Woodfiend, your water situation is a real issue, how far are you physically from a water supply, and what sources are they?
Let’s see if it works this time.
I agree the water issue is a problem. I plan on storing more. Also if it is an emergency with any advance notice then we will plastic the inside of the tub and fill it ahead of time.
Ultimately the plan though is to head to the country where we know of an isolated spot with a well. So long term water wouldn’t be an issue.
For my own home water stash, I use collapsible soft plastic 5 gallon containers placed inside of clean 5 gallon plastic paint buckets. Should the container leak it is contained, carrying the bucket by the handle is easy and the handle sturdy, and you can pull the container out and have a sturdy bucket at hand too. With bucket lids these can be stacked 5 high safely if that stores better and even a fall from there will not pop off a fully snapped on lid so no risk of leaks. Mine have gone through freezing temps several times but I doubt that they were ever frozen solid. Having the lid on prevents light from assisting in any fungal growth. I do find it wise to replace the soft plastic containers every few years as two have failed and leaked into the bucket after 5 years storage. Part of that may be caused by my bleach-treated water, my preferred method of storage prep for clean water, and the water I use is filtered by a very effective system before storage and replaced annually (six months is a better schedule but I’ve had no problems). I believe in portability which this method fits well with, because you may not be able to stay at any specific location for many various reasons which is why I’m no advocate of storing in larger containers you can’t grab and run with to escape an imminent danger. You need to be man-portable with life’s critical needs like water.
For in-car storage a good solution is to use old well-rinsed plastic bleach containers, these are very sturdy and you have the benefit of chlorination from bleach which has leached into the plastic helping treat whatever you put in them.
Being Southern, I love my iced tea and I get it from places in gallon and half-gallon “milk” jugs. A few hot water rinses after emptying they go back into the fridge for filtered drinking water, the chill preventing any issues from forming. This is supposedly not safe to do with jugs that contained milk but is OK with tea. Since I drink a lot of water too it works well for me, and it also serves as thermal mass to keep the fridge cold during power outages. pushed to the back of the fridge they take little useful space. And it fits in with the 3 R’s lifestyle.
Now I’m going to catch flak for the following but I will leave it up to you to decide whether you want to go here. I have always carried extra radiator water for my cars in antifreeze jugs, and in my work that water gets used up and replaced almost on a weekly basis- sometimes more, sometimes less. These jugs also serve for outdoor non-potable water storage here at home. The caps don’t seal well but as long as you bungee them upright in a vehicle and don’t fill them over 7/8 full you’ll be OK. I’ve frozen them solid with no problems many times over. Now only with my well rinsed jugs, I also consider this a last-resort source of drinking water, those jugs having been rinsed and emptied at least 50 times so that any residual antifreeze is almost non existent by then. Remember- last resort, not primary. Yes I have drank a gallon of that water in one day and I felt no ill effects of any kind for doing that. Not the best method by far but something to remember as an alternate source when that is all you have.
One last trick for mobile water clarification. I love my coffee so I have filters and a single-cup filter holder to make it when camping and sometimes at work too, it stays in my vehicle. These filters are a great way to remove sediment from water before you use your advanced purification methods and they can be reused till they disintegrate without much loss of filtering ability.
Just remember that water is crucial to life and your access to it may become hindered without warning- water main breaks, well pump failures, contamination of wells, rivers, and streams, even floods (which I find ironic)- so you must make it your highest priority rating right up there with self defense or you ain’t gonna make it through when the chips are down. Stay hydrated always and have plenty ready for anything.
Phil
so far your looking good!
first not every situation is going to be the same for every one. so every one prepares different?
do you have a shelter? like underground safety shelter? basement?
i think you guys have like NOAA radio station. always good to stay listening to that! maybe a laptop with internet connection to look at the radar or now days even a mobile phone!
portable solar panels?
cb radio like UHF/VHF?
your food and water seems to be on par… you might want to add some ways to cook with or a few ways to light fire…
add some hunting gear of some sort just in case… or even some fishing gear!
how long do you think it would take for emergency crews to arrive and give assistance? look at hurricane Katrina!
also keep building supplies on site if you can… if you only have a few broken windows they can easily be boarded up…few roof tiles missing use some tarp…
also fuel if you do have a generator on site depending on where you live fuel will always come in handy if you have to leave
i have an emergency radio its good i can recommend it!
