Being organized or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the list

   If you find yourself in an emergency situation everything is going to be in different states of chaos. Some situations less so than others, but it's an emergency, so there's still going to be some level of stress involved. Whether it be a simple nighttime power outage during a snow storm or a full scale evacuation due to a catastrophic event, there are items you will have to rely on so you need to know if you have them where they are. You don't want to be fumbling around in the dark for a flashlight you think is in that drawer, that may have working batteries in it. Or, more seriously, be looking for copies of important documents that you thought you packed in your "go bag", but may still be sitting on your computer desk in your abandoned home.
   It's for these "maybe" situations organization is invaluable. In an emergency you shouldn't have to question your preparedness, you depend on it, there will be enough "maybe's" thrown your way that you have no control over. When your safety is at hand you should be able to relieve some stress from the situation knowing you have what you need and you know where it is. In saying "organization is key" there are tons of ways people organize themselves, my favorite is the list. More specifically, lots of lists.
   lists are a big part of my life, being a professional cook I use them multiple times a day at work, and being a person who likes to be organized I use them all the time at home. That's the beauty of lists, you can use them for anything. From basic bullet point, to more in-depth lists referencing lists, you can organize pretty much anything. This is an important part of prepping because it gives you an easy to read, yet thorough, inventory of supplies. Since you're likely to have resources in different bags or areas of your home, you can see what's stocked and cross reference from different caches.
   Any time I switch supplies in my bags, which is multiple times a year, I pull everything out and re-catalog what's going back in. Not only does it help you keep track of what's in your pack and what's in reserve, it helps to keep the inventory fresh in your mind so you shouldn't have to check your list all of the time. Keeping mental lists works great for regular use bags, but for less often rotated caches like: food, water, medical supplies, ammunition, etc. You should keep well detailed lists.
   Important information to include isn't just the item and where it's stored, but also details such as: units of measurement (each, pound, liter, etc.), cost per unit, expiration date, current stock, par stock (how much you should have). All this information helps you see where your stuff is, how much you have, and how much you need. It also helps track the cost of supplies to have a better idea of what you've put in and how much you still need to spend.
   When it comes to list making it's all about personal choice of how detailed you feel like being and how much time you're willing to put in. A piece of scrap paper with bullet points works well when updating a pack. A more detailed spreadsheet, done in Excel or the likes, is very useful for large stores or all of your prepping work as whole. I'm a person who likes to be well organized and have detailed information ready at hand, so I lean more towards the spreadsheet.
   Just recently I downloaded a new app for my phone that makes the inventory and tracking of supplies very easy, Prepper by Duckbone Apps is a fantastic organizational tool. It gives you the ability to not only list your items, you can also create par stocks, track the amount of supplies you have, denote the unit size, price items, and organize each item into categories and areas of storage. It's a pretty well rounded app for people interested in prepping.
   Like I said in the beginning, organization is invaluable, and lists are a great way to get and stay organized. Even with minimal effort put in you will still hold an advantage in an emergency, when everything else is working against you. I hope this post has been helpful and put into perspective just how easy it is to get organized, hopefully you will start making lists when you're done reading. If you have any questions about how to organize your inventory, or any other questions at all, please feel free to drop a comment below. As always, thanks for reading, and until next time. Be Prepared. Be Safe. Have Fun.