The Case for Bottled Water

Do you keep one case of bottled water for each person at home?  There are lots of ways to store water for an emergency, but start off easy with one case for each person.

• Bottled water is ready to go when you are - no prep, no mess, no hassle. It doesn't require additional preparation, no filter, no container, no worries.  And when it's gone, you have refillable bottles left to reuse until trouble subsides.  (Then you can recycle them.)
• A case of single serve containers are affordable ($3-6 dollars).  That's your 72 hour supply.

Christmas Gifts: Water

Seriously?  I absolutely believe you can "dress water up" to become the perfect Christmas gift.  Our drinking water supply can be interrupted so easily that we must take precautions the assure our family stays healthy.  And while storing up water supplies is easy, giving it as a gift takes a little more thought.  I've included a few suggestions here, but let me know if you have other creative ideas.

• Straight-forward approach - Give a case of 24 bottles of water (1/2 liter, 16 oz., or 20 oz.) with a bow around it.  This meets the minimum water rule of "a gallon per person per day for 72 hours."  You could also give a five gallon bottle (like the one at the office water cooler) and maybe a base to set it on.
• Lighter-to-carry option - Give a gift card to their favorite store with instructions to buy the items you specify (which will certainly include bottled water with other emergency supplies.)

Living in a land of milk and honey

9/11's attacks, Katrina's havoc, Haiti and Japan's quakes, and Alabama and Joplin's twisters mustered us each to action.  We responded in different ways.  We prayed, we donated money, we gave blood, we sent supplies, we lobbied our congressman, we traveled to help, we offered shelter.  We really do want to make the world a better place.

But I believe we live in a world where no one needs to suffer from malnutrition and starvation or from the disease that unsanitary water inevitably brings.  I believe that there is enough food, work, jobs, and money to go around.  Many less privileged nations have already begun the difficult work to bring their economy up out of the depths, giving a better life and greater choices to millions of people living in desperate situations.

12 Practical Ways to Beat the Heat

It's a scorcher here in the Midwest! Daily highs over 100 and humidity boosting the heat index even higher... everyone must find relief.  If you can simply hide out in your air conditioned home for a few days... perfect!  But if you cannot, here are a few tips to keep you safe and sound.

• Avoid spending time outdoors when the temperature exceeds 95. If you must be outdoors, drink plenty of water and/or electrolyte replacement (up to a pint an hour if you are working hard and sweating),

Functional Friday: 10 Things - Where Was Moses When the Lights Went Out?

Everyone knows he was down in the cellar eating sauerkraut. But he could have been enjoying something a bit tastier if he had planned a little.

Did the earthquake and tsunami in Japan make you take a second look at your emergency supplies? Does the thought of storing a full 90 days of food, water and household supplies seem to be too much? Start Small! Here are my top 10 picks of food to keep in your pantry. (And when the "lights go out", you won’t be forced to eat sauerkraut.)

Water. Adequate water is so important. Everyone in your household needs 1 gallon/day. Store, at a minimum, 3 days worth. When you have that, strive for 7 days, then 21, and so on. You can go a long time without food. Not so much on the water. You can buy a gallon of drinking water for about $1. So for a family of four people, for way less than $20, you can store over 3 days of water.

Nutrition Bars. Individual snack pouches of crackers are nice, but many aren’t very nutritious. Have a look at the nutritional information. Nutrition bars are portable, and yummy. My favorites are the all-natural Zone Perfect Bars.

Fortified Breakfast Cereals. These require no preparation and have a significant shelf-life. Many have protein, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals. They’re mostly portable, lightweight if nothing else, most people are accustomed to the taste. My favorite is Kashi Go Lean. Cereals are often found on sale any given week at the grocery store. Sometimes you can get a box of something substantial for less than $2. If you eat cereal regularly, then this is just planning ahead for normal use.

Peanut Butter. Unless you have an allergy in the family, peanut butter is a great shelf-stable item full of protein, fat, and flavor. It goes well with lots of other snacks you might have, or just from a spoon. My favorite is Smuckers Natural in the glass jar.

Crackers. Crackers can serve as a great substitute for bread. If you happen to have cheese and ham, make a tiny sandwich, same for peanut butter or nutella. I’m a fan of good old Ritz, and if you find them on sale, you can store a few boxes of them.

“Canned” soup. It requires minimal preparation, and feels like a homecooked meal. (crumble some crackers on top!) My pick is a carton of Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Bisque or TJ’s Latin Black Bean (spicy!).