No, I don’t have an emergency plan, but I have a lot of flashlights.
That is more than most people have. 
Most will be finding out that their batteries are leaking in their 12 year old flashlight that was in the junk drawer…… and be trying to use their cell phone light. :bigsmile:
I think people underplay the importance of lights in a disaster kit. Nothing extends your time to do things more than extra light… Shelter, water food can generally be found with enough time… Even just a few lumen greatly extend your time to do all of the above, otherwise you are at the mercy of the sun…
There are countless chores and things that would need to be done after dark during a sustained emergency, not to mention the stress that would accompany people having to live in the dark.
The people that have the lighting means to spend their evenings working, socializing, playing board games and charades, cooking dried beans during the heat of summer, canning, doing repairs, reading, treating the ill and dealing with the bathroom situation that would be new and more complicated for them, dealing with their children etc, would be having a much different experience than the unprepared people.
I just can’t imagine having to deal with kids and their bathroom issues, eating, illnesses, fears, boredom, and keeping them inline and safe when the nights are too hot, or too cold, without any lighting.
As far as security, being able to put daylight on a man who is a 100 yards away and thinking that he is invisible, pretty much asserts dominance over your space, not only can you likely identify him, but he is likely to write off your property for future activities.
Well, with all those ISIS , Russia vs USA and terrorist stuff going on i became a bit paranoid lately, got 4 first aid kids for the family and a ” case for 2 days living”, but most of all i stacked good ammount of ammunttions for my rifles: wifey isnt happy at all (they always arent when it comes to guns) but i only pretent to listen to her ,lets hope i/we would never need it
Hope for the best……Plan for the worst.
The wife and I have backpacking supplies. So we have a water filter, compact stoves with fuel, sleeping bags, and more. Plus because of this place, I have a ton of knives and sharpeners, and flashlights with plenty of extra batteries. About the only thing I would like to have is a compact solar charger, so we can charge batteries for my lights, and our radios. So yes… It’s not exactly a bug out bag, or whatever, but we’re more than covered if we need to get away or a disaster strikes.
i keep a several months supply of commonly needed supplies.
lots of tools,firearms,ammo,ect.
plenty of jugs of drinking water and means to store more in an emergency we can see coming.a well stocked motorhome with a 150 gallon water tank and a big solar array helps too.many like minded friends to team up if something happens.have shot,fished, and hunted since i was 7.
i will be fine as well as the others in our group.also have good like minded neighbors who watch out for each other.
like when ike hit.we started seeing the ghetto cruisers with their 30”wheels and bowling ball paintjobs cruising around after the power went off.we almost never see one here and suddenly i counted 9 of them in a few hours.we all pulled our picnic tables out front and started cleaning our ar-15”s and ak-47”s out in clear sight.
those cars disappeared.
we crammed everyones frozen food into 3 big chest freezers and rotated them on the generator.
what wouldnt fit went into a huge block party cookout.
since i have solar i set up a bunch of sockets off the 12v battery bank for everyone to charge phones,flashlights,batteries,ect.turned a disaster weekend into a party weekend.went around cutting up fallen trees and hauling the wood home.
we each had about 20 cord when it was over.when you have good neighbors that are more like extended family this sort of thing happens when the shit hits the fan.
its also a good vampire.
load it with 8 alks that are too low for any other use and suck em dry.
made my own paklites with the snap from a dead 9v,2 leds,and a resistor.sealed up with a gob of thick ca and hit it with zip kicker.
Did anyone mention beer or booze? You need those if you plan on being stuck with relatives for a unknown lenth of time.
So true. Also, it is thought that alcohol will be an item that will be in high demand and can be used in bartering for other items. Larger bottles are sometimes cheaper but smaller bottles are better suited for for trade.
It’s not wise to barter drugs or alcohol in really bad times for the adverse effects they have on some people. Among friends maybe, but with real friends you’ll be sharing anyhow. Cigarettes will barter well then too, but are costly and have a very limited shelf life so not really viable.
