Prep-Calculator

The Mountain Home / Supply Math

How much do you actually need?

Most lists tell you to store food and water. Almost none tell you how much shelf it takes or what it costs. Set your household below and find out.

Your household

Everyone eating out of the same pantry.

4
Days covered

Start at two weeks. Most people who go longer got there in stages.

14

Cost per 1,000 calories of dry staples — rice, beans, oats, flour. The default reflects typical big-bag prices. Put your own store’s number in.

dollars per 1,000 calories

What it looks like in the closet

The numbers

Water

gallons, drinking and cooking

Food energy

total calories to store

Dry staples

pounds, roughly

Buckets

five-gallon, food packed

Shelf space

cubic feet, food and water

Food cost

staples only, at your price

Built on one gallon of water and 2,000 calories per person per day — the standard planning figures. Water is the heavy part: it runs about eight pounds a gallon, so check what your shelves can hold before you fill them. Food cost covers staples, not containers or anything you’d actually enjoy eating.

Want the build order for 4 people?

You’ve got your numbers. The hard part is that nobody buys 56 gallons in one trip. I’ll email you the staged plan for a household your size:

  • Paycheck 1, 2 and 3 — what to buy each time, in order, so you’re covered soonest at every stage
  • The three items that get you to half your calorie target for under $20
  • Where each thing goes and how to stack it in 12.5 cubic feet
  • The cheap gear that failed me, so you skip it

One email with your build order, then the weekly channel note. Leave whenever you want.

The Mountain Home — prepping on a budget