Related Post: Minimum Calories Per Day To Survive

Major World Issues Most People Don’t Know About

Long-Term Water Storage Is Vital

READ MORE: How Do You Know If Water Is Safe To Drink In The Wild?

How Long Do You Have To Boil Water To Kill Bacteria?

But Does This Really Work?

Boiling water will pasteurize the water by raising it to 100 °C, or 212 ℉. When it reaches this temperature and the bubbles start to break on the surface, most of the bacteria, virus, and protozoa loses the structure of their protein make-up. Because of this, they are no longer able to hurt the human digestive tract.

How Effective Is Boiling Water For Water Purification?

Boiling water is effective for purification. Although the water won’t be completely sterile, the pathogens that could damage the digestive tract would be completely killed. This process is called pasteurization.

Is Boiling Water Enough To Kill Bacteria?

Yes. If the water you are disinfecting is a cloudy color, filter it first through a coffee filter or clean cloth before boiling. From here, boiling the water will be sufficient to kill the necessary bacteria so that it is safe to drink.

How Long Should You Boil Water To Kill 100 Percent Of Pathogens?

Not all bacteria are created equally, and different types of pathogens take different amounts of time to kill.

The chart below outlines which microorganisms are killed at which temperature and for which time period. As mentioned above, boiling water for 10 minutes in emergency situations is sufficient for killing all viruses and pathogens that would harm your digestive tract. Any remaining microorganisms would be safe to consume.

* Charles D. Ericsson, Robert Steffen, Howard Backer; Water Disinfection for International and Wilderness Travelers, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 34, Issue 3, 1 February 2002, Pages 355–364, https://doi.org/10.1086/324747

Do I Need To Filter The Water Once The Bacteria Have Been Killed?

It depends. In most cases, the answer is no. That being said, if you get the water from a dirty lake, it might be preferable to filter it to get most of the bigger chunks out before you drink it. 

After you have your water purified and filtered, you simply have to let it cool to room temperature, put it in airtight containers, and store it somewhere safe and cool. 

READ MORE: How To Clean Plastic Barrels For Long-Term Water Storage

CONCLUSION

Should I Store Dairy In My Long-Term Food Storage?

What Dairy Products Should I Store Long-Term?

How To Store Dairy Products Long-Term

How Long Are Dairy Products Good For Once Opened?

What Are the Alternatives To Dairy?

• almonds
• edamame
• beans
• canned salmon
• dried figs
• cereal fortified with calcium
• dried oranges
• any canned greens

How To Clean Used 55 Gallon Plastic Water Barrels

Storing water is an absolutely essential part of preparing for any emergency. One effective way to store a lot of water is by buying a used 55-gallon water drum and properly cleaning it out.

How To Clean Chemicals Out of Plastic Water Barrels

You can use the same recommendations I list below to do the cleaning, but I would recommend against using any of these barrels that have had harmful chemicals to store your drinking water. There is just too much risk of those chemicals being stored in the plastics and then, later on, leaking into your drinking water.

If you are planning to use yours for long-term drinking water, you want to steer clear of any that might have been used to store chemicals. If you just got one that had another food-grade product in it, like syrup, it will need to be cleaned sufficiently before storing drinking water.

Only store your drinking water in barrels that have had food-grade products in them beforehand. 

How To Clean a 55 Gallon Drum

To begin, let’s talk about how to first clean out one of these massive plastic water barrels. It shouldn’t take too long, and there are multiple ways to go about it. Often, these barrels have been used to store syrups or other food-grade products pryer to your purchase, but as mentioned above, sometimes they are used to store harmful chemicals.

Here are a few cleaning options, depending on what you have on hand.

