QUICK-TIPS: WATER
CONSERVE YOUR WATER
Water is the most important prep for survival and one that is fairly difficult to replace with an alternative. Above anything our lives depend upon a steady flow of safe drinking water. Still, there are some alternatives which can be used to minimize water usage and/or to substitute water, both of which become increasingly important when your water rations are low or nonexistent.
What does the Common Sense Prepper Network, consider as low-resources;
I. If your resources dictate a half gallon or less of water usage, per person, per day.
II. If you have no way of acquiring or reproducing every ounce of water you used in the previous day.
III. If rough estimates put it at longer than three days that your water service will be unusable or unsafe to drink. Note: In 2011 alone, almost 12 million people in the United States went without water service for three or more days.
II. If you have no way of acquiring or reproducing every ounce of water you used in the previous day.
III. If rough estimates put it at longer than three days that your water service will be unusable or unsafe to drink. Note: In 2011 alone, almost 12 million people in the United States went without water service for three or more days.
Conserve your water and use Canned Foods
I. Drinking Water: Canned foods are a favorite of mine for substituting water. Depending upon the size of the cans in your preps or cabinets and the number of them, you may have a sizeable amount of emergency water already on hand. This supply of backup water is one reason why I preach about diversity in your preps. If all you have in you home are freeze dried or dehydrated foods than your supply of substitute water may be minimal.
Drinking the liquids of canned fruits, vegetables, or meats may not seem appealing at the moment, but when your thirsty you become less picky. The next time you open a can of whatever, drink some of the water inside, (you may need to first heat the product).
Caution: If possible minimize salt intake during times of thirst and note that some canned foods contain a large amount of sodium.
Caution: Most commercially canned foods can be eaten directly from the can, and without being heated, however take caution when doing so and remember that it is always a good idea to heat and kill any organisms that might exist in the can.
II. Use to Reconstitute: In a pinch the water from canned foods can also be used to reconstitute the freeze dried or dehydrated foods.
Note: Reconstitution does not have to stop at similar products, in fact we frequently use the liquids from canned foods to reconstitute rice or potato flakes. An inadvertent benefit will be flavorful rice and potato flakes.
Note: Canned fruit may contain more syrup than water, if this is the case then use your liquids to reconstitute oatmeal or grits for a very tasty breakfast.
III. Incorporate: If possible incorporate the liquids of canned foods directly into your preparations, the menu for example. I have already mentioned using these liquids to flavor your dishes but you can also plan to make stews, broths, soups, etc during your time of emergency and doing so means; making the best of your resources. The liquids of canned foods can be used to reconstitute, but you can also prep ahead of time with the concept of using these liquids in food preparation. In other words you purposefully purchase canned foods for the liquid and the food and incorporate the entire contents into your cooking.
Conserve your water and use ZERO WATER PRODUCTS
Waterless Shampoos and Soaps: No matter what contingency you prep for you can hardly go wrong with products that do not require water for their application. Believe it or not there are several products; shampoos, conditioners, and soaps that require minimum water for application and in some cases they may not need any.
Caution: Let me throw out a word of common sense, “familiarity”. Never stockpile products that which you have no knowledge of. We as a family always try every product we buy, and try it multiple times long before we purchase in large quantities. I do not have much hair these days so it matters very little to me if the shampoo inadvertently causes the rest to fall out, however the ladies of the house would be a little upset if they lost their hair.
Sanitizers: There are a handful of sanitizers on the market, most of which require absolutely zero water. Most sanitizers are effective because they are alcohol based and kill many types of bacteria, parasites, and viruses on contact making them a favorite prep or everyday item. There are some precautions you should consider when using sanitizers,
(a) It may sound common sense to you, but there are a few people out there who may not be aware that, “hand sanitizers can not be consumed in anyway, shape, or form, not even as a disinfectant for water”.
(b) Sanitizer does its job so well that, with continued use it will kill all bacteria even those which are naturally found on our bodies. The human body has many bacteria on the surface, most of which are beneficial to us, however once you kill them you may inadvertently cause your risk for infection from other diseases and foreign organisms to rise.
