A Look at My Stockpile/Food Storage/ 72 Hour Kit

So I decided to do a bit of a show and tell type post today. Couponers often call what I call food storage, a stockpile. This is just my shelf stable food, as I have lots of food in my fridge/freezer and chest freezer. I also have a stockpile of toiletries, but this is just about food storage. :-)

 Here's the bottom 3 rows of my kitchen pantry. Bottom row: Juice and soda, and overflow of chips. There also vinegar and baking soda back there that you can't see. Second row: canned tomato products (sauce, paste, diced), salsa, condiments, as well as some drink mixes (box milk, lemonade, chocolate, and hot chocolate). Top row: Canned veggies, snack overflow, and what you can't see is mac and cheese. Also some more condiments.

 Top three rows of the kitchen pantry. Bottom: Snacks and canned and dried fruit. This is where I keep nits, chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies, etc. Middle: Baking! And the peanut butter/jelly shelf, but those are baking foods too. There's various flours, canned milks, shortening, chocolate chips, and sugar. My all purpose flour isn't pictured, but that's because it's a big container in another place. Top: Breakfast. Cereals, granola bars, oatmeal, syrup

 This is one of my cabinets. Bottom shelf is snacks and toddler food. Middle is rice, pasta, couscous, bread crumbs, and seasoning mix. Top shelf is more baking! Generally the stuff in this cabinet is open.

 This is my newest addition. The bottom shelf is my no 10 cans. In those are things like rice, apple chips, beans, pasta, sugar, flour, even some pudding and fruit drink. The rest is just overflow from the other. Condiments, soups, veggies, fruit, and of course breakfast food. On top is the rest of a giant bag of brown rice I got (really cheap at Gordon Food Service), the rest of which is in other containers, but I couldn't find any more containers to fit the rest. To the left you'll notice two large buckets. They contain wheat.

This is my 72 hour kit. It's located in our bathroom linen closet. The reason for this is our safe room is the master walk-in closet right next to it. Those containers have wheels, so we can just wheel them. This is part of our water storage, we also have some two liters in the garage.In the containers are food, first aid, sanitary supplies, and other things that should be in your 72 hour kit. On top of those are a picnic kit that contains plates and such, and behind that is our document tool kit. That contains all important documents. We try to keep all of this together because if there is an evacuation ordered, we just want to be able to grab and go.

Hopefully this gives you a little insight, and is informative to you. I'm not quite to a year yet, but I'm working on it, but the important thing is to work toward it.

Water Storage- Great Resources

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Below are some great websites for information on water storage with an explanation as to what they share. I hope you will check them out.


Food and Water in an Emergency(pdf)- This is a publication put out by FEMA. It has a lot of concise to the point information on water storage, as well as information on many other emergency prep items.

Calculator- A great calculator for food storage, I believe it is only doing a two week supply of water.

Basic Guidelines- Some basic guidelines for water storage.

EPA- EPA's FAQ on all things water. You can search it for all sorts of info such as emergency water treatment and sources.

Emergency Essentials- One of many sites that sells commercial water storage equipment. You can find containers that are specifically made for long term water storage.

I will bookmark these in my favorite websites tab for future use. Hopefully you will find some use in them!

Water Storage- Purifying Water

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For whatever reason, you may find yourself at some time with the need to purify water. Remember that this should be used only in an absolute last resort, and that the best idea is to store an adequate amount of water for your family.

There are many ways water can be contaminated, so often the best way to purify water is by using more than one method. I will outline several methods below, and explain what they best eliminate.

Filtration

1. Using a coffee filter or layers of paper towels, pour water through.
2. Collect water in a bowl underneath.
3. Repeat several times.

Pros

-Filters out sediment and hard metals

-Easy

Cons

-Doesn't remove micro-organisms.

Boiling

1. In a large pot or kettle, bring water to a rolling boil.
2. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Let cool.
4. You may need to add oxygen back into the water. This can be done by passing the water back and forth between two clean containers.

Pros

-Kills most micro-organisms.

