Before we get to water storage…Yesterday I heard some disturbing news from a company that supplies nuts and dried fruits to most of the major food manufacturers in the U.S. We have talked for months about grain and other crops not being planted or planted late due to the weather. We have talked about crops destroyed due to tornadoes and drought. Now this. Nut prices are going to go through the roof! Tree nuts are not the only nuts affected. Peanut supplies are so uncertain that peanut farmers are not selling any until they can determine just how big their crop really is. Remember a few weeks ago when we added peanut butter to our General Store? Did you do it?

Today I read an article about water storage. The article advised that you should not store water in plastic juice bottles because of the sugar in the juice and claiming the sugar cannot be removed. At the same time they advised water could be stored in soda bottles. What about the sugar in soda? Please be careful where you get your advice. 

Now, water talk. Remember there are three types of water we will need when we cannot turn on the tap.

#1 We will need water to drink and cook with. This water must be as pure as we can possibly get it. A good water purifier is a must. If you can't afford a big unit purchase a sports bottle with a filter. Water can easily be stored for this purpose and I will link to some past posts to give you that info. You can also find info in the March 2011 Newsletter: Keeping Water Storage Safe. We are storing canned fruits and vegetables because they are nutritious but also because there is liquid in those cans that is safe to drink and safe to cook with. Oatmeal cooked in fruit juice is really yummy. 

#2  Water to bathe in  and clean with. This water does not need to be as pure and unpurified rain water, pool water and water stored in bleach containers can safely be used for these purposes.

#3  Water to flush or to water your garden. This water needs to be free of debris and human waste but all other water can be used for these purposes. If you have water stored that has mold present  it may have bleach added to it and can then be used for flushing and watering.  

The point here, any water free of debris, human waste, and I guess we now need to add radiation,  does have a purpose and  should not be dumped. Now go read!

http://blog.totallyready.com/water-absolutely-essential-do-it-right/12/04/

http://blog.totallyready.com/water-water-everywhere-and-not-a-drop-to-drink/11/30/

PLAN TO CAN THIS YEAR

Some of my favorite canning tools:

Pressure canner

Home canning kit

Water bath canner

Canning discovery kit A great gift for a beginner.

Victorio Strainer and Sauce Maker My absolute favorite item in my canning supplies! Accessories kit You will be son happy you added this!

Steam Juicer Never waste anything! Juice it and use the juice for drinking or making jelly and syrups.

Steam Canner some people prefer the water bath some the steam bath. I have both. If using a steam canner be sure to add five minutes to all processing times.

1/2 Gallon canning jars Since there has been so much interest in these in our Yahoo group…a link!

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts-preparedness/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/ 

Join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TotallyReady

I know I posted information about water storage as recently as December but this is such a  crucial element in a good self reliance plan that I am re-posting one of the articles. Tuesday you heard my discussion with Jan from Healthy Harvest as we spoke about dehydrated food. As most of you know by now I am very concerned that some are purchasing cans of dehydrated and freeze dried foods and considering that their food storage. That is a huge mistake and can only lead to tears later on. Many companies are making millions of dollars selling you these foods but they are a trap. Eating dehydrated and freeze dried foods without reconstituting them can have serious health consequences. Those foods need to be reconstituted before they can be digested, your body will draw water from your cells to accomplish, this leaving you dehydrated.

I love my dehydrated refried beans and it has saved lots of room on my General Store shelves to have these on hand. They meet the criteria for stored dehydrated foods. # 1 They are used as an ingredient in meals on a regular basis. #2  I am not relying on them as my protein source. I have wet packed canned meats and beans which do not need valuable water to reconstitute during an emergency. I can tell you without hesitation that during a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, flood, wild fire or earthquake, you will not have clean water.

Water is the one thing that should not be rationed during an emergency so you need to be sure you have sufficient to meet your family's needs. It is difficult to reverse the effects of dehydration. During a crisis be sure to carefully use your water but do not limit fluid consumption. We regularly pour ourselves a glass of water, drink a little and dump the rest down the sink. It is this behavior we need to be aware of and avoid. Because water is so crucial to our survival, and our mental as well as physical health, during a crisis it must take priority in a food storage plan and we must be storing canned foods to help supplement. The next time you open a can of veggies or fruit pay attention to the fluids they are packed in. Try using the syrup from your peaches to make oatmeal, yummy. Teach your family that during an emergency the liquids from canned foods are never to be discarded. Pay attention now so when that trial comes saving those liquids will be an automatic response.

You should have started a food storage/emergency preparedness binder. Copy the following post and add it to that binder for quick reference as you add water to your General Store.

Water storage is absolutely essential to a good preparedness plan. In an emergency, it may be too late to go to the tap and expect clean water to flow. One gallon per person per day is the minimum you will need to continue living the way in which you are accustomed. You will need at least two quarts for drinking and the rest for cooking, cleaning, flushing toilets, and personal hygiene. Don't forget to plan for the needs of your pets.

I recently watched a national morning television show where the topic was emergency preparations. The “expert” gave some really awful advice about water storage. Some straight talk is in order.

• Do not drink sodas or alcoholic beverages in an emergency. They will greatly increase thirst.
• Do not store water containers directly on a concrete floor.The chemicals in the concrete can leach into plastic containers and contaminate your water. Place boards or two layers of carpet on the concrete first. The best bet is to store water on shelves and not on the floor at all.
  
• Water should be stored in containers that are filled completely to the top.
• Water should be stored in a cool, dark location.
• Water should never be stored near chemicals, pesticides, perfumed items, or products that may emit toxic gases.If you are storing water in the garage this means you should store it away from the car and any chemicals or in a closed cabinet.
  
• NEVER store water in milk containers. They are too porous, difficult to sanitize, and are easily contaminated. These containers are designed to begin biodegrading as soon as they are produced and they will leak, guaranteed.Water that is sold in similar containers is meant for immediate use. Do not add these to your food storage, they will leak over time.
  
• Label all containers with the words “drinking water,” and with the date you stored it.If you are storing in bleach containers or other containers that are not appropriate for drinking label those Don Not Drink: for sanitation and washing only. You may know which are which but would your children if they were home alone or would a visitor or someone who had evacuated to your home.
  
• Stored water should be rotated every year. The best advice is to choose a date you will rotate your water every year. A good time would be a special occasion that falls during the summer months — birthday, anniversary, the 4 th of July. The old water can then be used to water outdoor gardens and trees.
• Train your family in the safe and responsible use of stored water.Teach them to practice conserving now and when an emergency presents itself they will not have to vary there habits as much.
  
