LOADOUT-001•Field-tested picks

John’s Gear

The stuff that lives in the cabin, the truck, and the go-bag. Six loadouts — everyday carry, off-grid power, privacy, survival tools, off-grid living, and preparedness — with a full write-up on every pick.

Click any loadout to read the full breakdown, or start with the Starter Loadout if you’re building a kit from nothing. Outbound Amazon links are affiliate links — if you buy, Johnspiracy earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Start here

John’s Starter Loadout — 7 picks

The single-trip answer. Seven curated picks across every loadout for anyone building a kit from nothing.

Under $20 — No Excuses Gear

Everyday Survival Basics

Small tools everyone should have. Most people don’t. Pocket-sized, cheap, and the kind of thing you only notice when you need it.

“Small tools everyone should have… but most people don’t.”

POV of hands in a flannel shirt at a weathered wooden cabin table. One hand holds a coffee mug reading "Strong Coffee Simple Plan"; the other is writing a to-do list in an open field notebook. Keychain flashlight, tactical pen, paracord, and aluminum whistle arranged on the table with a cabin window behind.

POV of a flannel-sleeved hand holding a mini keychain flashlight, the beam cutting across the dark wooden floor of a cabin mudroom and catching a pair of work boots and a dropped leather glove.

Rechargeable Keychain Flashlights (2 Pack)

EDC mini flashlight with 6 light modes. Waterproof, USB rechargeable, rides on a keychain.

Read John’s take

Interior of a pickup truck at sunset with a bearded man in flannel and trucker cap writing a reflective daily entry in a field notebook with a tactical pen, Tennessee highway and open sky through the windshield.

Tungsten Steel Tactical Pen Set (3 Pack)

Writes like a pen. Breaks glass like a pen shouldn’t. Includes 12 ballpoint refills.

Read John’s take

Olive-green MOLLE backpack hanging on a wooden peg inside a cabin mudroom with an aluminum whistle on a paracord lanyard clipped to the shoulder strap. A red flannel shirt hangs alongside, hiking boots wait below, and a window looks out onto pine forest.

Emergency Whistle Set (6 Whistles + Paracord)

Loud aluminum whistles with lanyards and carabiners. Cheaper than a phone. Works when phones don’t.

Read John’s take

Close shot of a flannel-sleeved wrist wearing a woven olive paracord bracelet with an atomic-symbol badge, the same hand gripping a rough wooden hiking staff on a sunlit pine-forest mountain trail.

Atomic Bear Paracord Bracelet (2 Pack)

Fire starter, loud whistle, and adjustable paracord on your wrist. Quiet insurance.

Read John’s take

See the full Everyday Survival Basics loadout

If the Grid Goes Down

Power & Charging

The grid is a convenience, not a guarantee. Solar, hand-crank, and battery backups so a storm doesn’t become a blackout.

“When the grid goes down… your phone doesn’t have to.”

POV from a truck cab at golden hour: flannel-sleeved hand on the steering wheel, a solar power bank on the dashboard charging a phone mounted on the vent at 87%, and a "Welcome to Tennessee — The Volunteer State" sign ahead on a rural road through rolling hills at sunset.

Orange-accented solar power bank propped on its kickstand on a log-cabin windowsill with the solar panel angled into the sun, a USB cable running to a phone lying on the sill beside it and pine forest visible through the window.

BLAVOR 20,000mAh Solar Power Bank

Built-in cables, wireless charging, 20W fast charging, and a solar panel for when the wall outlets stop mattering.

Read John’s take

Green collapsible LED camping lantern with a solar panel on top glowing warm amber on a wooden cabin kitchen table at night, surrounded by a paperback novel, an enamel mug, a field notebook with pen, and a folded flannel. Cabin kitchen with sink and stove in the background.

Solar Hand-Crank Camping Lantern (5000mAh)

Telescopic LED lantern. USB charge, solar charge, or crank it yourself. Doubles as a phone charger.

Read John’s take

Red-and-black emergency weather radio with its antenna extended, display reading "WEATHER 12:00 PM", sitting on a wooden bench in a cabin mudroom beside an old oil lantern. Green back door, muddy boots, flannel and boonie hat hanging on the wall, an ammo can on the floor.

Runningsnail Emergency Weather Radio

NOAA weather alerts, USB / solar / hand crank, flashlight, and SOS alarm. 7400mWh battery. The radio John keeps by the door.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in a red plaid flannel shirt and a navy NRA trucker cap at a wooden hotel-room desk, holding a phone wired to a black multi-port portable power bank that is simultaneously charging a tablet, a second phone, and an AirPods case. A warm lamp glows beside a small "STAY FOCUSED" desk sign, with a city night skyline visible through the window.

