Members download all six field guides (206 pages) and unlock the whole site for $49.95 per year.
16Categories
239Items to check off
20Multi-use items
6Shelf life classes
What it is
Preparedness is a stocked shelf across every category of need, built one item at a time. This guide is the master checklist: what to keep for water, food, medical, power, and more, how long it lasts, and the cheap, versatile items that serve many purposes at once.
16 categoriesWater to households, every need
20 multi-useItems that serve multiple purposes
The MatrixSee your coverage at a glance
Shelf lifeIndefinite, 10-year, rotate
ChecklistsTick off what you already have
Where to startThe first things to buy
The multi-use powerhouses
Item
Shelf life
What it does
Unrefined Sea Salt
Indefinite
Cure meats and pickle vegetables, Electrolyte and oral rehydration, Saline for wounds and eye rinse
Honey
Indefinite
Wound dressing and antiseptic, Dense calories and fast energy, Cough and sore-throat relief
Vinegar (White Distilled)
Indefinite
Clean and disinfect surfaces, Pickling and ferments, Pest control for ants and weeds
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
Indefinite
Smother grease and electrical fires, Toothpaste and tooth scrub, Mild abrasive cleaner
Iodine (Tincture or Povidone)
5-10 Yrs
Water purification (5-10 drops/qt), Disinfect cuts and surgical sites, Antifungal for foot and nail
15 more multi-use items, each with every use, storage, and what to do if it goes bad
The shelf life system
INDEFINITENever expires if stored right10+ YRSTen years or more5+ YRSFive years or more1-2 YRSOne to two yearsROTATERotate on a scheduleDURABLEDurable gear
Inside the guide
27 chapters. The first 2 are open. The rest show what they cover.
01Chapter
How to use this guide
Open sample
START HERE
How to Use This Guide
A checklist, a shelf-life system, and a coverage map
IntroThis guide answers one question fast: do you have everything you need? Work through the category checklists and tick off what you own. The pills and tags tell you how long each item lasts and which ones pull double duty.
The orange "multi-use" tagAn item tagged multi-use appears in Part 2 with a full breakdown, and on the Matrix. These are the highest-value things you can stock, so a small budget covers the most needs. Start there.
Two is one, one is noneFor anything critical, water, fire, light, and heat, keep more than one way to do it. Two of a thing is one, and one is none. The Matrix shows where a single item leaves you exposed.
Pill legend
INDEFINITENever expires if stored right
10+ YRSTen years or more
5+ YRSFive years or more
1-2 YRSOne to two years
ROTATERotate on a schedule
DURABLEDurable gear
02Checklist
Water & Purification
Open sample
Store it, purify it, and prove it is safe
Water is the first thing you run short of and the fastest way to get sick. Cover all three jobs: hold a reserve, treat more when it runs out, and check what you drink.
Store it
Water barrels & jugsINDEFINITE1 gallon per person per day. Two weeks minimum.
Food-grade hose & siphonINDEFINITEFill and draw from sealed drums safely.
Rain barrel & diverterINDEFINITECatch roof water for washing and garden.
Bathtub bladderINDEFINITEStore 80 to 100 gallons fast before a storm.
Purify it
Calcium hypochlorite (pool shock)UP TO 10 YRSOne bag treats thousands of gallons.
Unscented bleach or tablets1-2 YRSSimple chemical backup. Rotate yearly.
Gravity / ceramic filter + sparesDURABLEDaily drinking water with no power.
Iodine (tincture or povidone)5-10 YRSField purification and wound care.
Activated charcoalINDEFINITEPulls chlorine, tannins, and chemicals.
Sediment pre-filtersINDEFINITEExtend the life of the main filter.
Prove it & move it
Water test strips1-2 YRSCheck hardness, chlorine, and pH.
Collapsible jerry cansDURABLEFold flat when empty. Haul without permanent bulk.
Stackable water bricksDURABLERigid, interlocking storage that stacks in tight space.
Squeeze / straw personal filterDURABLEPoint-of-use filter for the go-bag.
Press-bottle purifierDURABLEFill, press, drink. Removes viruses a straw cannot.
Frame pack & hard water cansDURABLEHaul from a source. Water is ~8.5 lb a gallon.
Keep a way to purify more waterStored water runs out. A good filter plus pool shock turns questionable water into safe water for as long as you need. The starred items each do far more than water, see the Matrix.
Common mistake
Storing water but keeping no way to get more when it runs out.
Skills to learn
purify with chlorine or iodine · shock a well · keep a filter working
03Checklist
Food & Pantry
Build in layers: food you can eat with no cooking, staples you cook from, and sealed bulk for the long haul. Store what your household eats, and rotate it.
