Hello Guest

Author Topic: Must have survival items as seen from an economist...interesting  (Read 1216 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Flyin6

  • Head cook and bottle washer
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 34008
    • View Profile
Must have survival items as seen from an economist...interesting
« on: February 08, 2015, 09:01:01 AM »
The Must-Have Items for Surviving a Crisis
By Dr. David Eifrig, editor, Retirement Millionaire

1. Water. Water tops the list because it is most critical to your survivability. The human body can last for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. You should keep at least one gallon of water per person per day in reserve for drinking purposes. If you live in an arid climate, you may want to store up to three gallons of water per person per day. Use the formula below to calculate the total amount of water you need.

How to Calculate Water Needed

 __________   x   _________   x   ________  =  ______________
 (No. of people) (No. of gallons) (No. of days) (Total gallons needed)

 So if you have four people in your family… and plan for one gallon of drinking water per day for each person… and you plan to keep a seven-day supply… you'll need to store at least 28 gallons of water (4 x 1 x 7 = 28).

 Five-gallon "water cooler" jugs may be the easiest and most economical way to stock up. One-gallon jugs may fit better into available shelving. Using the example from above, 6 five-gallon jugs of water would give you 30 gallons, meeting your minimum needs with two extra gallons to spare.

 Please note: It's fine to store water in your garage. But don't put plastic containers directly on cement floors. Most people don't realize storing plastic water bottles on concrete can start a chemical reaction and contaminate the water. To be safe, store them on plywood or another nonporous membrane.

 Original, unopened water containers are best for long-term storage. While they may have six-month "best before" dates, water does not "go bad." The issue to be aware of is contamination. Water containers that you have refilled yourself are more apt to contain microbes.

 If you choose to fill your own water jugs, sanitize them first. Use a ratio of one teaspoon of bleach to one gallon of water. Shake the bleached gallon of water in one container for 10 seconds and let sit for a minute; repeat about three times. Rinse with drinking water and let dry before filling with the water you intend to store.

 Be careful not to contaminate the inside of the lid with your hands. Rinse the lids with the bleach-and-water mixture before putting them back on the bottles.

 With both water and food storage, the best practice is to rotate the stored items into your regular consumption patterns. Even though water lasts longer than six months, it would be best to consume the stored water and restock twice per year.

 If you know a crisis may be coming (like an approaching hurricane), do what I do and fill up every tub or basin you have with water before the storm hits. Leave one sink empty for washing and drainage.

 The average bathtub can hold about 60 gallons. Don't forget about laundry-room sinks and tubs. (They're usually quite deep.) I even start my washing machine and then turn it off once the basin fills. This adds another 10-20 gallons of ready water.

 The water that fills these basins is the same water that comes out of your kitchen tap. As long as the basins are clean, this water is safe to drink. But I prefer to save the washing-machine water for washing and sanitation.

 If you've exhausted your supply of stored drinking water and still need more, you've got options. Most people forget that their hot water heaters are water reserves.

 The average water heater contains about 40 gallons of water. It's the same water that comes out of your kitchen faucet. Attach a garden hose to the bottom release valve to tap into this emergency water backup.

 Tap water collected after a power outage occurs may not be safe to drink. Drinking contaminated water can make you very ill, very quickly. Use the following techniques to stay safe:


•   Boil Water: Bringing water to a boil for three minutes will make it safe to drink (after it cools). But don't let it boil for more than three minutes. After that, valuable clean water starts to evaporate.
   
•   Sterilization: Add two to four drops of chlorine bleach per quart of water. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Smell the water. It should smell like chlorine. If it doesn't, repeat the process. Wait another 30 minutes before drinking.
   
•   Solar Water Disinfection: If you cannot do either of the methods above, you can utilize the sun's ultraviolet radiation to make water safe to drink. CAUTION: You must follow these exact instructions. Failure to do so will result in unsafe drinking water!
     
  1. Use CLEAR, PLASTIC containers no larger than two liters
2. Remove exterior labels
3. Fill with clear, particle-filtered water (cannot be murky)
4. Expose bottled water to direct sunlight for six hours.

 This method works as long as the container is made of plastic (not glass), is clear (not blue or some other color), and is low volume. (Ultraviolet radiation cannot penetrate dense concentrations of water.)

 For more detailed info on why and how solar water disinfection (so-called "sodis") works, visit http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN.

 So far, we've only discussed potable or "drinking" water. Don't forget, water is important for washing and sanitation as well. You can reuse cooking water for other purposes. I cover these issues in detail in Step No. 3 of my "Doctor's Protocol – PROTECT" report.

2. Power/Light. It's helpful to have some form of backup power. This may range from heavy AC generators to small DC batteries. It all depends on the amount of power you would use during an extended outage.

 The right gasoline-powered generator can provide all the electricity you need to maintain everyday living. You can power your lights, refrigerator, water heater, electric stoves, etc. Of course, this requires a great deal of fuel. When confronted with an outage of unknown duration, it's wise to conserve fuel by using the generator for bare necessities only.

 If you are going to use a generator, keep the following basics in mind:


•   NEVER RUN A GENERATOR INSIDE THE HOUSE OR GARAGE. Generators emit lethal fumes. These machines always require good ventilation.
     
