Homemade Ice Pack

So my daughter has been down for about 6 days now with a herniated disc.  Not fun and no health insurance to help.  So she has been booking it to the Chiropractor 3 times a week.  Last Monday we got her a Tens machine and some natural anti-inflammatories.  We were also instructed to ice her back several times a day.  Well have you seen how much reusable ice packs are?  And we needed half a dozen to rotate so one is always frozen.  So off to my pinterest boards to see if I had a recipe to help.  Yup and here it is:

3/4 cup dawn dish washing detergent
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup water

Put it all in a Ziploc bag and then shove the whole thing into a food saver bag and seal it up.  I tried just putting the mixture in the food saver without the Ziploc and sucked the mix into the trough to seal it.  What a mess! So I put it in a Ziploc, with as much air out of it as possible, laid flat inside of the food saver bag and sealed it up.  Look, no leaks!  Or I should qualify it - No leaks outside of the food saver bag.

 

It also does not set up hard like water would.  It's very flexible.  Works amazingly well.

Enjoy!

Some Emergency Preparedness Ideas

We had a FHE a few months ago about Emergency Preparedness and brainstormed about things for our family that would be helpful in the event of an emergency. Here is a list of some of the items that we came up with:


1. Water Storage - We have two 50 gallon drums in our back yard for water storage but needed Bungs (those are those plastic things that block the holes in the Drums). We also needed a 'food safe' hose for pumping the water out of the drums. Water purification came up too. We have a hot tub and a pond in our yard, all good water sources, but they would have to be put through a purification process before we could use them. We purchased some coffee filters to help and you can boil water for 5 minutes to remove most impurities (but it tastes funny). So we decided we would like a filter system and wanted it to be small enough for hiking too fulfilling two goals in one :)

2. Food Storage - during an emergency your electricity will probably be out so you need to be prepared to deal with frozen food issues. If you have a generator you can probably maintain the freezer for some time but likely as not you don't have a generator. So you need a killer ice chest and ice. If you fill empty milk jugs with water and fill the empty spaces in your freezer with them then you will have ice for at least 24 hours in your ice chest. Hopefully this will help stretch out the life of your food.

3. Clean up - you need to have paper plates in event of an emergency. You are not going to want to waste your water doing dishes. Paper everything, plates, napkins, paper towels, and silverware (plastic ware). Also remember personal supplies like TP, diapers and female hygiene products.

4. Personal Hygiene - if you have access to you home then you may have the possibility of having access to your bathroom but this is a big if. You need to have a commode of some kind that you can use outside. Emergency Preparedness websites have a wide and fairly inexpensive selection of them. Showering or Bathing may not be a possibility either - keep deodorant on hand and you might consider a scarf for your hair since you won't have the means to wash it. Oh, and hand sanitizer to save on water.

5. Food Choices - try to select items of food for your family that doesn't require water to make or comes with it's own water that you can use for other things (like veggies in cans). If it uses water make sure that you eat the water too (like oatmeal, Top Ramen or pancake mix). Food that needs water to actually cook it (like spaghetti) probably won't be a good idea (but it is a wonderful idea for your year's supply since you will probably have access to water at home).

6. The Little things - remember the little things, matches or lighters, propane lanterns (don't forget the socks), extra propane tanks for cooking, a propane oven (or put a thermometer on your gas BBQ for baking), Pet food, any medications you are currently on that are essential for your survival, and the list goes on and on.

Have yourself a FHE and brainstorm with your family or by yourself about what to do in case of an emergency. You can even look online for ideas. Come up with your 'list'. And do it. Enjoy!