Cons

-Does not remove large particles, chemicals, or sediment. You will need to use filtration first.

-Requires a cooking source.

Chlorination

1. First, make sure you are using only regular household bleach. Do not use scented, colorsafe, or bleach with other cleaners. It is also recommended that you use a new bottle of bleach, as old opened bleach loses potency with time.
2. Add 16 drops (1/8 tsp) of bleach to 1 gallon of water.
3. Stir.
4. Let stand for 30 min.
5. The water should have a slight bleach odor. If it does not , repeat steps 1-3, and let stand for an additional 15 min.
6. If it still does not smell of bleach, discard the water, and find another water source.

Pros

-Kills most micro-organisms.

Cons

-Does not remove large particles, chemicals, or sediment. You will need to use filtration first.

-Concerns over potency of bleach over a few days.

Distillation

1. Fill a pot half-way with water.
2. Tie a cup (that will not melt) to the handle of the pot's lid. (See image below)
3. The cup should hang right-side up when the lid is upside down. Also, make sure the cup does not dangle in the water.
4. Boil the water for 20 min.
5. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

Pros

-Kills micro-organisms (more than boiling or chlorination).

-Removes heavy metals, salts, and sediment.

Cons

-Requires a cooking source.

-A little more labor intensive.

-May not produce a large quantity of water.

Hopefully, you will try out some of these methods now to become familiar with them. Next week, I will provide you with a list of great resources, so I hope you will return for that!

Water Storage- Finding Emergency Water Sources in Your Home

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A natural disaster takes out water to your house, you have water storage, but maybe not enough, or maybe you need water for non-drinking purposes. Here is a list of places around your home that you may be able to get water from in a pinch. Some of this water may also be used for drinking if proper precautions take place first, mainly shutting off the water supply to the house before any contamination occurs. If you are doubtful about the safety of the water, do not drink it.

• If you know there is a possibility you will lose access to running water (an approaching hurricane, for example) fill your bathtub, washer, sinks, and anything that can hold water with water. For the bathtub you may need to do some extra work and caulk the drain.
• The water heater! Make sure to turn off the water heater first, and then you should be able to drain it with a hose.
• In house filtration systems such as reverse osmosis or through refrigerators.
• Water remaining in pipes in the home. 
• Ice cubes (save this for after the first day or two)
• The tank on the toilet (not the bowl!). (This water should be purified before drinking or better yet used only for hygiene purposes)
• Swimming pools and hot tubs. (This should only be used for hygiene purposes, not for drinking!)

 Next week we will talk about how to purify water for use in an emergency.

Water Storage- Step Two: Bottling Your Own Water

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So now that we know the proper storage for water, let's talk about storing your own water. You have water in your house, so why not make water storage free (or very close to it)! Below are the steps to bottle your own water.

1. Choosing Storage Containers. Never use any container that has held chemicals or other hazardous material in it. Even if you think it has been cleaned very well, there is always the chance the chemicals are in the plastic. It is better to find other options. Never use glass or cardboard (such as OJ cartons) containers, glass breaks easily and cardboard does not seal well enough to keep out contaminants. Avoid the use of milk jugs (or any jug that looks like a milk jug) as they are brittle and break down quicker. They also don't seal as well.  However, you can use them as a short term solution until you can collect better containers. Choose soda bottles or other bottles of similar plastic such as juice bottles and sports drink bottles , or you can purchase commercially manufactured water storage containers (these are made specifically for long term water storage).
2. Cleaning the Container. Clean the container (including lid!) with soap and water, and thoroughly rinse it so that there is no soap residue left behind.
3. Sanitizing the Container. To sanitize the container, with a solution of 8-10 drops of chlorine bleach* in two cups water. Swish it around so it touches all surfaces, including the lid. Thoroughly rinse the container with fresh water. If you will be sanitizing many containers, you can also mix a tsp of bleach in a quart of water.
4. Filling the Container.  Fill with tap water all the way to the top. If you have commercially treated water, such as through a utility provider, you will not need to do anything else to it as your water has already been treated with chlorine. Skip to step 6. If you have water from a private water source, such as a well, you will need to treat your water continue on step 5.
5. Treating Your Water. Again, this step only applies to those who obtain water from water sources not commercially treated. To treat your water, add two drops of bleach to the water.
6. Sealing the Container. To seal the container simply replace the lid and screw it on tightly. Be sure not to touch the inside of the cap when handling it. (If you do, just clean it again.)
7. Labeling the Container. Label your container with the words "drinking water." 
8. Dating the Container. Date the container with the date that you bottled the water. This will help you with your rotation. (Remember to replace or use it within 6 months.)
9. Storing the Container. Store in a cool, dark place. 
10. Using the Water. Use as you normally do. Sometimes it will taste a little off, if this happens just pass the water back and forth between two containers. It usually is just in need of oxygen.