• One way to clean a plastic barrel is with chlorine bleach, which acts as a disinfectant for the germs and bacteria accumulated in the barrel. Mix 1 tablespoon of bleach per one gallon of water. If the lid is not removable, fill the bucket half full, mix with one cup of bleach, secure the lid, and roll the bucket around. Whichever method you use, rinse the barrel multiple times to dispel any residue.
• Another way to clean a plastic barrel is with soap, which will be most effective if the barrel was previously storing something oily. Add dish soap to the barrel and use a hose to rinse it out many times to get rid of any residue. Using dish soap is effective, but it is also more difficult to rinse out of the barrel. Be careful with this one because if you dump this out on your grass after cleaning, it can kill your grass.
• Baking soda can remove foul smells that exist in a plastic barrel. Mix 1 box of baking soda with water to make a thick paste and scrub the inside of the barrel. Rinse completely. Follow this method with the bleach method to ensure that all bacteria have been killed.
• No matter which method you use, you will probably need to scrub any left-over residue or debris within the plastic barrel. If you can’t get something in there to scrub, you can also use a pressure washer to clean excess residue.

How To Disinfect A Water Storage Tank Before Use

If you’ve bought your barrels from a place that has had syrup in them, you might not need to worry about this section.

If you’ve had your barrels for a while and use them for composting or gardening, you’ll want to verify that they don’t have algae or any bacteria growing in them.

You will want to disinfect your water storage tank if it tests positive for E.coli or any other bacteria. Luckily, this process is pretty straightforward.

If you’d don’t feel comfortable adding water to your barrels without testing first, you should buy this E.coli testing kit on Amazon just to make sure.

Use Bleach To Disinfect Your Water Barrel

• Get some unscented household laundry bleach. Most of them contain about 5.25% chlorine.
• Determine how much bleach to add to your water tank based on the results given from this chlorine dilution calculator.
• Funnel in the proper amount of bleach, and recirculate the water in the drum through a clean, food-grade hose for approximately 15 minutes. You should be able to smell the bleach.
• Distribute the bleach by opening all of the water taps in the barrel and allowing the water to run until you can smell the chlorine running through each tap.
• At this point, you’ll want to close the taps and let the drum fill up all the way, and then turn off the water. Allow the water to sit for 24 hours.
• After letting it sit overnight, open up all of the taps and holes and flush the bleach from the barrel the best that you can. Let the water run through the barrel until the bleach smell is very minimal. You will still be able to smell it a little bit, but a small amount of bleach in your water won’t hurt you.

Flush all water into a driveway or onto the gravel. Again, do not drain this water on your grass, or you could kill it. 

Long Term Water Storage Tips

Ok, so now you’re done cleaning your 55-gallon drum that you’re going to use for water storage. Now what? There are still a few important things you need to know in order to make your water last and stay clean. Let’s take a deeper look into how we should store our water long-term.

How To Store Water Long-Term

As long as the water barrels are stored in a cool, dark area, and not stored directly on cement or near chemicals, you should be able to keep the water for many years.

The plastic that the barrel is made out of is very absorbent. If you store these barrels directly on cement or near any harmful chemicals, there is a good chance the plastic will absorb the chemicals or other products, ultimately ending up in your drinking water.

You also don’t want to store them directly in the sunlight because there is a higher likelihood that you will end up growing algae on the inside of the barrel.

The best place to store your water is in your cool basement or any other cold and dark area.

Some people prefer to rotate their water every 6 to 12 months. There is nothing wrong with this. The only thing this is doing is re-oxygenating the water. If you store your water long-term and then use it, it can taste a bit stale. You can also overcome this by pouring water back and forth from one water picture to another very aggressively. How often you replace your water is up to you.

How Much Bleach Do I Add To A 55-Gallon Water Barrel?

If you get your water from the tap or filtered city water this is not needed. You’ll want to verify where the water is coming from. In most cases, water spouts that come directly from the house should be clean water that has already been treated from the water treatment plant.

If you get your water from irrigation water you will for sure want to treat it before use. Or, if you open your water to use and it has a funny smell, you’ll also want to take some extra precautions to make sure the water is safe to drink before drinking it.