Pouched tuna. It’s a great source of protein, the pouches require no can opener, so it’s very portable. Make yourself a little tuna sandwich out of the crackers or add tuna to your soup.

Dried Fruit. An easy, portable snack full of energy, kid friendly, and it stores well. My pick is prunes and apricots.

A treat. Whatever that means to you and your family: a 2 liter bottle of soda, big bag of M&M’s, Little Debbie Snack Cakes, Chocolate bars, Starbuck’s via instant coffee, pudding cups, chips, gummi worms. It’s going to raise your spirits to have a little indulgence when the lights go out.

Multivitamins. This should probably be part of your normal routine anyway. There are numerous studies showing that people who regularly take a multivitamin have a lower incidence of cancer and other diseases. But if you don’t eat an adequate variety of foods, a multivitamin will fill in the gaps.

Four Rules of Three

The only way you could have missed this month’s coverage of the Blizzard that rolled through the United States is if you were intentionally unplugged on a tropical island, somewhere.  Much of the snowfall was measured in feet, not inches, and the wind made effective cleanup impossible until the storm had completely rolled through, shutting down large parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri.

Many harrowing stories came out of Chicago , where the city’s Lake Shore Drive was sealed off due to several jack-knifed buses.  Commuters in cars and on buses were stuck from about 6:00 pm to many after midnight and after – no food or water, running out of gasoline to keep their cars running and the heat on, unprepared for the storm.  As many as 900 vehicles were stranded. The wind and snow blinded those who tried to leave their vehicles and exit the road.  Photos show closed cars and buses full of snow.  There are stories of rescuers on snowmobiles pulling people from their vehicles. These were people who were just on their way home from work, some who left early to get home before the fury of the storm and were caught in one traffic snarl after another.  Many left their cars right on the roadway.

Winter isn’t over yet and it’s not too late to prepare an emergency bag for your vehicle! The Midwest has been slammed with some serious wind chill factors. In fact, the advisory on weather.com said that frostbite can happen in 30 minutes on exposed skin. I was thinking to myself that I really should have ordered that palette of chemical hand warmers to line my bed. And I kid, but it’s not far from the truth. These are the conditions that create the perfect storm of ridiculousness where people have to find a Red Cross Shelter. High winds downing power lines combined with bitterly cold temperatures will mean that somewhere, someone’s heat may be out this week. I already feel sorry for them.

In survival training, many people talk about the rules of 3.  You can go:

• 3 minutes without air
• 3 hours without shelter
• 3 days without water
• 3 weeks without food

Three hours out in the wild Earthly elements and you’re done for? Seems crazy doesn’t it? In the wake of the blizzard and seeing the footage of Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive situation, it didn’t seem so far-fetched. And I started thinking: how do you prepare for that? Fierce wind, incredible snowfall, and no where to go.

Well, your car isn’t a bad place to be. Remember that emergency car kit? Make sure you can get to it, and make sure you have these things in there for spending a night in your car:

Water – essential, cold temperatures mean low humidity and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Most likely you won’t be doing much sleeping, and staying on guard all can require you to be in top form. Don’t eat snow! (Yellow or otherwise.) This will cause rapid hypothermia. How many people are typically in your vehicle? Plan for this. Did you reach back to find that your water bottles are frozen? There are car-charger baby bottle warmers out there. Chemical hand warmers can help to melt it, too. If you car is running, put the bottles on the floor next to the heaters. Some people keep a coffee can with a little candle and lighter to melt snow. Any sort of open flame is dangerous and I don’t recommend it, but when you’re stuck, improvise and think! If you’re taking shelter outside of your vehicle (the one with synthetic, flammable upholstery) the coffee can and fire will work.  Any container of snow placed in an above-freezing environment (like inside your car) will eventually melt.  If it doesn't melt, leave it be.  Don't sacrifice your most precious possession of body heat to melt the snow for water. 

Food – Yes, candy is a nice thing to have on hand in case of emergency and it keeps well, but don’t expect to feel satiated after downing 7 Hershey bars and a bag of Tootsie Rolls. In the winter, when your vehicle is less likely to be hot, keep nutrition bars in your car. Many are balanced with protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Cell Phone Charger – The minute that you feel you could be in the car for a while (whether you’re stuck or just caught in a traffic jam), plug in your phone and start calling someone to let them know where you are. Be as detailed as you can be about your location. Keep your phone charging as long as your car is running. That way if you run out of gas, you have a fully-charged phone.