• Do not use bottled water that has been exposed to flood waters.Everything that has been exposed to flood water MUST be disinfected before use. Canned goods may be used as the water will not leach through metal. Water, however and any chemicals can leach through plastic, thus the water in them should not be consumed. It may be used, after sterilizing the outside for flushing and cleaning after adding bleach.
  

  Water may be stored in a variety of containers:

  1. Heavy duty food grade plastic containers with a spout or a pump for dispensing water. Water is heavy and you need to consider this when choosing containers. Five gallons of water weighs 42 pounds. Containers should be manageable for one adult to lift or they should be equipped with a pump. Make sure when using plastic containers that they are approved for food use. Chemicals are available to add to storage containers preserving the water for five years. A food grade plastic container will be labeled with a PETE sign on the bottom, a triangle with a 2 in the center.
  

  2. Plastic bottles – Water may be stored in well-rinsed bleach (hypochlorite) bottles. Do not use bottles from scented bleach. Begin by cleaning bottles with hot, soapy water. Completely clean the inside and the outside of the container, including the handle, the lid. Rinse well with plain water. Finally, rinse with clean water. Once you clean and sanitize the container, fill it with water you know is safe and screw the cap on tightly. Since some experts say storing water in bleach containers is fine and others say it is dangerous I recommend you rotate the water at least once a year and then reserve it for cleaning and flushing toilets. These are not food grade so I would use it only for non consumption.

  3. Soda Bottles – Liter soda bottles with screw on lids work well for storing drinking water. Colored bottles are the best as they filter the light. Sanitize by rinsing inside and out with a solution of one-half teaspoon of household bleach per pint of water. Rinse well with plain water. Finally, rinse with clean water. Once you clean and sanitize the container, fill it with water you know is safe and screw the cap on tightly. You may want to fill containers with your own tap water. Water in different areas tastes differently and your family will be accustomed to the taste of your own tap. Before using open the container for several hours. Pour water back and forth between two pitchers to add air back in and improve the taste. If the water appears cloudy treat or use it for cleaning and bathing but not for drinking. Liter bottles are also great to have on hand to grab quickly if you need to evacuate. They can be carried easily by an adult with the use of a lanyard type bottle carrier. Clear liter bottles can be used to purify questionable water.

  4. Mylar water storage bags – These are impermeable to gases and are usually sold in bulk cases for easy stacking. Individual pouches can be purchased for storing in 72 hour kits and in your car. These pouches are not rodent proof so check them often and place small pouches in a rodent proof container. These products are dated for a 5 year shelf life but have been tested to last years longer.

  5. Glass jars – As you empty your canning jars sterilize them, and the screw on lids, and fill with water until you are ready to refill them with the “fruits” of your gardening efforts. They are already taking up space so put them to work! Glass jars should be stored in a dark place and preferably in the original cardboard box. Water can also be canned by processing for 20 minutes in a water bath or steam canner. This is not necessary if water is rotated on a regular basis.

  6. Picnic coolers – Fill with water between uses.

  7. The bathtub – If you know a storm is approaching and there is even a remote chance you may be without water, fill your bathtubs and sinks. You should experiment with this before an emergency arises. If your drain does not hold the water well you will want to purchase an inexpensive stopper at the hardware store. We have left our plants in a tub with water, while we left on vacation for a week and the water was still there when we returned home.

  8. Pitchers and pots -Drag out grandma’s silver pitcher, pot, canners and anything else that can hold water. All of these items will hold water that you can safely drink. That is huge! Once items are filled cover with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent dust and ants from getting in.

  9. Swimming pools – Use for cleaning and bathing only.

  10. Hot water heaters – Make sure you turn off the power (or gas) before you attempt to drain. To get a free flow of water from the hot water tank, open the valve at the top of the tank as well as the faucet at the bottom of the tank. Increase the water flow by turning on any hot water faucet in the house before draining water from the hot water tank.

  11. Water beds – Use water from these for cleaning and bathing only.

  12. Liquids in canned fruits and vegetables are good for cooking. This is one reason I recommend you have canned foods in your General Store. Peach juice is great for cooking oatmeal. Rice and pasta cook well in the water from canned vegetables.

  13. Melted snow-Be sure the snow is freshly fallen and clean. Never eat snow as it will rapidly lower your body temperature.

  14. Rain water should be collected away from trees or structures which could contaminate the water. Mylar blankets; new, unused 5 gallon buckets; new unused garbage cans; pots and pans from the cupboard, all work well to collect water. Again remember plastic garbage cans are not food grade and the water should not be used for drinking or cooking

  15. Fruit juices should be included in every emergency storage plan. They are not only useful for drinking but also adding flavors to foods such as oatmeal, and disguising the taste of medications.

  16. A freezer is also a good place to store water for a long period. Freeze water in plastic bottles only; glass will break. Fill containers leaving two to three inches of space at the top to prevent bursting as the water expands and freezes.This practice also helps keep your foods frozen and safe to use longer, should the power fail.
  

   

TOTALLY READY NEWSLETTER SPECIAL:

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She's Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a gift for them or let them know about this great deal.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

I recently watched a national morning television show where the topic was emergency preparations. The “expert” gave some really awful advice about water storage. Some straight talk is in order.

• Do not drink sodas or alcoholic beverages in an emergency. They will greatly increase thirst.
• Do not store water containers directly on a concrete floor.The chemicals in the concrete can leach into plastic containers and contaminate your water. Place boards or two layers of carpet on the concrete first. The best bet is to store water on shelves and not on the floor at all.
  
• Water should be stored in containers that are filled completely to the top.
• Water should be stored in a cool, dark location.
• Water should never be stored near chemicals, pesticides, perfumed items, or products that may emit toxic gases.If you are storing water in the garage this means you should store it away from the car and any chemicals or in a closed cabinet.
  
• NEVER store water in milk containers. They are too porous, difficult to sanitize, and are easily contaminated. These containers are designed to begin biodegrading as soon as they are produced and they will leak, guaranteed.
• Label all containers with the words “drinking water,” and with the date you stored it.If you are storing in bleach containers or other containers that are not appropriate for drinking label those Don Not Drink: for sanitation and washing only. You may know which are which but would your children if they were home alone or would a visitor or someone who had evacuated to your home.
  