If you do end up using bleach to clean your water, use normal unscented, household bleach.

Add ¼ teaspoon per gallon of water if the water is cloudy and ⅛ teaspoon per gallon of water if the water is clear. This means that for a 55-Gallon drum you’ll want to add 13 ¾ teaspoons if the water is cloudy and 6 ¾ teaspoons if the water is clear.

Or you can determine how much bleach to add to your water tank based on the results given from this chlorine dilution calculator.

Every time I get into a conversation about emergency preparedness, the first question that always comes up is “How much emergency food should I have in case of an emergency?”

The quick answer is, you need anywhere from 3 to 6 months of food stored in your home just in case you experience an emergency such as job loss or a minor natural disaster. 

And the honest, more complicated answer is, it depends.

There are many factors to think about when answering this question. The type of emergency for which you are preparing, the amount of time for which you want to prepare, and your financial situation are all important considerations.

If you are strapped for cash, I recommend that you prepare for the worst level of emergency your current financial situation allows.

Let me explain. If your budget is limited, you can prepare in whatever way you can within that budget. If you are financially secure, you will be more able to prepare for a long-term, worst-case scenario, for both your immediate and extended family as well as your friends and/or neighbors. If you fall somewhere in between, you can consider what types of emergencies you may face based on location, and then prepare accordingly.

RELATED:

How Many Calories A Day Do You Need To Survive?

3 Levels Of Potential Emergency Scenarios

Once you’ve figured out your financial situation and are able to move forward with your emergency food storage plan, consider buying based on the three different levels of potential emergency scenarios.

• Short Term Emergency (up to 30 days)
• Long Term Emergency (3 months or more)
• SHTF – Shit Hits The Fan Emergency (for the foreseeable future)

No matter your situation, we have tips to get you started.

Short Term Emergency Food Recommendations

A short-term emergency is something most of us face at some point in our lives, such as a power outage or a flood from a broken pipeline. Because of this, it is also the most practical type of emergency for which to prepare. This type of disaster will usually be taken care of within a week. Thus, your short-term emergency food storage should include 15 to 30 days’ worth of food and clean water.

This does not include the food and water in your pantry. Rather, this preparedness supply means that you have 15 to 30 full days of food and water for everyone in your household stored away in a place that will not be used unless there is an emergency.

RELATED:

How To Grow Sprouts And Incorporate Them Into Your Emergency Plan

Short Term Food Storage List Ideas

• Rice
• Beans
• Peanut Butter
• Crackers
• Canned meat
• Canned Veggies
• Canned Fruit
• Oatmeal
• Honey
• Granola
• Protein bars
• Seasonings
• Vitamins
• Water

Long Term Emergency Food Recommendations

For long-term emergency preparedness, it is recommended that instead of 15 to 30 days, you store away 3 month’s worth of food and water specifically for the emergency.

Again, this is not the food from your pantry. This is food that you set aside and don’t touch until the emergency hits. There are plenty of food storage options that will last long-term and that you don’t have to worry about spoilage for many years to come. 

I address the what, where, and how to store food long term further down in this article. 

RELATED:

How Much Dairy Do I Need In My Food Storage?

Common Long Term Food Storage Questions

What should I have in my food storage?

No matter the emergency, these foods should be included in your storage:

• Flour
• Salt
• Sugar, honey
• Baking powder, baking soda
• Yeast
• Lard
• Dehydrated Milk
• Vegetable Oil
• Flint or dent corn
• Cereal, popcorn, crackers, oatmeal
• Dehydrated potatoes
• Canned and dried meat
• Lentils, beans, rice
• Seasonings, bouillon broth cubes
• Textured Vegetable Protein
• Seeds
• Nuts, nut butter
• Dehydrated and canned fruits and vegetables
• Coffee, tea
• Pasta, pasta sauce

What foods last the longest?

