10 Items I Highly Recommend You Store

Today it’s all about 10 items I highly recommend you store in your home. This is a shortlist, but it’s critical we be ready for the unexpected. Sometimes we may get busy and forget to stock a few things. It’s actually easy to do, life has turns and curves, I get it. You may or may not know that September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Everyone that is in the preparedness world is asked to teach classes or speak at seminars. I have done this every year for over 20 years.

Now, I like to teach the world through my blog, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for following me. Here’s the deal, if you have time to organize your home and garage, just do it. Let’s declutter and stock the items we really need to survive an unforeseen emergency. No one wants a disaster to hit their neighborhood or their home. But it happens, we have seen it personally and on television via the news.

10 Items I Recommend You Store

1. Water

By now you know my recommendation, I suggest storing four gallons per person per day. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon per person per day.

Here’s the deal, we need to be able to hydrate ourselves, wash at least our underwear, cook some meals, and wash a few dishes or pans. One gallon is not going to cut it, my friends.

Please be sure and store water in containers using several different options. I store water in 55-gallon barrels, a 250-gallon tank, a 160-gallon high-capacity tank, Blue Cans, and WaterBricks. WaterBricks are great! The BlueCans are awesomely stored behind couches, dressers, or under beds. The cheapest place to buy BlueCans today is: Brownells

2. Food

If you missed my post on stocking canned food, here it is. I’m having a printable made that I will post soon. Canned Food

You can buy food in regular cans, pantry-size cans, and #10 cans. It can be freeze-dried or dehydrated. If buying premade meals works for you, then do it. It’s all about being prepared before we need to be. Just make sure the food you store is made up of items you and your family members are willing to eat. Sure, we’ll eat almost anything if we are hungry enough, but why not plan ahead and store things your family feels comfortable with that will be healthy and filling?

Please remember to store some extra pet food while you’re at it.

3. Cooking Devices/Fuel

My choice would be a Dutch Oven if you have wood or charcoal stored. A butane stove if you store canisters of butane. If you buy a Kelly Kettle or rocket stove you can use twigs and pine cones if available to boil water or cook a meal. Sun Ovens are great if you have sunshine at least 300 days out of the year. If not, I wouldn’t buy one. Your barbecue is fine but is not very efficient, you would use too much fuel just to boil water. Whatever your cooking device store fuel to go with it.

4. 72 to 96 Hour Kits

We need way more than 72-96 hour kits, but they would at least have the minimum requirements for your family’s needs. Don’t forget your pets, they will need water and food. You may want to put together a kit for your pets that you can grab and go with.

5. Paper Products/Personal Hygiene Stuff

I highly recommend you store some paper products. These can be paper plates, paper cups (hot & cold), plastic silverware, toilet paper, paper towels, monthly menstrual supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, conditioner, diapers, chapstick/lip balm, lotion, bug spray, and hand cream. June reminded me about getting some of those plastic paper plate holders, you can find them in the picnic section.

6. Flashlights/Batteries

A reader once mentioned she bought those cute solar outdoor lights for her yard because she could bring them into the house if her power went out. I loved that idea. It’s a good idea to store several flashlights (my battery ones always break) and batteries to go with them. If you missed my emergency bed bag here it is: Survival Bed Bag (store your stuff by your bed)

7. Cleaning Supplies

Bleach is number one for me. Please remember to store only liquid bleach for 6-12 months. If we have sewer lines break that is the only thing that will work to kill bacteria. They have some tablets and powder that last longer, that’s my understanding. Mark and I store it all. One of my favorite types of soap to store is Castile Soap by Dr. Bronner’s. It’s a concentrate and therefore will go very far in cleaning. Please save buckets, we will need them, I promise. If you haven’t made your own laundry detergent you may want to learn. It’s very cheap to make and easy to store in the dry form. Linda’s Laundry Detergent

8. First Aid Supplies

My blog has many ways to make a first aid kit. Please start one today, it doesn’t matter how small, just do it. If the pharmacies and grocery stores close for several days or weeks, what you have in your house today may save your life. First Aid Kits by Linda or First Aid Kit Buckets by Linda

9. Cash

When we lose power, and we will, the banks will be closed and so will the ATMs. The gas pumps will not work without electricity, so please keep your tank at least 3/4 full, you can thank me later. If you have cash, as in ones, and fives, you may be able to purchase things, if there are any stores open after a major disaster.

10. Emergency Binder Completed

Have you gathered up all of your important documents? If not, you may want to put them in the binder I designed about 8 years ago. I put my documents in a zippered binder with the following contents: Emergency Binder (it takes a little time to download on your computer-check the bottom left-hand side after you download it). If you have card stock, that would be wonderful.

Final Word

I realize this is a very short list, but some of my readers or your neighbors may be new to the preparedness world. Please keep talking to those close to you about being prepared for the unexpected. I highly recommend you store these items as soon as possible. May God bless this world, Linda