• Stored water should be rotated every year. The best advice is to choose a date you will rotate your water every year. A good time would be a special occasion that falls during the summer months — birthday, anniversary, the 4 th of July. The old water can then be used to water outdoor gardens and trees.
• Train your family in the safe and responsible use of stored water.Teach them to practice conserving now and when an emergency presents itself they will not have to vary there habits as much.
  
• Do not use bottled water that has been exposed to flood waters.Everything that has been exposed to flood water MUST be disinfected before use. Canned goods may be used as the water will not leach through metal. Water, however and any chemicals can leach through plastic, thus the water in them should not be consumed. It may be used, after sterilizing the outside for flushing and cleaning after adding bleach.

Water storage is absolutely essential to a good preparedness plan. In an emergency, it may be too late to go to the tap and expect clean water to flow. One gallon per person per day is the minimum you will need to continue living the way in which you are accustomed. You will need at least two quarts for drinking and the rest for cooking, cleaning, flushing toilets, and personal hygiene.

When planning your water needs don’t forget your pets.

Water may be stored in a variety of containers:

1. Heavy duty food grade plastic containers with a spout or a pump for dispensing water. Water is heavy and you need to consider this when choosing containers. Five gallons of water weighs 42 pounds. Containers should be manageable for one adult to lift or they should be equipped with a pump. Make sure when using plastic containers that they are approved for food use. Chemicals are available to add to storage containers preserving the water for five years.

2. Plastic bottles – Water may be stored in well-rinsed bleach (hypochlorite) bottles. Do not use bottles from scented bleach. Begin by cleaning bottles with hot, soapy water. Completely clean the inside and the outside of the container, including the handle, the lid. Rinse well with plain water. Finally, rinse with clean water. Once you clean and sanitize the container, fill it with water you know is safe and screw the cap on tightly. Since some experts say storing water in bleach containers is fine and others say it is dangerous I recommend you rotate the water at least once a year and then reserve it for cleaning and flushing toilets. These are not food grade so I would use it only for non consumption.

3. Soda Bottles – Liter soda bottles with screw on lids work well for storing drinking water. Colored bottles are the best as they filter the light. Sanitize by rinsing inside and out with a solution of one-half teaspoon of household bleach per pint of water. Rinse well with plain water. Finally, rinse with clean water. Once you clean and sanitize the container, fill it with water you know is safe and screw the cap on tightly. You may want to fill containers with your own tap water. Water in different areas tastes differently and your family will be accustomed to the taste of your own tap. Before using open the container for several hours. Pour water back and forth between two pitchers to add air back in and improve the taste. If the water appears cloudy treat or use it for cleaning and bathing but not for drinking. Liter bottles are also great to have on hand to grab quickly if you need to evacuate. They can be carried easily by an adult with the use of a lanyard type bottle carrier. Clear liter bottles can be used to purify questionable water.

4. Mylar water storage bags – These are impermeable to gases and are usually sold in bulk cases for easy stacking. Individual pouches can be purchased for storing in 72 hour kits and in your car. These pouches are not rodent proof so check them often and place small pouches in a rodent proof container. These products are dated for a 5 year shelf life but have been tested to last years longer.

5. Glass jars – As you empty your canning jars sterilize them, and the screw on lids, and fill with water until you are ready to refill them with the “fruits” of your gardening efforts. They are already taking up space so put them to work! Glass jars should be stored in a dark place and preferably in the original cardboard box. Water can also be canned by processing for 20 minutes in a water bath or steam canner. This is not necessary if water is rotated on a regular basis.

6. Picnic coolers – Fill with water between uses.

7. The bathtub – If you know a storm is approaching and there is even a remote chance you may be without water, fill your bathtubs and sinks. You should experiment with this before an emergency arises. If your drain does not hold the water well you will want to purchase an inexpensive stopper at the hardware store. We have left our plants in a tub with water, while we left on vacation for a week and the water was still there when we returned home.

8. Pitchers and pots -Drag out grandma’s silver pitcher, pot, canners and anything else that can hold water. All of these items will hold water that you can safely drink. That is huge! Once items are filled cover with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent dust and ants from getting in.

9. Swimming pools – Use for cleaning and bathing only.

10. Hot water heaters – Make sure you turn off the power (or gas) before you attempt to drain. To get a free flow of water from the hot water tank, open the valve at the top of the tank as well as the faucet at the bottom of the tank. Increase the water flow by turning on any hot water faucet in the house before draining water from the hot water tank.

11. Water beds – Use water from these for cleaning and bathing only.

12. Liquids in canned fruits and vegetables are good for cooking. This is one reason I recommend you have canned foods in your General Store. Peach juice is great for cooking oatmeal. Rice and pasta cook well in the water from canned vegetables.

13. Melted snow-Be sure the snow is freshly fallen and clean. Never eat snow as it will rapidly lower your body temperature.

14. Rain water should be collected away from trees or structures which could contaminate the water. Mylar blankets; new, unused 5 gallon buckets; new unused garbage cans; pots and pans from the cupboard, all work well to collect water. Again remember plastic garbage cans are not food grade and the water should not be used for drinking or cooking

15. Fruit juices should be included in every emergency storage plan. They are not only useful for drinking but also adding flavors to foods such as oatmeal, and disguising the taste of medications.

16. A freezer is also a good place to store water for a long period. Freeze water in plastic bottles only; glass will break. Fill containers leaving two to three inches of space at the top to prevent bursting as the water expands and freezes.

More on water in upcoming posts and in the newsletter. Please let me know if you have specific questions.

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows:

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Food security is defined by the United Nations as having enough food on to feed a country’s population. The United Nations estimates the need for food will more than double over the next 50 years. Their scientists believe the only way to avoid wide spread famine is to re-invest in agriculture and in agricultural practices.

Many of you who have been following Totally Ready for a while know the opposite is happening in our country. In California we continue to limit water to farmers to protect a smelt. This has lead to top soil being lost and crops going unplanted for several years now. This is all due to the federal government’s control of California water supplies. More and more government controls are being placed on farmers throughout the country leading to many selling their land for development.

I still marvel at those who do not understand that when the land is lost our ability to grow the food we need as a nation diminishes. Wal Mart and Krogers do not grow food! With an increased demand for food we will be held hostage to foreign countries to import what we need. What happens when the the countries we import our food from can no longer export because they need their food supplies to feed their own population?

Right now Russia has decided to ban wheat exports after a drought wiped out 25 percent of its crop. The decision increased food prices about 5 percent worldwide. Massive floods in Pakistan caused huge losses to the country’s crops. African beetles are destroying bee hives in Australia. Researchers have warned that this could lead to increased food prices as bees are needed to pollinate many crops.

