Gathering items: making a list

While there are several ways one could go about assembling items, I thought I’d share today what I’ve done in hopes it will help.

The first thing I did was create an Excel list of items I wanted for my stockpile. I broke it out by category and then listed specific items and quantities, where possible. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you’re in luck. I made my form a download for you. I highly recommend the Excel versions because you’ll be able to customize them for your family. If you don’t have access to Excel, the PDF will at least give you an idea of how I set mine up.

Emergency Stockpile Checklist (Excel 07-10)

Emergency Stockpile Checklist (Excel 97-03)

Emergency Stockpile Checkist (PDF Version)

Feel free to consider your own family’s needs and begin to determine what else you may need.

Feeling overwhelmed? Tackle it piece by piece

Seeing a list like this may make you feel overwhelmed. The best approach may be to target your items systematically. This will also undoubtedly be better on your budget!

Here are a few ideas for how to go about this:

:: 52-week plan. Queen Bee Coupons recently wrote about how you could build your emergency supplies one week at a time for a year. Check out her common sense strategy to an emergency stockpile as well as a free download for how to do the same.

:: Focus one area per month. Reader Mandy shared this great site called Do 1 Thing for emergency readiness on my last post. The idea is each month you focus in on one aspect of your supply gathering or emergency plan. This site is part of a Michigan campaign to ensure folks are prepared.

:: $5 weekly budget. How about carving out a small amount of your weekly budget for tackling emergency supplies? Reader Holly emailed me recently to share how she’s doing exactly that and sharing the results on her blog, Beavercreek Backyard Farm. As an example, on week 4 she found some great deals on tooth care and cough drops. In addition to her shopping, she completed one chore that week: gathering oil lamps. I loved her idea of breaking things down in simple steps and thought I’d share it with you!

Locals: FREE Disaster Preparedness Class

I shared this on Facebook last month, but wanted to share that if you are in the Federal Way, WA area, you might want to know about a free presentation at the Federal Way City Council on April 21st from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. While this presentation is free to attend, you need to RSVP either by emailing Ray Gross at (253) 835-2712 or ray.gross @ cityoffederalway dot com. For more information, see the original announcement on Komo news.

I have one more post planned for this series and it will be about putting together an emergency plan for your family.

I would love to hear what you’re doing in building your emergency stockpiles and gathering supplies!

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Today I’d like to share the first post in my mini series on preparing your family in case of an emergency. When I say “emergency” please note that could range from something very simple like a loss of power to a natural disaster. I also want to stress that this series is not intended to produce fear, but instead inspire good household management.

I’ve done a little research and found that various sites ranged widely in their suggestions of how much food and water you should store.

At bare minimum, FEMA recommends three days’ supply of water and food. While that is a good place to start, I think it’s preferrable to stock much more than that, if you are able.

After reviewing a few sites, here is the list I came up with:

Water & Food

Water: one gallon per person, per day
Canned food that requires no cooking or preparation
Dry and non-perishable food items that require no cooking or preparation
High energy snacks (trail mix, nutrition/cereal bars, etc)
Manual can opener

I have a few items in my pantry right now that I think would fit the bill: tuna pouches, canned chili, canned vegetables, cereal, and high energy drinks. I am also thinking of watching for deals on items like nuts, trail mix, and peanut butter for added protein. As I report on the grocery deals over the next few weeks, I’ll try to highlight the items I think would work well for building our food reserves.

Quantities on the canned and dry items weren’t listed, but I’m going to personally target having between 30-40 cans on hand at all times, plus a good store of cereal, dried fruit, and other snacks.

I also think FEMA forgot a major category: chocolate. Sorry, but I don’t think I can just sit and eat cold pork and beans for three days. I’m actually being quite serious here. Find small treat items for your family (especially if you have kids). I think having chocolate chips or fruit snacks might be a morale booster when you need it most.

As far as water goes, you can buy commercially bottled water or if you prefer, store your own. If you take the latter course, make sure to follow safe water storage guidelines. It’s not recommended you use old milk jugs as they can produce bacteria. And that would be a big bummer to discover when you really needed that water.

Make sure to rotate your stockpile. Feel free to use the items as you need them, but work to replace them. Don’t allow your stockpile to grow depleted. Use the oldest dated items first. You might find it helpful to use a Sharpie and write the dates in big numbers on cans and other items.

First Aid Supplies

Hand sanitizer and moist towlettes
Toilet paper
Bandages, gauze, and antibacterial ointment or spray (such as Neosporin)
Aspirin or other OTC pain remedies
Any perscription medication

This should be an easier category to focus if you shop at the drugstores. Make sure to watch those expiration dates and keep your supplies in good order.

Basic Household Supplies

After doing some research, here are some items I think you should consider to add to your stock.

Battery powered radio (and extra batteries)
Solar powered cell phone charger
Flashlights (and extra batteries)
Matches (with waterproof container)
Trash bags
Whistle
Kitchen accessories (plates, utensils)
Cash (ATMs may be done/unstocked in an emergency)
Baby items (formula, diapers, wipes, etc)
Glasses, contacts, contact solution
Photocopies of important documents (more on this in another post)
Bags or backpacks (in case we need to evacuate)
Small sewing kit for repairs

I am hoping to gather these items and find a container to store them in. What else might you add to this list?

For your Car

Remember when you are assembling these items to consider making a version for your car, should you be on the road when you need them. One option is to buy a kit that’s already assembled, like this one at Amazon. Personally though, I’d prefer to save a few bucks by gathering my own items.

Reader Christina commented on my intro post a couple days ago. She was in Japan during the recent earthquake and tsunami. Consider her wise advice:

I thought of one more thing. In Japan, gas stations ran out of gas within a day or two. Those that did have gas had lines that were quite long. As I was driving home tonight, and my car got down to about 1/2 a tank, I thought of the situation in Japan that I just left. It reminded me to go fill up–if something were to happen, I don’t want to be caught with a low tank of gas. I think it will become standard practice in our household to keep the tank full.

Next Steps

In the next couple days, I would like you to take out 10-15 minutes to consider my list above and begin making your own for your family. Then, watch for my next post which will cover assessing what you currently have, and determining what you need to gather. My goal is to help you do this without breaking the bank, too.

What other items do you think one should have on hand in case of an emergency?

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