The longer our food storage supplies last, the better. As you’ll notice, the above list includes many foods that don’t need to be swapped out often. Starting with a few of these basics can be easy and effective, with little upkeep.

Honey, baking soda, and salt will last your entire life.

Dried beans, rolled oats, white rice and many pasta products can be stored for up to 30 years.

Dehydrated fruits and vegetables have varying shelf lives. While most dehydrated fruits last 5 years, dried carrots actually last 25 years and would be a cost-effective, nutritious option.

Powdered eggs last 7 years, and powdered milk lasts 20, as long as you include moisture absorber in their storage packs.

To spice (or sweeten) up your storage, consider adding Twinkies, which taste delicious for more than 30 years.

Does canned food stay good forever?

No, but there are things you can do to preserve the canned food and increase the shelf-life. For example, if you keep the cans in a cold, dry area, you will extend the shelf life by many months and even sometimes years. 

In most cases, keeping canned food past the expiration date will only affect the taste of the product within. That being said, I would only recommend you keeping canned food past the expiration date if you are currently in an emergency situation where you can’t make it to the store. 

Otherwise, consider the many different types of rolling racks that allow you to rotate through your cans from oldest to newest. This helps you to always have the newest product in the back and the oldest in the front to consume first. 

Please be careful with this recommendation. If the can is damaged at all, please throw it away. It’s not worth the risk of horrible sickness just so you can say you have food storage. Always rotate through your cans as you use them so that you never have to deal with expiration dates until you’re actually in an emergency situation.

Where should I keep my emergency food?

This question depends heavily on what type of space you have available to you.

If the space available to you is a closet or pantry, this is a great option. Although it may be small, it is functional for a 30 day supply.

If you have more space in your home, the basement is a popular choice. Installing a dehumidifier as well as putting food storage on pellets would make the basement a great choice. Both of these could prevent humidity and water damage from ruining your storage.

If a garage is currently where you have space, this is an option. However, garages can become humid, and temperatures fluctuate heavily. If you live in a location with mild temperatures (below 75 degrees) and low humidity, this could be a viable option with a ton of space.

A root cellar is most ideal for a long-term supply for food storage. Although this isn’t an option for many, if it is for you, take advantage of both the space and temperature regulation of a root cellar.

So many people give me the excuse that they can’t buy food storage until they have a home with enough room. Trust me. You can be creative and find ways to store your food no matter the size of your current living situation.

Don’t believe me? Just check out Pinterest for some amazing ideas.

Is it illegal to stockpile food?

For the most part, it is not illegal to stockpile food. There are some cities that don’t allow it but make sure and check your local law before buying too much. Also, be aware of what “too much” food is when it comes to that city. You still might be able to store up to 3 months’ worth without any problem at all. 

How much water should I store for an emergency?

You can only survive without water for three days, making it the most important commodity to store. The basic recommendation is to store one gallon of water per day per person.

I’ve broken this down for easier understanding in the chart below:

As a basic rule, the more water stored the better. Consider buying cases of bottled water first, then 5-gallon jugs, then 15-gallon water drums, then 55-gallon water drums. Also, consider having a few effective water purifiers on hand. 

RELATED:

How To Clean Plastic Barrels For Long-Term Water Storage

How long does bottled water last?

It all really depends on what type of bottle it’s in and where it is stored. For best results, you’ll want to make sure the water is stored in a quality, food-grade bottle or container. This water should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark area.

If the water bottles are clear and they are exposed to sunlight, there is a possibility that they could grow algae.

You also want to make sure the bottles or containers are not stored directly on cement or near any chemicals. The plastic in the bottles can absorb harmful chemicals that can get in the water and make it unsafe to drink.

SHTF Term (Shit Hits the Fan) Emergency Food Recommendations

It is common for people to think that we will all be taken care of by our local or federal

government during a natural disaster or financial downturn. This would be ideal, and in some cases, it might even be true. Still, there are no governmental guarantees. The best thing we can do for ourselves and those around us is to be responsibly prepared for an SHTF disaster.