Practical Fire Prevention

When my friend, Jackie, left on her mission she passed on to me a huge stack of preparedness ideas that she had gathered together for what was to be a Stake Preparedness Fair. We did have one a couple of years ago but these items were not used. I am sooooo grateful for all this info. I plan on passing on to you some of the 'better' ideas. So today it's info from the West Stanislaus Co. Fire Prevention District with Jan commentary :)

Kitchen:

• When cooking do not wear loose clothing. At girls camp the cooks regularly light their aprons on fire because of the height of the pot stove. Loose clothing and fire is a nightmare waiting to happen - and if it is polyester then it will adhere to you like a second skin.
• Always keep the right size cover for the pan you are cooking in near by to extinguish a fire in the pan by covering the pan with the lid. I never considered this - what a good idea.
• Do not use water to put out a grease fire, as it will cause fire to flare up and spread. I have seen this happen - use baking soda, salt (not flour) or a wet towel to throw over the flames. Oxygen means flames, remove the oxygen and the fire will go out.
• Do not carry a burning pan or other burning material out of the house. By carrying it out you risk spilling the fire or burning yourself. Spilling the fire will cause the fire to ignite in other places and it may block escape for the other occupants in the house. This makes sense that someone would try to do this in a state of panic. You can see the nightmare that this could easily cause.

Bathroom:

•  Don't leave hair dryers or curling irons plugged in. I had a friend who lost a big hunk of her home because her daughter left the curling iron plugged in. 
• Make sure that you have Ground Fault Circuit Interruption outlets for the electrical items in the bathroom. GFCI protects you from serious electrical shock. Those are those funny outlets with the push button on them so they can 'break' if there is an emergency. It could save your life.

Bedroom:
Now most of these items on the list directly relate in the Bedroom to smoking in bed or putting burning materials in a garbage can so I am going to leave them out - they make sense but with the gospel principles we should be expousing in our homes (specifically the Word of Wisdom), I figured this shouldn't be an issue.

• Sleep with your door closed. This can save your life by keeping the smoke out of your room if there is a fire else where in your home. I couldn't do this as a child since I was sure the boogeyman would come out of the mirror on the back of my door. Better now :) You might try to do a trial run with your kids having their doors closed - see if they have the strength and ability to get out through the window (do you have ladders for second story windows or baseball bats to break the window?).
• Smoke detectors in every bedroom. I personally think they would be better in the hall right outside your room. Maybe both. If you follow the counsel in suggestion number 1 then your door would be closed so if the fire is in the house, then the hall one would go off, but if it is in your bedroom, then the bedroom one would go off.
• Keep the area around night-lights clear of all materials that might burn. How many times have you found the kids blankets have fallen off the bed and down next to the night light? Kind of scary.

General:

• Do not run extension cords under carpeting or flooring. Especially if the actual plug-in part is under the rug. Can you imagine if it were only partially plugged in? Fire!
• Keep the circuit breaker panel clear of storage. You may need to get to it in a hurry.
• If you have a fuse box do not use a fuse larger than what is supposed to be in the socket. It will put an overload on the system. 
• Do not place any metal behind the fuse to keep it from blowing. This was an old wives tale and many did it hoping to keep their fuses from blowing. No, No and no.
• Do not use zip cord extension cords for long term use, as it is only intended for temporary use. I had to go out on the Internet to find out what a zip cord is. It is a temporary low voltage extension cord.

Heating Equipment:

• Keep the area around your furnace, wood stove and electrical baseboard heater clear of storage.
• Have your chimney inspected at least once a year. Cleaning it too is not a bad idea - you can either use a chimney sweeping service or you can burn a log that burns off creosote (you can get them at your local hardware store).
• Clean your wood stove before ash recovery area is full.
• Have your furnace serviced and cleaned at least once a year. Change out your filters (you can do this yourself) and get in there with a shop vac. 
• If you use electric heat keep the heating elements and the register clear of dust. Do not store wood next to the wood stove or fireplace. I think it's safe to store minimal amount of wood next to the fireplace as long as it's a safe distance away and your fireplace has all the proper guards in place. I think the problem is when a spark comes off the fireplace and lands on the stored wood. I have our wood next to the fireplace but it is in a large solid copper cylinder container off to the side.

Laundry Room:

• Clean the dryer lint filter before every use. I have a note on my dryer that reads 'If you do not clean out the lint trap before each load I will personally thunk you in the head . . . the management'. Lint not only can be a fire hazard (one of the top ones on the list) but it kills your dryer. 
• Clean behind and under the dryer at least once a year to prevent dust build up.
• Do not keep anything on the dryer while it is in use because it may cause it to over heat. Hmmm may be an issue here. I keep all my laundry soap on the dryer. 
• Do not overload the washer or dryer, this puts a large load on the motor and electrical system.