“While nations debate what to do about long-term problems such as climate change and dwindling water supplies, two words send immediate shivers down the spines of government officials across the world: Food security.

A series of environmental disasters fueling a wave of food price volatility has given governments, “a much needed wakeup call,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, an economist for the United Nation’s Security of Intergovernmental Group on Grains.

“The pace in which prices went up, nobody predicted markets could turn so fast,” said Abbassian. “It’s been two months and we’re still struggling with it.”

In the years ahead we’ll probably be seeing more of the turbulence we’re experiencing now because markets are set to become more volatile in the medium term for at least three reasons: a) the growing importance as a cereal producer of the Black Sea region, where yields fluctuate greatly from one season to the next; b) the expected increase of extreme weather events linked to climate change; and c) the growing importance of non-commercial actors in commodities markets,” Ghanem said in an interview posted on the UN Food and Agricultural Organization website.”

http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/09/22/un.food.security.poverty/index.html?hpt=C1

As responsible  people we can not ignore this threat. Fifty years may seem a long way away and many of us will be gone but we all know forecasts such as this are based on scenarios in which conditions remain the same as they are today. What happens when conditions change. This week President Obama is introducing a resolution at the United Nations that would require wealthy nations to support with food and money, poor countries. I doubt this will pass but if it did that would definitely change things. Less food stockpiled and more money going out of the country. Neither is good. Should there be a several year drought, severe flooding at planting time, severe winters, tornadoes just before harvest, war, terrorism, a pandemic where farm workers could not get out to plant or harvest,  that 50 years could quickly turn into just 10 years. We must learn from the warnings we are receiving and get our own house in order. Begin today to formulate a plan to feed your family should food become scarce or just too expensive to afford. Be more diligent in stocking your General Store and plan to garden and can whenever possible.

Tip # 23- Create a list of 10 meals your family loves. List all the ingredients in those recipes. If more than one includes the same ingredient, such as pasta, make a hash mark next to that item each time it appears. You have just created your shopping list for your General Store. With those ingredients you will be able to create dozens of dishes and you will know you like everything in those dishes so everyone will eat them.

Tip #24 Create a list of items you would like to add to your preparedness inventory. This could include food as well as non food items such as Dutch ovens, water purifier, survival kits, tents, or even firewood. Mail or give this list to everyone who gives you birthday or holiday gifts and tell them these are the items you would like. I have started a fund for something I am saving for and my kids give me money to add to that fund on special occasions.

Tip # 25  Add water to your water storage. Fill empty canning jars with water, place a clean, used, lid upside down on the jar and screw on the lid. Fill empty plastic juice bottles, bleach bottle, etc. You can purchase water at the store but remember water that is stored in soft plastic bottles will eventually leak. Never store water in milk bottles. For more help with water storage check out  your copy of Mother Hubbard: What She’s Doing Now.

Tip #26 Teach each family member how and where to turn off the gas, electricity and water into your home.

Review Tips…For more specifics about each tip please visit the former posts.

#1:  Find an out of area contact.

#2: Gather maps.  Get several different colors of highlighters and mark at least three different routes out of the city and  ending at the home of your out of area contact.

#3: Collect all your flashlights. Check  to make sure they are all working properly. Make note of any batteries you need to purchase.

#4  Post important phone numbers and your own address by each phone.

#5  Place a pair of good shoes under each bed where they can be reached in the middle of the night.

#6  Place a glow stick next to each bed.

# 7:  Listen to READY OR NOT. If you can’t listen tonight the show will be available for download at the same link as the live show. Hope to hear from you tonight!

# 8: Stash some cash, about $100.00, for each adult kit.

# 9 Inventory your kitchen, everything.

#10 Inventory your Family room/living room.

#11 Inventory your bedrooms.

#12 Inventory Office and formal dining room.

# 13 Inventory and update 72 hour kits. If you are just beginning collect back packs for every family member.

#14 Sort through medicine cabinet. Replace expired medications.

# 15  Copy your driver’s license, auto insurance policy and birth certificates for your important documents file. We had a great show Tuesday night with tips and info about collecting important documents and just why it is so vital. If you missed the show download it and listen today.

#16 Inventory bathrooms and hall closets

#17 Inventory garage

#18 Make copies of your home owners or renters insurance.

#19 Make copies of the front and back of all credit cards and record the contact phone numbers for all cards on these copies.

#20  Place a flashlight and whistle next to or slightly under each bed in the house.

#21 Teach all family members to text.

#22 Make copies of your home owners insurance and medical insurance papers

To Listen to past broadcasts of READY OR NOT visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/carolyn-nicolaysen/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

September Newsletter:

Let’s Play…a look at things to do during a power outage to keep sane.

Food Safety…keeping foods safe during a power outage.

Frozen Food During a Power Outage, when to save and when to throw away.

Dutch Oven Cooking…How to Control the Temperature

Haybox Cooking…one more way to cook when the grid goes down.

Recipes: This month all the recipes are from 1850. They are fun and easy to make and perfect during power emergencies, after all our great grandparents didn’t have electricity!

With all the solar activity this past week and more on the way we are going to continue some options for living off the grid, just in case. A major concern is always water. For those on a well this is crucial to survival and for those relying on municipal systems there may also be days or weeks when the treatment plant is not operating or not operating at full capacity. After hurricanes, wild fires, earthquakes, tornadoes etc. there will be time when the water is flowing but has been contaminated. No problem, unless there is also no power to boil before your drink.

Have you heard of the SODIS method? Solar disinfection (SODIS) was developed in the 1980’s to inexpensively disinfect water used for oral re hydration solutions used to treat diarrhea. In 1991, the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology began to experimenting with the SODIS method to treat water in third world countries where water was often tainted and making the population sick. The World Health Organization has now approved this method of purifying water.

A combination of UV rays and heat causes the destruction of disease causing organisms.

SODIS is a simple and inexpensive method of purifying water using solar light. Purifying water can be expensive if using propane to heat water to boiling. During an emergency using precious bleach may also not be a viable solution. SODIS water disinfection needs only plastic bottles and sunlight, making this a task you can even delegate to children.

SODIS method steps:

1. Clean clear PET bottles. Get into the practice of storing some of your water in clear plastic juice bottles and you have this covered. Even individual commercial water bottles can be reused for this purpose so do not discard them during an emergency once they are empty.

