Tactical Intelligence » The Basics http://www.tacticalintelligence.net Intelligent Know-How for the Concerned Citizen Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:29:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Food Storage Calculators http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-calculators.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-calculators.htm#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:14:35 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=1795 Just wanted to quickly let you know that I created a new menu item called “Food Storage Calculators” that puts the two calculators I had created together in one convenient spot.

I’ve already received a number of good recommendation on improving them and will be implementing these changes soon. Like I mentioned before, these calculators are a work-in-progress so if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to make them better please leave a comment or send me a mail via the Contact link.

Thanks!

- Erich

]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-calculators.htm/feed 0 Space and Storage Calculator for Long-Term Food Storage http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/5-gallon-bucket-food-storage-calculator.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/5-gallon-bucket-food-storage-calculator.htm#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:27:27 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=1737 function getStorageReqs (form) { var numWheat= form.wheat.value; var numBeans= form.beans.value; var numRice=form.rice.value; var numMilk=form.milk.value; var numFlour=form.flour.value; var numSugar=form.sugar.value; var stack=form.stack.value; var numOats=form.oats.value; var numMacaroni=form.macaroni.value; var numBWide = 0; var numBHigh = 0; var ceilingMax = 0; var numBuckets=0; var numFootage=0; if (stack==0){ alert("Please enter how high your stack will be."); } else if (numWheat==0 && numBeans==0 && numRice==0 && numSugar==0 && numMilk==0 && numFlour==0 && numOats==0 && numMacaroni==0){ alert("Please enter at least one storage item."); } else { numBuckets=(Math.ceil(numWheat/37)+Math.ceil(numBeans/33)+Math.ceil(numRice/36)+Math.ceil(numMilk/29)+Math.ceil(numFlour/33)+Math.ceil(numSugar/35)+Math.ceil(numOats/20)+Math.ceil(numMacaroni/21) ); form.numBuckets.value=numBuckets; numFootage=Math.floor(numBuckets/stack); if ( (numBuckets%stack)!=0){ numFootage = numFootage+1; } form.numFootage.value=numFootage; } }

I know that those of you who are just beginning to put together your long-term food storage are often overwhelmed with not only how much bulk food to purchase but also how many 5-gallon buckets you'll need as well as how much space you'll require to store those buckets.

Since I had a little time today, I decided to code up a quick calculator for those of you who are beginning with this process.

Many of you have seen the previous calculator I put together which figures out the suggested long-term storage needs based on the amount of weeks and number of people that you want to store away for.

After you arrive at that number, this next calculator will tell you how many 5-gallon buckets you'll need to purchase in order to store all that food, as well as the amount of floor space (in square footage) you'll need based on how high you want to stack your buckets.

Please let me know if you have any recommendations on improving this calculator as it is a work-in-progress.
Input Data
  Enter how many buckets high you are willing to have for each stack (the recommended number is 4-5): 
Enter the amount of food you need to store (in pounds)
  Wheat: 
  Beans: 
  Rice: 
  Dried Milk: 
  Flour: 
  Sugar: 
  Oats: 
  Macaroni: 

   
 
Estimated Storage Requirements
  Total number of 5-gallon buckets needed: 
  Total square feet of floor space needed: 
]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/5-gallon-bucket-food-storage-calculator.htm/feed 6 Water Procurement and Purification Methods http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/water-procurement-and-purification-methods.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/water-procurement-and-purification-methods.htm#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:56:28 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=160
But what happens in the case of a major disruption in the utilities? Katrina is a perfect example. Because the utilities were out and some of the water companies reported contaminated supplies, people made a mad rush to the stores causing a buying panic. As a result, this led to supply shortages on bottled water and food. It's for reasons such as these that it's absolutely essential that you have some store of water on hand. But what if your store runs out? What then?

In this article, I deal with some of the most effective ways -- primitive and modern -- of procuring and filtering water.

Water Procurement Methods



Natural and Man-Made Caches

This includes ponds, lakes, water holes, reservoirs, outdoor buckets and barrels (not used for fuels or chemicals), your local water fountain and so on. Even a large plastic tarp shaped in such a way to catch rain water is an excellent cache.

