[-]

WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit

Water. Diversity is key: - Case of water in yer car trunk - 70 gallons for 2 person-weeks at home, say in 1-7 gallon jugs, to cover typical suburban conserved drink, cook, wash, and flush needs - Blue, used, food-grade, 55 gallon barrels (~$15) sanitized w/ pool shock.
- Rotate all above yearly. - Bathtub, trash bins, sinks, or other large, hasty-tap-filled containers - Local, bulk source (stream, lake, swimming pool, well, rain collectors - Sawyer filter w/ Micropur tablets backup (or similar combo, see: - https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-backpacking-water-filter - https://www.wideners.com/blog/water-filter-tests-for-survival - To really get into this, watch GearSkeptic on YouTube

[-]

FlapDoodle-Badger@reddit

What if your car is in the hot sun every day? Is it safe to leave a case of water in your car all the time?

[-]

JFlash7@reddit

All plastics leach with heat and time. In an emergency you probably aren’t going to care about chemicals but personally I wouldn’t want to rotate it into my daily diet.

I have Tritan gallon jugs and use the water for non drinking purposes when I do rotate.

[-]

flortny@reddit

All plastics leach immediately, had friend work for water testing lab and when they started testing for phtalates the company sent out a memo saying the samples couldn't touch ANY plastic, as soon as they touch plastic the sample is contaminated, ergo, it starts leaching immediately.

[-]

vintage_neurotic@reddit

Wow. Thanks for this.

[-]

majesticalexis@reddit

I have a lifestraw pitcher. It filters microplastics. I plan on filtering my stored bottles if it comes to that.

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Old_Woman_Gardner@reddit

Okay. I got all excited about this and went to look it up. I am curious though. How can it filter microplastics when it is made out of plastic?

[-]

majesticalexis@reddit

I don't know. I know that independent testing shows it removes 99.99% of microplastics from water.

[-]

TVinLB@reddit

I’ve got six of those Tritan jugs for the car…

[-]

SuburbanSubversive@reddit

We also live in a warm climate and Im trying to get away from plastic where possible. I have picked up several steel-walled water bottles over the years, fill them with tap water (which is chlorinated in my area) and keep them in an organizer in my trunk. Every month I pull them out, water the plants with the water, then run them through the dishwasher, refill & pop them back in the car.

[-]

eyepoker4ever@reddit

I wonder about the constant hot and cold cycles introduced by the dishwasher. I hand wash mine. Steel thermos have welds I think... Don't want a seam to open up to allow weld lead into the water... But, I'm not 100% certain on how they are made, erring on caution.

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SuburbanSubversive@reddit

I re-read my comment and realized I'd neglected to say that these are single-walled stainless steel bottles, so there's minimal risk as they're designed to go in the dishwasher. And because they are single-walled they can also be put directly on a fire, grill or stove to heat the water inside, if necessary.

[-]

eyepoker4ever@reddit

Gotcha, no worries, carry on.

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AggravatingSpeed6839@reddit

You can also buy canned water. I did this because we did use the "emergency" water somewhat regularly. And while mircoplastics are probably OK in small amounts it's not something I want in my body if I can avoid it. I personally like the brand still water, because it has a screw cap.

Warning in freezing temps they can explode. Learned that the hard way.

[-]

Retirednypd@reddit

If the world gets that bad, the last worry will be microplastics

[-]

PlantoneOG@reddit

Any "Canned" beverage in metal has a plastic internal liner on it. How do you think your Coca-Cola/Pepsi doesn't end up tasting like metal? Or that bottled water in a can you enjoy so much.

This also applies to most of the canned foods that you have in your cupboard those have a- supposedly bpa-free- plastic liner on them as well

theMoreYouKnow

[-]

nikdahl@reddit

They do make canned water with bpa free linings, as well as boxed water.

Bpa isn’t the entire problem, of course, but poses a significant portion of the problem with plastics.

[-]

PlantoneOG@reddit

Yup. And most bottled water in general is in BPA free plastic

But even bpa free lined metal containers - it's still plastic lined.

My point was more that nobody worries about plastic Linings in their canned food for long-term storage. Along with pointing out that canned water is still plastic lined- but everybody panics about regular old bottled water.

[-]

AggravatingSpeed6839@reddit

UV light is part of what causes the plastic degradation which is more of a problem in a car. The aluminum won't allow any UV light through.

