Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (11 page)

It doesn’t take much to disrupt municipal water—earthquakes can break pipes, floods can overwhelm the system, and so forth. And sometimes it takes the city a while to get the taps back on. If the water stops flowing to your home, you do have a few options to consider before you start sucking on your last ice cubes. There’s abundant water hidden in the average dwelling, if you know where to look for it.

THE PIPES
Even in a utility outage, water can be found lying in the pipes. Open the highest faucet in the house, then open the lowest faucet or spigot, catching the water in some clean containers.

THE HOT WATER HEATER
You may find 40 to 80 gallons (150 to 300 l) of drinkable water simply by opening the drain valve at the bottom of the unit and catching the water in a pan or shallow dish. Use this water soon, as the warm water heater is a great bacterial breeding ground. Turn off the power to electric water heaters, as they will burn up with no water in the unit.

THE TOILET TANK
To clarify, we are talking about the tank, not the toilet bowl. The tank of every toilet has a gallon (4 l) or more of perfectly clean water in it.

THE FISH TANK
A freshwater fish tank can be claimed as a water source, along with koi ponds, fountains, and other water features. Treat this water with chemicals or by boiling for 10 minutes to make it safe to drink.

THE GUTTERS
The gutter system on your home can provide many gallons of water from just a light rain shower. Divert your downspouts into rain barrels or other large containers to take advantage of free water from the rainfall.

As unlikely as this may sound, you can actually disinfect your drinking water safely and effectively with common household items. Just be aware that chemical disinfection doesn’t remove salt, toxins, or fallout—it just kills the living pathogens that would make you sick.

FILTER
Any water you get from a rain barrel, your pool, or a nearby creek should be considered contaminated and in need of disinfection. Water that is visibly dirty or muddy should be filtered through a coffee filter or a cloth. This won’t make it safe to drink, but it will help the following disinfection methods to work more effectively.

CHLORINE BLEACH
Add 2–4 drops of ordinary chlorine bleach per quart (or liter) of water. Use 2 drops if the water is warm and clear. Go to 4 drops if it is very cold or murky. Put the bottle cap back on and shake the container for a minute. Then turn the bottle upside down and unscrew the cap a turn or two. Let a small amount of water flow out to clean the bottle threads and cap. Screw the lid back on tight, and wipe the exterior of the bottle to get the chlorine on all surfaces. Let it sit for one hour in a dark place and it will be ready to drink.

TINCTURE OF IODINE
Use 5–10 drops of tincture of iodine 2% in one quart (or liter) of water. Flush the threads, wipe down the bottle, and allow it to sit in the shade one hour, as with chlorine. Use 5 drops tincture of iodine for clear warm water, and up to 10 drops for the cold or cloudy variety of water.

POVIDONE IODINE
You’ll need 8–16 drops per quart (or liter) of water with this form of iodine. Add 8 drops for nice-looking water and 16 drops for swamp water. Clean the bottle threads, and wait an hour, as with the other methods.

Your swimming pool or spa can yield a wealth of water, but be sure to disinfect it first, as any open water collects algae and bacteria. Chlorinated water can be relatively safe to drink, but be careful. The same UV rays that can disinfect bottled water will also be breaking down the pool’s chlorine, but test it before you drink; chlorine is a potent chemical. Normally, the chlorine level of a properly maintained pool is kept at about 3 to 5 ppm (parts per million); 4 ppm or less is considered safe to drink. Test strips are cheap and easy to get; keep some on hand to check the water’s drinkability.

People joke about having a full hazmat suit at the ready “just in case,” but this isn’t practical for all kinds of reasons—the main one being that high-quality hazmat suits are very costly, and in any situation where you and your family might actually need them, there will be so many other serious issues that the suits themselves aren’t likely to save you (they also require support and maintenance that won’t likely be available to you).

That said, in a number of disaster scenarios, you may want to be protected from airborne or environmental pathogens or contaminants. A solution is to buy Tyvek safety suits and respirators at a home-improvement store and add them to your kit. These suits and masks are very inexpensive; they’re basically disposable protection for housepainters and construction workers. They certainly won’t protect you from radiation or a chemical attack, but they will offer a layer of protection. For another layer, search online for “chemical protection suits,” which can offer a higher level of protection against a variety of radioactive particles and at least some chemically dangerous or toxic subtances.

You’ll note that a lot of the “must-have” clothing for survival is wool. There’s a reason for this—wool is soft, breathable, resists odor, dries quickly (and keeps you warm even when it’s wet), is resistant to fire, and offers some good UV protection. Unless you’re allergic to it, wool is one of the more comfortable fabrics. In the old days, trappers wore their wool undies for months at a time and, while that’s really not recommended, there aren’t many fabrics that would stay comfy and (relatively) fresh under those conditions.

Look for pure merino wool for long-lasting and comfortable clothing. It’s not going to be cheap, but given the benefits and how long wool clothing lasts, it’s almost certainly worth the investment.

Any emergency situation almost certainly involves some walking, whether you’re hiking out of the wilderness, crossing a storm-devastated cityscape, or fleeing civil unrest (or hordes of zombies). That means you need good shoes. Don’t go cheap—buy a sturdy, comfy pair of hiking or combat-type boots (real combat, not club fashion!). Break them in well and take care of them. High-tech synthetic material is lighter and easier to break in but won’t last as long. Real leather takes more work but, cared for properly, can last forever.

Caring for your shoes isn’t just about style, it ensures a much longer life for them. As soon as you get hold of a new pair of leather boots, waterproof them with mink oil (sold where you buy good leather products). Rub it in well with a soft cloth, then carefully remove any excess. Then, clean and polish your boots whenever they get dirty or scuffed.

STEP 1
Clean the surface of the shoes well with a soft cloth. Use an old toothbrush to reach any hard-to-reach spots.

STEP 2
Lightly apply polish, using a circular motion. Work it into any cracks, to condition dry leather. Let the polish set for a couple of minutes to fully dry.

STEP 3
Buff with a horsehair brush, using a back-and-forth motion and following the leather’s grain.

Your extended survival kit should include practical, sturdy clothing for a range of conditions. Remember that, within reason, you get what you pay for, and when clothing will have to stand up well to the elements and maybe last a good long while, it’s worth an investment. That said, smart shoppers will find much of what they need at big box or surplus stores. If you do winter sports and/or a lot of camping, you may already have a number of these items. Just be sure they’re easily accessible when you need them. Here are some absolute basics.