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Having 1 gallon of potable water stored per person per day for at least two weeks is the absolute minimum that any of us should have. I've only had short-term water disruptions as a renter over the past 10 years, but now that I'm buying a house and can't just call the landlord if the water is out and I get really thirsty--or if there's a major municipal water disruption that causes a run on the water supply at Walmart--you're going to be in really bad shape if you don't have water stored at home. Remember this story?

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7000 ... .html?pg=1

Stack up cases in an unused corner of a closet or in other little-used spaces in your home if you have to. Don't worry if it seems "weird" to put cases of water in places where people who'd think it's weird would never look in the first place. If water shortages can happen in a major city such as Boston, they can happen anywhere.

I was thinking of putting 20 or so cases of the little bottles in my basement. Now I'm wondering if I should put the 5gal HD or Lowes ones there instead.
Thoughts?

misteroman wrote:I was thinking of putting 20 or so cases of the little bottles in my basement. Now I'm wondering if I should put the 5gal HD or Lowes ones there instead.
Thoughts?

Personally, I prefer the cases of half-liter bottles that are about $4 a case for 30 bottles at Sam's Club. If you need to grab water and go, it's going to be pretty hard carrying around a 5-gallon bottle.

Nickelless, you haven't figured out how to dehydrate your water yet, hehe? If only....

Deal

Unlimited amounts.....I have water being piped into my house.

Joking aside....water is no concern. SHTF......I am two minutes (walk) from a trout stream. If they can live in it, I can drink it.

NotABigDeal wrote:Nickelless, you haven't figured out how to dehydrate your water yet, hehe? If only....

Deal

As a matter of fact, Deal, I HAVE figured out how to dehydrate water. The problem is finding the water to add to it.

Rodebaugh wrote:I am two minutes (walk) from a trout stream. If they can live in it, I can drink it.

Do you realize what fish DO in that stream??

Heck If I can get a water from a trout stream, the largest source of fresh water in the world is 30ft behind my house!. Guess I'm fine now

I keep a minimum of 30 gallons on hand at any given time. A few cases of the standard bottles, and the rest are in those 6 pack gallon cases from costco, 6 gallons for $4.99 is more cost effective than 3.5 gallons for $5.49 in the standard bottle cases.

we actually experienced a "wshtf scenerio" with hurricane Ike...to be prepared I had a 275 gal tote tank in the back yard along with a 500 gallon spa for non-potable use and we stock about ten cases of the small water bottles. Our municipal water system purchased large generators for each pumping station just before hurricane Ike hit, what foresight. The only utility working was our water system we never lost pressure so the lack of water, I think, will not be a problem for wshtf for us. I am looking at a whole house water filtration unit...will pull the trigger on that purchase soon, not for a "wshtf" but for peace of mind and body. Everyone should have drinking water stored for use...it does not go bad as long as you keep the container sealed. Rotate your stock so your water supply doesn't get to old.

misteroman wrote:Heck If I can get a water from a trout stream, the largest source of fresh water in the world is 30ft behind my house!. Guess I'm fine now

Polar ice caps?

Rodebaugh wrote:

misteroman wrote:Heck If I can get a water from a trout stream, the largest source of fresh water in the world is 30ft behind my house!. Guess I'm fine now

Polar ice caps?

What polar ice caps, silly? Haven't you been listening to Al Gore?

Nickelless wrote:

Rodebaugh wrote:

misteroman wrote:Heck If I can get a water from a trout stream, the largest source of fresh water in the world is 30ft behind my house!. Guess I'm fine now

Polar ice caps?

What polar ice caps, silly? Haven't you been listening to Al Gore?

Spot on!

Rodebaugh wrote:Unlimited amounts.....I have water being piped into my house.

Joking aside....water is no concern. SHTF......I am two minutes (walk) from a trout stream. If they can live in it, I can drink it.

I don't know if it was a scare tactic, but when I went through SERE in the AF they really make a big deal out of drinking from streams, no matter how clean the water seems. Mammal crap, particularly Beavers can transmit a disease that you can never get rid of. I think it was called giardia. We all carried iodine tablets, fill your canteen and drop an iodine tab and all is good..except the taste of the water.

Thogey wrote:

Rodebaugh wrote:Unlimited amounts.....I have water being piped into my house.

Joking aside....water is no concern. SHTF......I am two minutes (walk) from a trout stream. If they can live in it, I can drink it.

I don't know if it was a scare tactic, but when I went through SERE in the AF they really make a big deal out of drinking from streams, no matter how clean the water seems. Mammal crap, particularly Beavers can transmit a disease that you can never get rid of. I think it was called giardia. We all carried iodine tablets, fill your canteen and drop an iodine tab and all is good..except the taste of the water.

Thats right! I am...or was a parasite nut in undergrade.

Giardiasis is the disease the cool little protozoa Sci-name Giardia lamblia causes. (he looks like a cool voodo mask under a slide)

AKA-Beaver fever. Beavers are known common carriers of the parasite..... and as we all know they live and drop deuces in the stream all day.

Nice work man…2 points for theogy

And he immediately regurgitated the Latin name of the bug, amazing!

Man, you remind me of that guy on Magnum PI, Higgins, do you remember that character? You got to be too young for that one.

Watch, Chis will come back with Higgins SSAN DOB etc.

You really are the go to guy around here.

Thogey wrote:And he immediately regurgitated the Latin name of the bug, amazing!

Man, you remind me of that guy on Magnum PI, Higgins, do you remember that character? You got to be too young for that one.

Watch, Chis will come back with Higgins SSAN DOB etc.

You really are the go to guy around here.

Not real sure who Higgins is.....I might have been into samurai turtles and a talking sensei rat at that point in my life.

Nun the less Thanks for the complement.

I was thinking the same thing about the ice caps when I typed it. and thought the same thing that they are all gone lol

I have 10 gallons minimum. I also have 2 barrels i need to fill: they'll give me 70 gallons. That's 2 weeks worth. as it is i only have 2 days worth.

A backpacker's water filter and/or UV SteriPen takes up a lot less space than a pallet load of bottled water from Sam's Club.

http://www.rei.com/product/695265

http://www.rei.com/product/784449

I keep a few gallons, but I do have a plenty of water sources close to me and a good filtration system, so I think I would be OK. I have seen and considered getting one of these:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP205-1.html

It sounds like a decent idea and you can put up to 100 gallons in it, it comes with a pump and it's only $20.

My daughter has a 1,000 gallon cistern. My sister has one even bigger (she uses it for flush water). Both collect rainwater.

Me? I got nuthin'! I need to buy a bigger place so I can build a basement with three feet of dirt on top of it and a nice rainwater cistern to draw from. Someday, I'll get there.

Here is a book with some great ideas. http://www.oism.org/nwss/

Just added a few more gallons. 3 liter bottles of lime-lemon soda are helpful. Even when they go flat they are useful for upset stomaches.

I've always got about 20 gallons on hand - just 2 of us here.

I do plan to increase that in the near future though.............

we always have 10-20 gallons in the big jugs and at least 2 cases of bottled water and around 3 cases of soda on hand.
We are also on a well, not city water so I think we could make it last a while if we had to.

Theres a water distiller you can buy out of canada, that uses ANY heat source even a fire. I have one it works well. Word of advice though, waterwise out of U.S. has one to, waterwise 4000 I think.... DO NOT buy that one. It is junk. The other one is much much better designed. Ive used it for 3 years, for all our drinking water. the waterwise broke 3 times. they do have a lifetime replacement, and did repeatedly send me the part that is the weak link in their system, but why bother? They are about the same price.