-Benjamin Franklin Let's talk about some questions you should ask yourself about your water supply before a crisis. .h.i.ts, ways to purify water at home and on the road, and more.

There are a number of essentials to survival. Water is the first essential-without water, you'll be dead in three days. Then you need food; without food, even if you're a fat American, you'll last only a couple of weeks. Clothes are essential unless you live in Tahiti, and if you live in Tahiti, you lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you'll still need sunscreen and a hat. Finally, there is gear-tents, knives, tools and more. The only things that are absolutely essential are food and water. And yet, those are the two things that modern civilized people take for granted; as a result, they never have enough of either food or water stored for when the manure hits the fan. That's why people will dodge police and national guardsmen to go loot a grocery store after an emergency. If you follow my recommendations, that won't be you, which really improves the odds of you not ending up as a premature corpse and being used as a bad example for others.

In a major disaster, it's easy for the power grid to get knocked out. Once the power is gone so is pumped water (including drinking and wastewater), street lights, store lights, house lights, refrigeration, heating systems, security systems, telecommunication systems, gasoline pumps, and more. Stores will close (no electricity to run the cash register, lights, or freezers), so you will not be able to buy the food, water, medication, and supplies you are used to having conveniently available 24 hours a day.

Unless you topped off your tank before the disaster hit, you will not be able to drive to an area outside the disaster zone. Gasoline pumps will not be operational-all you will have is what is in your tank. Your refrigerated food will spoil within a day, your sewage could back up and you will have no fans to remove the smell and the heat. If you live in the hot parts of the country, you 'll have no A/C or ice; in the colder parts of the country, you 'll have no heat. You will run out of food as soon as your pantry is empty, and for most Americans, that's within three days. The only water you will have to drink, or clean with, is what you had in bottles before the outage occurred.

Well, you can always call the cops, right? Sorry, in a real emergency, they're too busy. In a really bad emergency, the phones, even cell phones, probably won't work.

So here's the question you need to ask yourself: If civilization isn't there, what will you need?

It sounds crazy to think you might not have water, but we're talking clean water that is fit to drink, and it can run out rather quickly in a crisis. Just ask the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Before a crisis starts, here are some questions to ask:* Are you sure you'll always be able to pay your water bill?

* If you have a well, does it run on electricity? How safe is that power source?

* If you live in a dry area, how sure are you that your water supply is secure?

These are questions worth asking ahead of time, because you can't live without water. Water is the most important element for your body's survival. A person can lose all reserve carbohydrate and fat, and about half the body's protein without being in real danger (though it would be really uncomfortable). Losing water, which amounts to 10% to 22% of your body weight, would be fatal.

Basically, you have three choices: You can get water from under the ground, on top of the ground, or the sky. It is worth understanding fully where your water comes from and where you might get it in an emergency. If your water isn't supplied by your local town, then you'll have to face other concerns, such as well pollution, pesticide run-off, mercury contamination, and more. If your water comes from a munic.i.p.ality, that supply could be threatened by a large-scale disaster, or even a protracted power outage.

Following are some other questions you should ask.

How Much Water Do I Need?

You'd be amazed how much water you use in your everyday life. My home state of Florida uses 174 gallons per person per day.1 But I live in a state with more than its share of crazy people and golf courses, and crazy people on golf courses.

Here are some other figures:* The average person uses over 100 gallons of water per day; that includes water for drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning-the works.

* The World Health Organization says 26.5 gallons of potable water per person is needed daily for minimal health and sanitation standards.

* The U.S. army has done studies that have found that troop-use averages 14.5 gallons per soldier, per day.

* A common recommendation for emergency survival situations is at least 2 gallons per person per day.

If you're facing a short-term emergency, you need at least three days' worth of water for each family member, including pets. A bare minimum is one quart, but you'd be more comfortable with two gallons each per day.

On the other hand, you might want to stock more than that, especially if you're keen on bathing.

