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

31. 4-5 dozen washcloths (they also currently double as our TP)
32. 1 Towel per person
33. comb/brush
34. hair ties for each
35. razor
36. toothbrush for each
37. non-toxic cleaning kit (includes 2-3 spray bottles, washing soda, borax, etc.)
38. 5-7 cleaning rags
39. wash tub
40. plunger
41. wringer
42. laundry basket
43. cloth pads (there are/will be multiple women in the household)

Bedroom

44. tents (if not in a house)
45. sleeping bags, pillows
46. 3 changes of clothes for each
47. kids’ dolls (1 each)
48. cold weather outer gear for each (coat, mittens, etc.)
49. baby sling (at least until youngest is 3 years old)
50. handkerchief per person

Outdoors

51. axe
52. saw
53. hammer
54. spade
55. trowel
56. bucket
57. clothesline and pins
58. field guides to plants and animals
59. tote bags/backpacks for each
60. utility knife
61. hand crank flashlight
62. bow and arrows
63. fishing net
64. skinning/tanning book
65. maps, atlas, directions to loved ones’ homes

General

66. Circle Round book
67. 3-4 health books (just the ones I already have)
68. family photo album
69. some kind of lamp
70. fire-safe with legal documents such as birth certs, etc.
71. sewing kit
72. string
73. knitting needles, crochet hooks, and accessories (such as darning needle, cable needle, stitch holder, etc.)
74. god and goddess statues
75. Book of Wisdom (my own homemade book that contains this list among other things)
76. knitting pattern books
77. sewing patterns
78. pleasure reading books
79. spinning wheel
80. 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.