Then there's the prepper's nightstand, which is equipped for a wide variety of middle-of-the-night emergencies.

Imagine this:

You awaken in the middle of the night and something just isn't right. Maybe you hear someone fumbling at your front door. Maybe the dog is barking his normally lazy head off at the back of the house and you know something is awry. Maybe you awaken to the sound of the smoke alarms and the smell of smoke.

What do you do?

That all depends on what you keep on your nightstand.

Set up to survive anything that goes bump (or crash) in the night.

There are a few items that are by-the-bed essentials. Some of them could save your life in the event of a midnight emergency. There are many varieties on the same theme, so below, you'll find a list of suggestions for each type of prep.

I keep my kit tucked in a drawer, while my flashlight and firearm rest on top overnight. There are no small children in my household, but my firearm goes on my person or in the safe when tiny tots are visiting.