Backup Layers Guide

Why Layers Matter

A single catalog binder in your home office is useful until the office floods, the binder is misplaced during a move, or the one person who knows how to read it is unavailable. Layers distribute risk across locations and formats so no single event destroys your household’s reserve knowledge.

Layer I — Primary Record

The master catalog lives where you access it most often — typically a home filing cabinet or study shelf. It contains the full inventory: every reserve item, its location, approximate value, custodian, and last-verified date. Pages are numbered, indexed, and updated after any change to your reserves.

Update frequency: After every reserve change, or at minimum quarterly.
Access: Primary household administrator and spouse.
Format: Bound archival folder with printed pages and index tabs.

Layer II — Sealed Secondary

An exact duplicate of Layer I, placed inside a tamper-evident envelope and stored at a separate location. Common choices among our clients include a bank safe deposit box, a locked drawer at a trusted relative’s home, or an office separate from the primary residence.

Update frequency: Re-sealed after each annual review or major reserve change.
Access: Requires travel to secondary location. Opened only if Layer I is lost or destroyed.
Format: Sealed envelope with dated seal sticker and opening instructions on the outside.

Layer III — Recovery Summary

A single page — never more than two — designed for a designated family member who needs to act quickly during an emergency. It lists: where Layer I is kept, where Layer II is stored, key contacts (attorney, insurance agent, bank branch), and the five most critical reserve categories without full detail.

Update frequency: Annually, or when contacts or storage locations change.
Access: Given to spouse, adult children, or designated executor.
Format: Laminated card or single folded sheet.

How Layers Work Together

Common Mistakes We Correct

Skipping Layer II entirely. Many households complete Layer I and stop. A fire or flood in 2024 destroyed catalog records in two client homes who had no secondary copy.

Making Layer III too detailed. If the recovery summary requires thirty minutes to read, it fails its purpose. We enforce a one-page limit.

Storing Layer II at the same address. A second drawer in the same room is not a separate location. True separation means a different building or a safe deposit box.

Between Visits

Our companion app helps you log reserve changes between catalog sessions. It works offline and syncs when you choose. For households who prefer paper only, we provide a change-log insert that slips into your Layer I binder.

Explore catalog sessions or request a visit to have your layers set up by a cataloger.