I've seen several articles over the past few weeks addressing water storage and/or purification in light of the recent water problems in Toledo, Ohio. Specifically, Advanced Survival Guide, The Prairie Patriot, and Dirt Time have all published some hints and tips regarding storing water. They each have some unique pointers or ideas, so read them all. I also put together a post on this subject some time ago.
Storing water isn't as "sexy" as firearms (pointing a finger at myself), starting a fire with flint and steel, or the latest backpacking gadget, but it is necessary. So put away something, even if it is nothing more than keeping (and rotating) a few cases of bottled water from Costco in your closet or pantry.
Speaking of water, here is a review of sports/outdoor water bottles from Outdoor Magazine.
Everybody recommends storing a few cases of bottled water, but leaves the "how" as an exercise for the reader. I didn't want to store the water in back of a closet to be forgotten. I wanted it where it would be easy to rotate. So, I selected a wall in a bedroom. I stacked the water maybe six cases high, with four cases per layer. The next day, the stack was leaning dangerously. I rectified this problem by placing a continuous piece of cardboard (folds are OK) cut to be the width and depth of the stack between two layers of bottles in the middle of the stack (between the 3rd and 4th layer). Later, I added more pieces of cardboard between layers of bottles. The stack is now 7 layers high (almost shoulder high), and I have cardboard pieces between most layers. The stack is solid, allowing me to put boxes of other storage items on top of the water. The cardboard ties the stack together, with the weight of the water providing sufficient force to hold everything together.
ReplyDeleteWe use the water as a means of rotating it. So, when the equivalent of one layer is used up, I buy four fresh cases of water. I have to completely unstack everything to put the freshest water at the bottom of the stack. I also plainly mark each case with its expiration date using a marker.
I also buy the same brand of water every time so that I don't have to deal with different packaging configurations that would make stacking the water more difficult.
I do not live in an earthquake prone area, so I have no idea how well water stacked this way would survive an earthquake, but I suspect the stack would probably topple over.
Good points. Thank you.
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