Your Neighborhood

With a little creative thinking and some discretion there are lots of places in the neighborhood which provide good sources of water.

Your Home

In a pinch, your home can be a good source of water. The drinking water that remains in the plumbing will still be available if the water source is turned off. Just find the main drain in the lowest portion of your home and empty it into a container. If you have a hot-water tank, this will be your largest source of water available (around 40-50 gallons).

Although it's considered 'grey' water, if you were desperate, you can take the water from the dehumidifier or from a forced hot-water heating system. Other sources are the toilet tank (stay away from the bowl). Just be sure to purify it first (boiling at the least). Oh and by the way, make sure it's not contaminated with natural gas: :)



Morning Dew

One of the most effective (and one of my favorite) primitive ways of collecting water is from the early morning dew. The process is simple: Take a large cotton cloth (like your t-shirt) or a handful of long grass if you happen to be naked out in the bush :) and begin to wick up the dew that has condensed on grass, large stones, the fresh leaves on trees, and other areas. After you've soaked the shirt or grass, just wring it out into a container or your mouth.

You'd be surprised how much you can gather. I tested this one morning and was able to collect a gallon in about a half-hour's time frame! Not only can you get quite a bit of water, but the best part is that it's already distilled so you don't have to purify it.

As a caution, be sure you don't gather the dew from poisonous or contaminated surfaces (poison ivy, recently fertilized/sprayed grass etc).

Solar Still
The solar still was invented by two physicians working for the U.S. Dept of Agriculture and is a powerful way to collect water, even in some of the most arid of areas. It's basically a primitive distillery. This technique extracts moisture from the surrounding ground through the principle of the 'greenhouse effect'. Using solar energy, this moisture evaporates, rises and condenses on the underside of a plastic barrier above.

Materials needed:

To build a solar still, you'll need at least two primary components: a container to catch the water (this could be a plastic cup, bowl etc) and a 6-foot by 6-foot (~ 2 meters by 2 meters) sheet of clear plastic. It helps to also have a shovel and a length of plastic tubing (similar to the kind found in fish tanks).

Building the solar still:


  1. Dig a round pit 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep

  2. Dig a small hole in the center of the pit to hold the container

  3. If available, run the length of the plastic tubing from the center container to the outside of the pit. This makes it easy to drink from the container without having to disassemble the pit to drink

  4. Lay the plastic sheet over the pit, and secure the sheet with four rocks.

  5. Find a small smooth rock and push gently down on the center of the sheet until the sides of the sheet slope with about a 45 degree angle. If the pit was dug in the right dimensions, this should place the center of the sheet with the rock on top just a few inches above the container.

  6. Finally, secure the sheet by covering the edges outside of the pit with rocks and dirt.
After about 2 hours, the air inside the pit will saturate with moisture and begin to condense on the plastic sheet. As the condensation builds it will begin to trickle down the sloped sides inside the pit and drip into the container. As the water collects, simply drink from the tube.

To increase the output of the pit, you can also pour brackish water, gray water, salt-water or even urine around the edges of the pit. The solar still will distill the water (or urine) making it pure and clean for drinking. As a warning, do not pour antifreeze in or around the still since the poisons will evaporate with the water.

Water Purification Methods



Unless you've procured your water from a clean source (your plumbing pipes, a solar still etc) you'll need to purify it before drinking it. This next section deals with some of the most effective modern and primitive ways of doing this:

Modern Water Filters

While water filters come in all shapes and sizes, if you had to choose one I would recommend the microfilter. These are those compact, easily transported filters commonly used by hikers and outdoor-types. They are recommended just for the fact that if you had to take off quickly it would be easy to grab (better yet keep in a bug-out bag for that purpose).