These points for practical fire prevention don't talk about training your kids or having an escape plan but hopefully it will get you thinking that direction. Enjoy!

Emergency Preparedness - 72 Hour Kit Extravaganza!

We never know when the emergency will come. It could be a flood or earthquake or something horrible like terrorists. Will we have electricity? Running Water? Can we cook without using our kitchens? Will be be at home and have the luxury of using the items in our home to help with the emergency? Or will our homes be unsafe to even go inside? Will we be at the Temple some 55 miles away from home? Are we ready for the hike home and do we have our 72 hour backpack kits in our car along with sturdy shoes? Will we be at work (where ever that may be)? Have we thought this through? Do we have a plan?

One of the Sisters in my Ward at Church had asked for a 72 hour kit listing (Hi Leslie). This is a simple one that I found by Rachel Woods. 


72 Hour Emergency Kit

1. Update your kit every six months (put a note in your calendar/planner) to make sure that: all food, water, and medication are fresh (not expired), clothing fits, personal documents and credit cards are up to date, and batteries are charged.

2. Small toys/games are important too as they will provide some comfort and

3. Older children can be responsible for their own pack of items/clothes too.

4. You can include any other items you feel are necessary for your family's survival.

5. Some items and/or flavors might leak, melt, “flavor” other items, or break open. Dividing groups of items into individual Ziploc bags might help prevent this.

Food and Water:
(3 day supply of food & water per person when no refrigeration/cooking is available)

Protein/Granola Bars

Trail Mix/Dried Fruit

Crackers/Cereals (for munching)

Canned Tuna, Beans, Meat, Vienna

Sausages, etc (“pop-top” cans might leak/explode & Jerky can “flavor” other items)

Canned Juice

Candy/Gum (Jolly ranchers can melt &mint gum might “flavor” other items)

Water (1 Gallon/4 Liters per person)

Equipment:

Can Opener

Dishes/Utensils

Shovel

Radio (with batteries!)

Pen and Paper

Axe

Pocket Knife

Rope

Duct Tape

Personal Supplies and Medications:

First Aid Supplies

Toiletries (roll of toilet paper—remove center tube to easily flatten into a zip-lock bag, feminine hygiene, folding brush, etc)

Cleaning Supplies (mini hand sanitizer, soap, shampoo, dish soap, etc. Warning: Scented soap might “flavor” food items.)

Immunizations Up-to Date

Medication (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, children’s medication, etc.)

Prescription Medication (for 3 days)

(Place these items in a water-proof container!)

Bedding and Clothing:

Change of Clothing (short and long sleeve shirts, pants, socks, jackets, etc.)

Undergarments

Rain Coat /Poncho

Blankets and Emergency Heat Blankets

Cloth Sheet

Plastic Sheet

Fuel & Light

Battery Lighting (Flashlights, Lamps)

Extra Batteries

Flares

Candles

Lighter

Water-Proof Matches

Miscellaneous:
Bag or Bags to put 72 hour kit items in (such as duffel bags or hiking back packs, which work great)

Infant Needs (if applicable)

Personal Documents and Money:

Scriptures (miniature ones are lighter)

Genealogy Records

Patriarchal Blessing

Legal Documents (Birth/Marriage Certificates, Wills, Passports, Contracts)

Vaccination Papers

Insurance Policies

Cash

Credit Card

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

I just wanted to add a personal note too that if you have animals you might consider food for them too. Anybody else have anything to add?

In addition to the above I have a link from the City of San Francisco with more ideas on 72 hour kits. Take a moment and review. I really like this site - just click on the icons at the right for more emergency prep information.

'Failure to prepare is preparing to Fail' John Wooden

Click here for 72 hour kits and other good information

Now on to more links to more ideas for food for the 72 hour kit:

Click on this link to go to a Super list for 72 hour kits

Here is in part the list of Food Items that 'Karen' has listed:

• Beef Jerky
• Saltine Crackers
• Corned Beef Hash
• Soup-for-One
• Roast Beef Hash
• Cheese & Crackers
• Beef Stew
• Oyster Crackers
• Chili
• Dried Beef
• Ravioli
• Fruit Cups
• Applesauce Cups
• Vienna Sausages
• Pudding Cups
• Bread Sticks
• Cookies
• Snack Pack Cereal
• Canned Milk
• Powdered Milk
• Fruit Rolls
• Fun Fruits
• Packages of Raisins
• Packages of Peanuts
• Granola Bars
• Beef Sticks
• Box Juices
• Hot Cocoa Mix
• Suckers
• Hard Candy
• Trail Mix
• Power Bars

Another good resource is the disaster center guide. It has lots of good ideas for your 72 hour kit, medical kits, things that I would never think of kits :)

Click here for the Disaster Center Guide

So get prepared!   Enjoy!