2. Filter water through a clean cloth or cheese cloth to remove any foreign material, insects, debris, etc.

3. Fill bottles with filtered water and tighten cap.

4. Place bottles in direct sunlight for at least 6 hour if sunny or two days in cloudy situations. To increase efficiency and water safety place bottles on a reflective, metal surface. A mylar survival blanket works well for this purpose.

5. Store water in these bottles and drink from the bottle or pour it into a clean cup.

Simple. Be sure you leave bottle in the sun the entire time as there is never a guarantee that all organisms have been killed. Err on the side of too much sun.

Benefits of SODIS are:

Proven reduction of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa in water

Proven reduction of diarrheal disease incidence in users

Simplicity of use

No cost

Water tastes good

Drawbacks of SODIS are:

The need for pretreatment, filtering water.

Length of time required to treat water

Only small amounts can be purified at one time.

Need to prepare ahead and have bottles and a reflective surface on hand.

Not 100% effective if every step is not completed.

SODIS will not remove chemicals from water so never use this method if you suspect there are any chemicals in your water source.

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Talk with Halli: food storage and current financial outlook. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/idahotalk/2010/07/16/hfalli-friends

The Tax Foundation was established in 1937 to help Americans understand the implications of tax legislation and to understand tax codes. There website says:

“The Tax Foundation has launched a “Bush tax cuts” calculator at www.MyTaxBurden.org, which allows taxpayers to compare their 2011 federal income tax liabilities under three scenarios: if all the Bush tax cuts expire completely at the end of this year, if they’re all extended into 2011 or made permanent, and if President Obama’s budget is adopted, which includes a combination of expirations and extensions.

Taxpayers can type in basic information-such as filing status, wage income and number of dependents-along with optional more detailed information-such as capital gains and dividend income, state and local taxes paid and other itemized deductions-and determine what their federal income tax burden would be in 2011.”

As an example of what the elimination of these tax cuts will do: a couple making $100,000 per year will pay $12,500 in 2010…2011 the tax will be 15,700 or an increase of 3,200. For a couple with two children making $100,000 the taxes will go from $8,600 this year to 12,600 next, or an increase of $4,000. The alternative tax code requires tax payers to calculate their taxes two ways and to pay the larger. If this code is not adjusted one in three taxpayers in the country will have to calculate their taxes in this manner. Please check out the calculator for yourself to determine how this will affect you. Bottom line, taxes will go up for all Americans not just the wealthy on January 1st if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire.

It’s time to add another non food item to our General Store. With all the discussion about water in our yahoo group we are going to prepare for water shortages by stocking up on paper cups this week. Add a minimum of 100 cups per family member. This may sound like a lot of paper cups but that is figuring only one per day! It does not account for those who may just, drop in, when they discover their preparations are not sufficient. We all have a list of those we have tried to counsel and we know when the crisis hits, they will come. Consider those as you plan. Also, consider if the crisis we are facing is not contaminated water or a power outage causing water shortages but a severe pandemic you will want more than one cup per ill person per day as you will be discard them after every use. When dealing with a pandemic you will not have the energy to care for the ill and also wash dishes and continue with all the other household chores. Disposable cups will be an absolute necessity.

I would advise you to store both cold cups and cups appropriate for hot drinks. I have started storing more hot than cold because they are more versatile and can be used for serving hot foods like beans, soups and stews, as well as drinks. They will also hold up better for a full days use.

Finally purchase only paper cups. If we have an extended power outage we may be dealing with a major disaster and may not have trash collection. Paper products can be burned, plastic will emit dangerous gases and will be a danger to your family.

For those who are just beginning the food portion of their General Store we have added fruit. Today we are adding desserts. Yep, start with the important stuff…You should have asked your family about their favorite desserts so this week add the ingredients to make eight desserts. This could be as simple as a cake mix or the individual ingredients for your favorite cookies. Consider some that could also be made if the electrical grid were down. There are a few recipes for Dutch oven desserts in the April 2010 issue of the Totally Ready newsletter. This week…store eight desserts!

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Talk with Halli: food storage and current financial outlook. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/idahotalk/2010/07/16/hfalli-friends



Did you miss me? I have had the worst time trying to post while I was away from home. I finally gave up so here is the post from last Friday and I will revise and post today’s tomorrow. Sorry for the delay here and on the yahoo group but now I’m back in the groove!

It’s so easy to run and turn on the tap and expect clean water to flow. Unfortunately that is not always the case. There are dozens of reason we could find ourselves thirsty and desperate. This is just one experience we can learn from:

On Friday night, instead of doing the dinner dishes right away, something on the television caught my eye and I sat down to watch it with my husband. Before long, it was time to go to bed, and when I walked into the kitchen to put my glass in the dishwasher, realized that a sink full of dirty dishes was still waiting for me. What made that even worse was that when I turned the faucet on to start washing them, nothing came out!

We live on property with a well, so we knew that we weren’t “out of water.” With flashlight in hand, my husband went to check on it, and discovered that the pump wasn’t working. There wasn’t anything he could do, so we decided to go sleep in our RV. We’d just returned from a trip and the fresh water tank was full, so we knew that at least we could use the bathroom and shower until we got the pump fixed.

Next morning, we called the man who works on our well. He came out with everything he needed to repair it, but the damage was beyond repair. We needed a new pump and he would have to pick one up and come back the next day to install it.

That meant going another 24 hours without water. Water is one of those things you just take for granted until you have to do without. You just turn the faucet and water comes out, right?

Fortunately, we had bottled water stored for drinking, and some quick hand washing, but not enough for bathing. If it hadn’t been for the RV, we would have had to go to our daughter’s house for at least our daily showers.

We did, however, discover a couple of other resources for water:

1. Having a two story home means that you have lots of water pipes and they’re full of water. You know this because generally, when you turn the faucet on, water immediately comes out. I took three empty food storage barrels to the ground level and turned on the outside faucet. I was able to capture enough water to fill all three of the buckets. We put one in the kitchen and dipped water out of it with a measuring cup to wash hands. We put another in the bathroom to fill the tank if necessary.

2. We have a water softener system with a tank under the kitchen sink that filters the water. This water comes out of a smaller spigot – similar to those that produce hot water on demand. This tank probably holds about 5 gallons of water, so I was able to use it for cooking. That came in handy for meal preparation and I didn’t have to use the bottled water.

3. The hot water tank is another source of extra water. We didn’t have to get into it, but at least it was there.

We survived thirty-six hours without water without too much inconvenience, but it’s making me think about what I could do to make it even easier if it ever happens again.

