Just Because You Dont...

...have a boat, doesn't mean you shouldn't have life jackets (use in a flooding situation)
...chop firewood, doesn't mean you shouldn't have an ax (use to chop your way out of an attic during a flood or massive snow storm)
...drink alcohol, doesn't mean you shouldn't have some bourbon on hand (9 ways bourbon can save your life)
...do yard work, doesn't mean you shouldn't have a selection of yard tools on hand (to clean up after a storm)
...participate in raves, doesn't mean you shouldn't have a bunch of chemical glow sticks/bracelets/necklaces on hand (useful to make yourself seen in the dark)
...smoke, doesn't mean you shouldn't keep a carton of cigarettes on hand (great for bartering)
...wear pantyhose (I'm talking to you guys out there), doesn't mean you shouldn't keep a few pair on hand (to wear for added warmth, to use as a mesh strainer bag, etc)
...use a particular item very often (or ever), it never hurts to have an assortment of unusual things on hand (Sillcock key, Halo chest seal, activated charcoal, lock pick kit, etc)

100 Survival Items

Many beginning preppers ask "what kind of supplies do I really need in order to start prepping?"  To answer that question, here is a list of many of the most common survival items people should start with.  Note that these are affiliate links (so if you buy something through the link you will support CNI).

Everyday Carry (EDC)

1. Timbuk2 Messenger Bag
2. Ultra Sil Poncho
3. Mini First Aid Kit
4. Survival Whistle
5. Pocket Flashlight
6. Swiss Army Pocket Knife
7. Clif Bars
8. Fisher Space Pen
9. Compact AM/FM Radio
10. Nalgene Water Bottle

For your Bug Out Bag (BOB)

1. Lifestraw
2. Mylar Blanket
3. Headlamp
4. Compass
5. Fire Starter
6. Backpack
7. Leatherman Multi Tool
8. Water Purification Tablets
9. Paracord
10. Collapsible Water Bottle

For the home

1. Mr Heater Portable Indoor Safe Heater
2. Home First Aid Kit
3. Fire Extinguisher
4. CO2 Detector
5. Leather Work Gloves
6. Flashlight
7. Duct Tape
8. Fire Escape Ladder
9. Fireproof Safe
10. Basic Tool Kit

For the car

1. Car hammer
2. Auto Emergency Kit
3. Fix A Flat
4. First Aid Kit
5. DC to AC Power Inverter
6. Auto Tool Kit
7. Flashlight
8. Folding Buck Knife
9. 6' x 8' Poly Tarp
10. Mechanix Gloves

For the office

1. Mini Sewing Kit
2. Mini Survival Kit
3. Pry bar
4. UPS Battery
5. Case of MREs
6. Hygiene Kit
7. Office First Aid Kit
8. Emergency Water Pouches
9. Emergency Radio
10. Emergency Whistles

For your health and safety

1. Bug Spray
2. Thera Flu
3. Acidophilous
4. Kleenex Pocket Packs
5. Wet Wipes
6. Credit Card Survival Tool
7. Fisherman's Survival Card
8. Hostage Escape Survival Tool
9. Emergency Vehicle Acquisition Tool
10. Navigation Card Set

Weapons

1. Fox Pepper Spray
2. Fixed Blade Knife
3. Stun Gun
4. Bear Spray
5. Air Horn
6. Tactical Pen
7. Cold Steel Machete
8. Self Defense Keychain (kubaton)
9. Crossbow
10. Self Defense Keychain (for women)

Stockpiling

1. Heirloom Survival Seeds
2. Rigid Water Container
3. Fuel Storage Container
4. Emergency Food Rations
5. Emergency Food Ration Tablets
6. Vitamins
7. Bulk grains
8. Grain mill
9. Bulk spices
10. Canning kit

Technology

1. Anker Power Bank
2. Sennheiser Earbuds
3. Galaxy Tab S2
4. Unlocked Galaxy Note 4 Cell Phone
5. Motorola Two-Way Radio
6. Midland Weather Radio
7. HAM Radio
8. Emergency Solar Hand-crank Radio
9. External Hard Drive
10. San Disk USB Drive

The Bookshelf

1. SAS Survival Handbook
2. 100 Deadly Skills
3. The Encyclopedia of Country Living
4. Back to Basics
5. Mini Farming--Self Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
6. Putting Food By
7. Bushcraft 101
8. Edible Wild Plants
9. Advanced Bushcraft
10. Survival Hacks

50 Items to Always Have Within Reach

No matter where you are--home, office, vehicle, friend's house, on vacation, etc.--you need to be prepared for anything that could happen.  One way to do this it to always ensure that you have these useful items within reach (meaning in your home, in your travel bag, in your office storage cabinet, etc).

1. Water (a case of water, a bottle of water, a canteen, etc)
2. Food (stockpiled food, granola bars, a packed lunch, etc)
3. Cash (coins and bills)
4. ATM card/bank card/credit card (for access to greater amounts of money)
5. ID (passport, driver's license, etc)
6. First aid kit (tiny with band aids and aspirin up to a mega kit)
7. Flashlight (again it can be tiny or a huge Maglight)
8. A knife (pocket knife, fixed blade knife, utility knife, etc)
9. A cell phone and charger (all around useful)
10. A bandanna (many, many uses)
11. A backpack (small, medium, or large for grab and go situations)
12. Pen/pencil and paper (old reliable and still very useful even in the digital age)
13. USB drive with all of your files backed up (no explanation needed)
14. Prescription medications (if they are necessary they should always be with you)
15. Paracord (also many, many uses)
16. Small AM/FM radio (for entertainment and emergency use)
17. Safety pins 
18. Rubber bands 
19. Zip ties 
20. Emergency "space" blanket (many uses)
21. Whistle (tiny but useful in an emergency)
22. Spare batteries (for anything you carry that uses them)
23. Wet wipes (always useful)
24. Packet of tissue (for obvious uses)
25. Condom (ditto. Also good for carrying water)
26. Water purification tabs (super tiny and useful in an emergency)
27. Matches or a lighter 
28. Titanium cup (for your daily coffee and can be used for cooking in an emergency)
29. Multi-purpose tool (like a Leatherman, a whole tool kit in your hand)
30. Duct tape 
31. Zip lock bags 
32. Set of keys (spares for home and car)
33. Needle and thread (for quick fixes)
34. Tampon (for obvious uses also for stopping bleeding in an emergency)
35. Compass (for obvious uses)
36. Candy (comfort food and useful for diabetic emergencies)
37. Sunglasses (for obvious uses)
38. Sterile gloves
39. Mirror (for obvious uses and for emergencies)
40. Large garbage bag (lots of uses)
41. Personal hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb, etc)
42. Good walking shoes
43. Complete change of clothes
44. Weapon of choice
45. Light sticks
46. Work gloves
47. Rain poncho
48. Local map
49. Hand sanitizer
50. Items specific to your situation (baby supplies, car emergency kit, pet supplies, etc)

The Starter Survival Kit

aka 25 items to blow your paycheck on this weekend.  If you have nothing to see you through a survival/disaster situation, here are 25 items you should run out and buy right now:

1. A first aid kit (or you can make your own)
2. A fire extinguisher
3. A flashlight with extra batteries
4. A weather radio
5. A tent
6. A sleeping bag
7. A backpack
8. A backpacking stove and fuel
9. A good pair of hiking boots
10. A set of appropriate outdoor clothing for where you live (including outerwear)
11. Fix it stuff: rope, tarp, duct take, leather gloves, breaker bar, sewing kit
12. A good knife
13. Fire: matches, lighter, fire steel
14. Water: bottled water, water purification tabs, water containers
15. Food: a random assortment that is portable, doesn't need refrigeration, and will last for a week or so
16. Outdoor gear: compass, signal mirror, fishing kit, multi tool, magnifying glass, emergency blanket, whistle
17. A survival book (SAS, US Army Survival Manual, etc)
18. Firearm and ammo (and obviously the knowledge to use this item)
19. Spare prescription medication
20. A camp towel
21. A watch
22. A toiletry kit
23. Hygiene: toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer
24. Pen/pencil and paper
25. Stash of cash

10 Things That Kids Used to Carry That You Probably Still Should

When I was a kid we used to carry all sorts of things in our pockets.  These things would be interesting or useful and could even be put to use in a survival situation because back then (in the dark ages) if we weren't in school we would be outside. For the ENTIRE day.  I'm talking leave the house at daybreak and return at night fall with nary a parent actually knowing where we were.  I know this is a foreign concept to most people these days since nine times out of ten, if you are looking for your kid, they will be electronically tethered to you and/or parked on your sofa, but back then we were a bit more self sufficient.  Here's 10 items that I can remember carrying around with me most, if not all, of the time.

1. A pocket knife.  I got it from my grandfather, carried it everywhere, and no one in school freaked out because many kids carried a pocket knife with them all the time.  And no, there was not one single stabbing in nearly two decades of attending school.
2. Rubber bands.  Pick up a rock and you have an instant sling shot (unless we had time then we would find a good branch and make a nice frame for our slingshot).
3. A whistle.  It was a way to signal your friends and/or annoy people.  Generally we would signal in Morse Code which was a big deal back then.
4. A magnifying glass.  Usually for annoying ants and other small crawly creatures but also useful for starting fires (and by the grace of God we never burned anything down but it was close a few times).
5. Candy.  Usually some sort of hard, sticky candy.
6. Change.  While we rarely had actual dollar bills to carry around, we always carried coins for the rare occasion we came across a store.
7. A small, battery-operated transistor radio.  It was a big deal to have this kind of small radio that you could carry around with you so when they became reasonably priced my grand father made sure each kid had one (he was much into technology and I'm sure he would have been quite fascinated with computers which he never lived to see).
8. Matches.  Kids back then seemed to always have a book of matches in their pocket (which came in handy when we hit the age where sneaking a smoke became popular).
9. Something interesting to show your friends.  This could change day by day and range from a cool rock to a small toy to a frog.
10. A pencil and paper.  Well I may have been an odd kid but I always carried a stubby pencil and a small notebook of paper with me.

While old fashioned, many of these items would still come in handy in a survival situation today.