Do your due diligence in finding a good filter. If you have the money, I would spend it on a higher-priced one (my favorite being the Katadyn Hiker Pro Filter which easily integrates with my Camelbak) since they are quality filters that can typically filter much more water before needing replacement:

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Keep in mind that although good microfilters filter out most bacteria, they never filter out all of it. The best insurance is to use them in combination with a prophylaxis such as bleach, iodine, or boiling (see below).

Bleach
As a general rule, you'll want to use 8 drops (1/8th of a teaspoon) of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach per gallon of water (2 drops per quart). Just put the bleach in your container of water, briefly stir, then let it sit for 30 minutes.

If the water is still cloudy add 8 more drops, stir and wait and repeat until clear.

Iodine
My favorite source of iodine treatment available goes by the Polar Pure name. It's a pretty easy method and can be taken on the road since the iodine is in such a small bottle. What you do is fill up the small Polar Pure glass bottle containing the iodine crystals, wait 30 minutes, and then pour off only the amount of liquid solution needed into a larger source of untreated water such as a canteen. After waiting a short time (following the instructions on the bottle), potable water is then available from the treated water. An advantage of using iodine crystals is that only a small amount of iodine is dissolved from the iodine crystals at each use. This gives you the capability of treating a very large amount of water, typically over 2,000 liters, with only a small bottle of crystals. You'll want to be careful not to ingest the crystals using this method.

Boiling
Just because boiling is the most primitive form of water purification, makes it by no means ineffective. When done correctly, it will kill all water-born viruses that will cause you issues. To purify water by boiling, simply bring your water to a rolling boil and keep it there for a minute (add an additional minute for each 1,000 feet above sea level). That's it! The obvious benefit to boiling is that it only requires a heat source and a container. However the down-side is that it requires quite a bit of fuel (wood, liquid, or electric fuel) to constantly boil water. This is not so much of a problem if you are home and have access to a stove and a large pot. However, out in the bush it's a royal pain. I discovered this pretty quick on one of my early survival trips. I spent quite a bit of time boiling water and got so sick of it that I began to carelessly drink untreated water. Lucky for me I did not get Giardia. Solar Water Disinfection
If you live in a fairly temperate zone, a great method is to use the power of the sun to purify your water. Even if you don't live in the most sunny of places, you can still use this method although it will take a bit longer. What you do is take some small plastic water bottles (one liter bottles are perfect) or transparent zip-lock bags (like freezer storage bags) and place them in the full sun for six hours. If you don't have full sun for that long, put them out for two days in partial sunlight. You'll need full sun since a cloudy day will be ineffective. Similar to boiling, the sun will kill the bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. The obvious benefit to this method is that the sun's rays are free to use and require no special set up. The downside is that it is not always available. Solar Distillation

While the solar still is primarily used for water procurement, it can also be used as an excellent purifier of contaminated water, gray water and salt water. Just pour the water in and around the still and let the sun do its work!