Storing Food - Which Method is Best?

I found this information on the Emergency Essentials website and their link is on my page (on the right) to their blog. What an amazing source of information. Anyway I wanted to spend a couple of minutes today and write a bit about which is the better storing method. The options they cover include Dry Ice, Dehydrated and Freeze dried. Please note that most of the wording is theirs with a bit of Jan thrown in :)

First - Dry Ice:

The purpose of this method is to eliminate beasties by releasing carbon dioxide into the container and the product. It's perfectly safe and will help your product to last a lot longer. This method of preservation is used mostly for grains (wheat, rice, etc.) and legumes (beans).

I was taught that the easiest method is to put the dry ice on the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket (the site suggests putting parchment over the ice) and then pouring the product on top of it, leaving the lid just slightly ajar to let the ice vent. When the ice it totally gone then you seal the bucket (you leave the paper inside). Done :)

But site also talks about doing it on the top - which makes makes sense since who wants to dump out a five gallon bucket just to put ice on the bottom and then load all that back in. You put the dry ice on the ice on top of 'a non-conductive insulating material such as kraft paper'. Then put the lid on (not tight or it will launch itself) and then wait for the ice to disappear. About 30 minutes or so. Then take out the material and seal the bucket. Cool. Literally :)

Next is Dehydrated:

Dehydration is the process of slowly removing moisture from food without actually cooking them. There are three methods - Air Dried , sun dried (like with raisins or apricots), and Kiln Dried. I suspect that Kiln Dried refers to heavy duty equipment and Air Dried would be a simple food dehydrator but even Wikipedia can't seem to help me with that. Suffice it to say the food is dried out. This makes it easier to store but it does have some flavor loss in the process. The plus about this method is that you can do it at home.

Finally is Freeze-Dried:

Not a home skill since in this method fresh or cooked foods are flash frozen and then put in a vacuum chamber and kept frozen while introducing heat - the idea is to move the food from frozen to dry without going through the liquid phase. Then the product is bagged or canned. This is the best and most flavorful way of storing food.

So if you have to buy food for storage remember that you can do the dry ice and the dehydrated methods at home but if you are investing your hard earned dollars then buy Freeze dried - best flavor and the only one you can't do yourself.

Enjoy!

Square Foot Garden post revisited

Because I am in the process of combining two blogs some of these items will not seem timely but I want to retain the information for next year so there will be a some items that seem, well, out of place.  This is one of them.

Well my garden is winding down for the season. Some things worked amazing well and others I will change for next year. The Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Carrots and Radishes all produced more than I had ever had before. And they actually looked like they were supposed too. Usually my peppers look anemic and the cucumbers are lumpy and short. But they came out wonderful. So far we are up to about 4 bowls of tomatoes with more still on the vine. The cucumbers seem to be about finished and the peppers (both jalapeno and bell) are still producing flowers and more peppers.

 

We pulled the carrots last week too. This was just one square foot of carrots.

I did discover that the square foot gardening method works great for the shorter baby carrots but the longer one's do a u-turn when they hit the landscaping cloth on the bottom of the planting beds. So next year I will stick with the shorter carrots. Their sweeter anyways.

Had to show you that not all the carrots grew. This one is truly a baby :P

Yes, Jalapenos do go red if you leave them on the plant too long (and they are hotter).

One of the Cucumbers - The strings were strong enough to support the fruit easily with no extra supports necessary :)

Shady Lady Tomatoes - great for salsa - determinate tomatoes (that means they get ripe all at once).

Now for the things I would and will do differently next year.

All of our squashes (both winter and summer) did not do as well as I expected. Even the zucchini production was way down. I think they need more space and more nutrition so next year I will up the compost and put them near the edge where they can wander where ever they want.