I'd be more comfortable storing a week's worth of water. A week's worth of water for four people and a dog would be 70 gallons of water.

Metal containers can leave water with an unpleasant taste. So, most people store water in plastic jugs or other containers. Make sure that you use food-grade plastic. If you recycle old plastic bottles, remember that whatever was in it originally has probably soaked into the plastic, so make sure to use only ones that held stuff you'd drink again, like water, milk, soda pop, etc.

Containers should be filled to the top to help prevent algae growth. Store water out of direct sunlight in a cool part of your home. But avoid freezing, because that can rupture containers.

How Long Can Water Be Stored Before It Is Replaced?

The shelf life of water depends on the original quality of the water, the temperature at which it is stored, how much light it is exposed to. Darker containers will make water last longer. Store-bought bottled, distilled, or purified water should be good for at least two years, and maybe three, though some may evaporate. Ordinary chlorinated tap water can last at least six months in storage.

In the past, a common recommendation was to add a few drops of household chlorine bleach or iodine to a bottle of water to sterilize it. It turns out iodine can be toxic and chlorine bleach is potentially toxic and a cancer hazard (oops!) and so that isn't anything you want to do long term.

How come chlorine is used in city water then? Well, (1) it's not household chlorine bleach, and (2) it's in city water in very small amounts-a parts-per-million basis.

Water Purifiers

Now we're talking! Rather than store dozens of gallons of water in your house, you can buy a water purifier. Portable water purification devices are self-contained units that are used by military personnel, explorers, missionaries, and others who must obtain drinking water from untreated sources (rivers, lakes, etc). Water purifiers make ordinary ground water drinkable (the scientific term is potable). And they're a good alternative for elderly or infirm people who have difficulty lugging around big gallon jugs of water.

Can Water Go Bad?

Sure it can, if you keep it too close to solvents or chemicals, or keep it too long. Stored water may eventually develop a disagreeable appearance, taste, or odor. As the saying goes, "If the water tastes funky, don't give it to your monkey."

Other tips: You should probably split up your water stash, in case some gets damaged or you can't access it. In a real emergency, you can always drink water drained from a hot water heater or from the flush tank of a toilet (not the bowl). Water from a swimming pool can cause diarrhea due to high chlorine content, but it's fine for bathing.

Carbon water filters. This form of filter comprises possibly 95% of those in use domestically. They are simple to install, relatively economical, and depending on micron level, will filter out the most deadly of contaminants, including bacteria like Cryptosporidium and Guardia. Anything one micron rating or below will inhibit Cryptosporidium and Guardia as the cysts are larger than this in size. Viruses cannot be inhibited by a filter with a micron rating of more than 0.01 microns.

An average charcoal filter will last a family six to nine months. Some charcoal filters are enhanced by the use of activated nano-silver, which provides extra antibacterial protection, killing around 650 known types of organisms.

A cheap, useful carbon filter is a simple RV water filter. These are designed to hook inline with a garden hose and fill up an RV's water storage tank. As of this writing, you can buy these for about $25 each, and they're available at any RV store or Wal-Mart. Remember that if the water is run through too fast, the filter will not be effective. It takes about one minute to fill up a one-gallon jug using a carbon RV water filter.

Another Water Storage Tip Not all water is created equal. The water that stores best and for the longest period of time is higher in alkaline.

You can test the alkalinity of your water using litmus paper, which is sold in some pharmacies. A pH below 6.8 indicates acidity, while a pH above 6.8 indicates alkalinity. Water from different parts of the country can vary widely in pH levels.

To do the test, dip red litmus paper in the water you wish to store. If the strip changes in color from pink to violet or blue, then your water alkalinity is fine.

If your water has low alkalinity/high acidity, then you can fix that by adding small amounts of baking soda to each container of water. It shouldn't change the taste of the water.

If you're on the lazy side-come on, embrace your inner couch potato-you can skip the water testing and just add two teaspoons of baking soda to each gallon of water. Mix well and store.