*The term bleach means non-scented liquid household bleach.

See how easy that is? I hope you will consider getting started on bottling your own water. Next week we will look at finding sources of water in your home.

Water Storage- Step One: Proper Storage Conditions

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You would think storing water is a no brainer, right? It's just water after all, but you would be wrong. The last thing you want to happen is to at the moment you need your water storage you find that it is somehow unusable. This is why I have chosen the actual storage of water to be the first task in water storage, even before you have any water to store! So I figured the best way to discuss this is with a little bit of Do's and Don'ts.

• Don't store water in direct sunlight.
• Do store water in a cool, dry, place.
• Don't continue to store commercially bottled water after its expiration date. The water does not expire, but this is the date when the bottle will start to break down.
• Do rotate trough commercially bottled water to avoid tossing water out.
• Don't open commercially bottled water until you intend to use it.
• Do consider storing water in your freezer as it can serve several purposes. First, a full freezer runs more efficiently saving you money. Second, during a power outage the frozen water bottles will help keep food cold for a long period. Third, it will keep water safe for use.
• Don't use the wrong type of bottle for storing water. Containers from toxic materials and milk jugs are bad choices. There will be more on storing your own water next week.
• Do use any water you bottle your self with in 6 months.
• Don't forget to date your water. If you store it yourself write it on the container, if it comes from the store write the expiration date larger or write the date you bought it if you cannot find a date. 
• Don't use glass bottles to store water in as they are easily breakable
• Do be creative in storing your water. Some great places to store it are under beds, in closets, under other furniture, in cabinets, in drawers, in your basement or garage (as long as it meets the cool, dry place guidelines), or even turn it into a piece of furniture if you are really creative. Add shelves to pantries or deep closets, or even shelves behind where your clothes hang in your closet.
• Do think of water storage as a priority rather than an inconvenience. This will make it easier for you to stay motivated and find places to store your goods. This statement also stands true for food storage.

I hope that gets you thinking about where to store it. Hopefully you have some water stored already in your 72 hour kit, but if not next week I will teach you how to store your own water, which is so simple to do. 

Intro to Storing Water

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Why do I need to store water?
One of the most often forgotten aspects of food storage is the storage of water. We as humans need water to survive. There are several reasons why you may need access to water storage. One example is when a water source becomes contaminated, this often happens in an area after a natural disaster. 

How much water do I need?
Minimum storage guidelines are one gallon per person per day. This guideline is just for cooking and drinking, it doesn't include other uses such as personal hygiene and sanitation needs. It also doesn't account for special needs such as nursing or pregnant mothers, infants who need formula, etc.

Where will I store that much water? 
Just like with food storage there are shorter and longer term water storage ideas. However, with water storage you can also find water in surprising places for hygiene and sanitation needs. It's also not just storing water, but learning how to purify water for usage. Also, like food storage, you can get creative in your storage methods.

I have no idea how to do any of those things, what should I do?
Keep checking back here as I continue in this series on storing water. We'll look at bottling water for drinking, accessing water for hygiene and sanitation, purifying water, and proper storage of water. So please check back to learn all about it. It's surprisingly easy. For now, make sure you have enough water in your 72 hour kit.