Don't forget that you have 20-40 gal in your water heater. You would be surprised how many people don't realize that even with the water off you can use the tank drain to recover the water.
Critical Storage Items
How about this one for a critical item to store - water. You can live longer without food than water.
Do you have a Red Cross 72 hour kit?
And did I make it first into a topic?
Do you have a Red Cross 72 hour kit?
And did I make it first into a topic?
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
You can also use the water in the tank of a toliet.
Don't forget any medicine that you or anyone in the family needs. We always keep extra insulin on hand for my daughter just in case.
Don't forget that you have 20-40 gal in your water heater. You would be surprised how many people don't realize that even with the water off you can use the tank drain to recover the water.
I've done that ! Honestly ,tasted bad,but kept us alive when the water froze last winter.
Rice, pasta and lots of can food.
In a real emergency only, tank water can contain fecal matter if there was ever a backup/overflow in the toilet. If you could, boil it first.You can also use the water in the tank of a toliet.
If you run your water heater on low to save energy you can actually have some pretty nasty stuff living in there too. I'd boil that as well, or add a shot of bleach or iodine.In a real emergency only, tank water can contain fecal matter if there was ever a backup/overflow in the toilet. If you could, boil it first.
All the more to make sure you clean your hot water heater once a year. I'm trying to remember where I read about it, but there are ways to clean the water heater so there isn't such a nasty build up of stuff in it.
Just flush it out once, twice a year.
Vitamins, too
I would also add vitamin supplements just to insure that folks are getting their nutritional allotment. In the event of an emergency, the body can quickly go through it supply of vitamins and minerals. Another valuable item to have would be GatorAde to quickly replenish salts and minerals in the event of injury, shock or illness. Sanitary napkins are always good to have becaure they can make effective bandages for cuts and lacerations. Hand sanitizer always along with chlorine bleach for purification/disinfectant purposes.
I would also add vitamin supplements just to insure that folks are getting their nutritional allotment. In the event of an emergency, the body can quickly go through it supply of vitamins and minerals. Another valuable item to have would be GatorAde to quickly replenish salts and minerals in the event of injury, shock or illness. Sanitary napkins are always good to have becaure they can make effective bandages for cuts and lacerations. Hand sanitizer always along with chlorine bleach for purification/disinfectant purposes.
Food wise we have about 7 cases of MRE's, in addition we have enough canned and dried goods for an additional 3 months for two people. Water, we rotate 4 cases of bottled water plus we have 200 gallons we could store in collapsible containers, we also have two Katadyn hand pumped water filters for the canal in the back. First aid we have a first responders field bag, a few books on simple medical procedures and we are both first aid certified.
Things I suggest to always have on hand.
Triple anti-biotic ointment
Bandages in varied sizes
Handy wipes
Assorted Feminine hygiene products
Prescription Medication 90 Days
Pain Medication in varied strengths
Anti-biotics learn their usage
Multiple fire starters (Bics, Matches, flint/steel, etc.)
Hard candy
If you have kids, games, books, puzzles, good to have even w/out kids
PDA with memory chips containing your important documents, pictures, manuals and any other information you might need.
This is a very short list, but you get the general idea, I'm sure others will add much more to it.
Things I suggest to always have on hand.
Triple anti-biotic ointment
Bandages in varied sizes
Handy wipes
Assorted Feminine hygiene products
Prescription Medication 90 Days
Pain Medication in varied strengths
Anti-biotics learn their usage
Multiple fire starters (Bics, Matches, flint/steel, etc.)
Hard candy
If you have kids, games, books, puzzles, good to have even w/out kids
PDA with memory chips containing your important documents, pictures, manuals and any other information you might need.
This is a very short list, but you get the general idea, I'm sure others will add much more to it.
The PDA is a good idea i hadn't thought of. Now to figure how much storage I have on hand.Food wise we have about 7 cases of MRE's, in addition we have enough canned and dried goods for an additional 3 months for two people. Water, we rotate 4 cases of bottled water plus we have 200 gallons we could store in collapsible containers, we also have two Katadyn hand pumped water filters for the canal in the back. First aid we have a first responders field bag, a few books on simple medical procedures and we are both first aid certified.
Things I suggest to always have on hand.
Triple anti-biotic ointment
Bandages in varied sizes
Handy wipes
Assorted Feminine hygiene products
Prescription Medication 90 Days
Pain Medication in varied strengths
Anti-biotics learn their usage
Multiple fire starters (Bics, Matches, flint/steel, etc.)