With all the available methods to treat water, which is best? I would recommend using what is most readily available to you. You'll also want to use some in tandem with others. For example, modern filters will remove many of the chemicals in the water but can leave behind the smallest biological contaminants. Iodine, bleach, and boiling kill off the biological contaminants but leave the chemical behind. If you have the time and availability to use multiple methods, by all means do it. However, in an emergency, don't be so overly cautious to the point that you suffer dehydration. If you use just one of the above methods you'll be in pretty good shape.]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/water-procurement-and-purification-methods.htm/feed 0 Food Storage Basics: The Basics and Beyond http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-the-basics-and-beyond.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-the-basics-and-beyond.htm#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:39:00 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-the-basics-and-beyond.htm
  • Realize that food storage will only sustain you in direct proportion to how much you have stored away
  • To thrive during the tough times, learn the skills to become more self-reliant
  • Self-reliance and independent living allows you to become helpful to those in need
If you're only reading this though, I hope by now you have a better understanding of where you need to begin. The most important thing to get out of all of this is to (lest you get weary with me repeating myself) start small. Begin with Step 1. Once you gain confidence in storing bottles of water, take on Step 2 which is only a matter of buying a little extra of what you already eat and use each time you go shopping. Even if you are only able to accomplish the first two steps, you'll gain a huge amount of confidence and peace of mind. This should carry you over to Step 3 and 4 which is building your year's supply food and essential non-food items. While the last two steps are more involved, you need not feel overwhelmed. Again, just begin small and build up from there (are you beginning to see a pattern here?). Soon you'll be well on your way to a year's supply. So what's next? Once you've completed the four steps, where do you go from there? Well there's still plenty to do and learn. Since I consider food storage in the realm of survival, if you really want to go beyond just surviving and instead thrive during those hard times ahead, there happens to be a plethora of skills and knowledge to gain on the subject of self-reliance and preparedness -- many of which are covered in this site. Here's a list of just some of the subjects that you can learn about:
  • Clothes Making and Household Crafts
  • Financial Security
  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Raising Livestock (chickens, goats, rabbits etc)
  • Solar, Wind, and Other Forms of Alternate Energy
  • Primitive, Urban, and Wilderness Survival Skills
  • Self-Defense (Unarmed and Armed)
  • Local Plant Identification and Use
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Hunting
  • and More...!
What's important is that you continue to grow and develop. The more self-reliant you can become the more helpful you will be to those who are less fortunate during the hard times ahead. ]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-the-basics-and-beyond.htm/feed 11 Food Storage Basics: Step 4 – Non-Food Items http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-4-non-food-items.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-4-non-food-items.htm#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:25:30 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-4-non-food-items-and-where-to-buy-food-storage.htm 2-weeks worth of water, a three-month supply of food and other necessities that is continually rotated, and you should be working towards a years supply of long-term food items.
  • Ensure that you're concentrating on food items as the priority before you focus on the non-food items
  • Gradually build up a year's supply of essential non-food items
  • Purchase in bulk when items go on sale
  • Store what your family uses on a regular basis
  • Don't be concerned about exact storage parameters. Use available space.
The next step -- Step 4 -- is really just an extension of Step 3. You can do this step in tandem with procuring your year's supply of food or you can finish Step 3 first before moving on to this step. The only thing I'd recommend is that you focus on the food items first and foremost. Buy the non-food items when you see good sales, otherwise purchase your long-term food first. Remember, you can eat wheat not toilet paper. It's important that you build up a supply of items that are commonly used by your family. Here's a recommended list that should get you started: Paper Supplies
  • Toilet Paper
  • Paper Towels
  • Diapers/Wipes
  • Tissue Paper
  • Feminine Products
  • Cotton Balls
Personal Hygiene
  • Soap
  • Deodorant
  • Shampoo
  • Shaving Cream
  • Diaper Rash Cream
  • Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
Cleaning Supplies
  • All-Purpose Cleaner
  • Bleach
  • Laundry/Dish Soap
  • Trashbags
Miscellaneous
  • Dog/Cat Food (Hey...Fido needs to live too, unless of course you're planning on eating Fido as part of your food storage :) )
  • Batteries
  • Candles
  • Light Bulbs
  • Fuel
By no means is this list exhaustive. On the other hand, don't get so caught up that you feel you need everything right away either. Build up slowly and as you have the means and resources available stock up on these items. What's great about most of the items on this list is that particular storage parameters (heat, light, etc) aren't that big of an issue. Any free space will do: your barn, shed, attic, basement, under the bed and so on. ]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-4-non-food-items.htm/feed 7 Food Storage Basics: Step 3 – Long Term Storage http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-3-long-term-storage.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-3-long-term-storage.htm#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:31:36 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=115 2-weeks worth of water stored away (or more if you live in areas where natural sources of water are hard to find). You should also have a three-month supply of food and other necessities that you are continually using and replacing. Once those are all set, the next step is to now start thinking about your longer-term needs.
  • Prepare your storage area
  • Determine how much you need by using my simple calculator below
  • Gradually build up a year's supply by starting with 3 months then expand it to a 6 month supply, then a year's supply
  • Become aquainted with the basic long-term foods and how to store them
  • Practice using your stored food now before the hard times hit
When I refer to 'longer-term needs' I'm talking about storing a years worth of food or more. While the food that typically goes into a 3-months rotating supply generally needs to be eaten within a few months to a year, your 'long-term' storage will contain those items that will last much much longer -- typically 10 - 30 years or more. These are foods that you will use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans. Before you throw your hands up in despair, don't feel you need to go out and buy a whole years worth in one setting. Just as with the three-month supply, you'll want to gradually build up this supply of food. Let's go through the process of how it's done...
  • Step 1: Prepare Your Storage Area: The first step is to determine where you want to store your long-term supply. In the three-month supply, simple shelves are all you need. But with a years worth, you need a space that is large enough and preferably away from heat and light. If you have a basement this is the ideal place. If not then an available closet, room, or storage area will also work in a pinch. My house, for example, was made in the early 1940s and has an old wine cellar area that shoots off from the main foundation. This room is ideal because it doesn't fluctuate too much in temperature and is always dark. Don't get caught up in thinking that you can't do long-term food storage because you need to have the 'ideal' spot, or that because you live in a small apartment it wouldn't work for you. Part of self-reliance is making due with what you have. Think a little bit and you'll come up with a solution.
  • Step 2: Determine How Much You Need: Trying to figure out just how much long-term food storage you need for your family can be a bit of a chore. To make this step easy for you, I've included a food storage calculator that figures out the suggested needs based on the amount of weeks and number of people that you want to store away for:
Input Data
  Enter the number of weeks’ of food you wish to store: 
  Family Members, Ages 7+: 
  Family Members, Ages 0-6: 
 
