In a departure from the marathon paper chase of the first two weeks of the Prep-Along, this week’s assignment is pretty simple:
Step 1: Count the number of people in your household: ____
Step 2: Multiply that number by three (3): ____
Step 3: Store that number of gallons of water.
This Prep-Along is designed for a 72-hour period of crisis, so that comes to 1 gallon of water per person per day. If you want to prepare for a longer period of time, adjust your figures accordingly.
HOW to store water is a much-debated topic. This is what the government recommends. In short, commercially prepared bottled water is preferred, but if you choose to use your own containers, there are food-grade containers designed for water storage (think those blue bottles) and methods for sanitizing them and sanitizing the water prior to storage. Look for BPA-free plastic if possible.
This Red Cross document has some pretty in-depth instructions for water storage beginning on page 10.
Keeping with the theme of safe water, we are partnering with the company Camping Survival to give away to one reader two of their cool LifeStraw Portable Water Filters. It can filter up to 264 gallons up to .2 microns, which sounds pretty OCD to me, but I guess that’s what you want in a water filter ;).
To enter to win, check out their website, pick out your most coveted product and come back and tell us what it is in the comments.
Happy prepping!
Glug glug,
Daisy
My “most coveted” is definitely a larger model of those nice Berkey water purifiers. (http://www.campingsurvival.com/crbe6gaststw2.html) It’d sure be nice to have something that can deal with chemicals in water in addition to microbial contamination.
Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster I don’t always feel we are getting the most honest information so this would answer some of those questions for me: Hammacher Schlemmer – The Radiation Detecting Watch
http://www.campingsurvival.com/hascradewa.html
The WaterBrick Water Containers are so cool – great idea!
Hard to choose… probably a solar oven, because I’m too lazy to make one !!!
Hot box solar fire starter.
Definitely the Future coffee beans. We must have coffee to survive the future!
My favorite thing is the fish antibiotics. That life straw is pretty amazing, too.
Those edible plant playing cards are a brilliant idea!
I would covet the LIFESTRAW family. contaminated water….???ewh This would be ideal in addition to my own storage routine.
we love coffee so the coffee beans also always wanted the berkley
Like the 40 day organic survival kit best.
We grew tired of all other preparedness pails loaded with ingredients detrimental to your health. The Survive2Thrive 100% Organic Vegetarian Grab n’ Go Food Supply is perfect for those people looking to enhance their stored foods with quality, nutritious, real food.
– See more at: http://www.campingsurvival.com/survive2thrivefoodsupply.html#sthash.fO0pNxBM.dpuf
Since we live within the ten mile zone of a nuclear power plant, I would love the radiation detection watch.
The Sportz Truck Tent is pretty neat!
Thanks for this series, and also for the notice of the free give-away. I would love the LifeStraws, and as to their other items, I think a year’s food supply (“1 Year One Person Long Term Food Supply”) would be fantastic! The foods look delicious, too!
An Emberlit Stove would be great. Plenty of small wood where I live and it will hold cast iron.
The berkey water filter. I’m currently saving for one!
The item I’m wanting most right now from their website is the All American Sun Oven. Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Oooo. The ten pack of water bricks would be awesome! I could handle each one and rotating would be a breeze!
I love the Lifestraw Family size…didn’t know they came in larger size. Looks like an excellent product! http://www.campingsurvival.com/hascradewa.html
I didnt know there was a life straw family size! I have one for each person in the family for their bobs. But the family size would be great to keep in the car! Too cool.
My most coveted is the Berkey water filtration system…I’ve been coveting it for ages…
I like the Lifestraw – convenient and portable!
I’m prepping for my family and also for my developmentally disabled brother who lives about 100 miles away. I would love the simple and durable Katadyn Pocket Water Filter to keep in his storage closet. He already has three cases of bottled water, but you never know what his staff might have or need, so I’m sort of prepping for ???
We live in a 55+ development of twinhomes – 20 families live here – in Fargo, ND. We live 20 miles from the disastrous oil spill in a train derailment that occurred a month ago. This is disaster threat we live with daily. I am 63 yo and I think I am the only one who is preparing for the grid to go down. And attempting to save Mother Earth:) The Life Straw water purifier will provide our little neighborhood with life saving water. We have several people with age related disabilities. I will purify water 24/7 if necessary to save my neighbors.
The voyager radio would be awesome.
They have so many amazing products! I would love to have a Berkey water filtration system and am hoping someday in the future we can afford to buy one.