•   If you want to power your entire house with a generator, you'll need to install a transfer switch. This allows you to switch from normal electrical-grid power to your generator. A decent transfer switch costs around $500. Expect to pay a few hundred more to have it installed.
     
•   10-25 gallons of gasoline will provide one to two days of normal "on the grid" usage.
     
•   Gasoline will degrade over time. So always add fuel stabilizer to stored gas.
     
•   Store your gasoline in five-gallon cans. Keep the cans in a cool, safe place like a shed.
   
•   Unplug all unnecessary appliances. Even when not turned on, devices like televisions, computers, and radios still draw electricity. (I do this when I travel for extended periods of time, too.)

 There are several types and sizes of backup generators. They may be stationary or portable… They may run on gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, or natural gas… And they provide various wattages of electric power. Most people elect to go with portable, gasoline-powered generators. They tend to provide the greatest flexibility and power for the lowest cost. Still, there are many choices here…

You must first determine how much wattage you require. A 5,000-watt generator should suffice for most homes. The nonprofit product-review company Consumer Reports provides a free wattage calculator. You can access it here: http://is.gd/WKpHgl

 In the 5,000-watt category, units range from $500 to $3,000. Like any product, higher price does not necessarily equate to highest quality…

The Troy-Bilt XP 7000 30477 gasoline generator earned top honors from Consumer Reports in 2012. It put out up to 7,000 watts for 15 hours on its nine-gallon tank. The unit costs $900.

 But the best value may be the Generac GP5500 5939. It came in a close third to a model that costs $2,800. But the Generac costs only around $700 and has almost identical functionality and longevity as the second-place model. Unless you know you need a 7,000-watt output, this 5,500-watt generator is your best buy.

 Always keep flashlights and extra batteries on hand. When storing flashlights, store them with the batteries removed. Connected batteries lose charge faster and may corrode.

 Store your alkaline and lithium batteries at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and in a dry area… NOT in the refrigerator. Moisture from inside the fridge can reduce shelf life and performance. Alkaline batteries should have about a seven-year shelf life as they only lose about 1% per year at room temperature. Lithium batteries may last up to 15 years on the shelf.

 Nickel batteries can be frozen, but they still lose about 10% a month in the freezer. These are often your rechargeable type battery. A solid emergency flashlight should have a metal casing, adjustable beam, be brightly colored (easier to find in low-light conditions), have a lanyard, and contain a spare light bulb in its base. Larger flashlights that utilize C- or D-size batteries can flood more light into a dark space. Newer light-emitting diode (LED) flashlights put out a ton of light and can run on smaller AA-size batteries.

 Lithium batteries beat alkaline batteries in terms of shelf life (15 years versus seven years) and power output. But they are also more expensive. Energy-intensive devices like cameras and mp3 players need the extra power lithium batteries provide. Most flashlights do just fine with alkaline.

Consumer Reports ranks "Energizer Ultimate" lithium batteries as the best for both power output and longevity… but they're more than twice as expensive as their closest alkaline competitors.

 Whatever you choose to use for batteries, follow the same rotation system. Stock up on batteries, then draw replacements from your stockpile. Again, FIFO rules the day: "First in, first out."

 Plastic glow sticks are another source of light. They contain two liquid chemicals that emit light when they come into contact. Snapping the glow stick starts this reaction.

 For brighter light, place the glow stick in boiling water. This speeds up the chemical reaction and produces brighter light output. It also reduces glow stick life. The opposite is true as well… placing activated glow sticks in ice slows the reaction and allows more time for illumination. Glow sticks can stay illuminated for several minutes to several hours, depending on the type. Check the labeling.

 Candles may be used for lighting, but be mindful of the high risk of unintended fire. Always keep in mind the following candle safety tips:


•   Never let a burning candle out of your sight. Always extinguish candles when exiting a room or going to sleep.
     
•   Keep candles away from all flammable objects like curtains, furniture, books, paintings, etc.
     
•   Trim candlewicks to one-quarter inch before burning. Crooked and long wicks cause uneven burning and dripping… an easy way to spread fire.
     
•   Keep candles away from drafts, vents, and air currents.
     
•   Never use a candle for light when fueling equipment like a kerosene lantern or gas generator.
     
•   Be sure to have a charged fire extinguisher ready at all times.

 If you have gas appliances, gas may flow, but electronic ignition switches will not work. Keep matches and/or a portable propane lighter ready to light the gas.

 Unplug electronics not plugged into a surge protector. When the power comes back on, it may surge and damage this equipment. Keep one light switched "on" so you know when the power comes back online.

 Some devices are "hand-crank" and require only "elbow grease" to function. This includes hand-crank flashlights and radios. You can even buy small hand-crank power generators (like the K-Tor Pocket Socket) that can recharge smart phones and tablet computers. These represent the ultimate "failsafe" in a no-power environment. The K-Tor unit sells for about $60 on Amazon.com.

 I keep in my car a "shakable" flashlight that provides 1.5 minutes of light for about three minutes of shaking. The motion from driving keeps it charged.

 Solar panels are another potential energy source, but their effectiveness is limited. Winter months, overcast days, night hours, and size constraints all limit solar power generation. They are also expensive. I do not recommend using solar power as your primary backup.

 Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

 Dr. David Eifrig Jr., MD, MBA
Site owner    Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 91 
NSDQ      Author of the books: Distant Thunder and Thoren

 

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal