If you’re looking for some early Christmas gift ideas, nothing spreads holiday cheer quite like a doomsday survival kit.
Driving the news: Driven in part by an increase in natural disasters, emergency prep is inching toward the mainstream, creating a not-so-niche market for everything from outdoor survival lessons to emergency essential kits, per The Wall Street Journal.
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Popular survival kits include hand-crank radios, face masks, nonperishable food, and first-aid kits, leaving you ultra-prepared for if and when disaster strikes.
- Options range from luxury go bags by Preppi's (promoted by Kim Kardashian and Addison Rae) to Yeti-branded kits equipped with tents and water filtration systems.
Why it matters: The doomsday market is booming. Companies in the industry have been reporting record sales, while disaster prep content on social media has boomed, with likes, shares and comments on X, YouTube, and other sites up 47% from last year.
- Sales for Preppi jumped 29% from last year, while kit maker Judy (cost: US$195) saw sales quadruple last year amid a record-breaking wildfire season in Canada.
Bottom line: Emergency ‘doomsday’ prep isn’t just Y2K bunkers and tin hats. With an increase in climate catastrophes, geopolitical tensions, and lessons of the pandemic-era supply shortages still fresh in our minds, disaster kits could become household staples.—LA