Best option would definitely just be to bring water in a stainless steel container.

But canned water still seems lie the lesser of two evils.

[-]

PlantoneOG@reddit

Op comment in this sub thread was about "in the trunk"

And the primary concern addressed was heat.

Not disagreeing that uv exposure increases the speed of degradation. But even without uv exposure yiu can still taste the difference in bottled water stored in hot/cold varying environments.

I used to leave bottled water out in our deer blinds (wooden, enclosed, with plexiglass windows - which act as UV filters) in areas where uv was absolutely minimized - like on a high shelf, or on the floor below a shelf behind tote in the corner - areas that even in broad daylight get zero direct sun exposure, and very little ambient light).

After a full year in those conditions.... yuck. Reserved for hand washing only.

[-]

After-Leopard@reddit

I leave some water in my trunk in the summer but then use it to water plants when I rotate it out. I also keep a water filter (sawyer squeeze) so I can use the water bottle to make more water clean.

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LePetitRenardRoux@reddit

Idk if this is good or not, but I have an old handle of vodka in my car that is filled with water. It was the only non plastic water container I could find.

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christianbn@reddit

Hope you don't think those pallets of water are delivered and stored in refrigerators. I've unloaded pallets from semis in arizona, and they have been hot to the touch.

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WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit

Just drink it

Folks in hot AZ can / should drink a case faster than in AK

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fattest-fatwa@reddit

It’s “safe”. But the water will smell like plastic when you need to use it.

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KnitSocksHardRocks@reddit

Do not put a case of water in your car the temperature will go below freezing. Half will bust and leak all over. Canned drinks will explode and spray everywhere.

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Additional_Insect_44@reddit

If you wrap it in a blanket it should help a lot.

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myself248@reddit

I keep a case of Capri Sun under the seat. They don't burst when they freeze, and they don't get super hot in the summer. Still rotate any unused ones seasonally though.

Yeah there's lifeboat water pouches, but those aren't on the shelf at my local store every single day. Plus these have calories in 'em.

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WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit

https://lookslikehomemade.com/frozen-water-bottles-to-drink-on-roadtrips-no-more-soggy-cooler-food/

[-]

KnitSocksHardRocks@reddit

Your average plastic bottle doesn’t hold up. I have forgotten a case in my car during winter. 3 of 12 busted overnight. I leave a case in my heated entry closet instead.

Add repeat freeze and thaw cycle it will destroy them.

[-]

issazane216@reddit

There’s water in Mylar pouches that are good for emergency car storage, a bit pricey for what it is but water is a need. Lasts for 5 years, or forever imo it’s water in Mylar it really doesn’t expire but they have to put that date.

[-]

jdthejerk@reddit

I fill and rotate 10 5 gallong water bottles. Plus, I do have a flowing spring in my backyard.

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alex18126@reddit

Canned water is the best for the car.

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eyepoker4ever@reddit

Case of water in the car trunk is subject to the summer heat. I don't think I'd like to be drinking water that's been trunk-baked for God knows how long. I suppose it's moot if you plan to put it through some kind of filtration system.

[-]

WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit

Just like yer Deep Pantry, rotate

In this case it easy… drink. Every one need to hydrate. Then buy another case.

Obviously, in AZ you drink more faster than in AK

[-]

Liveitup1999@reddit

Buy an above ground pool 24ft x 52" = about 15,000 gallons of water. A katadyn pocket water filter will filter about 13,000 gallons.

[-]

clementineford@reddit

I've noticed that Americans seem to under-do their water preps.

Don't bother hoarding gallon jugs around your bedroom lmao. (Unless you live in an apartment).

Here in Australia it's common to have at least a 2000L rainwater tank attached to your downpipes even in suburban areas.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

Believe it or not there are many places in the US where capturing water is unlawful. Crazy- but true.

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Steamed_Memes24@reddit

This is heavily misunderstood. Yes, there laws that state you cant collect rain water, but most if not all of them simply state you cant have giant industrial sized barrels collecting hundreds upon hundreds of gallons. The reason why is because this completely screws up the local ecosystem and drains the water tables within the land thats crucial for the environment and other people near by.

You are totally allowed to have a simple barrel to collect rain water, just dont go full industrial storage mode and you will be fine.