RELATED:

How To Start Prepping For Beginners – A 10 Step Guide

Example SHTF Scenarios:

• An outbreak where we are asked to stay in our homes for a long period of time until the sickness is contained or vaccinated.
• A large earthquake on a major fault line–the New Madrid Fault, the San Andres Fault, or the Wasatch Fault. If this were to happen, the damage could be devastating for months.
• An EMP, or Electro-Magnetic Pulse. This could come from a solar flare from the sun. This scenario has the potential to (fully or partially) shut down the power grid, which would put us technologically back 200 years. This means no power, which means no running water, which means no flushing toilets, which could mean deadly sicknesses.
• An invasion, terrorist attacks, or war fought in our own backyard. Although we hope for the best, we must consider this as a potential reality.

When it comes to these dire situations, the more prepared, the better. If you have the financial wherewithal to save and store one year’s worth of food storage, you should. And if you have already done this but can store more for loved ones around you, you should.

Focus On The Minimum Calories Per Day To Survive

Let’s be clear here. The minimum calories per day to survive is very different from the number of calories you currently eat on a normal day-to-day basis. Having enough food to stay alive doesn’t mean that you’re always getting the nutrients your body needs to grow strong and stay healthy. It’s actually more about staying alive until you can better your situation and find more enjoyable foods. 

When starting your food storage it’s important to base your initial purchases on what you need to stay alive. The minimum amount of food you need to not die. After you have a decent amount of that type of food, then you jump to foods that are nutrient-packed. Then you can move on to foods that are more enjoyable to eat.

A lot of people get overwhelmed when they’re starting their food storage journey because they imagine having to buy one year’s worth of food to help carry on their current lifestyle. In most cases, that’s impossible. If people would focus their efforts on survival first, more people would have food storage.

My Recommended Food Survival List In Order Of Priority

1. Survival food first (Rice, beans, and wheat)
2. Nutrient packed food second (Fruits and vegetables)
3. More enjoyable food third (pre-packaged meals and sweets)

How Many Calories Do You Need To Survive?

It can be challenging to give a blanket statement to answer the exact amount of calories your body needs to survive because it differs from body to body. It depends on each person’s metabolism, weight, age, sex, and activity level.

The UCLA Center for Human Nutrition says that eating less than 1,000 calories per day has the same effects on the body as total starvation, so this survival information should be used only for that: survival.

Most of us consume between 2,000-3,000 calories per day right now. However, in emergency situations, most humans will be able to survive for short periods of time with a minimum of 500-800 calories per day.

What Are The Best Calorie And Nutrient-Packed Foods?

In a real emergency situation, you will definitely want to consume whatever food is available. However, you will want to store foods that offer the most amount of calories and nutrients.

Leafy greens are high in nutrients, but probably aren’t going to sustain you long-term because of the low calories they offer. At the same time, just eating higher-calorie foods such as chips and candy, also won’t give you the energy you need to thrive for longer periods of time. They can give you energy boosts, but the ultimate goal is to store foods that give nutrients along with higher calories. 

The following foods are calorie-dense, nutritious options for when you’re trying to stretch your energy as far as you can:

• Protein smoothies
• Milk
• Rice
• Red meat
• Nuts
• Nut butter
• Potatoes/Sweet potatoes
• Beans
• Protein supplements and bars
• Salmon
• Avocado
• Whole grain bread
• Chicken leg
• Tofu
• Dark chocolate
• Oats
• Cheese
• Whole eggs (yolk plus whites)
• Yogurt (full fat)

Do The Calories Required Differ From Male To Female?

Generally, males require more calories than females. Females are recommended to eat 1,600-2,400 calories per day, while males are recommended to eat 2,000-3,000 calories. This is very general and can look different from person to person.

