15 June 2008

100 Item Challenge

There is a challenge to pare one’s belongings down to 100 items total. I did this once some time ago and the paper I am copying this list from has 58 items on it. I have added some things on here that I didn’t think of then, and separated some things that I think now should be listed separately. I am unsure if this means per person or per household, so I am going to combine the two. I am going to list items by type with no duplicates within the type unless so noted. So for instance, I list my sewing kit, which includes measuring tape, needles, pins, scissors, etc. But I only need one measuring tape, one pair of scissors, and so on. I do not include consumables. So here is my list.

Kitchen

  1. my pots/pans
  2. extra stockpot
  3. baking sheets and pans
  4. measuring cups and spoons
  5. 2-3 assorted mixing bowls
  6. 1 place setting per person (cup, plate, bowl, silverware)
  7. cutting board
  8. 2-3 wooden spoons
  9. ladle
  10. large fork
  11. chef knife
  12. paring knife
  13. bread knife
  14. sharpening stone
  15. spatula
  16. pitcher
  17. 2 wash basins (one to wash, one to rinse)
  18. can opener
  19. scissors/shears
  20. coffee filters and holder (for straining debris out of collected water)
  21. portable fire pit (if not in a house or for summer cooking)
  22. grill brush
  23. case of matches or flint
  24. 3-4 cookbooks (just the ones I already own and use on a daily basis)
  25. gardening book
  26. foraging book
  27. 5-6 dozen assorted canning jars (probably would need more if I can all our harvest)
  28. brewing supplies
  29. teapot
  30. wood cookstove (if in a house)

Bath

  1. 4-5 dozen washcloths (they also currently double as our TP)
  2. 1 Towel per person
  3. comb/brush
  4. hair ties for each
  5. razor
  6. toothbrush for each
  7. non-toxic cleaning kit (includes 2-3 spray bottles, washing soda, borax, etc.)
  8. 5-7 cleaning rags
  9. wash tub
  10. plunger
  11. wringer
  12. laundry basket
  13. cloth pads (there are/will be multiple women in the household)

Bedroom

  1. tents (if not in a house)
  2. sleeping bags, pillows
  3. 3 changes of clothes for each
  4. kids’ dolls (1 each)
  5. cold weather outer gear for each (coat, mittens, etc.)
  6. baby sling (at least until youngest is 3 years old)
  7. handkerchief per person

Outdoors

  1. axe
  2. saw
  3. hammer
  4. spade
  5. trowel
  6. bucket
  7. clothesline and pins
  8. field guides to plants and animals
  9. tote bags/backpacks for each
  10. utility knife
  11. hand crank flashlight
  12. bow and arrows
  13. fishing net
  14. skinning/tanning book
  15. maps, atlas, directions to loved ones’ homes

General

  1. Circle Round book
  2. 3-4 health books (just the ones I already have)
  3. family photo album
  4. some kind of lamp
  5. fire-safe with legal documents such as birth certs, etc.
  6. sewing kit
  7. string
  8. knitting needles, crochet hooks, and accessories (such as darning needle, cable needle, stitch holder, etc.)
  9. god and goddess statues
  10. Book of Wisdom (my own homemade book that contains this list among other things)
  11. knitting pattern books
  12. sewing patterns
  13. pleasure reading books
  14. spinning wheel
  15. loom (probably warp-weighted, since it takes up less space)

I could expand this out to 100 if I divided up things that I consider go together. I’m not listing my individual knitting needles, for example. But this is a great exercise to determine what exactly we truly need.

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