However, if you're serious about this, don't use an ordinary garden hose. Some garden hoses can contain lead or other harmful chemicals. Again, an RV store can supply you with a proper hose.

Types of Filters

Pitcher-type filter. BRITA, PUR, Culligan, and Braun all make pitcher-type water filters. They remove a lot of impurities, but they aren't water purifiers. Still, if you don't have anything else, they're better than nothing. And they're good for everyday use, because they can remove the chlorine taste from household tap water. The filters are replaceable, and prices vary.

Ceramic Filters. Some ceramic water filters come as a cartridge that fits a normal bench top filter. At the core of the ceramic filter element is diatomaceous earth, a fossil substance made up of tiny silicon sh.e.l.ls left by trillions of microscopic, one-celled algae called diatoms that have inhabited the earth for the last 150 million years. Flow rates of ceramic water filters are slower than many other filters. However, the flow rate of the ceramic filter can be renewed by brushing its outer surface under running water. As the top layer of ceramic and contaminants are brushed off and flushed away, a new layer becomes available.2 British Berkefeld. A portable ceramic filter system, and the granddaddy of gravity water filter systems, the Berkefeld has a history dating back to the 1800s. It was originally developed by Mr. Henry Doulton to purify London drinking water, which was drawn from the Thames, a river that was heavily contaminated with raw sewage; cholera and typhoid epidemics were rampant. Queen Victoria was one of Doulton's first customers. Really, when you get down to it, Mr. Doulton's water purifier probably did more for British health than a legion of doctors.

The British Berkefeld is known as the water filter of choice by missionaries and relief agencies around the world. You can pour creek water in this filter and a short time later have clean, good tasting water. How? The Berkefeld has ceramic filters with a pore structure designed to remove very fine particles and bacteria. It can be used when camping or where there is no munic.i.p.ally treated water. The gravity feed system also works when water pressure is too low for other filters.

The Berkefeld is constructed of high-grade, polished stainless steel making it hygienic, durable, and easy to clean. The two piece housing is portable and can be used virtually anywhere, anytime. It takes minutes to a.s.semble and can provide up to 24 gallons of safe drinking water each day. Its ceramic filter can be cleaned and reused.

This is my family's choice for a water purifier. Very little can break and no pumping is required. If you are moving around a lot, you might want another system, but if you're staying put, the Berkefeld will do the job. It's also good for picnics and other outdoor gatherings.

Another choice that's a lot cheaper is the Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter. You simply fill up the 2.6-gallon bag and hang it from a tree. Gravity will draw the water through the filters and it come out clean from the tube.

Other options: If you want to go high -tech, you can get water purifiers based on reverse osmosis, ultraviolet radiation, magnetics, infrared, catalytic purifiers, ionization, and more. All of these have one thing in common: They require electricity, which may be in short supply during an emergency.

A SteriPEN, which looks roughly like a pen, destroys viruses, bacteria, and common microbes in water. It requires batteries, and it's supposed to work well. According to the manufacturer, a SteriPEN has the advantages of no pumping, no chemicals, no test strips, no timekeeping, no lubricating, and no replacement filters. All you have to do is push the water purifier's b.u.t.ton (once for 32 ounces, twice for 16 ounces), place the pen-like lamp in clear water, and stir until an indicator light turns green. This would work well whether you're staying in one place or on-the-go.

"Oh c.r.a.p! The World Is Ending and I Didn't Store Water!"

If you experience a disaster, don't have any water stored, and are worried your water supply will be cut off abruptly, here's what to do: Find and wash as many plastic, gla.s.s, fibergla.s.s, or enamel-lined containers as you can. Soft-drink bottles and food-grade drums work well. If you're worried about the quality of the water, and you're doing this on a short-term basis only, forget my earlier warning about the long-term adverse effects of household bleach in water and add eight drops of household bleach (containing 5.25% sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. This amount of bleach will kill microorganisms, but it won't make you sick. Seal the containers and store them in a cool, dark place.