The Beets did wonderful and my Husband LOVED them so I will plant more.

No radishes next year - no one really likes them.

Lots more carrots planted at different times so they will harvest at different times.

More Potatoes next year. I haven't shown you pictures of them yet since they are still in the ground but they look great - I did sneak a couple the other day :)

And onions are starting to dry out so I will pull them out soon.

Loved the herbs (oregano and basil) made the garden prettier. The Oregano we used at YW Camp with Spaghetti and soups and the Basil we are still using. I want to do a Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil plate before the end of the season.

All in all. Pretty Good. Now it's time to start working on the fall crops. Enjoy!

Getting Organized in the New Year - Bulletin Board Wall

So I have for years had trouble keeping all my notices, announcements, calendars, family photos, phone lists, odds and ends in one location. A bulletin board was just not big enough. So a couple of years ago I came up with this idea and with the help of my family I created the Bulletin Board Wall.

I started with a 4 x 6 piece of Masonite which is screwed to the wall. That way if I ever want it down I just tear off the squares, unscrew the board, patch the holes and you will never know it was there.

I created a pattern on a piece of grid paper and purchased enough fabric for the designed areas. I selected enough fabric to make a nice patch work art piece in colors that I thought would coordinate well. Some of the design required that I sewed the fabric on the diagonal. And then I purchased cork squares from Walmart (it was the cheapest place that I found). I cut the fabric into 16 x 16 squares to cover the 12 x 12 cork squares. I sprayed the cork squares with spray glue and laid the fabric on top. It takes two sets of hand to do this part - it works best to hold the corners of the fabric and then lower the fabric to the square.

Once they are dry then I used tacky glue to pull the fabric around on the back side of the square and fold and cut to make the square as flat as possible for placement on the wall. Then I spread a thin coat of tacky glue all over the Masonite, arranged the squares, taped everything down to the wall with masking tape and then pressed the squares about every 10 minutes for the next 2 hours to make sure they were flat and secured. Finally to make it look complete you run a piece of 1/4 round from the lumber yard around the edge and your done. The biggest, artsy looking, bulletin board you will ever have. Enjoy!

Bulk Cooking

I know we have all heard about bulk buying but bulk cooking may be something new to you. I read a couple of articles about this recently and realized that I have been doing this for years. So I thought I'd share :)

The idea is to cook everything at once this will save energy and time later. We do this usually with items like cookies - we bake a lot and then freeze the rest. But this idea of baking or cooking in bulk can be carried on to a lot of other items. You can actually build and entire menu around this way of cooking.


Let me give you a basic example: I buy a 15 lb bag of russet potatoes. Wash them and then bake them all. I have baked potatoes for dinner on the first night with chili and cheese and a salad. I store the rest in a ziploc in my fridge. The next day for afternoon snack I take 3 or 4 of the potatoes, quarter them, and then scoop out the guts leaving the skins. I put the skins with grated cheese on them into the broiler for a couple of minutes and we have potato skin snacks. The pulp of the potato I save for later. That night I cut the potato in half and scoop out the pulp and put it in a bowl. I add tuna, egg, cheese, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and a bit of milk to the pulp. I mix them together and put them back in the potato halves. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and serve with additional cheese and butter - voila! Tuna Boats. The next day I cut the potatoes up for breakfast - brown onions and green bell peppers toss in the potatoes and O'Brien potatoes are born. For dinner that night I create a white sauce add cut up potatoes, ham, steamed carrots and some pepper for a ham and potato stew. More potatoes skin snacks for the next afternoon and then the final night I make potato, corn and ham chowder with all the potatoes (and pulp) that is left.

The one baking of potatoes has become the base for serving dinners, snacks and breakfast for 4 days. FOUR DAYS! I do this same process for chicken (Costco bag - bake the whole thing - then enchiladas, chicken Alfredo, quesadillas, quiche, omelets, chicken wraps, etc.). You just have to develop a pattern that works for your family. Bulk cooking makes life easier and gives you dinners at a moments notice. I do beans, chili and spaghetti sauce by the gallons and freeze so when I don't feel my best I already have something easy for dinner already in process. And I do GALLONS not just a small pot. I usually get 6 -8 dinners out of that bulk cooking. It just makes sense and makes life a bit easier.