(c) Frequent use of alcohol based sanitizers can cause dry and cracked skin. The newly exposed layers of epidermis below the surface can not only be painful it may also increase your risk of infection by parasites or viruses.
(b) Sanitizer does its job so well that, with continued use it will kill all bacteria even those which are naturally found on our bodies. The human body has many bacteria on the surface, most of which are beneficial to us, however once you kill them you may inadvertently cause your risk for infection from other diseases and foreign organisms to rise.
(c) Frequent use of alcohol based sanitizers can cause dry and cracked skin. The newly exposed layers of epidermis below the surface can not only be painful it may also increase your risk of infection by parasites or viruses.
QUICK TIPS: EMERGENCY WATER COLLECTION
If a disaster is imminent then it becomes imperative to work quickly and gather your resources, especially water. In the moments leading up to a foreseeable emergency many people panic or ignore the warning signs altogether. As important as it is to get to safe ground it is equally important to know what resources you have around you and what steps you should take in those brief moments before the disaster.
Do you have enough containers to hold several hundred gallons of water during an emergency? Most people know about the Hot Water Heater (5-50 gallons), bathtub (20-50 gallons), and the obvious soda bottles. Just with these containers you may be able to collect a hundred gallons or more, but did you know that you may have enough containers to hold several hundred gallons of water in an emergency? I bet you have more containers than you think. Ever considered in a pinch using the drawers of a dresser, with a couple of trash bags to line the inside, this would hold a few gallons? Or, perhaps the trashcan itself-scrubbed and double lined, or toy boxes, or Christmas storage totes. What about a laundry basket or one-gallon freezer bags? The point is that containers to hold water are generally more plentiful than the actual water.
Emergency Reservoirs
Trashcans: Use the water from the trashcan to flush the toilet. It takes 1.5 - 5 gallons of water to flush a toilet, depending upon your specific toilet, and you may not want to use your only drinking water. You may have indoor and outdoor trashcans, use all you need. Remember you do not have to drink the water from trashcans, in fact due to the amount of chemicals and bacteria present in most trashcans, I strongly advise against it.
Note: Whenever you use trashcan liners to hold water use the heaviest "leaf" bags if you have them. Trashcan liners and lawn bags are not designed to hold water and some may leak, if possible double-up on the liners for each container.
Freezer Bags: If you have time fill several one-gallon freezer bags. May not sound like much, but many storage bags come in boxes of thirty, which means you could have 30 gallons of water.
Totes: Totes are not made to hold water, but if carefully placed they will do just fine. Place totes next to each other so the weight of the water against a tote wall can help support the weight of the another. This will help to keep the sides of your totes from collapsing and tearing from the weight.
Laundry Baskets: Laundry baskets with a trashcan liner can hold 4-6 gallons of water depending upon size. Chances are good that you may have a couple of these laying about. Remember to not overfill them, and if need be line them up similar to the totes or set one basket inside another to support the walls.
Pools & Spas: The most obvious of water sources are of course pools and spas. If you have a pool or spa you have hundreds or even thousands of gallons of water that could last you weeks or even months. Caution: Hot tubs and swimming pools are not recommended by FEMA for drinking water use, but neither are trashcans. If you choose to use these reservoirs filter thoroughly.
Container Placement
Place the containers of water in a dark and cool room, such as a basement or cellar to lower the chances of bacterial growth, extend the life of the water, and lower evaporation during high temperatures. Caution: If the basement or storage area is in danger of flooding find a new location to store your water.
Place the containers of water in a dark and cool room, such as a basement or cellar to lower the chances of bacterial growth, extend the life of the water, and lower evaporation during high temperatures. Caution: If the basement or storage area is in danger of flooding find a new location to store your water.
Water Towers
Note that many municipal and rural water supplies using Water Towers will have enough water pressure for several minutes after a power outage, so make good use of your time.
Note that many municipal and rural water supplies using Water Towers will have enough water pressure for several minutes after a power outage, so make good use of your time.