Preparedness Inventory Form

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Weedygarden

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I found a form, a list, that suggests what to stock up on for being prepared. It is a spreadsheet, eight pages long. Most of the items on the list are food items, but there is a section for first aid, cleaning supplies, clothing and basic equipment. More categories could be added, including guns and ammo. I downloaded the form and read through it. It is an LDS list, so coffee and tea were missing. I wanted to personalize it a little more, so I typed my own, using this original list as a guideline with my modifications. I have added things in more than one section.

The first list I am sharing is the original list that I found and downloaded. It is in PDF format.

The second list is my modification in PDF format. I do have it saved in excel format as well, so that I can further modify it and I can share it with anyone who would prefer that format. If you read through it and find any errors or suggestions, please let me know. If you would like it in excel format, let me know and I can send that to you as well.

I would like to discuss this form and see what changes are suggested by some of you. One thought I had was that some areas do not have quantities defined. I would like to discuss that. How many pairs of shoes should we have? Socks?

Edit: my version has been edited and has replaced the first one I shared.
 

Attachments

  • Food Storage Inventory Program - Computer - 1 (1).pdf
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  • Food Storage Inventory List.pdf
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I would like to discuss this form and see what changes are suggested by some of you. One thought I had was that some areas do not have quantities defined. I would like to discuss that. How many pairs of shoes should we have? Socks?

Great list!

I will throw an example out there.
Since socks are cheap, I stored a lot, maybe 30-40 pair, half of which are quality boot socks.
One new pair of Combat boots and 4 or 5 broken in ones. Enough IMO for 20 yrs (this may be excessive but I had a lot of boots handy)
Have about 30+ pieces of new underwear.
30+ new T shirts
4 or 5 complete combat uniforms (used and new)
4-5 civilian pants, 10 ish shirts.
50 Tubes of tooth paste
50 toothbrushes
200 bars of commercial prepared soap.
200-300 bic one way razors ( I feel i can make 'em last for a bit and while shaving in the apocalypse may not be important there will always be some important social occasions if you survive the bottle neck kinetic phase, I can imagine a future where men shave only for major events like weddings etc)
A few bottles of vitamins but not as many as some might think. We have a lot of weeds around our retreat that are good sources of vitamins
 
Great list!

I will throw an example out there.
Since socks are cheap, I stored a lot, maybe 30-40 pair, half of which are quality boot socks.
One new pair of Combat boots and 4 or 5 broken in ones. Enough IMO for 20 yrs (this may be excessive but I had a lot of boots handy)
Have about 30+ pieces of new underwear.
30+ new T shirts
4 or 5 complete combat uniforms (used and new)
4-5 civilian pants, 10 ish shirts.
50 Tubes of tooth paste
50 toothbrushes
200 bars of commercial prepared soap.
200-300 bic one way razors ( I feel i can make 'em last for a bit and while shaving in the apocalypse may not be important there will always be some important social occasions if you survive the bottle neck kinetic phase, I can imagine a future where men shave only for major events like weddings etc)
A few bottles of vitamins but not as many as some might think. We have a lot of weeds around our retreat that are good sources of vitamins
Thank you for the input. Socks are important and I do think we need the amount you suggested, or more!
I have a pattern of clothing replacement now. Every year I buy about a dozen new wool blend socks. Once I started doing this, in a few years, I have a good amount of them. The same is true for pants, summer pants, shirts, both long and short sleeved. I just keep adding one or more here or there, and pretty soon there is a collection. But, you have to keep at it, keep purchasing some here and there. I watch for end of season sales and buy many when I find really good deals.
 
I see a big error in the original document that I typed up. The formatting is not right and the cells need to be made smaller so that there are only 8 pages worth, instead of the 22 I see now! Yikes!

Updated one attached here.
 

Attachments

  • Food Storage Inventory List.pdf
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This is one of the better lists I've seen. Can I say both sides? (If it's not what you're after, let me know & I'll delete post)
Pros: This is one of the more comprehensive lists and a method to track various sizes of same item (pints/quarts etc.) Also, it's well organized and nonrepetitive. I also like that it gives a general target amount to work with/for which can be very helpful especially if one had a larger family.
Cons: Not conducive to diabetics. Does not address what to do on day 366. There are things on the list that don't need to be: chewing gum, oven bags etc.
This list is a tool and a good one, but should be customized - which it lends well to. But it is one part of a larger pie. Hope that makes sense.
Surprised seeds aren't on the list.
 