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Weird-Grocery6931@reddit

I choose to go full industrial mode.

The local ecosystem was screwed up when my house was built in it. My asphalt shingles demanded by local code puts petroleum distillates into the ground water, but no one seems to care about that.

My home is mine, and not part of a community biodome. The rain from the sky is mine as it falls into the area I am taxed to own.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

True. But the collection of water for drinking purposes in large cisterns for drinking or in house purposes, is exactly what IS regulated or requires permits in many places. Colorado will allow a rain barrel or two but more than that is either forbidden or requires permitting.

If the water tables weren't being screwed up by big business, corporate farming and changing weather patterns- I would be less annoyed at States/counties restricting water collection by individuals.

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One_Toe1452@reddit

Yep, I have two 55-gallon rainwater catchment barrels here in CO. But, I also have an in-ground pool. The water laws here are ancient and arcane. Guaranteed to get even weirder as the west continues to dry out and grow in population.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

I have one rain barrel for my close garden right now, and we are in a place that has generally been pretty lenient about small capture systems. We have an above ground pool and a stream in our backyard. Unfortunately, we have increasing drought, and the stream tends to dry to a trickle some years as hot weather drags on.

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ShadeTreeMechanic512@reddit

Here’s an example

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GrouchyAnnual2810@reddit

Wowza

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F6Collections@reddit

Actually it’s very rare there are laws against it and this is an oft repeated meme in this sub.

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fnord72@reddit

In Arizona, rainwater harvesting is legal and even encouraged, with no state-level regulations or laws against it; however, some cities and towns offer incentives for rainwater harvesting systems.

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Vast-Fortune-1583@reddit

These are the states that regulate rain water collection. You're right it's not many, but it really should be none. I do see NY is not on the list. But the county I lived in for many years did not allow for the collection of rain water. It's just weird that any state regulates this.

Arkansas California Colorado Georgia Illinois Nevada Texas Utah Washington

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Pegleg105@reddit

Keep your collection to yourself. Less problems if you do this. Plus if others know and they need water they will come and take yours by force if necessary.

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F6Collections@reddit

Regulation is different than not allowing.

Also I live in one of the states you mentioned and almost all my neighbors have giant tanks lol

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natalie_beth@reddit

California made this explicitly LEGAL with the rainwater capture act of 2012. You CAN collect rainwater from rooftops AND addition of catchment systems and infrastructure CANNOT be used to recalculate your property tax. (IANAL, but I live in CA and have read the act - you can too)

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Vast-Fortune-1583@reddit

Well, it was one of the states on the list when I Googled states rainwater harvesting illegal. Maybe that list was outdated. Glad the state changed.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

The kind of cistern OP is talking about is not allowed in many places, whether by city and zoning, or state code permit requirements. I am not talking about a rain barrel.

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F6Collections@reddit

Doubt

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NikkiPoooo@reddit

Michigan not only doesn't have any restrictions on rainwater collection, many counties offer tax rebates or other incentives for installing a collection system. My city was practically giving rain barrel systems away last year... $60, or $30 for lower income people.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

That's great! Wish they were promoted here more.

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damn_van@reddit

I don’t think you correct.

https://www.bluebarrelsystems.com/blog/mythbusters-are-rain-barrels-illegal/

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CharleyDawg@reddit

For the umpteenth time... I am not talking about rain barrels. OP referenced a 2000 L cistern.

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Particular_Bet_5466@reddit

Yeah I was actually just reading about this being illegal in Colorado due to the complex water rights but sounds like it is now legal.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

If it changed that would be good.

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Particular_Bet_5466@reddit

My understanding is that it did, that’s how I learned it was even illegal in the first place. I just saw that article yesterday. Water in Colorado is limited to a degree and huge investments are made into reservoirs and where the water is divided up, so I could see how people gathering tons of rainwater specifically in the mountains could possibly have been an issue but then again I can’t imagine it’s THAT much water unless everyone is gathering massive amounts. Where most people live (5 million of the less than 6mil total) is the front range which is generally in suburbs on small plots of land that barely get any water. It didn’t rain or snow the entire month of March at my house until this weekend, there wouldn’t even be that much water to collect and if we did our yard and garden would just be dead without counterintuitively using water to water it. So that’s wasting limited water there. But I guess then we’d have a backup reservoir of water.

