Supply Needs Calculator: How Much Water and Food Do You Need?
Enter your household and instantly see how much drinking water, energy and food your emergency supply needs. No sign-up, your details stay in your browser.
Your needs for 10 days
2 people
140 l
Water in total
4,400
kcal per day
25.1 kg
Food
Water
- Drinking and cooking2 l per person and day (BBK), 10 l of it for cooking
- 40 l
- Utility water for hygiene5 l per person and day for brushing teeth, washing and dishes. Tap water in clean canisters is fine.
- 100 l
The drinking water equals about 27 bottles of 1.5 l or 5 six-packs.
For the utility water you need 10 canisters of 10 l.
Energy
4,400 kcal per day
44,000 kcal in total
Based on 2,200 kcal per person and day. Children count proportionally.
Your supply list
0 of 17 done
Tick off what you already have. Your progress is saved in this browser.
- 40 l
- 100 l
- 3 kg
- 8 kg
- 4 kg
- 1.6 kg
- 1.1 kg
- 6 kg
- 0.4 l
- 0.6 kg
- 0.2 kg
- 1.2 l
- 0.2 kg
- 0.1 kg
- 0.9 l
- 0.3 kg
- 0 kg
Tips for your supply
- Power cut: Plan part of your supply so it fills you up without cooking, such as crispbread, canned food, nuts and oats with UHT milk or a plant drink. The list marks what needs cooking.
- Rotate instead of throwing away: Buy what you eat anyway, put new items at the back and use the oldest first.
- Replace water regularly: Bought water keeps until its best-before date. Store tap water you bottle yourself in clean, closed containers and renew it regularly.
- Cooking without power: A camping stove with gas cartridges is enough for pasta, rice and pulses. Use it only as the manufacturer allows, and never use a charcoal grill indoors.
- Store cool, dry and dark. Note expiry dates or let the Ready Kit app remind you.
The link only contains your household details, nothing else, so you can share it with your family.
Equipment that helps with your supply
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through our links supports the development of this app at no extra cost to you.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
MICROPUR Forte MF 1T Water Purification Tablets
Campingaz 206 S Camping Stove
TOM Butane Gas Cartridges 190g
Anker Nano Power Bank 10,000mAh
Emergency Crank Radio
Keep track of your supply
The Ready Kit app turns this into your supply list with expiry dates and reminders. Free and usable offline.
Sources and assumptions
- BBK: guide "Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen" (10 days, 2 l of water per person and day, in German)
- ernaehrungsvorsorge.de: federal supply calculator (2,200 kcal per person and day, in German)
- DGE: reference values for energy intake (in German)
- DGE: D-A-CH reference values for water intake (in German)
- Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben: preparing baby bottles (in German)
- Drinking water: 2 l per person and day, 0.5 l of it for cooking (BBK). Utility water: 5 l per person and day, an assumption of the Ready Kit app.
- Energy: 2,200 kcal per person and day, split into 15 food categories as in the Ready Kit app.
- Teenagers 13+ count as adults. Toddlers count as 60 %, children as 80 % of an adult, derived from the DGE and D-A-CH reference values. Babies get their own food and about 1 l of water per day for bottles.
- Vegetarian and vegan: two thirds of the calories from meat and fish go to pulses and one third to nuts. For a vegan diet, a plant drink replaces UHT milk.
- Amounts are derived from the calories with typical energy densities (for example rice 350 kcal per 100 g) and rounded. Package sizes are examples.
Guide values for healthy people. Illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or hard physical work can raise the need.
Frequently asked questions about emergency supplies
How much water do I need for an emergency supply?
The BBK recommends 2 litres per person and day, 0.5 litres of it for cooking. For 10 days that is 20 litres per person. For hygiene such as brushing teeth and washing, the calculator adds 5 litres per person and day; tap water in clean canisters is fine for that.
How many days should an emergency supply last?
The BBK recommends that every household can supply itself for 10 days if possible. A supply for 3 days already helps a lot and can be built up step by step.
How many calories does an adult need per day in an emergency?
The German federal supply calculator uses 2,200 kcal per person and day. Children need less, teenagers from 13 about as much as adults. Hard physical work can raise the need.
How do I calculate an emergency supply for children and babies?
The calculator counts toddlers (1 to 3 years) as 60 % and children (3 to 12 years) as 80 % of an adult, derived from the DGE and D-A-CH reference values. For babies, plan infant formula as stated on the pack and about 1 litre of suitable water per day for bottles.
What do I eat during a power cut if I cannot cook?
Plan part of your supply so it can be eaten without cooking: crispbread, canned fish, beans or stew, nuts and oats. The calculator marks what needs cooking. With a camping stove you can also cook pasta and rice.
Can I build a vegetarian or vegan supply?
Yes. Choose your diet in the calculator. Instead of meat and fish it plans more pulses and nuts, and for a vegan diet plant drinks instead of UHT milk. The amount of calories stays the same.
How often should I renew my supply?
The easiest way is a rotating supply: store what you eat anyway and use the oldest first. Check expiry dates regularly, for example whenever the clocks change, and replace water you used right away.