Water, WATER, WATER!! Did you remember water??

I don't think many of us think about water. I live in the high Arizona desert, and live in a rural area. Because of this, we have had to maintain our own well. There have been a time or two that we have woken up to no water. Even so, growing up, I remember a time when we had to not drink the city water because it was contaminated with E-Coli. For those old enough to remember September 11, 2001... The first thing people bought after the attacks were water. Why?? Because your body has to have it. You can go weeks with little to no food. Simply put; we need to make water as much a priority as food on our emergency preparedness and long term storage.

So HOW much do I need??

You should store at least one gallon of water per person for three days. A normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid daily, from water and other beverages. However, individual needs vary, depending on age, health, physical condition, activity, diet and climate.
To determine your water needs, take the following into account:*

• One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.(Medical emergencies, nursing mothers, children and sick people may require more)
• If you live in a warm weather, you may need more water . In very hot temperatures, water needs can be doubled.
• If using dehydrated/freezer dried food, water needs to be increased

How do I STORE water??

It is recommended that you buy commercial water and keep it unopened until ready to use. Store water containers in a cool, dark place.

Preparing YOUR own containers of WATER!

It is recommended you purchase food grade water storage containers:
http://www.thrivelife.com/all-products/emergency-kits-supplies/food-and-water.html
Before filling with water, clean the containers with dishwashing soap and water and rinse thoroughly.

It is important to not use plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. The protein's in the milk and fruit sugars can't be removed from these containers and is a breading environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers leak and are not designed for long term storage.

Happy New Years! Happy Thrive Tools!!

Happy 2015! After a long stint off, I am back and running!! I am not sure about everyone else, but with a new year comes new "to do's". Some are easier than others, especially with the help of tax returns.. And some are just more fun! As I sat down and tried to look back on 2014, I didn't want to set New Year resolutions. I wanted to set weekly (heck, with how things have started out, DAILY) goals to help further my family and myself along. I am not perfect, and I know that I am not going to magically have everything put together in a day, week,  month or even year. I am a girl in progress.

So one of my mission's was to count and keep track of my food storage. I am not sure why I have never done this before, because I have the tool on my Q. So I set out and I counted everything that I had, and put the data into the computer system. By ALL means, DO NOT feel bad that you are only at 10% of your year supply for 5 adults! The pyramids weren't built in a day. (I would like to add that I do not have 5 adults in my home, but I will at some point, and so I am just preparing for that day!).You may want to also take advantage of the calculator. I always ask myself, how much do I need of flour? Sugar? Oil? It can be overwhelming, and many don't know where to start! 

You can access all of these tools for free by visiting:  http://www.thrivelife.com/tools 

 

 

OK. Food Storing 101: There are two types of shelf stable foods:

• Short-term foods - these foods on average have a 3 month to 10 year shelf life. For example, boxed breakfast cereal has about a 1 year shelf life. But a can of corn has a 2 -5 year shelf life.
• Long-term foods - these foods have a 20 - 30 year shelf life because they sometimes have been carefully sealed (usually) with an oxygen absorber packet.

Your first goal should be to get to 3 months supply. Most of the food you store for your 3 month supply will be "short-term", but you will want to be adding "long-term" as you go. My only advice is to cook with your long term food, so that when and if an emergency does come, you know how to use it and your family will eat it without complaining!