It’s very fragile ecosystem, prone to wildfires, and water from our state is used by most of the southwest. But again I don’t see how some people collecting rainwater would have much affect on it, which is maybe why they repealed it. I haven’t looked into it.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

I haven't had any reason to pay attention to Colorado for a while. I had a relative there for a while, and several years ago they were very frustrated with the prohibition against a decent sized water collection system.

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Definitelymostlikely@reddit

Australia has a population of like 50 people.

USA has enough people densely packed in specific areas where too many people collecting rain water could negatively impact the environment and water supplies

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clementineford@reddit

The density of Sydney/Melbourne is identical to similar urban sprawls anywhere in the US.

Urban areas are never in the catchment areas of municipal water supply dams so I doubt that's the real reason.

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Definitelymostlikely@reddit

I just googled Sydney and it’s nowhere near bigger American cities. It’s nowhere near many rural towns in the USA

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clementineford@reddit

Keep working on your googling skills brother. Sydney has a population of 5.5M

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lightgrains@reddit

It’s more like 53 these days

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middlebill@reddit

Sorry, it's 52. Old Charlie Hutchins died last night. I'm gonna miss the ole guy...

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lightgrains@reddit

Poor Charlie. He will be missed.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

That is true in some places in the US, absolutely. But there are a lot of places that forbid water collection where it is nonsensical.

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Definitelymostlikely@reddit

Are you referring to places that outright forbid it or places you just need to get a permit ?

Because even states like Nevada allow collection and that’s a literal desert.

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AVdev@reddit

It has to do with watershed and the idea that resources are to be shared with all.

Oh, and the water treatment industry needs its cut.

One or the other.

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Jumpy-Exercise-4685@reddit

“Many” is an overt statement. Some places have requirements that need to be met, a few require permits, I think pretty much only colorado makes it difficult.

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livestrong2109@reddit

Yeah, that should be a constitutional right. Personally I'd hide a cistern and keep very quiet.

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clementineford@reddit

Crazy. If I lived in an area like that I think it would still be prudent to have a tank and the plumbing parts required to immediately set up a rainwater system if the grid did go down.

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CharleyDawg@reddit

Me too- but I don't live in those places either. I looked for property where we could collect rainwater.

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Reasonable-Wave5819@reddit

Absolutely. And I have a water filtration and uv light water sterization system for all rainwater coming into the house. Just in case there are any dead animals up on the roof. I'm in Australia too. 😊

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Odd-Examination9037@reddit

I have two rain barrels, but for irrigation only because of all the raccoon poop on my roof

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Natahada@reddit

Some locations in the US have laws banning rain water collection or severe limits.

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SheChelsSeaShells@reddit

What if you live in the desert where there is no rain 😅

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SuburbanSubversive@reddit

No rain ever is pretty rare. Most deserts get some rain occasionally. The average roof sheds hundreds to thousands of gallons of water with just one inch of rainfall.

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Glad-Cow-5309@reddit

American here, we have (2) 2,500 gal water tanks.

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raiznhel1@reddit

Yep, it seems like that, and the need to treat to within an inch of its life 😄

I’m in rural NSW and have 5000lts on the shed in town and 35000lts on the property out of town, not counting the tanks for the livestock troughs pumped from the river.

It’s never been treated and several generations have turned out (kinda) alright off the property, just need to clean the intakes regularly.

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Soft-Ad-8821@reddit

Go to a thrift store and look for containers probably find some glass growlers for water storage

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stoneyriver@reddit

When we built, I got a great deal on water tanks. I’ve installed 27,000 gallons of tank capacity. I have far, far more water stored in dams (ponds) that I gravity feed to troughs for my cattle. You can never have too much water.

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CopperRose17@reddit

I added items to my medical kit. I added syringes to irrigate wounds, s-rolled gauze, a trauma bandage with a pressure cup, chest vents, a folding splint, The Survival Medicine book, and emergency whistles for two family members. Building an emergency medical kit has been a challenge for me. Now, I have to learn how to use the supplies. :)

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kingofhearts778@reddit

Yea trust me, as a thoracic surgeon, you don’t want the first time you figure out chest kits to be when the trauma is happening.

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WOOKIExCOOKIES@reddit

If you can’t get to a hospital, does it even matter? I imagine a wound requiring a chest seal won’t heal on its own.