Hard candy
If you have kids, games, books, puzzles, good to have even w/out kids
PDA with memory chips containing your important documents, pictures, manuals and any other information you might need.
This is a very short list, but you get the general idea, I'm sure others will add much more to it.
The one I have uses SD chips and you can get them up to 2 gigs, that's a heck of a lot of storage. My GPS uses the same chip and I keep detailed maps of the lower 48, Canada and Northern Mexico. If the technology is there use it, doesn't mean we shouldn't still know how to read a map and use a compass.The PDA is a good idea i hadn't thought of. Now to figure how much storage I have on hand.
I need to add a nice big jug or two of bleach to my stores...figure most water I might have to drink in SHTF will need to be boiled and/or treated in some way. Normally was probably don't have much bleach on hand...with the drought here in Atlanta the water issue has been a real one to start thinking about of late...
Hot Water Heaters as Emergency Water Supply
Re: Sniper 69's post, I have read that Legionnaire bacteria can grow in a hot water heater that's kept on the low setting. It's a good idea to turn up the temp once or twice a month.
I am not a "survivalist" per se, but I've got over 20 years' active duty in the military before retiring. So I do believe in common-sense preparedness.
One thing I remember very well is the "stocking up" we did at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska, in 1962. We came very close to going to war with Russia. All of the Air Force families were told to stock up on food, water and blankets. Our only weapon was my Remington single-shot .22 rifle.
I do think generators are a good idea, as are extra batteries and maybe solar rechargers. The Army puts a solar cell on the hood of its Humvees to help keep the batteries charged. It's also a good idea to keep a modicum of food and water stockpiled, and to have some guns handy.
But let's face it: the survivalist mentality of the 1970s was all wrong. If you find yourself defending a food cache from hordes of "refugees" or whatever, you've already lost. You have to survive as a COMMUNITY.
I believe--with good reason--that the Islamofascists are planning a nuclear 9/11 for us. There will definitely be a breakdown in law and order and essential services in a city that has had a nuclear weapon detonated in it. By the way, did you know that 90 percent of Pakistan's nuclear scientists are sympathetic to al Qaida? A prominent Muslim told me that. I've been to that country. It's also where Osama bin Laden is hiding out.
I think I'm going to add a radiac meter and some dosimeters to my own "survival gear." I really hope we can head off this apocalyptic scenario, however. Knowing that our economy would get knocked back to 1920 or so, I'm not looking forward to living in such a time.
Re: Sniper 69's post, I have read that Legionnaire bacteria can grow in a hot water heater that's kept on the low setting. It's a good idea to turn up the temp once or twice a month.
I am not a "survivalist" per se, but I've got over 20 years' active duty in the military before retiring. So I do believe in common-sense preparedness.
One thing I remember very well is the "stocking up" we did at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska, in 1962. We came very close to going to war with Russia. All of the Air Force families were told to stock up on food, water and blankets. Our only weapon was my Remington single-shot .22 rifle.
I do think generators are a good idea, as are extra batteries and maybe solar rechargers. The Army puts a solar cell on the hood of its Humvees to help keep the batteries charged. It's also a good idea to keep a modicum of food and water stockpiled, and to have some guns handy.
But let's face it: the survivalist mentality of the 1970s was all wrong. If you find yourself defending a food cache from hordes of "refugees" or whatever, you've already lost. You have to survive as a COMMUNITY.
I believe--with good reason--that the Islamofascists are planning a nuclear 9/11 for us. There will definitely be a breakdown in law and order and essential services in a city that has had a nuclear weapon detonated in it. By the way, did you know that 90 percent of Pakistan's nuclear scientists are sympathetic to al Qaida? A prominent Muslim told me that. I've been to that country. It's also where Osama bin Laden is hiding out.
I think I'm going to add a radiac meter and some dosimeters to my own "survival gear." I really hope we can head off this apocalyptic scenario, however. Knowing that our economy would get knocked back to 1920 or so, I'm not looking forward to living in such a time.
On the hot water heaters someone told me that electric heaters don't have near the build up as the gas heaters do, didn't know if this was true or not?
More on Legionnaire's Disease and Hot Water Heaters
I found a very good article at this Web location: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=169860
Keeping the home hot water heater set very low could give rise to the growth of Legionnaire's Disease Bacteria (LDB). Of course, we've all been turning down the heat on our hot water heaters to save on energy bills.
