Food Storage Checklist #16

To do:

• re-evaluate your emergency prep plan.  Go over it with your children.
• update the food in your 72-hour kit.
• update your long term food storage inventory sheets.
• update your 3-month supply.

To purchase:

• more shelves, if needed.
• a kitchen appliance that you've had  your eye on.
• something for your 3-month supply

Pros and Cons of Water Storage Containers

I've been trying to decide which storage containers to use for our water storage.  The following information from FoodStorageMadeEasy was very helpful.  In the end, I decided the water barrels would be the best for us (especially since we already have one... now where did we get that...?)  Looks like I will need to rotate this every 5 years or so.   In addition to this, we will buy several cases of bottled water and rotate them.  In the future, when we have about $80, we plan to get 4 of the water bricks.  Also, we will probably get some of those pouches to put in our 72-hour kits, since we have bottled water in them, and that's not considered safe, since the chemicals will leach into the water after sitting in a hot car.  For now, I suspect we'll drink even that water in an emergency.

Used 2 Liter Pop Bottles or Juice Bottles

Pros
– Essentially FREE if you buy them anyway or get from someone else
– Convenient size for smaller water emergencies
– Easy to store anywhere in the house
Cons
– Must rotate every 6 months to 1 year
– Hard to clean out enough that the taste isn’t a bit “off”
– Concern about bacteria if not cleaned out well enough
Best Used For
– 72 Hour Kits
– People on a tight budget
– Small spaces storage solutions

Store-Bought Water Bottles

Pros
– Great tasting, so it’s ideal for drinking water
– Easy to rotate through the individual bottles
– Easy to store anywhere in the house
Cons
– Must rotate every 6 months to 1 year
– Price per gallon can be fairly expensive
– Difficult to store in large quantities
– Bottles will freeze in winter, and chemicals can leach into them in severe heat, so not ideal for car kits in extreme conditions
Best Used For
– 72 hour kits
– People concerned with taste of drinking water
– Small emergencies

Small Water Pouches or Water Cartons

Pros
– 5 year shelf life!
– Awesome for 72 hour kits
– Water typically won’t freeze in the pouches or small water boxes
Cons
– Expensive storage method
– Not ideal for large quantities
– Not available in local stores everywhere
Best Used For
– 72 Hour Kits
– Car kits

5/6 Gallon Plastic Jugs

Pros
– Decent price per gallon
– More convenient size than large barrels
– Pretty easy to empty and rotate
– Easy to find in the camping section of most stores
Cons
– Many of these jugs end up having problems with cracking and leaking so beware
– 5 or 6 gallon jugs can be HEAVY if you are trying to pour with them and haul them up and down stairs by yourself
– Must be rotated every 6 months to 1 year
– Take up a lot of space in storage since you can’t stack them
Best Used For
– Smaller storage spaces
– Tighter budgets

Water Box Kits (Mylar bags inside cardboard boxes)

Pros
– Good price per gallon
– Stackable up to 3 boxes high
– Only have to rotate every 5 years
Cons
– A little bit complicated to set them up and fill them
– Wasted space in your storage room above the stack of boxes
– Not very convenient for accessing small amounts of your water storage
– Not available in local stores everywhere
Best Used For
– Larger quantities for people who don’t like rotating
– Great for sliding under beds or sticking on closet shelves

Water Bricks

Pros
– 3.5 gallons per brick makes it more manageable than 5/6 gallon containers
– Stackable from floor to ceiling!
– They are safe to freeze so can be stored outside
– Great size to stash under beds, in closets, etc.
Cons
– A little more expensive per gallon
– Not available in local stores everywhere
Best Used For
– Storage rooms where space is an issue
– Shorter term water emergencies for drinking and cooking
– People without considerable budget restraints

Water Barrels

Pros
– Best solution for storing LOTS of water
– Available in multiple sizes from 30 gallons up to 250 gallons
– With additives, can extend rotation needs to every 5 years
– Great use of floor space in a storage room with water barrel towers
Cons
– Slightly difficult to fill and rotate
– Not very accessible when you have to actual USE the water
– Not an ideal solution in small homes/storage areas and can’t be stored outside
Best Used For
– Longer term water shortages
– Large quantities of water storage

Water Filtration vs. Water Purification

Water Filtration 
Think of water filtration like a strainer.  You have filter with tiny holes in it which will block certain undesirable things from getting through.  Any chunks of dirt, rocks, bugs, etc. will be filtered out.  Most filters today will also do a good job at blocking protozoa (i.e. Cryptosporidium, Giardia) and bacteria (i.e. Salmonella, E. coli).  However, viruses are so small that they will get through the holes in a regular filter.  If you use a water "filter" it is a good idea to also purify the water once you have strained out the large impurities.  Here are some of the common water filters you may be aware of:

• Katadyn Gravity
• Seychelle Water Filters

Water Purification

Water purification makes water safe to drink but does not necessarily remove all undesirable elements from the water (large items such as dirt, rocks, etc.).  Water can be purified by boiling it (for at least 3 minutes to kill everything), but using chemicals such as iodine or chlorine, by using UV, or by using special water purifiers that are rated to actually kill viruses (i.e. Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirs).  Here are a few products that only purify your water:

• Water Purification Tablets
• SteriPens (UV light sterilization)

Filtration/Purification Combos

If you prefer to have one product that will both filter and purify your water there are two great ones that we recommend. The Berkey Water Filter is very popular and it’s great for both every day use AND for emergency situations. There is a new product called AquaPail which works in a different way than the Berkey but is equally effective. It has an indefinite shelf life so you can store it and know that it is available in a long term water emergency. 