What we do now:

• The 55 gallon barrels in our shed that are meant to hold water are now full. Because we have the well, we’ve never been too concerned about filling them up. I wouldn’t want to drink the water out of them, but we could have used it for bathing if we had more than a simple pump to remove the water. That’s definitely something I’m going to be checking on this week.

Sometimes it’s good to have a minor emergency just so you can figure out a way to become more prepared. It’s even better if someone else has the emergency and it helps make you more aware. Take some time to assess the water situation in your home and come up with a plan you can implement now in case you ever find yourself without water. Even if you have city water, you might have your line temporarily shut off in the event that a main line is cut or has a leak. It’s always better to come up with a plan before you need it because you can think more clearly, and generally have more options when you’re not in emergency mode.

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

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My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



Just Getting Started with Food Storage or Restarting?

Purchase any item: an ebook, newsletter subscription, newsletter archive or product,  from Totally Ready and receive a free Guide to a Three Month Supply in 52 Weeks. Take advantage of this offer today and get an easy to understand and implement system to get you Totally Ready for whatever comes….

Yesterday we added water to our general store. Today it is time for you to determine just how much you should be storing for your family. Following are a few guidelines to consider:

Drinking- normally 8 glasses of water per day or or about 1/2 gallon person.

Flushing: Each flush can use as much as 2 gallons of water. Most people flush 5 times per day.

Laundry: If you have make a bucket washer you will need 3 – 4 Gallons of water for washing and the same for rinsing each “load”.

Cleaning and hand washing: 1/2 Gallon per person per day or plenty of hand sanitizer. Some of both is the best.

Cooking: If you are using canned fruits and vegetables you can use the juices and water they are packed in for cooking purposes and you will need less water. If you are using dehydrated or freeze dried foods you will need three times as much water for reconstituting. Again, you should calculate about 1/2 gallon per person per day under normal circumstances.

Pets: They are family members too and will need water for drinking and bathing. Observe how much they consume each day and add a little extra as you may have to resort to feeding them foods they are not as familiar with and will need more water to digest.

Bathing:  You can handle this like our great grand[arents and share bath water or you can plan on bathing using just a wash cloth and a basin of water or a camp shower. Whatever the plan you will need water. Only you can determine just how much.

We have often been told 2 gallons per person per day but you know how I hate generalities. Only you can really determine your family’s needs. Take a little time now with a paper and pencil and do a little calculating for yourself. Remember it is always better to be over prepared for an emergency than to be under prepared.

For information regarding storing water please read the post post  Water Storage and More

For information regarding finding water during a crisis and water when living in an urban environment see: February 2010 and May 2010 Totally Ready Newsletters

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



The one-day increase for June 30 totaled $165,931,038,264.30 – bigger than the entire annual deficit for fiscal year 2007 and larger than the $140 billion in savings the new health care bill will produce over its first 10 years. The figure works out to nearly $1,500 for every U.S. household, or more than 10 times the median daily household income.

Daily debt calculations jump and fall, and big shifts are common. But all three of the biggest one-day debt increases have occurred since February 2009. I don’t want to appear as the face of doom and gloom or to be accused of fear mongering because you all know I do believe determine our own destiny. We need to vote. We need to study and prepare for hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, floods, tornadoes, burglaries, house fires, job loss, economic downturns, and even terrorist attacks. Many have lots of things in common such as the need to evacuate quickly or the need to clean up after. You need to decide which are most likely to happen to you either while at home or while vacationing.

We need to build a General Store within our own homes. We all need to eat, drink, bathe, take care of our sanitation needs and wash our clothing even during good times. Emergency preparedness or Emergency management requires other items, but items that are just as important to be in our stores. We will need disinfectants and trash bags to clean up after floods, earthquakes and during a major pandemic. You will need paper plates and flashlight batteries for power outages. Yes, it is a long list but we can do it one week at a time.

The point, we just don’t know what our challenges in life will be but we do know they will come. If I seem to be beating the economy drum right now it is because that is the crisis everyone can see coming or is already suffering through and for those who may never have seen the need or understood the wisdom of food storage and disaster preparedness this may be the information they need to become motivated. I also don’t ever want to hear…”why didn’t you warn me?”

You have been warned, now it’s your turn to warn others.

This week I am going to spend time posting info about water so today we are going to add water to our General Store. I normally don’t encourage you to purchase water but it is always a good idea to have a few flats that you rotate through. Individual bottle of water are perfect if someone becomes ill and you want to make sure they don’t share their germs. this is especially true if they are ill during a power outage when sterilizing may become much more complicated. It is also important to have water that can be grabbed and carried along with your 72 hour kits to add additional water to that already in your kit.

For those working on the non food items in Our General Store, and you all should be even if you have not completed the food department, add at least one box of large plastic trash bags. These can be used for everything from rain slickers, to shelter, to a porta-potty liner. We have talked in the past about the need to garbage as well as waste disposal in case of an extended power outage but we may also need to provide our own methods of dealing with these problems after a natural disaster if the infra structure fails. You can not have too many plastic bags. I would venture a guess that these will be another great items to barter with.

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



First, thank you to all who have sent me survival stories. Please keep them coming. It is great to learn of all the things you have discovered through real life experience. I will compile them and share them in a newsletter in July. If you haven’t already shared your survival tale please do so. Thank you to all who have let me know about the can organizers you have purchased. For any who may have missed my requests last week, I need to know if you have purchased can organizers after clicking on the link on the blog. If so, when and how many, thanks, it’s important and I appreciate your help.

I have often wondered why we don’t just do our water bath canning in our large stock pots. The water gets just as hot and will cover the entire jar. Now Ball has done it. The Canning discovery kit includes a polypropylene rack and jar lifter combo designed to hold 3 pint jars and fit in a stockpot, and also includes 8 simple recipes and  canning instructions. I think this is a great way for those who have never canned to get an idea of what is involved, and just how much fun it is, without all the expense. It would be a great gift for anyone you are encouraging to get involved in canning. How handy when you have just a few peaches or just enough fruit for one batch of jam and don’t want to drag out all the equipment.   Check it out.

Since we have spent time recently thinking about what might cause an extended power outage and how we would survive, I would like to stick with that theme in stocking  Our General Store this week. Now is the time to add a plunger. If you did not see the post about a assembling  “Washing Machine” for use in a power outage then you may not understand how a plunger helps during a power outage. Check out the post. I purchased my plunger at the dollar store so this is not a huge investment. When you get your plunger home be sure to label it “laundry only” and add it to your emergency supplies in the garage. If you don’t already have a plunger for your bathrooms now may be the time to add one or two. During a crisis we may need to use our stored water to flush. As we will be trying to flush with as little water as possible, the need for a plunger will certainly arise.

