Missouri Firearms & Guns

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Water: The Basic Element

Preparation Survival

The basic element to any survival plan is water.  It is recommended that a person have an intake of 64 oz. (8 x 8 oz. glasses) of water per day.  In a survival situation this can easily be cut in half for a short period of time but, to stay in proper condition, this amount should at least be met in part.

In previous times this meant finding and staying near a source of water like a stream or river but, in today’s society it becomes more complicated than that.  Today we do not have the luxury of a fresh source of water and 75% of us in America depend on water from a municipal source that is delivered to our faucet.

No matter where you live and no matter whether your water source is municipal or a well, there is water stored all around for you.  The water that Americans waste on a daily basis is staggering and most, if not all of that waste can be used for hydration.

Many sources of emergency water are already stored for you.  The first is your water-heater.  As much as 30-50 gallons of clean drinking water is stored in your house right now!  A 50 gallon water heater stores enough drinking water for a family of four to drink for almost 2 weeks.  Even with limited bathing and flushing you will still have a weeks’ worth.  This water is easily accessible and stored for you in a clean and safe place.  One consideration though; find your shut off valve for the water heater.  If the water lines to your house go dry this could cause a reverse flow and drain most if not all of your water back out of your house.  To solve this problem, find and mark all water shut-offs to your house.  Buying and installing water shut-offs near your water heater would cost $5-10 and take just a couple of hours on your weekend.  This could prevent backflow and save a lot of worry later.

Many other places in your house could be storing water for you right now.  The tank on your toilets will hold 1-3 gallons apiece.   How about your water bed?  Hot Tub or pool?  Do you own a water softener or water-filtration system?  These places tend to store water when not in use.  I know what you are thinking, “I’m not drinking that water!”.  You’re right, but much of that water can be used to flush stools, spot-baths, etc.  The water stored in these areas can also be used for drinking in an emergency provided that you boil it first.  Bringing water to a boil for five-minutes will kill most harmful organisms and germs.

Another place to look for water in an emergency is in canned fruits and vegetables.  Most vegetables and fruits are packed in water or syrup and most of this water is just poured down the drain.  In an emergency there can be many precious ounces of water here just waiting to be used for hydration, caution should be used with water from this source.  It should only be used to supplement your water intake due to the sodium and sugar content.  Excess salt or sugar could increase your thirst causing you to use you limited resources faster.

We’ve covered how to make use of the water stored in your house already but, what about those of you who want to be prepared?  You want to store your own water.  The first and easiest way is of course to buy bottled water.  You can purchase this water at the store in various sizes and brands and they currently cost between $.50-0.99 per gallon.  There are also vacuum-packed water containers used by campers and hikers that can be bought at most outdoor stores.  These have a very long shelf-life (some as much as 10 years), but tend to be very expensive per gallon.  You can also purchase water privately from most water-delivery services for a substantial savings over other types of pre-packaged water.

The least expensive way of having bottled-water handy, is to do it yourself.  You can store your own water for up to six months or more by bottling it yourself.

Find and clean containers with a tight screw on lid (2-liter bottles work well). These containers can then be filled with water and stored for up to six months without rotating.  When filling these containers, be sure to fill them all the way to the top to prevent any air apace.  Remember that tap water is already treated and does not require any further treatment for storage. If the quality of the water is questionable, you can treat it by boiling for 3-5 minutes or using bleach at a rate of 6-10 drops per gallon.

You can also improve the taste of stored water by putting air back into it.  This can be done by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers.

Remember, in a survival situation, you can only go three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, and only three days without water.  Plan ahead and don’t get surprised or thirsty.

Article by Mike Cantrell ( mike.nighthawk@hotmail.com )