Love this idea. http://www.campingsurvival.com/waterbob.html
Great way for quick water storage
The Lifestraw Family would be a most welcome addition. Water is the one thing we really cannot live without whether all is right with our world or the SHTF….
For me it would be a toss up between 1 Year One Person Long Term Food Supply (it would supplement our food storage to give us variety) and the New All American Sun Oven. Thank you for this series, I have been sharing it with my family and friends. Thank you also for the chance to win the LifeStraw Portable Water Filter.
I think the Preparedness Seeds Garden #10 Can. All Natural or the fruit can. And the life straw. I know how important it is to eventually we will need to grow pur own food on a disaster.
My most coveted item would be the year long food storage.
I would love to have the Travel Berkey 1.5 Gallon Stainless Steel Water Purifier for the camper and GO Berkeys for go-bags. The Katydyn filters look neat too, but where we are we don’t have such “pretty” running water… Definitely need the extra filtering provided by the Berkey line.
there was just too much to choose from but one thing I need is a good pair of work pants for outside so I think that is what I would choose. Thank you
My most coveted product is the Katadyn Pocket Water Filter. Second choice is the water bricks. 🙂
I would really like the Urban Survival Kit. Thank you for the chance.
That solar 2 go 10 watt solar lighting system with inverter is pretty sweet. Thanks
It was a toss up between the water bob and the solar oven! I think the solar oven won though 🙂
I would love to try their solar panels!
I like the Kaito KA500 Voyager Radio but you have to admit Bacon in a can – who doesn’t love bacon you can carry!
I have always wanted a pair of night vision goggles, so the Rothco brand binocs are pretty cool. I also really liked the organic survival kit.
Definitely LifeStraw Portable Water Filter
We have a very large family and live in the same little village as our extended family, so the Crown Berkey would be my first choice!
With the crazy weather here in Missouri we have experienced more power outages than usual so I’m going for the Power Outage kit.
Would love to have a Kaito Radio.
most coveted, family survival straw
If you have a garden best to get one those 55 gallon water barrels. I got mine on Amazon. Fill with water, add the preservative and forget about it for 1-2 years.
My most coveted product is the Crown Berkey 6 Gallon Stainless Steel Water Purifier With 8 Black Berkey Elements. Man, would it be fantastic to have that !!!
I want the 1 Year One Person Long Term Food Supply. Actually nine of them!
It would have to be the Katadyn Pocket Water Filter!!!
Potassium iodate pills would be my choice item from their site. It is one of the items missing from my survival gear. I need to add some to my 3 day survival kit I keep in my car (I commute) and leave the rest at home.
I’d love the Guardian Food Storage Deluxe Survival Kit!
Sock Monkey hand warmers! Awesome!
I would get the Lifestraw family filter system because you have to have water.
2 people in household, x3= 6 gallons of water. We have much more than that stored, and several long term storage containers yet to be filled. The Lifestraw portable filter would be a great addition to my 3 day survival pack.
I’m glad we’re starting with a 72 hour period. 4×3=12 gallons, so that doesn’t deem all that intimidating. I’ve been fascinated by both the WaterBob and the WaterBrick systems. I think for our situation right now, a few WaterBricks would be best. But my must have? One of their hammocks. 🙂 Even if it’s a disaster, I would still love to swing in a hammock.
Thanks for this series! My husband is really getting enthusiastic about be prepared in case of anything. And, since this is a want-to-have item, I’ll go extravagant with the 1 Year One Person Long Term Food Supply. We could feed our family of 4 for quite awhile on these supplies. But, I would truly love a LifeStraw Portable Water Filter.
Thanks for the abundant articles you post. Love your site!
http://www.campingsurvival.com/lifestraw.html
something as portable and light as this should be in everyone’s thoughts for water supply.
We have one Lifestraw and need another for our BOB, but ultimately the Lifestraw Family System is on my wish list!
Cat crap anti-fog
Jess, when I first saw your comment, I marked it as spam (you wouldn’t believe the stuff we get), then, something told me to do a search on the Camping site, and lo and behold, Cat Crap anti-fog is a thing. HA! So, APPROVED.
I would love to have a ‘Crown Berkey 6 Gal. Stainless Steel Water Purifier with Eight Black Berkey Elements’. Just can’t swing it now.
But I would be very happy to use a LifeStraw instead. 🙂
a Hammock Bliss sky tent 2. Because I could use it even in case of not an emergency.