Portable Water Purifier

There are a bunch of portable water purifiers on the market-just go to Amazon.com and search for portable water purifier. They tend to be more pricey than the others I've mentioned already. I'd avoid ones with hoses because that's always the first thing to break, but it's a matter of personal choice. That said, I think one of the best you can buy is the Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter. It has hoses, but it also has a lifetime warrantee; this makes it four times more expensive than its compet.i.tors, so I guess you get what you pay for.

Another, less expensive choice is the Katadyn ExStream XR Water Bottle Purifier. This has a three-stage filter built into the bottle, and it's good for 125 refills. By the time you need to change the filter, you should either be someplace safe or you probably have bigger problems.

If you think your end of life as we know it story will include a lot of travel, a portable water filter is the way to go.

Hobo Water Purifier

If you find yourself stuck without a water filtration system and a powerful and growing thirst, take some comfort in the fact that our ancestors dealt with this situation successfully. One solution is to construct a hobo water purifier. Here's what to do . . .

Find the cleanest water you can. Strain the water through paper towels, paper coffee filters, or several layers of clean cloth into Source: Watercrunch.blogspot.com. a container to remove any sediment or flaking material. Then boil the water vigorously for 10 minutes. Boiling water will kill bacteria as well as other disease-causing microorganisms that are commonly found in rivers and lakes, but would scare the c.r.a.p out of you if you saw them through a microscope. Add one additional minute for each 10,000 feet of alt.i.tude, depending on where you live.

Four Alternative Ways to Store Water in an Emergency If you don't want to keep bottles of water around the house, and you're pretty sure your water won't be cut off right away, you can buy a container ahead of time and fill it up when you need it. Options include the following:1. WaterBob: The WaterBob is a 100-gallon bag made of 4-mil, food-grade plastic that fits in your bathtub. You can fill it in about 20 minutes using your bathtub faucet. An included siphon pump is used to dispense the water into jugs or pitchers. The WaterBob costs $30 (cost per gallon $0.30). To find out more about it, go to http://tinyurl.com/d572r4.

2. Aquatank: This bladder comes in different sizes from 30 gallons to 300 gallons. It's advertised as being made from an advanced food-grade material so it won't affect the odor or taste of the stored water. A 300-gallon bladder costs about $300 (cost per gallon $1). To find out more, go to http://tinyurl.com/c4k6ks.

3. Home Emergency Water System (HEWS): This is a two-ply plastic bladder system that holds more than 45 gallons of water. Each HEWS system comes with a siphon pump and sanitary alcohol swab (cost per gallon $1.12). To find out more, go to http://tinyurl.com/dhaqh7.

4. Five-gallon collapsible water container: This kind of container is made of heavy-duty polyethylene and is easily portable. It costs about $6 (cost per gallon $1.2). To find out more, go to http://tinyurl.com/dfocbf.

Bottom line: Disaster may never come, so I wouldn't overspend on many areas of equipment, but some type of water stockpile and/ or purification system is a must. If and when TSHTF, you'll die without it. If disaster never comes, then you have water stored, and there are a million and one uses for it.

The Least You Can Do * Buy cheap supermarket bottled water-two gallons of water per day for three days for every person in your household, plus pets. Distilled or purified water is best, water labeled "drinking water" is okay, too.

* Write the date the water expires in magic marker on the plastic jugs of water.

* Make sure none of the bottles leak.

* Find a fairly cool place to store it in your house where it won't heat up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

CHAPTER 7.

Food Storage for Couch Potatoes A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle.

-Irish saying In this chapter, we're going to explore food storage. We'll cover bulk storage, dry goods, canned goods, dehydrated foods and ready-to-eat meals, and pantry essentials. We 'll also cover cooking without electricity.

Even if you don't have a lot of money to spare, dedicating a few extra dollars from your budget every month to build a small food stockpile is a good idea. It's not just for survival planning. A food stockpile will also help you save time and money.