38 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
04Checklist
Cooking, Fuel & Fire
When the power is out you still have to cook and stay warm. Keep a way to cook off-grid, deep fuel, and three independent ways to make fire.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
05Checklist
Medical & First Aid
When help is hours away or not coming, you are the first responder. Build outward from life-threatening bleeding to everyday wounds, and keep the skills to match the kit.
27 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
06Checklist
Prescription & Advanced Medical
The everyday kit handles cuts and fevers. This is the tier past it: the prescription medicines for a spreading infection, an allergic emergency, or the illness that turns serious when no clinic is open.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
07Checklist
Hygiene & Sanitation
When the water stops, hygiene and human waste become the fastest health threats on the property. Keep a way to stay clean and a way to contain and treat waste.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
08Checklist
Chemical Compounds & Cleaning
A handful of stable, indefinite compounds cover cleaning, disinfection, pest control, and dozens of small fixes. Store them dry and sealed, and learn which ones must never meet.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
09Checklist
Tools & Repair
A working home runs on cheap parts and the tools to fit them. Keep the cutting, fastening, and binding basics, plus a deep bin of hardware for the repair you did not plan for.
18 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
10Checklist
Power, Light & Comms
The grid is the first thing to go and the last to return. Keep a way to make and store power, layered light, and a plan to send and receive word when the phones are down.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
11Checklist
Off-Grid Communication & Signal
Phones jam or go dark early in almost any disruption. Stack independent ways to send and receive word, so losing one layer never leaves you silent. Buy from the top of this list down as your budget grows.
11 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
12Checklist
Warmth & Shelter
Cold kills faster than hunger. Keep the layers to stay warm without central heat, the means to seal a room, and a safe way to add heat.
14 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
13Checklist
Defense & Security
Security starts with not being a target. Harden the home, keep it well lit, and hold the means to protect your family if deterrence fails. Train, and know your local law.
15 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
14Checklist
Garden, Seed & Livestock
Food you grow is the one supply line no one can cut. Keep seed you can save, the parts to keep water on it, and the means to protect the harvest and any animals.
13 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
15Checklist
Documents, Cash & Comfort
When you leave in a hurry or the systems are down, paper and cash carry you. Keep copies of what matters, money that works without power, and the small comforts that hold morale.
14 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
16Checklist
Everyone in the Household
A stockpile built for one healthy adult misses the people who cannot improvise. Build a small, dedicated reserve for the infants, elders, medical needs, and animals under your roof.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
17Checklist
Bug-Out & Go-Bags
Some emergencies mean leaving fast. A bug-out bag is seventy-two hours of survival you can carry on your back, packed and waiting by the door. Build one per person and store it where you can grab it in the dark.
13 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
18Part 2
The 20 multi-use items
These earn their shelf space many times over. Each one replaces a shelf of single-use products and most keep for years or forever. Stock these first, then fill the gaps around them.
220 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
19Reference
How Much to Keep
A list tells you what to buy. This tells you how much. Treat these as starting points and scale them to your household and how long you want to stand on your own.
23 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
20Reference
The Multi-Use Matrix
A handful of cheap, long-lasting items cover almost every need in a crisis. Scan a column to see what handles a job, or scan a row to see how hard one item works for its shelf space.
21 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
21Reference
The 33 Chemical Compounds
The complete list at a glance, with the shelf life from the book. Each compound gets full storage, doses, uses, and safety in the Chemical Compounds field guide.
34 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
22Reference
Storage & Rotation Protocol
Shelf life on a package assumes good storage. Control three things, seal the right way, and date what ages, and most of this stock will outlast the crisis you bought it for.
The same chemicals that make this stockpile powerful are dangerous in the wrong combination. Learn these few hard rules before you store or use them, and keep them physically apart.
7 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
24Reference
The First Days
Essentials are only useful if you know the moves. This is the shape of a grid-down event, and what your stock lets you do at each stage. The work you did before it is what decides it.
5 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
25Reference
Where to Start
The full guide is a lot. Start here. These cover water, food, light, medical, and the multi-use items that stretch furthest, in the order most likely to matter first.
16 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
26Reference
The Field Guide Library
The companion guides, free for subscribers
25 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
27Chapter
Glossary
Every term in the guide, in plain language.
82 lines in this chapter. Members read it here, download it, and add it to My Manual. See the two ways to get it
Two ways to get the full guide
Get the full Stockpile Essentials
Best value
Membership
$49.95per year
This guide as a PDF, plus the other 5: 206 pages in all
Every recipe and resource from the Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide
The interactive tools in full: every audit checkpoint, saved scores, the whole logbook
My Manual: your own printed binder, and a clean PDF of any page