Add matches to your store. Wooden matches are inexpensive and a must have for any good storage plan. They should be included in your go kits, auto kits, 72 hour kits and of course on your General Store shelves. For storage, other than on the shelves in your home, place them first in a waterproof container or wrap them in plastic or foil to keep them dry. There are many ways to start a fire but the easiest by far is to use matches. Don’t skimp in this area.

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That’s right, I’ve decided to hit the road. I have heard so many times over the past decade, “I just want you to tell me what to store and I will do it”. After hearing from so many that they have stored a year’s supply of dehydrated foods or even worse, a year’s supply of grains and powdered milk, I have decided it is time to do something more. For the past year and a half I have been encouraging readers and friends t0 create a General Store in their own home which would meet the needs of their family. You may have noticed that I never tell you to buy corn or peaches or tuna. Instead I ask you to buy cans of vegetables and fruits or pounds of protein. I would hate to be stuck cooking for an extended period of time with the foods some websites tell you to store.

It has been a real wake up call, or it should be, that there are already lines for food handouts along the Gulf coast due to the recently oil spill. It has been a matter of days and already families are out of food in their homes. What will they do when the relief agencies give them bags of food that they may not be accustomed to eating or that they may lack the skills to prepare? Food storage MUST be customized to your family needs and preferences.

This week I began in home consultations. I will be meeting with you in your own home and when I leave you will have a list of foods and other items to store specific to your family needs. We will walk around your home and I will help you discover places to store food that you may not have considered. I will help you learn how to plan shopping trips, how to afford food storage no matter what your budget and give you tips for rotating. I will leave you with an interactive inventory system to keep track of what you have, what you still need, and will also aid you as you use and rotate your stock.

I would love to be able to travel the country doing this but naturally that will not be possible. I am currently scheduling appointments in California and southern Oregon. The price for this service depends on the distance traveled and the number of appointments scheduled. I would also be happy to do telephone consultations. As I travel for other reasons I will let you know and if I am already in your neck of the woods I will be available for in home meetings. I will be in Houston the beginning of June and I have a few days available for consulting during that trip. If you are in the Houston area and would be interested please send an email and we can talk about the specifics.

As I watched the DOW plummet for a few minutes today, and everyone concerned the exchange would close to prevent a total melt down, I was reminded just how fragile our economy really is. The Greek economy has completely failed and there is rioting in the streets as government programs are canceled. These are the same type programs we have become so dependent upon, food stamps, education, police and fire, health care, all those mandated programs the state and federal government has put into place. I remember watching an Oprah when she interviewed women in Denmark and declared them the happiest in the world. Right…they pay 70% of their income in taxes and the government provides education, jobs, medical, etc. What happens when their economy fails and the people have no skills and no concept of how to create and make do? Riots like we are now seeing in Greece. That will happen here should we have a similar failure of our system. The Euro was devalued today by 10%. That is huge! What happens when foreign governments can’t repay their loans to us and we can’t repay our loans? Rioting and civil unrest as services are cut.

Am I concerned about EMPs and Solar Storms? Yes, but I am far more concerned about the economy and food supplies. Food supplier in many countries, including the United States, are subsidized by the government. What will happen when those subsidies go away as budgets become unsustainable? Last night I appeared on the Dr. Prepper show on blog talk radio. We discussed EMPs and Solar flares and he asked me what would be the first thing I would advise people to do. The answer, get your food and water stored. No matter the cause of a disaster the things we will always need are food and water. With all the concerns about world economies, natural disasters, terrorism and just plain life challenges, the bottom line remains the same. We must eat and drink to survive.

If you know someone who could use a hand with their food storage please let them know I am now consulting and I will leave them with a plan they can, and will, follow because it will be easy and it will make sense. If you have a loved one in California or southern Oregon and are at a loss for a gift why not give them the gift of an in home consultation. If you would like a telephone consultation just let me know.

Just a reminder, because of my concern for rising food prices,  I will send any new subscribers to the Totally Ready Newsletter

a copy of our March issue which includes the information you will need to store a nutritionally balanced three month supply

designed for your family’s needs, not a generic list you may find other places.

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Free Movie and Cheap Pizza for Date Night Tonight:

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Download your free app to your iphone or android today and enjoy tonight!!

Clean drinking water is a huge concern no matter where you live during an emergency but for city dwellers it is more of a concern due to the amount of space needed to store water and also the inability to just walk to a river or stream to get more.

Most just don’t have the space required to store the volume of water needed. This is a key reason I never recommend, in fact I strongly recommend against, storing dehydrated or freeze dried foods. Dehydrated foods need four times the volume of water to food to reconstitute. In other words for 1 cup of dehydrated food you need 4 cups of water. Now, you may be thinking freeze dried foods taste good without reconstituting but that is very dangerous. These foods need to be reconstituted to digest so if you don’t reconstitute them before eating your body will draw water from your cells for the digestion process. This leads quickly to dehydration and if untreated, to death.

We talked about where to find space in the first post of this series. We talked mostly about storing food. When storing the foods we eat food=water. Think about it. As you use those peaches you can use the juice to cook your oatmeal or to reconstitute powdered milk. You can use green bean water to cook your pasta or to add to the flour for biscuits or bread.

Collecting rain water is an option and should be considered in your planning. consider how you cold rig up plastic sheets, tarps, buckets, even a kiddy pool, to collect water. A small pool could be loaded with food and other supplies and slipped under a bed until it is needs. The rice stored in a 5 gallon bucket could be poured out into a pillow case and the bucket used to collect water. If you have a balcony this is much easier than if you don’t. Do you have access to the roof of your building? Could you work out a system with a neighbor across the alley to tie a tarp between your buildings? If you park on the street do you have a hard sided car top carrier that could be opened and allowed to fill with water during a rain?

Purchase a water purifier. Some urban areas have lakes and rivers near by. You can not drink this water directly from the source so be sure you have a good water filter available. Remember it takes time to purify the water so you will need to be diligent.