This is one of the better lists I've seen. Can I say both sides? (If it's not what you're after, let me know & I'll delete post)
Pros: This is one of the more comprehensive lists and a method to track various sizes of same item (pints/quarts etc.) Also, it's well organized and nonrepetitive. I also like that it gives a general target amount to work with/for which can be very helpful especially if one had a larger family.
Cons: Not conducive to diabetics. Does not address what to do on day 366. There are things on the list that don't need to be: chewing gum, oven bags etc.
This list is a tool and a good one, but should be customized - which it lends well to. But it is one part of a larger pie. Hope that makes sense.
Surprised seeds aren't on the list.
I agree with you, I think that they are good lists, thanks for sharing. As with everything in life people should use them as a starting point, people with diet restrictions need to make substitutions (gluten free? for example) to meet their needs. I had a copy of one of their programs from the 80s and used it as my starting point for my food storage inventory, but that didn't include the extra stuff like cleaning supplies. Thanks again for sharing...
 
Yes, thank you for the excellent list.


I am looking at that & mentally comparing to what I have and I'm a little surprised at the amounts suggested. Meats seem to be on the low end, while fruits & veggies seem like alot......to me anyway.

Since most of my stuff is home canned and in my experience it takes roughly 1 lb of raw meat to fill 1 pint jar. They suggest 25lbs (or 25 pints) of meat/protein per person for 12 months. There is 3 of us, so 75 pints would translate to 75 meals and that would only last 2.5 months if only one meal per day included meat.

Then the fruits/veggies is recommended 370 lbs fresh or quarts of each per person, which equals more than 1 of each per day, per person........so 3 quarts of fruit and 3 quarts of veggies per day? That just seems like a whole lot.

I should say here, that normally I prepare supper for all of us, and we're on our own for the rest (breakfast, lunch, snacks) and all of that could change in a moments notice if things turned topsy turvey.......but I still find it hard to imagine using that much produce in a day. IDK, maybe we do or would, it just seems like alot.
 
Yes, thank you for the excellent list.


I am looking at that & mentally comparing to what I have and I'm a little surprised at the amounts suggested. Meats seem to be on the low end, while fruits & veggies seem like alot......to me anyway.

Since most of my stuff is home canned and in my experience it takes roughly 1 lb of raw meat to fill 1 pint jar. They suggest 25lbs (or 25 pints) of meat/protein per person for 12 months. There is 3 of us, so 75 pints would translate to 75 meals and that would only last 2.5 months if only one meal per day included meat.

Then the fruits/veggies is recommended 370 lbs fresh or quarts of each per person, which equals more than 1 of each per day, per person........so 3 quarts of fruit and 3 quarts of veggies per day? That just seems like a whole lot.

I should say here, that normally I prepare supper for all of us, and we're on our own for the rest (breakfast, lunch, snacks) and all of that could change in a moments notice if things turned topsy turvey.......but I still find it hard to imagine using that much produce in a day. IDK, maybe we do or would, it just seems like alot.
Same here.
 
This is one of the better lists I've seen. Can I say both sides? (If it's not what you're after, let me know & I'll delete post)
Pros: This is one of the more comprehensive lists and a method to track various sizes of same item (pints/quarts etc.) Also, it's well organized and nonrepetitive. I also like that it gives a general target amount to work with/for which can be very helpful especially if one had a larger family.
Cons: Not conducive to diabetics. Does not address what to do on day 366. There are things on the list that don't need to be: chewing gum, oven bags etc.
This list is a tool and a good one, but should be customized - which it lends well to. But it is one part of a larger pie. Hope that makes sense.
Surprised seeds aren't on the list.
Thank you!
You can tailor it for your needs and you could help, if you are interested, in adding in diabetic sections, or making a version that is tailored for those with diabetic needs. I think this is a great idea, it was just not on the first form that I found. I'd be happy to collaborate with you on this, creating a document that is diabetic friendly. I started to tailor it for my needs when I typed up my document, adding coffee and teas and a few more items. I've been thinking that for me and daughter, I should work on a gluten free section, and indicate which items are gluten free and which ones are not.
When it comes to day 366, I believe that you keep going. So many food storage programs and documents are a year's plan. What do people do when they arrive there? Hopefully, start on year two, duplicating year one. I know people who have done that.
Seeds: great idea! We could just have one line that says seeds, or we could certainly have a list of seeds to store. That could also include a few things like fertilizer.
 