In an emergency situation, males will probably require 100-200 calories more than their female counterparts to align with the numbers given above. 

Does It Matter What Variation Of Foods You Eat To Keep Your Calories Up?

As mentioned earlier, your body will best respond to calorically dense, nutrient-packed food. However, this won’t always be an option.

Your body will respond very differently to 500 calories of meat compared to 500 calories of candy or even to 500 calories of cheese. The macronutrients that make up all of the food that we eat, change our energy levels and body composition.

However, if you are literally trying to survive, a calorie is a calorie, and you will want to eat whatever you can. Again, I recommend you follow the 3 steps outlined above when starting down your food storage journey. Survival, nutrition, and then enjoyment.

How to Grow Your Garden In The Winter

There are 3 different ways to grow a garden in the wintertime.

1. Plant a specific set of vegetables in the fall that will last through the winter and produce an amazing harvest in the early spring.
2. Cover your plants with a makeshift garden bed cover to extend the gardening season by a month on both sides of the season. 
3. Use a full-sized greenhouse or plant some veggies that thrive when planted indoors.

Here is a really simple and cheap way to grow salad greens all through the winter:

When Should I Plant My Winter Produce?

1.  You want to plant “short season” crops first so that they will be ready to harvest in the winter. Examples of this include greens, peas, parsley, kale, winter lettuce, and root vegetables such as carrots. You can plant these at the regular time as the rest of your summer garden, but you simply harvest them later.
2. Next, when you harvest your summer crops, you will want to immediately plant “short season” crops which thrive and grow late in the season, in the vacancies left by the harvest of the summer crops. These crops will be harvested in a short 3-6 weeks before the weather drops too significantly. These crops include tendril peas, lettuce, turnip, arugula, and mustard greens.
3. Third, you will want to plant slow-growing crops in late summer or early fall to grow throughout the winter. These plants will grow dormant as temperatures freeze, but with proper protection, they will continue growing when the temperature rises. These crops include cauliflower, garlic, and broccoli.

What produce can I grow outside during the winter?

• • Arugula
  • Asparagus
  • Beets
  • Broad Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Collard Greens
  • Endive
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Mache
  • Mesclun Greens
  • Mustard
  • Onion
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Scallion
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard
  • Tatsoi
  • Turnips

What Fruit Grows In The Winter?

How Do I Keep The Plants From Freezing?

What Is The Best Way To Grow Produce Inside During The Winter?

What Is A Square Foot Garden?

What Should I Make The Square Foot Garden Box With?

How Deep Does A Square Foot Garden Need To Be?

What Do You Put In The Bottom Of A Raised Garden Bed?

How Often Do You Water A Square Foot Garden?

What And How Much Do I Plant In My Square Foot Garden?

Don’t Get Overwhelmed – Just Start

Which Garden Plants Should I Start Indoors First? 

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Okra
• Pepper
• Sweet potato
• Tomato
• Celery
• Chard
• Cucumber
• Melon
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Spinach
• Squash

Why Is It Better To Start These Seeds Indoors?

How Do I Begin Planting Indoors?

How Long Does It Take Seeds To Sprout Indoors?

Do You Need A Grow Light To Start Seeds Indoors?

When Is It Too Late To Start Seeds Indoors?

How Do I Grow Sprouts Indoors?

• Beet
• Chickpea
• Mung Bean
• Lentil
• Alfalfa
• Radish
• Mustard
• Green or Snow Pea

Ridiculously Easy Sprouting 101

I’ve also included this link to a sprouting chart that will show you the full sprouting process from start to finish. 

Why Sprouting Supplies Are Essential Food Storage Items

1. It helps in digestion
2. It boosts blood circulation
3. It helps in weight loss
4. It builds your immune system
5. It improves eyesight
6. It helps the health of your heart
7. It reduces acidity in your body
8. It may prevent premature aging
9. It’s beneficial in hair health
10. It’s good for your skin health