Selecting Water for Your Disaster Preparedness Plan

With so many options available to you when selecting pre-packaged water for your survival kit, it's easy to become overwhelmed to the point of inactivity. The reality of preparedness is that some water is better than none at all, and if you had an ample amount of drinkable water you wouldn't be in much of a survival situation.

In this article, we'll look at some readily available options and why water packaged specifically for emergencies is a far better choice than regular water bottles or storing your own in used containers.

First, let's look at how much water we actually need to set aside and establish some general guidelines.

On average, we drink (or should be drinking) two quarts of water per day, or 8 x 8 ounce servings. Add an additional two quarts for food preparation and we're at 1 gallon for consumption alone. We also have to plan to store enough water for cleanup and personal hygiene. Additional water storage for hygienic use can be minimized if hand sanitizers, personal hygienic wipes and alternative non-drinking water sources (such as swimming pools and spas) are available.

So we have established an absolute minimum of one gallon of water per person per day, plus one half gallon for cleanup. This is a safe, acceptable target when considering drinking water is something that should not be rationed and dehydration can be encountered in an amazingly short amount of time.

Here's where some confusion and doubt can set in -

• If we need to be prepared with one gallon of water per person per day, why do most survival kits supply less?
• How much water is actually in those kits?
• Why buy a kit if the water supplied is not nearly enough?
• Pouches, packs, bags... oh my, I'll just store gallon jugs of distilled water.
• Forget it, this whole this is confusing and I'll never need it anyway.

Survival kits are just that - kits designed to be used during the absolute worst of situations. These kits are great for events that would catch you otherwise unprepared (such as an emergency during a commute), require fast evacuation and water and food rationing. While we see kits labeled "water for 1 person for up to three days" this may be enough to keep you alive but not functioning very well. Do not expect to be able to do any manual work or go very long before finding an alternative safe drinking water source. In reality, relying on the several pouches of water in a back pack type survival kit is a mistake.

Ready made single person survival kits are usually packaged with anywhere from 3 x 8.5 ounce water boxes up to 6 x 8.5 ounce, with some providing 6 x 4.25 ounce pouches of water. Obviously, this is nowhere near what we need to survive beyond a few days. Add heat and physical exertion and the usefulness of the water supplied drops significantly.

So why buy a kit? Investing in a survival kit is a convenient way to get started in emergency preparedness planning. These kits and the water they contain are great to keep in the car and desk at work. When buying a survival kit, you are getting most of the items you may need in one easy and economical order. You can always add more water and tools to the kit and in fact it's recommended. Survival kits are not "buy it and forget it" solutions. They need to be tailored to you and your needs as well as the type of emergencies you may encounter in your geographic area.

At this point we've determined that a kit is a good idea to have and extra water supplied are needed.

The types of pre-packaged emergency water available are somewhat confusing due to the options available. All are useful and all have pros and cons associated with them.

Let's start with why these specialized water products are superior to simply storing bottled water. In comparison with specially packaged "survival" water, store bought bottled water is not packaged in a container designed for long term storage and durability.

For example, bottled water may burst freezing temperatures or expand enough to pry the cap loose let air in, leaving the water not readily drinkable. What happens to bottled water that is stored in the trunk of a car for several years is unclear as the packaging is simply not designed for this. Additionally, manufacturers provide expiration dates on water bottles that are about 18 months out from the date of production.

Sealed water packets specifically designed for disaster and survival situations can withstand temperatures down to -40°F and up to 210°F and are designed to last for at least five years.

The clear winner for this application is water packets or pouches, even water boxes. Water bottles are fine for storage in the home, as long as they are supplemented by a long term solution and rotated regularly.

So which water packet is the right choice? The short answer is any will do, though the application will differ. Based simply on weight, the lighter packs are useful for every day carry, especially for commuters and students. The larger water boxes (packaged like a juice box) are a better choice for storing in the car trunk or office. Another comparison that can be made is that the box packaging is sturdier and can stand up to a bit more abuse than the less rigid packet that can conform to fit in tight spaces.

Water is the number one component of survival. Without clean, drinkable water our chances of surviving a service or infrastructure disrupting disaster relies on assistance from relief groups. A few extra dollars spent on water today could help prevent tragedy during disaster.

Emergency preparedness products mentioned in this article -