Thank you!
You can tailor it for your needs and you could help, if you are interested, in adding in diabetic sections, or making a version that is tailored for those with diabetic needs. I think this is a great idea, it was just not on the first form that I found. I'd be happy to collaborate with you on this, creating a document that is diabetic friendly. I started to tailor it for my needs when I typed up my document, adding coffee and teas and a few more items. I've been thinking that for me and daughter, I should work on a gluten free section, and indicate which items are gluten free and which ones are not.
When it comes to day 366, I believe that you keep going. So many food storage programs and documents are a year's plan. What do people do when they arrive there? Hopefully, start on year two, duplicating year one. I know people who have done that.
Seeds: great idea! We could just have one line that says seeds, or we could certainly have a list of seeds to store. That could also include a few things like fertilizer.
I just used diabetic as an example. I actually did an inventory/valuation list when trying to figure out a real personal net worth statement. Not to veer off topic but to possibly add to it: I listed room by room all of our possessions and assigned them a value. Since then (a year or so ago), it's changed slightly but not drastically (have added a few books and canning jars, donated several items). It would be nice to do inventory annually like many retail stores but that hasn't happened. It also keeps one aware of what he/she has and provides great inspiration to declutter. So, it's like a whole house version of your list (as I've said before, yes I know I'm weird.)
 
Yes, thank you for the excellent list.


I am looking at that & mentally comparing to what I have and I'm a little surprised at the amounts suggested. Meats seem to be on the low end, while fruits & veggies seem like alot......to me anyway.

Since most of my stuff is home canned and in my experience it takes roughly 1 lb of raw meat to fill 1 pint jar. They suggest 25lbs (or 25 pints) of meat/protein per person for 12 months. There is 3 of us, so 75 pints would translate to 75 meals and that would only last 2.5 months if only one meal per day included meat.

Then the fruits/veggies is recommended 370 lbs fresh or quarts of each per person, which equals more than 1 of each per day, per person........so 3 quarts of fruit and 3 quarts of veggies per day? That just seems like a whole lot.

I should say here, that normally I prepare supper for all of us, and we're on our own for the rest (breakfast, lunch, snacks) and all of that could change in a moments notice if things turned topsy turvey.......but I still find it hard to imagine using that much produce in a day. IDK, maybe we do or would, it just seems like alot.
I'm with you about the meat quantity. If we were to adjust the meat suggestion, would you suggest 365 pints per year? Also, realize that this list is for one person, so we all need to adjust for the amount of people in our family.
 
Great lists, @Weedygarden! Thank you!
I haven't started a list for my family - I've really just been going by the "we need more" promptings, because with so much going on, it's hard to know where to start.
But these lists are great springboards! They "make sense" to me, so I'll be able to modify them to fit our family. We've gone from a household of 3 to a household of 4 with medical needs, so that really changes things, and those changes need to be addressed. Thank you again, Weedy - this is so, so helpful!

And @LadyLocust, a room-by-room inventory is daunting, but it does make sense. And talk about a motivator to declutter!!! 😂
 
I just used diabetic as an example. I actually did an inventory/valuation list when trying to figure out a real personal net worth statement. Not to veer off topic but to possibly add to it: I listed room by room all of our possessions and assigned them a value. Since then (a year or so ago), it's changed slightly but not drastically (have added a few books and canning jars, donated several items). It would be nice to do inventory annually like many retail stores but that hasn't happened. It also keeps one aware of what he/she has and provides great inspiration to declutter. So, it's like a whole house version of your list (as I've said before, yes I know I'm weird.)
I think that doing an inventory of your assets is a great idea, but I think it is separate from this list. Maybe some would want it included. This is where taking my excel document and editing it would work for anyone who wants to do that.