Recommended Food Storage Amounts
Each category below gives you a basic list of food categories with their total weight.
You should store the items you like to eat and would use on a regular basis.
  Grain (includes wheat, white rice, oats, corn, barley, pasta, etc.):  lbs.
  Legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils, nuts, etc.):  lbs.
  Dairy Products (powdered milk, cheese powder, canned cheese, etc.):  lbs.
  Sugars (white sugar, brown sugar, syrup, molasses, honey, etc.):  lbs.
  Leavening Agents (Yeast, baking powder, powdered eggs, etc.):  lbs.
  Salt (Table salt, sea salt, soy sauce, bouillon, etc.):  lbs.
  Fats (Vegetable oils, shortening, peanut butter, etc.):  lbs.
  Water:  gallons*
  *NOTE: The amount of water shown is for the recommended 2-week supply. If you live in an arid area where natural water sources are difficult to come by, you should store more if possible. I would also highly recommended that you supplement your water storage with a quality water filter or filtration kit.
  • Step 3: Gradually Build up a Years Supply: For most peoples budgets, buying a years worth of food storage in one fell swoop is not possible. Although it is very important to have a years supply, I wouldn't recommend going into debt to get it. Instead, start small. Just like with your 3-months supply of food you want to gradually build it up over time. You'll be suprised at how quickly this store of food builds up. My wife and I, for example, began building our year's supply by buying $50 worth of bulk items per month (rice, wheat, beans etc). As we had a little extra money to play with, we would buy more and within a year's time we were able to build up a one-year supply of food. As with any goal, break it up into manageable chunks. Start with a 3 month supply of long-term food items, then move onto 6 months and then finally a year. Again, it's important that you start now.
  • Step 4: Become Acquainted with the Basic Long-Term Foods and How to Use and Store Them: There are a ton of resources online (this site included :) ) which can teach you what foods are best for long-term storage, how you should store them, and what types of meals you can make out of them. Some of my favorite sites are:
    • Food Storage Made Easy Don't be dissuaded by all the pink. Julie and Jodie have a great talent for making food storage understandable and available for the masses. Lots of good resources and ideas.
    • Every Day Food Storage - Crystal's blog is a great resource for how to use food storage in day-to-day life.
    • Simply Living Smart - A ton of info and videos related to everything food storage.
    • Provident Living - A great resource for self-reliance put together by the LDS church.
  • Step 5: Practice Using Your Food Storage Now: Get accustomed to cooking and using your long-term food storage in your everyday life. Now is the time to find out what you like and dislike, or what you're allergic to -- not in the middle of a crisis situation. The more you get used to eating and preparing your food storage now, the easier the transition will be when you have no choice. It's best to include as part of your 3-month supply a portion of your long-term storage. For example, we use as part of our 3-month storage a portion of our long-term supply such as wheat (that we grind into flour), rice, oil, salt, yeast, sugar etc. This saves a ton of money in the long term and it keeps our stock well rotated.
    • Remember with all of this, take it one step at a time. By starting small you will quickly get into a rhythm and build some nice momentum. Soon you'll be as obsessed with it as me and your friends will be calling you the human squirrel. Stay tuned for the next article in the Food Storage Basics series: Adding non-food items to your year's supply... ]]> http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-3-long-term-storage.htm/feed 6 Food Storage Basics: Step 2 – Building a Three-Month Supply http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-2-building-a-three-month-supply.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-2-building-a-three-month-supply.htm#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:43:21 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=95 at least 2 weeks worth of water stored away, you are ready to move on to the next step...building a three-month supply of food. When people first find the need for food storage, immediately they get overwhelmed. They hear advice of getting a years' supply and don't know where to start. It need not be so difficult. As with most things, start off small and build from there. That's where the three-month supply comes into play.
    • Put together a list of foods that you use regularly and figure out how much you need for three months
    • Begin by purchasing a few extra items to add to your storage each week
    • Gradually build it to a one-week supply, then expand it to a one-month supply, then a three-month supply
    • Rotate regularly, replacing what's been used on a weekly basis
