Emergency supplies planner
A personalized shopping list instead of a one-size-fits-all PDF. Three steps and your plan is ready.
- 1Household
- 2Duration
- 3Specifics
- 4List
Guideline-based, but personal
The recommendations of Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) are the basis of this planner. They are among the most detailed public guidelines in Europe and agree with FEMA and other agencies on the essentials: 2 liters of water per person per day, food for several days, a battery or hand-crank radio. Instead of a generic PDF you get a list scaled to your household size, allergies and the duration you want to cover.
What the list contains
Six categories: water (2 L of drinking water per person per day, plus 1 L of utility water for hygiene, and drinking water for dogs and cats), food (the guideline food groups by weight: grains, vegetables and legumes, fruit and nuts, dairy, fish and meat, fats; plus emergency rations and, where needed, child food and pet food), hygiene (toilet paper, sanitizer, garbage bags), first aid, communication & information (hand-crank radio, cash, power bank) and light & heat (flashlights, batteries, camping stove with gas cartridges, sleeping bags for longer durations). For vegetarian or vegan diets and for gluten or lactose intolerance the planner swaps foods, the total amount stays the same.
How to use the list
Print it (button "Print list / save as PDF") and work through it on your next shopping trips; you do not have to buy everything at once. Rule of thumb: a stock is what you consume anyway, just in larger quantity. Rotate the products and replace anything expired as you go.
What the list does not replace
This list is a preparation aid, not an emergency action plan. In an actual event: stay calm, listen to official warnings on the radio and follow the instructions of the authorities.
Frequently asked questions
How much emergency stock do civil protection agencies recommend?
Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK) recommends food and water for about 10 days. FEMA and other agencies name 72 hours as the minimum and several days as the goal. Even a 3-day stock helps and is a sensible start. The planner scales the quantities for 3 to 30 days and 1 to 20 people.
How much water do I need to store per person?
The guideline is 2 liters per person per day: 1.5 liters to drink and 0.5 liters for cooking. We add 1 liter for hygiene, so about 3 liters per person per day. For 3 days and one person that is about 9 liters, for a family of four over 10 days about 120 liters: 80 liters of drinking water plus 40 liters of utility water.
Do I have to buy the whole stock at once?
No. The rule of thumb is: a stock is what you consume anyway, just in larger quantity. Buy step by step, store long-life products you actually like, and replace anything expired as you go (rotation principle).