As far as anything that is different than this document, that is where we each need to personalize the document. I'd bet that few people would use this document as is. I left blanks at the end of each category for people to add their own needs or wishes.
 
I'm with you about the meat quantity. If we were to adjust the meat suggestion, would you suggest 365 pints per year? Also, realize that this list is for one person, so we all need to adjust for the amount of people in our family.
That was my thought.
I think might be true for many of us. A pint per day is more than I would eat, but with a family, some would use that and more.
 
Another thought - instead of having actual numbers, perhaps a guideline on how people can determine their own numbers. Examples of how Entity A recommends this amount per person, and Entity B recommends that amount, etc.
 
I think might be true for many of us. A pint per day is more than I would eat, but with a family, some would use that and more.
Yeah, after I said that, I realized I was thinking for my family - but what works for my family wouldn't necessarily work for anyone else. (And that's actually what would have worked for my family before, but not now.)
So that's what got me to thinking about guidelines rather than hard numbers.
 
Another thought - instead of having actual numbers, perhaps a guideline on how people can determine their own numbers. Examples of how Entity A recommends this amount per person, and Entity B recommends that amount, etc.
I think this is a good idea, but perhaps in a word document that is associated with the inventory form. There are suggestions out there for a year's worth of food that is really inadequate, especially if people are working hard every day. I also think a gallon of water a day is not sufficient for our needs, but maybe just for survival purposes.
 
Yeah, after I said that, I realized I was thinking for my family - but what works for my family wouldn't necessarily work for anyone else. (And that's actually what would have worked for my family before, but not now.)
So that's what got me to thinking about guidelines rather than hard numbers.
For me, 365 or 366 days, I would need about 1/4 of a pint of meat, so 91 or 92 pints, per individual. I do buy canned meats, such as tuna, salmon, beef, and I will have to check out how many meals are suggested in each can. A can may suggest 4 servings, but I may have 2 servings from it.
 
Another thought is freezer storage vs. shelf storage. For example, I imagine a lot of the meats would fit in both categories. But freezer storage isn't as secure as shelf storage, and it would be good to know one's vulnerabilities.
 
Another thought is freezer storage vs. shelf storage. For example, I imagine a lot of the meats would fit in both categories. But freezer storage isn't as secure as shelf storage, and it would be good to know one's vulnerabilities.
I had started to put freezer items on the list, such as frozen peas, corn and meat. Then I removed it. It wasn't on the original list, but I am not following that list to the end, just as a guideline. While I have freezer foods, if the power goes out, I won't. And we have been "warned" that the power grid might not be so good this year.
 
I think this is a good idea, but perhaps in a word document that is associated with the inventory form. There are suggestions out there for a year's worth of food that is really inadequate, especially if people are working hard every day. I also think a gallon of water a day is not sufficient for our needs, but maybe just for survival purposes.

I agree. I think it might be possible to put guidelines under each category heading, but that would lengthen the document. And when you're working with your inventory, you don't need the guidelines, only the numbers you've come up with as your goal.

But I agree that some suggestions seem lacking. That's why a variety of suggestions and the reasoning behind those suggestions might be helpful - people could more easily adjust based on what they think would be better for their families.
 
I listed room by room all of our possessions and assigned them a value.

This list is a good start, and I am a firm believer in lists. When I first started prepping I used the same concept as LadyLocust, and went through each room in the house to determine what might be needed in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation. Not to assess value, but to assess need. What would we need to survive? I also included the garage.

Maybe with this list you are making the assumption that many things already exist in the household thus don't make the list; like kitchen utensils, pots, pans, etc. The equipment list seemed a little light. I would include many more tools, and hardware. I realize it is a topic by itself, but security or self defense should also be considered. JMHO.
 
Maybe with this list you are making the assumption that many things already exist in the household thus don't make the list; like kitchen utensils, pots, pans, etc. The equipment list seemed a little light. I would include many more tools, and hardware. I realize it is a topic by itself, but security or self defense should also be considered. JMHO.
I agree. I have thought that having a detailed list of tools and other needs of things that are kept in garages would be good.
 