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Legitimate-Article50@reddit

You can if you can create a bit of negative chest pressure. It super basic. Also you can use 2 bottles of water and a hose to create an environment to create a decent pressure and allow the lung to heal provided the hole is not gaping.

If it’s gaping I wish you all the best

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Babzibaum@reddit

Got a YouTube link to this? It might come in handy.

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CopperRose17@reddit

Believe me, I'm not dumb enough to even try unless there was no other help available. I live in a place with poor medical care, and not much of it. When someone is very sick or injured, they are stabilized, and taken to a city with people like thoracic surgeons for treatment. That's in the best of times. I hate to think what might happen if things here fell apart, for whatever reason. Maybe paramedics would still be around. I really hope so. If my family got injured or sick there might only be me. I had a medical problem between Christmas and New Year's, and the local hospital couldn't find a qualified facility in a 400 mile radius that would accept transfers. Sigh. That's the current state of medical care in a lot of rural areas.

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dunnylogs@reddit

Got a 3500 gallon tank today. Yall are laggin

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OakieMcDoakie@reddit

This week, I finished buying my 90 day supply of food. (Bought most last week and just had to get a few extras.) 3500 kcal / day (50/15/30) for $425. Does require some cooking, but that's not a problem for me with my home setup.

I'm using a deep pantry style method in the sense that it's all stuff I eat anyway and will cycle through. It's a boring selection–whole and nonfat powdered milk, macaroni, rice, canned chicken, peanut butter, olive oil—but it'll carry me through. (No beans because I'm not a fan.) I wanted to "get 'er done" with the tariffs being introduced, and possible inflation to follow. I can get fancy later with more diversity, spices, etc.

Here's a spreadsheet with the details you're interested: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ljEzDJ33ncCHrqYrJNRbQ3NHaoZLyBAEe2Isp8b5Bk0/edit?usp=sharing

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SandiegoJack@reddit

I have a stream within 150 yards.

I invested in 3 years worth of water filters

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GrouchyAnnual2810@reddit

What if someone blocks off your stream up the way?

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PrepperBoi@reddit

That’s what the 30k rounds of 5.56 are for.

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GrouchyAnnual2810@reddit

Wahoo . My kind of neighbor😁

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Only a prick blocks water access to others. It would have been done so intentionally

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21BoomCBTENGR@reddit

This. I invested in a homestead with easy access to water year round. I have filters in storage, not water.

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lostndark@reddit

Which filters do you store?

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21BoomCBTENGR@reddit

I have a Lifestraw Community, several Lifestraw Family’s for large volume purification, as well as sawyer Micros (better than the minis), UV pens, and purification tabs for personal/emergency Mobile purification.

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MeAndMyIsisBlkIrises@reddit

What brand UV ones & purification tablets don’t use?

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21BoomCBTENGR@reddit

To expand, it’s a multilayered approach with backups. For example the Community model is very large and puts out a large volume for a long time. That’s only coming out of storage if we’re never getting clean water again. The Family models are more than enough for a small family, and are much less expensive so those are available for a short term emergency, such as no power for a month.

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Adept-Highlight-6010@reddit

Following

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FlashyImprovement5@reddit

I'm planting a garden.

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Hey-buuuddy@reddit

If you are on a well, a power outage is going to suck. But obviously just about any size generator can run a 220 amp well pump. Here’s the thing people don’t realize- you can just run the well pump for the 5 minutes you need to fill containers, not constantly running it. A couple gallons of gasoline could probably be stretched out for a year for a year’s worth of water.

People adapt to scarce fuel in odd ways. I saw pictures in Pakistan recently where people go out on foot to get a thin clear plastic bag filled with natural gas like a giant ballon and that’s power cooking dinner and probably some hot water for the day.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

Well pumps are 5-15 gallons/min on average. Cisterns are underrated

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4ureddit@reddit

This is why knowing how to treat water comes into play. Water never expires. There are many of ways to purify water. Practice using these multiple ways. Try keeping water in a hot car for 3 months and then get it tasted. For those collecting rain water get a fountain of some sort to keep the water moving. Filter/purify that water. Just one storm I was able to collect over 1000 gallons of rain water. We are rebuilding our outdoor area and have a tarp 19x24 and laid it over the area and that too collected water. I transferred 6-32gal can of that rain water into them. It still looks like a pond. I’m using that for the garden. You got to think outside of the box.

