Welcome ward friends and others intrested in emergency preparedness, after much study and research on the topic, I have come to the conclusion that the topic is very confusing, unclear, and overwhelming. In creating this blog I hope this will be a helpful and easy way to prepared for future emergencies in just one year. The monthly post will focus on what to buy, study, and do along with helpful links and suggestions. I hope you enjoy it.

June

"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. As all of you recognize this counsel is not new. But I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all. Begin in a small way, my brethren and gradually build toward a reasonable objective." -President Gordon B. Hinckley.

72-Hour Kit Recommendations: small tent, or tube tents, (with nylon rope)*, sleeping bag (with straps) & ground pad, wool blanket (keep you warm even when wet), and rescue blanket* (small reflective type).

*Items should not be stored in child's pack.



Food Item Suggestion: 25-50 gallons of water per person.

One can live without water for 2-3 days while live without food about three weeks. In my opinion, water is the most important thing to have on hand. If you don't have water how are you going to cook your food?

Macey's sells the 55 gallon drum always at a discounted price of $46.99 but if there are enough people that want them they might be able to give us a bigger discount of around $42-$39. Please email me at amrt49@yahoo.com if you want a group discount and state how many you wish to buy.



Assignment: Learn about water storage and purification.

My recommendation: Buy several different types of water containers (food-grade but not milk jugs), some are more economical while others are easy to carry. The cheapest and easiest way to purify water is with pool supply bleach granules. It will not leach out of it's container like liquid bleach and is easy to store.

Kary Mikesell teaches how much water you may need to store, where to store it, containers to buy, and how to treat the water. Watch his video at: http://frostcpr.com/Lrn_Videos_Waterstorage.html

Conner Boyack goes into detail about various water containers and their pros and cons, plus the cost per gallon. Also discussed are different purificaiton methods. Read this at http://connorboyack.com/drop/water.pdf

A special thanks to the many people who have helped me with this blog and post, Shanna Barnhisel, Brian Rice, Rachel Rice, Jeremy Moyes, Connor Boyack, Charles Tiberius, and Diana Rice. The have been priceless to me in this effort.

WATER STORAGE

Store a two week supply of water for each member of your family (14 gallons per person).
Store 64 ounces per person in 72 hour emergency kits.
STORING WATER:
Purchase water (for emergency storage) only in containers with the “PET” or “PETE” (#1 recycling symbol). Check the expiration date on the bottles. Store water only in food grade containers. Do not use milk containers. If possible, use containers that are BPA (a harmful chemical) free. You can sanitize containers (e.g. empty juice bottles) by using a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to each quart or liter of water. Make sure you sanitize the lid as well. Empty the sanitizing solution and fill with clean water. Empty and refill stored water at least yearly.
Stored water will loose oxygen and taste flat. Pour water from one clean container to another to re-oxygenate.

PURIFYING WATER:
Boiling: The safest method. Boil for 5 minutes at sea level; add 1 minute for each additional 1000 feet above sea level. Boiling does not destroy radioactivity or remove chemicals. Boiled water may taste “flat.” See above instructions to re-oxygenate.
Bleach Method: Any household bleach solution that contains hypochlorite as its only active ingredient will purify water. Bleach solutions with 5.2% sodium hypochlorite are most common (check bleach expiration date). Add 8 drops of bleach to one gallon of clear water and 16 drops to bleach to one gallon of cloudy water. Use only regular (not ultra) bleach that has no added fragrances.
Filters: There are a number of filters on the market. Filters can also reduce and/or remove chemicals. Make sure it can filter to at least .2 microns to remove giardia and cryptosporidium. The Lifesaver brand will filter out viruses as well. It will filter to .015 microns (considerably smaller than most portable systems).
MIOX method: Used by the military. Uses salt to make mixed oxidants which inactivate organisms. A small unit can treat a lot of water. It will take up to 4 hours to eliminate all microorganisms. Store extra batteries.
Ultra violet light method: UV light can be used to inactivate organisms. The SteriPEN from Emergency Essentials is such a devise. It will inactivate all organisms including giardia and cryptosporidium. Water must be very clear or the light will not be able to get to all the microorganisms. It works very fast as apposed to the MIOX. Water treated this way must be completely free of debris. If you choose this method, stir the UV pen around in the water to make sure all the molecules have been treated and have not been shaded by debris.
Iodine method: Ordinary household 2% tincture of iodine can be used to purify small amounts of water. Add 3 drops of tincture of iodine to each quart of clear water, 6 drops for a cloudy quart. Be sure family members are NOT allergic to iodine.
Because it is impractical to store a year’s supply of water in most places, it may be wise to store water purifying agents. There are a number available on the market. A pinch of salt can improve the taste of treated water.