I agree. I have thought that having a detailed list of tools and other needs of things that are kept in garages would be good.

I would include a water filtration system in the water section. You should have some means to filter and purify. That is absolutely critical.
 
http://www.doomsdaydwellings.com/blog/prepping-101-by-jerry-d-youngwwwjerrydyoungcom
Prepping 101 - by Jerry D Young www.jerrydyoung.com

Our first guest post from Jerry Young tackles some of basics of prepping in non threatening and informative prose.

Forget about Doomsday Preps, Armageddon, or TEOTWAWKI for now. Concentrate on basic human needs first and foremost. The rest can come when you’ve learned more and not only have, but have practiced with, the initial items. Begin to study and learn all you can now, and as you go along. Preps without knowledge aren’t nearly as affective as they are when you know the why-to and when-to in addition to the how-to.

The needs are grouped together in basic order of need. Within the bracket, the items are essentially of equal importance. Having one without the others might or might not do much good or make much difference.

But something has to come first and something last, so they are listed that way, but the order of the groups is more important. Try to get the groups started in order, unless there is a pressing need to jump something ahead of the list. You don’t have to be ‘finished’ with one grouping before you start acquiring the items in the next group, but you should have a good start on them before you move on.

Some assumptions:

The overwhelming majority of preps will be needed for situations that occur at home.

Most disasters will not be Doomsday, The Apocalypse, TEOTWAWKI or WROL situations.

Most disasters will still have police and National Guard units enforcing law & order.

People will still be responsible for their actions legally and morally.

There will looters and violence in some major disasters, but the proportion of life & death incidents will be much smaller than the number of incidents requiring basic human needs.

Most households will have some basic items at home that can be used during a disaster. Not everything has to be purchased for use only during one. You can often incorporate into the preps items you already have. (Basic First Aid kits including some OTC & any needed prescription meds. A flashlight or two & some candles. A knife. Bedding)

The priorities are set follows:

1st Priority group: Items most likely to be needed during any disaster whether stay at home or bug out. People will need water to drink, some food to eat, a place to go to the bathroom, and a way to carry supplies if evacuation is required. This is a good time to set up the budget for preps, too. Won’t be much in it at first, but it needs to be started. It can be added to or changed as needed.

2nd Priority group: Important items, but not needed in many stay at home situations. It is important to have warnings of impending situations, especially weather related. But most homes have regular means to do this, like the Weather Channel or the news. Normally, people will be wearing seasonal clothing. Most homes already have some candles and a flashlight available. And there will have knives to use if staying inside. Protection will not be needed in most disasters that are minor, and most disasters range from minor to moderate. But if it is needed, it will be needed in the worst way.

3rd Priority group: Items that will make life a bit easier. Most people will have a basic first aid kit at home with items for minor injuries and basic meds, along with needed prescription medications. They have bedding that can be used. Most people will have some form of transportation all ready and will not need a specific BOV/PAWV yet. Being able to cook some food will be a comfort, but foods that don’t need to be cooked should be available anyway. Tools and hardware will also be nice to have but usually are not critical.

4th Priority group: Most people will have IDs so some the documentation can wait a little while. Preferably reference books will be purchased as needed, but an extensive library, which will be good to have, can wait since other people will have skills and the library may be intact. Finances are another thing that should be done all along, and are expensive. Like finances, CBNRE/HAZMAT gear is expensive. If it is needed, it will be needed desperately, but the probabilities are lower than for many other disasters.

5th Priority group: These are items that need either much training or are expensive and not necessary in many disasters


(And a disclaimer. Change the level of priority as needed by your situation. I feel that having at least something for the majority of situations is more important than having high dollar items for low probability situations first. You can begin budgeting for them immediately, and should, and then get them as soon as you can, but prioritize. What are your needs in your situation? If you live in a bad neighborhood or will have to travel through one during an evacuation, you might want to consider a firearm closer to the top of the list, if you can legally own one. The same if you live near a nuke plant, you might want HAZMAT/CBNRE gear sooner despite the expense.