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pinghero1386@reddit

Luckily I have a 5000 gal underground cistern that supplies water to my house. My downspouts are plumbed in through a sand and gravel filter so it fills when it rains.

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nakedonmygoat@reddit

Unless you're far from a water source, such as a river, you only need enough for a few days, plus a camping-grade water filter. I have two Miox ones as well as two LifeStraws.

I've been through three hurricanes, multiple floods, and extended power outages due to various causes and the only thing that ever cut off my water supply was when the sewer line in my yard broke. Even then, I still had water coming in. I just couldn't use it for bathing or the toilet because it would otherwise drain into the yard and complicate the job of the workers who were fixing the problem. That's where a camp toilet with extra bags comes in handy, as well as camp wipes or baby wipes, and alcohol wipes to sanitize your hands and spare your drinking water until you need to use those camp filters.

Unless you're in the desert, you're better off storing freeze-dried foods, chemical glow sticks, and solar-generated power stations. But if you are indeed in the desert OP, you're doing great!

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Phoroptor22@reddit (OP)

I’m in the desert.

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nakedonmygoat@reddit

Keep it up, then! You're doing great! I have cousins in Albuquerque and Phoenix who would do well to follow your example.

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Dry_Letterhead_3461@reddit

Paranoid 🤣

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HRslammR@reddit

Are the barrels completely out of the sun light?

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Phoroptor22@reddit (OP)

95 %

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HRslammR@reddit

Need get 100% uv blocked. Even 95% will cause algae.

Dirty Civ did a great video about water storage with the Cana provisions guy https://youtu.be/RtMeHyGwcK0?si=WR8g2e_HaOR40q6W

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rg123itsme@reddit

Are there storage tanks that block all UV? Curious if it must be buried.

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Natahada@reddit

Yes, and they sell giant water bladder that lays flat & block uv.

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Guardman1996@reddit

What exactly is going to happen to the water supply?

Have you seen how other countries get by with sand and charcoal filters? Do you have a body of water near you? A discarded plastic soda bottle and sunlight?

Really how are you going to handle an appendectomy or an obstructed bowel? Better to protect civil society from going off the rails, because Mad Maxing it won’t get you far. The issues we have are wealth inequality. This is economic caste issue.

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SetNo8186@reddit

We've got 10,000 gallons nominal in a 54" x 21ft pool. This year we really kept all the leaves off the new cover and it hasn't turned brown. It's a source for non potable use only limited by our ability to haul 5 gallon buckets into the house - which we have done in the past - tornadoes and ice storms - the two most common grid killers.

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dobias01@reddit

Every tub of gear and food (about a month’s worth for four people each x 4) has tablets and filtration equipment. When tabs run out, we have filtration straws and other devices.

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ST-2x@reddit

Ordered all of the pre filters (4) and pump to add to my RO system so that I can treat and drink surface water from buckets. First pre filter is a 15 micron spin down, then progressively lowering microns going down to 1 micron before moving to the carbon filters, RO membrane, then uv light. Got a bunch of spare filters. I also have stored water, along with my msr guardian and katadyn pocket filters. I live close to 3 lakes and a river.

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Additional_Insect_44@reddit

Nice! I'm thinking of a desalination system to water plants and maybe myself. But for me I'd need to boil.

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Sabalbrent@reddit

Have a pool and buy the filter straws..... I have 2000 gallons in my backyard

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PickledBrains79@reddit

I'm adding a couple more rain barrels so I can water my vegetable gardens during the inevitable drought. Both lakes that my city gets its water from are both incredibly low.

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Ok_Personality7668@reddit

Freeze dried enough meals for 2 people for a week. This will be added to my 40 day supply of freeze-dried meal components and 30 lbs of white rice. Bought a brekley style stainless steel water filtration unit with extra filters. Looked into trading MG Sig Sauer p365 9mm for a larger frame 1911 style pistol (waffling between 9mm and .45 ACP) cleaned the other 15 weapons. Will be starting the generator for a burn run this week. Moving copies of all files from cloud storage to local NAS for safe keeping. I am working on an access database to keep freeze dried food production and inventory I order.