You should seriously give it a try. Enjoy!

Water, Water Everywhere

 

I try in all things to be prepared so this blog entry tackles the subject of water storage and water purification in case of an emergency.     My Friend, Jackie gave me a packet of information and that is the source of most of my information. Most of the information she gave me has no source on the paperwork but the few that do come from the 'How to Survival Library' and 'Emergency Essentials' websites. The Emergency Essentials website has a link on this page.

'Water is one of the most important survival necessities after any major disaster. A person can survive weeks without food, but only a few days without water.' Anonymous

So how much? How do we store it? What sources can we get it from? How do we make sure that it is healthy? What can we do to purify it?



So how much Water should We be Storing?

Well according to my sources about a gallon a day per person for basic needs - if you want to include a sponge bath on that basic needs then you will need to increase it to two gallons. You should store a minimum of 3 days worth of water for you and your family (7 is suggested). You just can't depend on the government to get there to help any quicker than that. Also remember any special needs you may have in your home - babies, seniors, health issues - all need to be taken into consideration when deciding the amount of water to store. You absolutely DO NOT want to ration water during an emergency so plan accordingly.

How do We Store it?

You can store in a multitude of containers. It's not suggested that you use thin walled containers (like milk jugs) since they are designed to breakdown and are permeable to gases. They can even absorb the last thing that was stored in them and then contaminate the water. New containers are the best but you can use thicker walled containers like soda bottles, juice bottles, and even canning jars (although glass may break in a disaster). Make sure that the seal on the top is tight and that they are thoroughly clean. Opaque containers are the best since that prevents light from reaching the water - slowing the growth of any algae. Storing in chlorine bleach bottles is acutally not suggested because of the residue of bleach in the bottle. You can, however, use this water for personal hygene. Oh, and never use metal containers.

Another option would be the large barrels for storage since you can store up to 55 gallons at a pop. But these are expensive and for those that live in apartments there is a problem with storing such a large container. Also in case of emergency if you have to evacuate the area then carrying a 55 gallon container of water would be, well, pretty much impossible since the water alone weighs about 440 pounds. So having water in both smaller containers and the larger drums is the best option.

Make sure you label the water and rotate the water in your water storage about every six months. Water actually has a long shelf life (several years according to one source) if it is stored correctly but when you rotate your stock you preserve the quality of the water for a longer period of time. You also have a chance to see if any of your stock has become contaminated or if any containers have leaked. I can think of nothing worse than thinking your prepared only to find when the need arises that 1/2 of your water is no longer useable.

Make sure you store your water away from paint products or gasoline or anything that has an odor (even onions and soap) as your water may pick up that making it unpleasant to drink. This is why the thicker the container the better. And store them in an area where light cannot reach them otherwise you may end up with bacteria or algae growth. And store up off the ground.

Make sure when you store the water that you put a purifying agent in the water before you seal it up (like chlorine bleach or iodine) to help with preserving the water. Although several sources said that you should NEVER trust stored water. You just don't know if something that you can't see has gone horribly wrong with the water.

Can I Use of Existing Water Sources?

When you first have an emergency you want to use the existing water sources in your home first. They are more likely to get contaminated or evaporate than your safely stored water. So what water sources can I use in my home?

Well, first you can use your water heater water. There is a spigot on the bottom side wall of your water heater. Drain it into a bucket and then you can use it from there. Oh, and according to my sources it drains easier if you open a faucet in your home. Something to do with water pressure in the lines. Please note too if you do not empty your water heater on a regular basis then you will have a build up of sediment that will come out too. So you will have to purify this water before use.

You can also use the water out of the toilet flush tank (not the bowl). Of course, it goes with out saying that this will have to be purified. You may want to use it just for personal hygiene or water for your pets if it grosses you out to think of cooking or drinking it. Do not use the water if you use one of those 'blue' tablet things or any chemical cleaning product in your bowl. You can't purify the chemicals out unless you have a specialize filter that does that.