If you can get water but you do not have a purifier you can purify water in many ways (see your February Newsletter). One of the easiest in the city is to use clear plastic PETE ( look for a triangle with a 1 in the center) water, juice or soda bottles. Keep a few ready to go by removing the label, washing them with soap and water and rinsing well. Fill with clear water. If your water contains debris or dirt filter through a clean cloth first. Fill the bottle with clear water. Place the bottle on a piece of metal in the full sun, in 6 hours UVA radiation will kill viruses, bacteria and parasites in the water. If there is no sun then hopefully you are collecting rain water. On a cloudy day you will need to leave the bottle out for at least two full days.

Think about your options today and walk around your home to case out the possibilities. Once you have done this it is time to purchase any items which will help you provide water during a crisis.

The book Life As We Knew It was recommended to me a s book that depicts life after a disaster and as one that is a good conversation starter.

The other book which is a great way to start someone on preparing is One Second After

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Wednesday someone in the yahoo group asked about EMPs and solar flares wondering if they are really a serious threat to our safety. I spent the night and yesterday doing some brush-up research so I could discuss this armed with the latest information. While there has been some great info shared in our yahoo group, I have decided it is time to deal with this issue in a bigger way. Beginning Tuesday and continuing every week, until we have most of the answers, since you never have all of the answers, I will attempt to help you understand and prepare.

For those in the city food storage can become more of a challenge. Last week we looked at our homes and discussed how to make room for our preparedness supplies before we bring them home. If you missed that please go back and review it. Room seem to be the biggest obstacle for those living in a city.

Don’t fall into the trap of storing cans and cans of dehydrated or freeze dried foods believing these will provide you a way to store more in less space. There are three big problem with this approach.

First, they are very expensive.

Second, dehydrated foods require four times the amount of water to ingredients to reconstitute so, one cup of carrots takes four cups of water to prepare. During a crisis, especially a natural disaster you may be without clean water and would need to conserve the water you have available. As you know from the  my ebook  Mother Hubbard: What She’s Doing Now, I believe in storing the foods we normally eat. The calculator in the book will help you formulate  your storage plan.AS you store canned foods you will be increasing not only your food supply but also your water storage. You can cook your oatmeal in the juice you have saved from canned peaches. You can drain green beans and use the water to cook pasta.

Finally, these foods take a long time to cook. Again if you are without power these could not be cooked adequately in a few minutes on a barbecue grill or alcohol/TP stove.

We have seen from past disasters that food supplies can be cut off, and store shelves remain bare, for weeks after a disaster. Should we be hit with an EMP or solar flare or should the power grid be down for any reason supplies will be scare for many, many weeks. Food cannot be delivered to city stores if there is no gas. Gasoline takes electricity to pump. I always advocate a three month supply of the foods you eat but I realize for an apartment dweller this may not be possible.

It’s time to make friends. Now is the time to become acquainted with your neighbors. I would recommend talking the those who live in the same building as you, or in the building next door or across the street, about emergency preparedness. Any further away and sharing becomes a problem. Try holding a neighborhood meeting, maybe under the banner of a neighborhood watch. Feel out the guests about their concerns about disaster preparedness. Contact those you feel would be good partners after the gathering and see if they would be interested in planning together. You would now have allies. During an emergency you may want to gather together into one home making food preparations and keeping warm more efficient and also safer. There is safety in numbers. During a crisis if everyone brings the foods and equipment they have stored to one apartment who cares if the place has cans and boxes of oatmeal everywhere?

If you have a car, hard to believe but some city residents don’t, remember your trunk. The trunk of your car should always have a good car kit but if you lack space you may consider storing your 72 hour kit and some non food supplies in the car. Many supplies would not be appropriate for trunk storage, such as liquid medications. If you are planning to evacuate to a friend’s home outside the city consider storing items in the trunk that would be a welcome addition to their storage. For me, TP!  Toilet paper takes up a great deal of space but it is an absolute necessity in a good storage plan. It will be a great item to trade in addition to the obvious need. So, think trunk!

Back to food storage. Begin this week to store canned foods and grains which are easy to cook such as oatmeal and pasta. You may want to follow the plan we followed last year to fill the shelves in our General Store. You may just want to look and the spread sheet and calculator in Mother Hubbard and jump in. I would begin by getting a complete supply to last three weeks and then increase to a month…and so on. Remember to have the strength necessary to meet the demands of an emergency you will need a well balanced diet. No matter how you begin, just begin.

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Our yahoo group has been having quite a good discussion about water filters the last few days. Most have agreed that the Berkey water filters are the best. If you have been considering a purchase I suggest you check them out. As we have seen in the horrible images of the victims in Haiti people need food but they become desperate when they have no water. Be sure you are prepared.

As I promise I have included a few recipes today that are great for freezer meals. I made split peas soup today and will put half of it in the freezer for use on a cold winter night when I am just too tired to think about food. Guess I’ll have to make sure I have warm homemade bread on hand too!

Waikiki Chicken

2-3 lbs. chicken pieces or boneless chicken breasts

1/4 C vinegar

2 T brown sugar

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Salt

1 8 oz. Can pineapple chunks with juice

½ tsp. Ginger

½ C Catsup

Brown chicken in 2 T oil. Place chicken in oven proof dish. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake covered (350 degrees) 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until chicken is cooked. Cool completely and transfer to gallon freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal. Store flat in freezer until frozen and then store on end.

Meatza Pizza

2 lbs. Ground beef or combination of ground beef and ground turkey

2 eggs

½ C Italian bread crumbs

1 jar spaghetti sauce

mozzarella cheese grated

Combine meat, bread crumbs, eggs, and 1/4 C spaghetti sauce. Press into pie plate and form well in center. The meat should be shaped like a pie shell. Bake 350 degrees 15 minutes. Remove from oven and drain fat. Fill center with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella. Return to oven and continue baking until meat in cooked through and cheese is melted, approx. 20 min. Cut pizza style and serve with pasta and salad. To freeze, drain any fat and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze. To heat remove plastic, replace foil and bake 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until heated through and cheese melts.

Split Pea soup

2 C Split peas

1 lb. Diced ham and or ham hocks

1 Med. Onion cut into large chunks

2 Large carrots dice

Rinse and drain peas. Add ham and carrots to 2 quarts of water and cook until carrots are tender. Remove ham and carrots. Add and onion to water and simmer until beans become tender and soup begins to thicken. Mash peas with a potato masher or blend in blender if desired. Add ham which you have removed from the bone and diced. Add carrots. Reheat and serve.To freeze: cool completely and place in gallon freezer bag. Freeze flat and when frozen store on it’s side.

Now it’s your turn. Where are those recipes from you?