38,800mAh Portable Power Bank (5 Outputs, 2 Inputs)

Nearly 40,000mAh, five outputs, and PD USB-C in and out. The bigger tank for when one bank isn’t enough.

Read John’s take

See the full Power & Charging loadout

Stay Private

Privacy & Paranoid-but-Practical

Cheap insurance against the things you’ll never see coming. Cameras, signals, skimmers, and everything else quietly watching.

“They’re not expensive… so why risk it?”

Hands in a flannel shirt sealing a phone into a Faraday bag labeled "FARADAY BAG — RF SHIELD" on a dark desk. A closed laptop and a small lamp sit nearby in low light.

Close-up of a flannel-sleeved hand sliding a webcam cover closed over a laptop camera on a dark desk, lit by a single lamp. A notebook, pen, and a coffee mug sit beside the laptop.

Webcam Cover Slides (6 Pack)

Ultra-thin sliding covers for laptops, phones, tablets. If the light is green, someone is watching. This is the sticker that stops them.

Read John’s take

Over-the-shoulder view of a bearded man in flannel and trucker cap at a wooden table, sliding a credit card into an "RFID Blocking Sleeve" above an open leather wallet. An enamel mug sits on the table beside him.

RFID Blocking Sleeves (Set of 12)

Color-coded card sleeves that block contactless skimmers. Costs less than a sandwich.

Read John’s take

Inside a pickup truck at golden hour: flannel-sleeved hands sealing a phone into a Faraday bag labeled "Faraday Bag — Military-Grade RF Shielding" on the passenger seat, a spiral notebook and pen beside, Tennessee road and fields through the windshield.

Military Grade Faraday Bag for Phones

Blocks 5G, Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS. Fireproof, waterproof, anti-tracking. Go dark on command.

Read John’s take

POV of a flannel-sleeved hand holding an "RF Bug Detector" with a red signal-strength bar lit to 8, antenna extended, pointed toward a ceiling smoke detector whose red LED is glowing. A dim hotel-style room with a lamp, framed print, and TV sits in the background.

AI Hidden Camera & Bug Detector

RF signal, WiFi, and hidden camera scanner with 4 modes. For hotel rooms, rentals, and anywhere that’s supposed to be empty.

Read John’s take

See the full Privacy & Paranoid-but-Practical loadout

Stuff You Hope You Never Need

Survival & Off-Grid Tools

The upgrade tier. These are the items that go into the truck, the bug-out bag, or the bottom shelf of the closet and stay there.

“Stuff you hope you never need… until you really do.”

Bearded man in a red flannel shirt and trucker cap crouched beside a stone fire ring at dusk, holding a tin mug. A butane camping stove runs next to him with a kettle steaming on the flame, a red first aid kit sitting within arm’s reach, and the orange glow of a forest sunset behind the trees.

Portable butane camping stove lit with a blue flame on the open tailgate of a pickup truck, a kettle steaming on top, a cooler and canvas rucksack beside it, Tennessee fields and a setting sun behind. A flannel-sleeved hand rests on the tailgate.

Gas One Portable Butane Camping Stove

Auto-ignition, precise heat control, comes with a case. Hot food without the grid.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in a red flannel shirt and trucker cap crouched on rocks beside a shallow Tennessee creek, drinking directly from the running water through a blue straw filter. Clear water, mossy stones, and sunlit forest behind.

Membrane Solutions Straw Water Filter

NSF/ANSI 42, 372, and 401 certified. Turns creek water into drinking water. Small enough to forget you packed it.

Read John’s take

Opened first aid kit laid out across the passenger seat of a pickup truck — gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, instant cold pack, bandages, triangular bandage, reference guide, tape, and a flashlight visible. A flannel-sleeved hand holds a roll of medical tape. A tan "EVERLIT SURVIVAL" tactical pouch sits alongside.

EVERLIT 250-Piece Survival First Aid Kit

IFAK / EMT Molle pouch. Trauma-grade kit that covers the common emergencies and a few uncommon ones.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in flannel and trucker cap seated on his log-cabin porch steps, a tan tactical day pack beside him with a silver foil "Emergency Blanket" pouch clipped to the outside by a carabiner. Tennessee mountains and pine forest visible behind.

Heavy-Duty Mylar Emergency Blankets (10 Pack)

Gigantic 84×64 in. space blankets. Cheap bulk pack. Keep one in every vehicle.