[-]

Trick_Temperature_60@reddit

Just chopped more wood and bought a few more weeks of shelf stable food.

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Jolly_Following_6295@reddit

Anyone know about using colloidal silver to treat or preserve water

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ResponsibleBank1387@reddit

So die of dehydration because there are Micro plastics in my water.

Don’t know what to tell ya, plastics are a part of our life, and have been for a long time. Yes we should limit the harmful and work toward sustainability.

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Secret-Temperature71@reddit

If the power grid goes down in a major city for an extended time?

People live in high rise buildings. Elevators Pumping water to feed upper floors Sewage Lights Heat Ventilation

So even those buildings with generators need diesel and how does diesel move? By pumps into trucks which go through streets. Generators need their oil changed every few hundred ours, really big units may have a way to filter the oil and large sumps, others may not. Depends upon what length of outage they were designed for. Good question for town planners.

So if the grid goes down for a week or more things in big cities will get dicey quickly. Folks will move center city to suburbs, suburbans to rural. If the roads allow.

You may have unannounced guests knocking. How much water do you need for that?

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eekay233@reddit

I have 56gal stored in 8 x 7gal Aquatainers. They're due to be rotated in July. 8 fit perfectly on my HDX storage rack in the basement.

I didn't do any preps this week. Last week I bought a Mossberg shotgun and pressure canned 2 flats of soup.

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jpStormcrow@reddit

Is it fair in my situation to just prep water purification methods, living in the wetlands surrounding Lake Erie? I have ready access to moving water all year.

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nickMakesDIY@reddit

For preppers wjth wells, how much water are you storing? I have a well that I can run off generator and outside of that have about 20 gallons of water stowed away in a storm shelter in case pipes freeze or something like that. What's everyone else with the well doing?

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Beebjank@reddit

Personally? Only two cases of water bottles but my future preps won't expand much after that. Maybe a 55 gal for sanitary or something, and another barrel for a holding tank for my well water.

A well is pretty much infinite water. All you need to really get is a way to sterilize the ground water, and a way to pump it out if power is out. My well isn't horrifically deep like some properties in my area, so I can likely get by with a hand pump. For sterilization, at the moment my only method is the UV light when I have power, so I could just get by with bleach I reckon.

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bprepper@reddit

I have multiple 5 gallon jugs that I use to hold me over for the first 24hrs of a power outage in addition to making sure we fill the Berkey. I also have 2 55 gallon barrels. But my ultimate prep for water is to have a bunch of propane to run the generator so the well pump works. I also have a spring and stream on my property if shit were to really hit the fan, hoping that never happens.

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middle-agedalchemy@reddit

We have a well and it never dawned on me to store water. Plus, I just started this journey a month ago. Thanks!

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nickMakesDIY@reddit

Yea i had pipes freeze up during Christmas a few years ago, during a huge blizzard, on a weekend... pipes burst and I couldn't get the parts to fix it. My water cache saved me until I could get out to the store.

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wolfbanebizerk@reddit

May consider adding spare parts for your well as part of your prep.

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nickMakesDIY@reddit

Yea good call, should have a spare pump at some point.

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kingofhearts778@reddit

I’m a newbie to well water and I learned during our first power outage that, of course, the electric pump won’t work and hence, no water. Needless to say we are working on saving for a generator long term.

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Any-Application-8586@reddit

My well is pretty slow, so I have around a thousand gallons stored above ground as a regular thing. Planning to get an opaque 3 or 5k gallon tank eventually, but other projects have come up.

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ImaginationAnxious29@reddit

I have 1200gals, my house is 100% off grid

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Longjumping-Day7821@reddit

It’s been said by experts that China is already hacked into our power system and all they have to do is push the button to take it offline. Also if the infrastructure was physically damaged it could take months or years to get it back up. If you haven’t watched “Grid Down Power Up” I’d watch it today. I’ve talked to a couple of people that work in this industry and they’ve told me it’s more vulnerable than what that documentary even gets into.

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boatmanmike@reddit

In Seattle we are encouraged to collect rainwater in tanks. There is a program that pays for a portion of it. I have three 250 gal tanks above ground that collect roof run off. I have a pump and water the plants in the summer.

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SaltedPaint@reddit

Buy life straws. Some are good for up to 1800 gallons of water. A 5 pack will cost you around 50 dollars, they are light weight and don't expire and can fit easily into a pack.

