Where I Buy Supplies

I just received another shipment from Sportsman's Guide. To me, that place is like an online candy store. Seems I get an email from them about every other day full of interesting deals. I have bought a lot of stuff from them over the years, from ammunition to camping equipment.

I have noticed a number of blogs that have advertising. Nothing wrong with that, but I have regularly clicked on advertisers and then Google searched for the same merchandise. It is surprising how much of a difference in price exists for pretty much the same items.

After doing a lot of online searching, I have narrowed my list down to a few places that I regularly buy from. Sometimes, local stores have the best deals. Just have to pay attention.

Online, I buy from:

--Sportsman's Guide (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/) for ammunition, boots, military surplus gear, gun magazines, and camping gear/supplies. Selection of most items comes and goes, but the prices are usually pretty good. Shipping rates for ammunition orders are very reasonable, as shipping is based on the dollar amount of the order, not the weight. Additionally, if you order a lot of stuff, the buyer's club is worth the $30.00 per year for additional 10% off (5% for ammo). If you get their no-annual-fee Visa, its good for an additional 2.5% off. If you get on their email list, you get regular coupons for $10 off a $99 order.

--Honeyville Grain (http://www.honeyvillegrain.com/) for freeze dried and dehydrated food. Their freeze dried vegetable combo, freeze dried fruit combo, and powdered dried eggs in a can can't be beat. Fantastic prices and $4.49 U.S. shipping no matter how large or small the order.

--Emergency Essentials (http://www.beprepared.com/) Great prices on freeze dried and dehydrated food. And a huge selection. They also have five-gallon mylar water storage bags, and great prices on trioxane fuel bars. Some prices seem high, such as on SuperPails of beans, etc. For the freeze dried and dehydrated food, their prices are quite reasonable, as it the cost of shipping.

--U.S. Plastic (http://www.usplastic.com/) As I had mentioned in another post, I have purchased buckets and lids from U.S. Plastic. I have been very satisfied with the quality for the price I paid. I will soon be ordering some more along with water storage containers. After I placed my first order they sent me an email with a 10% discount for my next purchase. I also received their printed catalog, which is just amazing. It has all kinds of plastic items from labware to buckets and barrels, tanks, crates, totes, tubing and fittings.

--Natchez Shooters Supply (http://www.natchezss.com/) They have a huge selection of gun accessories of every kind. I mainly buy magazines and ammo from them. Great prices on those items, and the shipping prices aren't too bad. Shipping is based on weight, so heavy items like cases of .45 acp can incur some pricey shipping charges.

--USA Emergency Supply (ww.usaemergencysupply.com) A good selection of disaster preparedness supplies. They have good prices on mylar bucket liner bags and oxygen absorbers. Shipping prices are reasonable, too.

--MRE Depot (http://www.mredepot.com/) A good, and sometimes unique, supply of storable food items. I have bought canned butter, canned cheese, and dehydrated pork chops from them. Haven't tried the pork chops yet, but I have been very happy with their prices, shipping rates, and fast service. Sometimes one can find their best deals on eBay.

There are other places I buy other things from, usually specialized items. I will have to think about the other places I have found some good deals on prep items. Fodder for another post.