Read John’s take

See the full Survival & Off-Grid Tools loadout

Off-Grid Starter Pack

Cheap Off-Grid Living Gear

The everyday comfort layer. Light, water, warmth. The difference between camping and living.

“Live comfortable… even without the system.”

Log cabin porch at dusk: an amber lantern hangs from a wooden hook, a stack of firewood sits against the wall, a green collapsible water jug rests on the porch floor, and Tennessee mountain silhouettes recede into a purple-orange sunset.

Bearded man in flannel and a trucker cap seated in a wooden chair on his log-cabin porch at dusk, with two solar lanterns glowing warm amber on the railing behind him and a pine-forest silhouette against a purple-and-orange sunset.

Solar Camping Lanterns (4 Pack)

Collapsible, USB rechargeable, solar-capable LED lanterns. Light the cabin, the tent, or the whole porch.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in flannel and a trucker cap filling a tin mug from the black spigot of an olive-green collapsible water jug on a cabin pantry shelf, jars and dry goods on the shelves behind, an oil lantern on the side.

Collapsible Water Storage Container

BPA-free, foldable jug with a spigot. 1.3, 2.6, or 5.3 gallon options. Empty it’s nothing, full it’s everything.

Read John’s take

First-person POV at a workbench: both flannel-sleeved hands working on an LED device, one holding it and the other turning a small screwdriver against its exposed circuit board. The wearer’s headlamp casts a bright beam onto the work surface; a tool-covered pegboard, red tool chest, and oil lantern sit in the background of a cabin workshop.

Rechargeable Headlamps (3 Pack, 3000 Lumens)

4 modes, adjustable 90° focus, waterproof. Hands-free light for when the power is down and the chores aren’t.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in flannel and a trucker cap inside a wooden shed on a cold morning, standing beside a lit portable propane heater whose radiant panel glows bright orange, mounted on a propane tank. Frosted window light, tools and lumber in the background.

Portable Propane Camping Heater

Self-ignition cordless radiant heater with a foldable tank holder. Heat without a furnace.

Read John’s take

See the full Cheap Off-Grid Living Gear loadout

Johnspiracy Hooks

Prepared, Not Crazy

The stuff people laugh at… until they need it. Food that outlasts the panic. Fire that starts in the rain. Locks that don’t ask permission.

“Call it overkill… until it isn’t.”

Pantry shelf lined with ordinary-looking cans — green beans, tomato soup, sweet peas, sliced carrots, black beans, chili. The middle "Sweet Peas" can has its lid peeled back to reveal a coiled green paracord hidden inside: a diversion safe sitting in plain sight.

Bearded man in flannel and trucker cap sitting in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck. On the passenger seat: an open spiral notebook reading "Supply List — Water, Fire Starter, Ammo, Map, First Aid" beside a rectangular survival food bar pack and a flashlight. Tennessee fields and mountains visible through the windshield.

Chuck Norris Emergency Survival Food Bars

High-calorie lemon shortbread bars with 14 vitamins and minerals. 5-year shelf life.

Read John’s take

Close-up of flannel-sleeved hands striking a ferro rod with a steel striker over a small pile of kindling inside a stone fire ring, bright sparks flying onto the tinder. Dusk forest silhouette behind.

Fire Starter Survival Kit (Ferro Rod + Hemp Wick)

Larger ferro rod, striker lanyard, 13.8 in. hemp cord wick. Lights a fire when your lighter won’t.

Read John’s take

Bearded man in flannel and trucker cap inside a hotel room, a red portable door lock installed on the door frame behind him with its metal bracket hooked into the strike plate. Evacuation plan posted on the door, wall sconce glowing beyond, coffee maker and mug on the nightstand.

Securityman Portable Door Lock with Alarm (2 Pack)

Travel door lock with a 130 dB alarm. Hotel room insurance. No installation, no key.

Read John’s take

Two pantry shelves lined with ordinary-looking canned goods — sliced carrots, sweet corn, cream of mushroom soup, tomato sauce, kidney beans, baked beans, pineapple, mandarin oranges, diced tomatoes, peach slices, chili, sweet peas. The middle "Farmhouse Green Beans" can on the top shelf has its lid pried open, revealing it is hollow inside — a diversion safe hiding in plain sight.

Diversion Safe (Fake Green Beans Can)

Looks like a can. Is not a can. Keeps keys, cash, or anything else hidden in plain sight.

Read John’s take

See the full Prepared, Not Crazy loadout