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ImdumberthanIthink@reddit

I have that much ranch dressing.

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Fancy-Pair@reddit

Can someone explain how I can store / fill 5gallon water containers from my kitchen sink filter or if it’s better easier to do it from those grocery store spigots?

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owlinthewoods-@reddit

How were you able to move this very heavy barrel to a spot that is not visible?

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eternalmortal@reddit

If storage space is an issue and you're planning on utilizing dual use containers like tubs or trash cans I'd get a waterBOB (or other brand) that can hold an additional 100 gallons or so of water in your bathtub cleanly without worrying about the last time you bathed there or what trash was in your cans. It stores super small and makes those containers essentially sterile.

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BeDizzleShawbles@reddit

I have several of these because we are on a well and can run the generator and fill them up. Well worth the cost.

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Eredani@reddit

I have cases of water, commercially bought 5-gallon jugs, 7-gallon Aquatainers, 55-gallon barrels, three different gravity filters, a shit ton of calcium hypochlorite, a bunch of life straws, and all the materials to build a high capacity bucket water filter system to include activated charcoal.

All thar was over the last year or so. About 500 gallons ready to go with the ability to treat tens of thousands more.

This week, I just rotated a few of the 5-gallon jugs. I will be rotating the 55-gallon barrels here shortly.

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frosted-mule@reddit

I have a lot. Stored 55 gallon barrels. A bunch of Costco pallets that I just use. A creek down the hill. And a community service district reservoir within a mile.

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tucker0104@reddit

I have 7 x 550 gallon rain tanks

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livestrong2109@reddit

I keep 330 gallons of rain water and 30 gallons of drinking water. I'd rely on a (sand / charcoal / UV) filter if I needed to purify any additional water, and the 330 gallons fill fully after any passing 20-minute rain.

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TraditionalBasis4518@reddit

Explore local regs on shallow irrigation wells. We have a well, surface pump and foot valve. Well is accessible without power by attaching a guzzler bilge pump to the hose bib.

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thriftingforgold@reddit

I finished my get home bag. Created the inventory list for it, and will laminate it (and the phone numbers list) tomorrow

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Puzzleheaded-Set6567@reddit

I have an old well I use for irrigation . I bought a hand pump kit and life straw....need to find out about the purity of the water ,it has iron . how could I get that tempered somewhat...ty

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mediocre_remnants@reddit

Have you considered joining the local emergency response team? That's a great way to meet like-minded prepping-oriented people, get juiced into the local government, and be one of the first to get notified of any possible major disasters or disruptions.

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lostandalone2023@reddit

How do you join that?

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Phoroptor22@reddit (OP)

Would love to but I’m working 2 jobs are barely get one day off weekly.

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Moist-Golf-8339@reddit

I live in a water-rich environment thankfully (northern Mississippi River valley). And I have multiple filters and sanitation options. Outside of tap storage like tubs and water heater, am I under prepared?

My biggest concern for the local watershed is nitrates from the farms uphill from us. Not sure how to deal with that.

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Any-Application-8586@reddit

Only way to deal with nitrates is reverse osmosis. It also keeps algae from growing. But, the algae will remove nitrates if you have time and can strain out algae a couple different times. Did I mention time? Think it took me 4 different stages and well over a month for 55 gallons that finally didn’t grow anything and tested free of nitrates.

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middle-agedalchemy@reddit

I used to curse being on a well. But not so upset now. Still adding rain barrel collection this summer.

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skyrymproposal@reddit

Got an ecoflow power station and a few #10 cans of mountain house (stuff that isn’t in the three month supply so I don’t suffer as much food fatigue).

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IGnuGnat@reddit

We had an ice storm coming. It wasn't supposed to hit Toronto, Ontario but the entire surrounding cities were going to be blanketed in ice. I took this opportunity to start mounting the parts I've collected, to build a solar generator into the cabinet I built. The cabinet is mounted to a dolly. It can hold two large deep cycle marine batteries, the inverter and AC panel and equipment so I can roll it around to where I need it or roll somewhere that it can be plugged into the grid or into some solar panels for charging

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OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit

Me? Ordered a 10000L water tank that I can feed from both a local spring and municipal water. You're right, water is the most important prep.