    The three-month food supply primarily consists of non-perishable items that are part of your normal daily consumption such as pasta, canned goods, jarred sauces, frozen meats, juices and so on. Included in this list are other non-food essentials such as medicine, hygiene products (don't forget the toilet paper), diapers and other kid-related needs, cleaning supplies, etc. Unfortunately fruits and vegetables (except dehydrated) are not included in this list (that's where the garden comes in to play which is covered in a future article). What's great about the three-month supply is that you don't have to change your daily or weekly routine in order to build it up. The best way to begin is to buy just a little-bit extra each time you go shopping. Start with building a week's supply, then work towards a months supply and then finally three months. Once you reach an amount sufficient for a three-months supply it's important that you then rotate it -- replacing/purchasing those items that you use as you need them. Since our food storage is in our basement, I find it easiest to just keep a little white board with a marker down where our three-months supply is to quickly jot down whatever we take up to use. At the end of the week, this list then gets copied to my wife's iphone where she goes out and purchases whatever is on the list. What your left with is a rotating supply of food that will never get older than three months...and let's not forget the added bonus of peace of mind. ]]>     http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-2-building-a-three-month-supply.htm/feed 7     Food Storage Basics: Step 1 – Water http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-1-water.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-1-water.htm#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:58:53 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-1-water.htm What does water have to do with food storage? Well, you can have all the food in the world but if you don't have water you won't be living long enough to enjoy that food. In most cases, you'll be around for only three days. One easy way to remember this is with the 3-3-3 rule. Generally speaking you cannot live longer than 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. In an ideal world, we would all have a years supply of water stored away. However for most people, storing a years supply of water is not practical and in many cases not necessary (I'll be covering water filtration methods later). At a minimum you should store at least 2 weeks (14 days) worth of water.
    • You should have at least one gallon per person, per day, for 14 days
    • Store the water in a cool, dry, dark place
    • Ideally PETE or food-grade plastic containers should be used
    • Thoroughly wash your containers before filling them up
    • Treat non-chlorinated water with bleach
    • Rotate the water regularly
    Here's some helpful pointers:
    • You should have at least one gallon per person, per day, for 14 days: 14 days acts as a buffer zone that gives you time until the infrastructure problem is fixed or at least until you can figure out other water-procurement methods. If you live in an arid area where water is hard to come by then it's absolutely important that you store as much as is practical. If you have the space, look into purchasing some 55 Gallon Water Barrels.
    • Store the water in a cool, dark place: Light and heat break down plastics and can contribute to bacterial growth. Limit exposure to both. Preferably avoid moist areas where mold easily forms.
    • Ideally PETE or food-grade plastic containers should be used: Used soda bottles work great in a pinch. Just be sure to clean it out well. I wouldn't recommend used plastic milk jugs though. Milk contains a protein that doesn't easily wash out and may contribute to bacterial growth. Plastic 'water' jugs with screw-on tops can be used although they need to be rotated yearly due to becoming brittle with time.
    • Thoroughly wash your containers before filling them up: Wash the containers with warm, soapy water and sanitize them by putting a teaspoon of household bleach (non-scented) in a gallon of water. Pour this solution into the container and let it sit for about two minutes. Then rinse out with potable (suitable for drinking) water.
    • Treat non-chlorinated water with bleach: Most municipal water sources are chlorinated so bottles can be filled up right from the tap. If you get your water from a well or other water source than adding bleach will prepare the water for storage. The general rule is 8 drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach per gallon of water (2 drops per quart).
    • Rotate the water regularly: If you are not storing commercially bottled water then it's a good idea to rotate the water every six months. I find it easiest to just use the water, then when finished I'll follow the steps above putting the newly-filled water container in the back of the storage queue FIFO style (first-in first-out).
    Storing water is an easy step. Instead of throwing out your used water jugs or soda bottles, clean them out and fill them up with water. With time the process becomes a regular habit and you'll have your minimum 2 weeks of stored water in no time. Just be sure to start now! In the upcoming article, I'll be covering the next step in food storage: the 3-month supply... Here are the links to all the articles in this series: ]]>     http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/food-storage-basics-step-1-water.htm/feed 28     Getting Started with Food Storage http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/getting-started-with-food-storage.htm http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/getting-started-with-food-storage.htm#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:30:18 +0000 Tactical Intelligence http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/?p=85 Although this site covers various topics such as wilderness survival, personal protection, and getting your financial house in order -- if there were just one topic that I would want you to work on, it would be this: Food Storage.

