I like to have some spares in all sizes for the kids. I guess my situation is a little different because I have 3 girls so I keep their stuff for hand me downs and I get others from family. Myself? I like having the free extras, but if I had to plan and buy all kinds of stuff I wouldn't. I just think they grow differently, your son might grow three sizes in a year or stay small for awhile, either way it's going to throw off your planning scheme for summer and winter, especially for boots and sandals. If nothing happens, it is handy to have extra stuff just for those days when all of a sudden all their pants are too small but the downside is when they decide they have style and refuse to wear anything you have, especially when it's not 'in'.
In the case of a bug out bag, you're only packing what you can carry so I'd stick with keeping the bag as up to date as you can, and sticking a bunch of layering options in there. If it's a little too big, it's not a big deal you can roll up the legs and sleeves.
As for how many years to stock up on, I wish I could answer that. I guess it all depends on your situation, where you live, your finances and what you believe you are planning for. Personally, I don't worry about clothing for a very long term situation. If it's important to you, some great cheap options are buying used clothing at goodwill, or sally ann. I love shopping there for extra items, the quality is often pretty good and you can't beat the price.

b&c - hi!

I would look for clothes that can be worn year round - tshirts, sweatshirts and jeans etc. Theyare worn summer and winter anyway. Avoid clothes that are extremely bulky (like winter coats unless he is close to fitting into it) or summer weight and then it's worth purchasing. My kids grew up on yard sale and thrift store clothes (and lived to tell about it! :)) We always worked ahead to some degree but I agree with Faraday - it's awfully hard to tell when they will have a growth spurt or not so don't over plan. Nice basic clothes never go out of fashion.

If you intend to purchase... buy a few sizes too big. A pant cuff can be rolled or hemmed easily. The extra sizes allow for two things... growth is the obvious point but more importantly and this is so often overlooked by just about everyone is layering. Im a year round cyclist and when the temp hits -45 you will still see me out there peddling away. How do I do it? I'm snug as a bug in a rug as the saying goes and actually much warmer than when I drive my car. In my car I will shiver and shake for around 10 minutes before it finally starts heating up in there. The trick is in the layering. Several layers, each a little loose fitting with a wicking layer at the base. The loose layering allows for body heat to trap inbetween each layer and it creates an insulation effect. The tighter your layers are the colder you get. Same apply's when making a lean to shelter... put a second tarp inside the outer tarp so there is a few inches inbetween them. That air barrier will heat up from your fire and create an invisible insulation barrier to push away the cold.

So... buy a few sizes big and loose to allow for growth and warmth/survival in the cold temps which we definately face here in the Great White North.

Cheers

b&c,

One of the best items to have winter or summer is zip-off pants, the ones where the pant legs zip-off into shorts. Get ones made with nylon or polyester or blends but as we are not in a warm climate avoid the 100% cotton types. If you get a few sizes too big zip-off the legs, they may need suspenders to hold them up. Then as the legs get longer add the legs - hem if needed. Let down the hem later.

Now, if you are not worried about fashion. Research the Great Kilt, worn by the Highlanders in Scotland. Now don't worry about Clan Tartans or such. Get a heavy weight wool blanket. Save the blanket until SHTF. Then cut the blanket length wise, you will need the fabric to go from the calf, just above the ankles to the top of the head. Once this is done, you will need a sturdy leather belt/strap 1 1/2" x 36" or longer. Google How to wear a Great Kilt and you will see how the blanket was folded, the person laid on top and belted it up. Then the top part went over one shoulder and under the opposite arm and the two ends were clasped over the chest. Generally on the left chest/shoulder. And that is how blankets became clothes. This garmet, as primitive as it is, will grow with your child for many years. An adult requires 5 to 7 yards of 54" wide heavy tartan material to make a proper Great Kilt.

As for footwear, research the Finnish or the Mongols or the Tibetian, all have some sort of Felt Boots, as well as leather and fur leg wraps - okay maybe not the Tibetians.

Network and team up with preppers who have children a few years older than your child and be there for the hand-me-downs?? Never know could work.

Cheers,

Mountainman.

You can buy cloth from thrift shops also if you have somewhere to stash it. And buy lots of elastic so you can make things comfortable and warm without rope ties. I just stocked up on a mess of fleece today-there was a sale so that some of it was only $8 a metre. Fleece is good for jammies, long johns or sweat-pants.

We have not bought clothes yet for our kids under 3. Hand me downs by the garbage bag and then we hand them down to those who want them. Shoes are cheap for our kids and those we buy new seeing how all feet are different and you can actually screw them over by using used footwear if it is worn heavily.

do you know any other mothers of children you can start a swap club with? My parents swapped with my aunt, their children were about the proper ages and we liked getting 'new' to us clothes.
also many adult clothes can be cut down to fit children like was done in WWII, so learning to sew would be an excellent investment, even if you cant afford fabric (or run out).

If you stockpile fabric or household linens of any kind, wash them first and fold them loosely. Anything that is tightly folded for a lengthy period can deteriorate on the fold lines. When $1.49 day used to be popular at Woodwards (now I am really dating myself) people would buy pillowcases, sheets, etc and put them away sometimes for a number of years. It was a good hedge against prices increasing, but sometimes when you unfolded them the fabric was already "gone" along the folds and the sheets then had to be turned which is a tedious process.