Something nobody pays much attention to but will be in great demand when store shelves run dry is toilet paper. After you’ve quit laughing think about it seriously, this is something womenfolk will kill for and when you’ve got the only supply you set the price- Momma will make Daddy get her some as we all well know. Costs little, stores well, doesn’t expire in a few years, and you’re going to need some all the time yourself anyway. Plus it’s much cheaper buying in bulk. Save now, save later, and maybe save your hide; all the while keeping the womenfolk happy too. Best cheap barter item ever when thing go really bad and not wasted waiting for then.
Phil
JAKE TAPPER: In the event of one of the grids going down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Preparedness Plan recommends that families and individuals have a two to three days supply of food and water, some cash, a few flashlights, a portable radio, and some extra batteries. You are now an expert on this issue. Do you have more than that in your emergency kit?
JAKE TAPPER: Do you mind if I ask what you have beyond what FEMA recommends?
Is it time to make common sense preparations for emergencies that last longer than 3 days, or 10 days, as is currently recommended by the government? Many knowledgeable people in government and national defense, think so.
A few years ago Newt Gingrich wrote the forward in a very good book about the U.S. losing electric power for a long time, and it’s devastating effects, it is “One Second After” by history professor William R. Forstchen. Amazon.com
Here is an article by R. James Woolsey, Jr., Woolsey is a national security and energy specialist and former Director of Central Intelligence who headed the Central Intelligence Agency from February 5, 1993 until January 10, 1995, in which he points out that the loss of the electric grid in an EMP attack, or a cyber attack, would result in the deaths of up to 90% of the American population, within the first year.
Here is Koppel’s interview with National Geographic.
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath Hardcover – October 27, 2015 by Ted Koppel Amazon.com
Review
“Lights Out is a timely warning about the vulnerability of America to a massive cyberattack that would cripple all we take for granted – electricity, communication, transportation. This is not science fiction. Hats off to Ted Koppel for putting us all on alert.”
–TOM BROKAW
“Without a single bullet, bomb, or missile, a foreign enemy can now launch a devastating attack on the United States. Koppel explores how cyberwarfare threatens all of us, assesses the risks, criticizes the lack of government action, and finds praise for the Mormon way of disaster preparedness. I hope he’s wrong about the danger but fear he’s right on the mark.”
–ERIC SCHLOSSER, author of Command and Control and Fast Food Nation
“Ted Koppel’s unparalleled reporting skills are on full display in Lights Out. A fascinating and frightening look at just how vulnerable we are to a cyberattack.”
–ANDERSON COOPER
“As readers would expect from Ted Koppel, Lights Out is dramatic but not hyped, tied to today’s news of shaky infrastructure and cyber attacks but also forward looking. This is an engrossing and significant book.”
—JAMES FALLOWS, national correspondent, The Atlantic; author of China Airborne
“In Lights Out, Ted Koppel uses his profound journalistic talents to raise pressing questions about our nation’s aging electrical grid. Through interview after interview with leading experts, Koppel paints a compelling picture of the impact cyberattacks may have on the grid. The book reveals the vulnerability of perhaps the most critical of all the infrastructures of our modern society: the electricity that keeps our modern society humming along.”
—MARC GOODMAN, author of Future Crimes
“Ted Koppel has written an important wake-up call for America on the threat of a crippling cyberattack. The danger we face right now is great, but so is the failure to acknowledge that the threat exists at all.”
–LEON PANETTA, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
“Lights Out illuminates one of the greatest vulnerabilities to our nation – a cyberattack on our power grid. It is a wake-up call for all of us. We are the nation that created the internet; we should be the first to secure it. This powerful book could be the catalyst for just such a change.”
–GENERAL (RET.) KEITH ALEXANDER, former director of the National Security Agency
“Try to imagine what a malevolent government, armed with the latest computer sophistication, could do to another nation’s complex and entirely digital-dependent economy and social infrastructure. Fortunately, Ted Koppel has imagined it for us. We have been warned.”
–GEORGE F. WILL
“When the lights go out after the cyberattack, this is the book everyone will read.”
–RICHARD A. CLARKE, author of Cyber War and former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism
“A bold enumeration of the challenges posed by the digital age; an appeal to safeguard new instruments of human flourishing by studying the ways in which they could be exploited.”
—HENRY A. KISSINGER
Fun facts your water heater still has x amount of water when the tap quits as does everybody else’s house. Peasant foods store well and will keep you going;beans, rice, flour, sugar. Hand sanitizer is 70% alcohol and burns well in Sterno type stoves.