    If possible, every family should have some amount of food storage on hand -- three months being the minimum but ideally one years' worth. Now before you criticize me and think that I'm crazy, first of all, you came to this site so you must be interested in these topics and secondly, it's just common sense.

    Think about it. Having a supply of food on hand is not just for the fear-mongering survivalist, it's beneficial for many reasons among which are:


    1. Food Storage Can Save You Money: When you buy food for storage -- especially long-term food storage -- you tend to buy in bulk. This amounts to big-time savings and you can take advantage of sales and low prices. With longer-term food items, it's even more apparent because you are buying primarily food staples, which is the cheapest form of purchased food (I say 'purchased' because gardening is in-fact the cheapest food. But that's covered elsewhere in the site).

    2. Food Storage Prepares You for Financial Hardship: So what happens if you lose your job or some other financial hardship hits you? This seems a lot more relevant given the condition of the economy right now. Having a years-supply of food available when financial hardship hits gives you one less thing to worry about allowing you to fall back on your stored food to save money.

    3. Food Storage Prepares You for Natural Disasters: If there's one thing that Katrina taught us, it's that we can't count on the government to be there when the infrastructure collapses. However, it doesn't necessarily take a Katrina to open our eyes to the importance of food storage. Blizzards, ice-storms, power outages, (*cough...pending economic collapses...*cough) can all make it difficult to get to a store to buy food. And even if you can get there, the shelves might be bare by the time you arrive -- all the more reason to store food.

    4. Food Storage Gives you Peace of Mind: I feel the greatest benefit of food storage is knowing you're prepared. In a survival situation, mindset is key and when you are prepared, fear and worry subside. Confidence comes in knowing you're prepared.



    So now that you're convinced :) where to you begin? Over the next few articles I will be breaking up the seemingly daunting task of storing food into bite-size chunks (pun intended) so stick around... (UPDATE): I've included the list of articles for easy access below: ]]>     http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blog/getting-started-with-food-storage.htm/feed 11