One gallon per person per day is the minimum amount of water necessary
for survival, and that does not include laundry or personal hygiene
needs. Two gallons per person, per day is a more realistic number, but
is still minimal. Based on this, I decided it just is not practical to
store enough water for more than a few weeks.
A better option is to keep some water on hand for immediate needs, but
be prepared to filter water from a nearby source rather than trying to
store it for extended periods of time. There are many good filters on
the market, here is the one I decided to go with:
I recently found a filter that uses some of the same parts and the same
process, but might be a better deal here:
Energy
I live in a cold climate, and if we were to lose the power grid or
natural gas supply, keeping warm would be a serious concern. Modern
fireplaces such as the one in my home are not designed for continuous
duty. I considered purchasing a wood stove that I would keep in storage
and connect if needed, but decided that would be awkward and
potentially dangerous. I eventually decided kerosene heaters were the
way to go.
I have 3 kerosene heaters, a small, medium and large. The settings on
these heaters are not really that variable, so you want to have the
right heater on hand for a mild, moderate or cold day, or a large vs.
small room. If a crises occurred I would likely block off certain rooms
with plastic sheeting I have on hand, to avoid heating the entire
house. I keep a large quantity of kerosene on hand, some is synthetic
and some traditional kerosene I have stabilized for long term storage.
I also keep extra kerosene wicks on hand, as well as igniters and tools
to clean the heaters. They work very well and I am pleased with them.
The kerosene heaters you see in Lowes or Home Depot are poor quality
heaters made in South Korea. Not what you want to bet your life on in
the event of a disaster. The best quality kerosene heaters come from
Japan, where many homes do not have furnaces and they depend on
kerosene heaters as their primary source of heat. Here is a link to my
favorite supplier (lowest prices I could find)
http://www.msiwix.com/heaters.htm
They carry the PRI kerosene stabilizer I mention above, as well as the
synthetic kerosene and tools mentioned. For a larger heater, I
especially recommend the Corona 23-DK
Electricity is a far more difficult problem, and I have not found an
inexpensive solution. I purchased a gasoline generator and wired it to
my home. The problem is, gasoline is a very dangerous fuel to store,
and I would have to run the generator whether I want to power a large
load, or a small load as simple as a light bulb.
I eventually installed a “genvertor” system in my home. This consists
of a large battery bank which can hold about 3 days worth of greatly
reduced usage (essentials only), and is constantly kept at peak charge
via a connection to the power grid. If needed, after I have run down
the charge in the batteries, I can charge them back up with the
generator for 3-6 hours, then go another 3 days or so running only my
refrigerator and freezers occasionally, furnace fan, a few lights, etc.
An invertor controls the battery bank and converts the AC generator
charge to DC for the batteries, then back to AC to run through my
home’s electrical panel. Expensive but a great system. I shopped around
and here is where I got the best price:
http://www.bitterrootsolar.com/
They also have other items such as solar panels and wind generators.
The owner is helpful, and I was frank with him that I wanted the system
for a survival type application. He has a similar mindset and was able
to offer excellent advise.
If you purchase a generator, please purchase a diesel version!!
Gasoline is almost impossible to store safely. Without fuel, the
generator is of no value to you. Diesel is a much safer fuel to store,
with a longer storage life. Here are some links for diesel generators:
http://www.bitterrootsolar.com/generator/hanziman.htm
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/generator.htm
Bitteroot also sells a stackable PVC 125 gallon fuel tank that is
excellent for fuel storage.
How to Find Water and Make It Safe to
Drink: http://www.grandpappy.info/wwater.htm