Extra cold-weather gloves, socks, hat and scarf - If you have attempted to dig yourself out during a snowstorm, your cold-weather accessories may be wet. It is important not to sit with wet clothes in an extremely cold car. Frostbite will develop more rapidly.

Alternate clothing - If you wear pencils skirts and 3" Cole Haans to the office, you can't be out in winter weather without something a little more practical. Throw in stretchy yoga pants (that will fit over whatever you have on), a couple of pairs of socks, and the hoodie! (Or keep your gym bag in the car.)

A warm blanket & an emergency foil blanket – A warm blanket will create loft with pockets of warm air to insulate you. The emergency foil blanket reflects your body’s own long-wave radiation back to you, keeping you warmer.


Chemical Hand Warmers – I recommend the flat pouch that is activated when exposed to air. Most don’t get warm enough to burn, and it’s small, thin size is good for putting in shoes or gloves.


Windshield Scraper & Brush – This should go without saying, but it’s key. I’ve seen people scraping ice off their car with a credit card.


Bag of ice melt – Mine’s small, just a gallon-sized plastic zipper bag. It melts snow, it gives traction.


Small Folding Shovel – A shovel is good for many reasons, but in the snow, you might need to dig snow out from around your tire.


Flashlight & Mirror – The storm could be over after dark, and someone might be out looking for you. The key to being found is contrast and movement. Hear a vehicle driving by? Wave that flashlight. Reflect any nearby light source (street lamp, flood light) quickly to draw attention to yourself.


A Few Tools - Tape, a knife, some plastic bags.  A bucket, can, or bowl with a lid.  (When you gotta go, you gotta go.)  A pencil and pad of paper. If you have kids, some toys or games are important, too.


Stay in your car! - If you run your car for power and warmth, make sure the tail pipe is clear of snow and that you have a front window cracked a bit for fresh air.  If at all possible do not leave your car at all.  If you must leave the car for safety, leave a note about your group and where you intend to go.  Remember that you can survive for days on nothing but water, and even the most desperately lost survivors are usually found within 48-72 hours. You will be found in your car.  Try to stay in your car or remain in the first shelter you find.

Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water

Water is my "thing," and I know a gallon of ways to purify contaminated water in a pinch.  But nothing brings more health and peace of mind during a crisis than having the clean water you need in the first place.  Every household needs to store three gallons of water on hand per person at a minimum (one gallon per person per day for three days), and some sources now recommend seven days worth.  In my family, that would be 42 gallons.  At my house, we have used stored water several times due to power outages, boil orders, water main breaks, and plumbing work.  Here are some options that you can mix and match to meet your needs:

Option One:
Buy one case of 16 or 20 oz. water bottles for each member of the family.  At three gallons in each case, this supplies the basic three day supply that everyone recommends you keep on hand. Cases are convenient, stackable, and easy to use up by the expiration date. 

Option Two:
Purchase five gallon filled and sealed containers from a water service.  These can be quite heavy, and a water cooler/dispenser will really help when you're ready to use these.

Option Three:
Fill your own water bottles.  This cuts costs and makes cycling through water as simple as dumping and refilling.  Follow the "rules" to prevent bacteria growth.

Option Four:
Purchase a larger water storage container for bulk storage.  Large quantities of water can be stored easily.  Check manufacturer's instructions for location, safety, and other storage details.

Option Five:
Invest in a portable water filtration unit.  These can be expensive and require replacement filters.  (Some filter and some purify.  DO some research before you buy.)  You must have water to filter.

Water Facts:

• Most people need to drink more than half gallon of water each day during average conditions while not sweating. (Talk to your doctor about your needs and expectations.)  Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugar when water is scarce.
• If working in hot weather (approaching 100 degrees F), you need to drink significantly more water due to losses from sweat and respiration.  Cold weather is nearly as dehydrating as hot weather and water consumption should be increased.  Remember that too much water is serious.  (Talk to your doctor about your personal water needs.)
• Infants on powdered formula need to maintain their regular type/brand of water, even a change of brands can upset their delicate systems.  And do not alter their intake or formula concentration without consulting a doctor, preferably a pediatrician.
• During a water crisis, do not ration water to make it last longer.  Be certain everyone drinks what they need every day, then try to acquire more.  Dehydration symptoms are serious, life threatening, and difficult to correct without medical assistance.
• Eartheasy.com has a nice article about water storage.
• I found more than one site that described how to store water right before an emergency. This may work for a hurricane, but many emergencies have less warning (earthquake, tornado, water main break).  Always keep the minimum on hand!