This is a suggested list, a guideline for those that are just starting out, not the Ten Commandments etched in stone for everyone to follow blindly. The list isn’t particularly for use by anyone that already knows what they are doing as you’ve probably already set your priorities and are acting on them. I repeat: Change the level of priority as needed by your situation.

1st Priority group:

Water. Store a lot, locate a reliable future source, get water treatment/purification. A few 15-gallon water drums, a couple of stainless steel water bottles with cups for the BOBs, a quality water purifier, either a high cap camping filter or a combination of a drip filter for the BIB and a smaller hikers filter for the BOBs. Scout out locations for long term supplies of water.

Food. No cook, add hot water only, & easy-cook shelf stable foods, heavy on meats, fruits, and comfort foods. For both BOB and BIB. Learn to garden and grow as much as you can as soon as you can. Ditto home canning when you get the garden going. Don't be afraid of the commercially produced crops like wheat and oats. You can grow non-hybrid/organic types in a home garden.

Fire. Several means to start one, and a couple of items to contain fire. Fire steel, Lifeboat matches, lighters with some tinder for the BOBs. To heat one room in the house, an indoor safe propane or kerosene heater with a supply of fuel stored outdoors.
Sanitation/Hygiene. Chemical toilet, TP, hand washing means, bug spray, antiseptic cleaners, shovel to bury wastes. Toiletries. Charmin camper’s toilet paper and cleansing wipes for the BOBs. Infectious diseases protection supplies, face mask, gloves, goggles and hand sanitizer. And the ladies, and especially soon to be ladies, need large supplies of their needs on hand.

LBE. Equipment to carry your equipment when in the field. BOB/BIB/GHB/INCH bag/GOOD bag, etc. Packs, travois, game cart. I am a proponent of taking more than what you can comfortably carry in a back pack. Especially if you have children. Consider having some type of cart to carry heavier weights than you can on your backs, and give the little ones a chance to get off their feet.

Add everything to the budget list, mark down the quantities, purchase date and expire date, with the price per item and subtotal for that item.

Once the very basics of 1st Priority group items are obtained, and as additional items for it are acquired, go ahead and start on 2nd Priority group acquisitions. You do not need a year’s supply of 1st Priority items before you start on 2nd Priority group items. The 1st & 2nd Priority groups could be one huge group, but I feel that there should be some priorities because very few people can do it all at once. Add a few lines to the budget, down a ways, for the long term ideas and expensive ones that you will start seeing a need for someday.
 
There have been some good ideas mentioned. What works for you, might not work for me, or for others. That is why this is a guideline.

At one time I had a really thorough list from Jerry D. Young, and I am searching for that. His list had many things besides food. He had lists of building supplies, communication, and much more. Do any of you have his list? I invited him to join this forum when it first started and he did. He is about as good as it gets for knowledge. He has written more than 100 books.

There are many articles out there about what to have and to store. I think that a basic list like the one I shared, has to be tailored to individual needs as well as being generic. There are basic things that can be fine tune and additional lists that can be added. I will continue to look at and refine the list, but I am also on the go, so I will do it here and there.

I have added seeds and water filtration to the list so far. I can and will add more things as they are suggested specifically. Goshengirl's suggestion of more information about quantity is something I am thinking about. If someone would like to write specific information for those, I would add your writing to the list. Or maybe there is good information out there already that someone can direct me to. Please, lets make this the best we can.

I'm going to start some separate threads about other things that are important, and ask for specific items, such as tools.

One thing that everyone needs to realize, is that no list works for everyone. No specific quantity works for everyone. This list is for one person for a year. I will continue to scrutinize the list though.

I am willing to send the excel list to anyone who PMs me and sends me their email address. I've already sent it to some. You can add, delete or tailor the list to suit your needs if you would like.
 
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Good lists, I'd love a spreadsheet copy. The cheesecake made me laugh though, I dunno if I need that on my list. XD Also glad to see you added other nuts on your copy, I was going to post that I'd add walnuts and hazelnuts.

Also, typically brown rice doesn't stay good as long as white. Personally I'd store wild rice rather than brown.
 
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