Then there is melted ice cubes from your freezer - that's kind of a 'duh' item that I would forget. If you have freezer space then it is a good idea to freeze water too in large containers. It does two things - gives you water storage and fills up the freezer with ice so if your freezer goes down in an emergency then you have already built in ice packs that will help to keep the food cold longer. Oh, and for daily use it costs less to keep your freezer cold if it is full. So fill up that extra space with frozen water containers.

Make sure that you take advantage of any liquid in any canned foods that you have too. That extra liquid can be used for cooking, etc.

And the biggest source of water, for those that have it, is your swimming pool or hot tub. There is a difference of opinion on whether or not you should use the water from your pool or spa. There are a lot of chemicals in this water (so we can keep our pools and spas sparkling) so use this source last for drinking and cooking and use ONLY after purifying. But you can use all you want for personal hygiene. And just a FYI here too - we have a large pond in our yard that we could use as a water source too. There are no chemicals in it (we have fish) but it obviously would need to be purified too but it would be no different than using the water from a river that has fish.

Water Sources NOT to use include hot water boilers (from heating systems), radiators and water beds. Water beds actually have fungicides added to the water and over the years will have probably absorbed some of the chemicals from the vinyl. Again these sources can be used for non food uses. If you want to wash your hair with water from your water bed - go ahead :)

How do I Purifying Water?

One of the nightmares in an emergency situation is getting bad water. How many time have we heard in the paper after the disaster happens that people are dying of Cholera or some other water born illness. Giardia is one of the more commonly know bugs and it is everywhere. It is ranked among the top 20 infectious death causing diseases in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We see it mostly in the mountain streams in the US but it is in our water so we need to be vigilant.

Purifying your water is not only important but essential for keeping your family safe during an emergency. There are several ways that you can purify water.

First and the most suggested way is boiling. You need to boil the water for 10 minutes (if you are at high altitudes then add an additional 10 minutes). This will remove most 'bugs' but it will not remove chemical contaminates. The water will also taste flat so aerate it by pouring the water back and forth between two different containers (clean containers) to get some of the air back into it. The one big negative that I can see with boiling is that you are using another precious resource to do it and that is whatever you are using for heating/cooking.

Another option is using bleach in your water. Make sure that the bleach is 5.25% hypochlorite bleach (Clorox) and is no more than 2 years old (the older it gets the more it looses its 'umph'). Also check to make sure it has no additives or scents added to the bleach before you use it. Add 2 drops to clear water and 4 drops to cloudy water of bleach to 1 quart of at least 75 degree water then wait 1/2 hour. If it's colder than 75 degrees then leave it over night. If you cannot smell or taste the chlorine then you need to add another dose and wait an additional 15 minutes. If you cannot smell or taste the chlorine after the second dose then you do not want to use the water.

Iodine is another option - use 2% tincture of iodine, 3 drops for clear water and 6 drops for cloudy water for 1 quart of 75 degree water for 20 minutes. Iodine will leave a foul after taste but the water will be safe. Oh, and note that Women who are pregnant or nursing or people with thyroid problems should avoid this water.

You can always distill your water too. This is done by boiling your water and then hanging a metal bowl over the boiling pot. The clean water will attach itself to the bowl. You simply tip the bowl over a cup or pot and the water will roll off the surface. There are some challenges with logistics on this one but the water will be clean enough to drink. The flavor will be flat on this one too (like boiling) and you will be using up your heating and cooking materials.

There is always the option of purification tablets but they expire within a few short years but don't dismiss them because of this. They are very effective in treating water and easy to store in your 72 hour kits. Just make sure you pull them when they expire and put new ones in.

Last on my list of water purifying items is to use a filter. There are so many different kinds of filters on the market. This is, if you can afford it, the absolute best option for water purification. There are levels on the different water filters so pay attention and make sure you get what you want. Some only protect against the bad bugs - like Giardia and Cryptosporidium while the next level of filters will actually take out viruses. If you want filters that remove chemicals then you will want the next level water treatment filter. Like I said you need to be aware of what you want and how much you are willing to spend. We have the katadyn filter (www.beprepared.com) and use it for hiking and our food storage - it's small enough to remove all scary bacteria and some of the viruses (but not all). It also does not address the chemical contamination issues. It does what we need it to do for normal water purification.

So that's it - in a very short nut shell. Enjoy!