*From FoodStorageMadeEasy

How to Make an Evaporation Still

An evaporation still will extract water from the soil even if it appears to be quite dry. These instructions will help you create a still that will provide half the amount of water needed for one person per day. It’s definitely more convenient to simply store water, but for a longer term emergency you may find it necessary to find alternate means of accessing water.

Materials:

• A six-by-six square piece of clear plastic
• A drinking tube
• A bucket or container to catch the water

Instructions:

1. Dig a hole three feet deep and large enough at the bottom to hold the bucket or container.
2. Place one end of the drinking tube at the bottom of the bucket and put the bucket in the hole.
3. If possible, line the sides of the hole with shredded vegetation and slices of succulent plants.
4. Place the plastic over the hole, securing the edges all around with soil.  Extend the drinking tube from the bucket under the plastic and up through the soil that holds the plastic in place.  Wrap a towel or clean cloth around the end of the tube to protect it from soil and contamination.
5. Position a rock in the center of the plastic sheet two or three inches above and directly over the bucket.
6. Water will accumulate in the bucket and can be sipped through the tube without dismantling the still.

*from Food Storage Made Easy

Alternate Water Sources

Water in your home
- Hot water heater tank
- Toilet tanks (don’t use water that contains colored disinfectant!)
- Water pipes
- Ice in the freezer
- Canned food

Traditional bodies of water near your home
- Rivers and streams
- Ponds and lakes

Collect water from the air and plants
- Snow and ice
- Rain water
- Morning dew can be mopped up from rocks and plants (especially effective in desert areas). The easiest method is to use a handkerchief or shirt to gently mop up the dew and then wring it into a container. It is possible to mop up almost a quart an hour using this method!

Obtaining water from the soil
- A hole dug in a damp or muddy area allows water to seep in and accumulate
- Mud wrong in a shirt or other cloth will force out water (muddy water can be partially cleared by allowing it to stand overnight and then running it through several thickness of cloth)
- Make an evaporation still

Locate sources of groundwater (in mountainous areas)
- Sloping side of the hills in dry mountain ranges
- Small seeps and springs can be found by following narrow canyons and gullies up to their heads
- The water table is usually close to the surface and you could locate it by digging at the base of cliffs and rocks where lots of vegetation is thriving, at the base of large sand dunes on the shady or steep sides, anywhere the ground is damp or muddy, in low spots where patches of salt grass, cattails, willows or elderberries grow

Please note: Depending on the nature of the emergency situation you are in, some of these sources may be contaminated so make sure you have a plan in place for water purification. It never hurts to purify just to be on the safe side.

*from Food Storage Made Easy

Food Storage Checklist #2 (Water)

To Purchase:

•          Purchase or collect water containers

o   Read below in the Key Points to determine how much to store and how to store it.

•          Purchase a bottle of bleach

o   This is always helpful to have on hand for any necessary water purification ad general cleaning.

•          Purchase something from your 3 Month Supply List (more info coming on Checklist #4)

o   Stock up on sale items, buy some things in bulk, or pick up a few extra items each shopping trip.

To Do:

•          Fill your water containers and store them in a couple different areas in your home.

o   Don’t forget to add bleach if you don’t have chlorinated water.

•          Read more information on Water Storage:

o   Alternate Water Sources

o   How to Make an Evaporation Still

o   Water Storage/Purification (below)

A few Key Points About Water:

• ·         Most sources recommend 1 gallon of water per person, PER day, for 3-14 days. 

• ·         Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs, but soda bottles are suitable).

• ·         Another option for storing water is in mylar bags stored in cardboard boxes as found at Emergency Essentials.  These are stackable and you don’t need to rotate as often.

• ·         Store water away from too much light or heat.

• ·         Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.

• ·         Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.

• ·         Store water in multiple sizes of containers to suit different emergency needs.

• ·         Do not store water containers directly on concrete.  Place on cardboard, wood pallets, or other materials.

• ·         Non-chlorinated water (most municipal water is chlorinated) should be treated with unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite).  See the chart below for appropriate amount to add to water.

Amount of Water	Amount of bleach to add to clear water	Amount of bleach to add to cloudy water
1 quart	2 drops	4 drops
1 gallon	8 drops	16 drops
5 gallons	½ teaspoon	1 teaspoon

• ·         Boiling is the safest way to clean water; however, you can also use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. 

• ·         Rotate your water storage at least once every year unless you use mylar bags.

 *from Food Storage Made Easy