-pack) — ~$6
These thin, reflective blankets retain up to 90% of body heat. They weigh almost nothing, fold down to the size of a deck of cards, and can also be used as a ground barrier, signaling device, or improvised shelter. Four-packs are cheap enough to toss one in every bag and vehicle you own.
15. Energizer AA Batteries (24-pack) — ~$16
Batteries are the fuel that powers your flashlights, radio, and anything else electronic in your kit. A 24-pack of AAs covers most emergency devices for weeks. Store them in a cool, dry place away from metal objects. Check dates, but modern alkaline batteries hold charge for 10+ years.
Total Cost: Under $130
All 15 items together cost roughly $126 at current Walmart prices. That is less than a single trip to a sit-down restaurant for a family of four, and it covers water, food, fire, light, first aid, tools, and shelter for a 72-hour emergency.
You do not need to buy everything at once. Grab two or three items every time you are already at Walmart. In a month, you will have a complete kit without feeling any budget pain.
What to Skip at Walmart
A few things are not worth buying at Walmart for prepping purposes. Avoid cheap folding knives with plastic handles (they break under real use), off-brand water filters (stick with Sawyer or LifeStraw), and bulk rice in paper bags (it attracts pests without proper storage containers). For those items, spend a little more or buy from a dedicated supplier.
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