I have also read that those shower heads that "atomize" the water present greater risk for your inhaling the bacteria. According to the article, some 80 percent of LDB infections come from sources other than large, institutional water heaters, plumbing systems or cooling towers. So that leaves . . . the home!
The "tankless" hot water heaters would seem to hold little risk of harboring LDB, and are also more economical to operate--although they cost much more than conventional hot water heaters.
This is one disease I do NOT want to get, as the mortality rates are quite high. In fact, the disease wasn't even really known until the 1970s. When no one had indoor plumbing, there wasn't much chance of LDB growing in your home. My grandparents' home in rural Alabama didn't have indoor plumbing--water was hauled from a well and boiled on a coal-burning stove. They did have electricity, which powered an ancient refrigerator and a radio usually tuned to barbershop quartets--but other than that, they basically lived like they had since the turn of the twentieth century.
I remember my mother and grandparents telling me how they lived during the Depression. People helped each other then--and I mean, they REALLY helped each other! I don't think we'd do that today if we had another disaster like the Depression. I wish I had evidence to the contrary.
I found a very good article at this Web location: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=169860
Keeping the home hot water heater set very low could give rise to the growth of Legionnaire's Disease Bacteria (LDB). Of course, we've all been turning down the heat on our hot water heaters to save on energy bills.
I have also read that those shower heads that "atomize" the water present greater risk for your inhaling the bacteria. According to the article, some 80 percent of LDB infections come from sources other than large, institutional water heaters, plumbing systems or cooling towers. So that leaves . . . the home!
The "tankless" hot water heaters would seem to hold little risk of harboring LDB, and are also more economical to operate--although they cost much more than conventional hot water heaters.
This is one disease I do NOT want to get, as the mortality rates are quite high. In fact, the disease wasn't even really known until the 1970s. When no one had indoor plumbing, there wasn't much chance of LDB growing in your home. My grandparents' home in rural Alabama didn't have indoor plumbing--water was hauled from a well and boiled on a coal-burning stove. They did have electricity, which powered an ancient refrigerator and a radio usually tuned to barbershop quartets--but other than that, they basically lived like they had since the turn of the twentieth century.
I remember my mother and grandparents telling me how they lived during the Depression. People helped each other then--and I mean, they REALLY helped each other! I don't think we'd do that today if we had another disaster like the Depression. I wish I had evidence to the contrary.
There are now SDhc (sd chips that are high capacity) that go to 8 GB. There is supposed to be a 16 GB model in the works. Lots of info could be stored then.The one I have uses SD chips and you can get them up to 2 gigs, that's a heck of a lot of storage. My GPS uses the same chip and I keep detailed maps of the lower 48, Canada and Northern Mexico. If the technology is there use it, doesn't mean we shouldn't still know how to read a map and use a compass.
I keep my hot water heater set hotter than most. I like hot showers.I found a very good article at this Web location: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=169860
Keeping the home hot water heater set very low could give rise to the growth of Legionnaire's Disease Bacteria (LDB). Of course, we've all been turning down the heat on our hot water heaters to save on energy bills.
I have also read that those shower heads that "atomize" the water present greater risk for your inhaling the bacteria. According to the article, some 80 percent of LDB infections come from sources other than large, institutional water heaters, plumbing systems or cooling towers. So that leaves . . . the home!
The "tankless" hot water heaters would seem to hold little risk of harboring LDB, and are also more economical to operate--although they cost much more than conventional hot water heaters.
This is one disease I do NOT want to get, as the mortality rates are quite high. In fact, the disease wasn't even really known until the 1970s. When no one had indoor plumbing, there wasn't much chance of LDB growing in your home. My grandparents' home in rural Alabama didn't have indoor plumbing--water was hauled from a well and boiled on a coal-burning stove. They did have electricity, which powered an ancient refrigerator and a radio usually tuned to barbershop quartets--but other than that, they basically lived like they had since the turn of the twentieth century.
I remember my mother and grandparents telling me how they lived during the Depression. People helped each other then--and I mean, they REALLY helped each other! I don't think we'd do that today if we had another disaster like the Depression. I wish I had evidence to the contrary.
The tankless hot water heaters are nice, maybe I'll try to get something like that in my next place (never hurts to have goals, right?)
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
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