The hardest thing to store enough of is water. No matter how much you store you will eventually run out of clean safe water. Knowing this the first item that I would acquire is a water filtration system or water sterilizer. Personally I lean towards the UV sterilizers with solar chargers over filters but I have both and would not be without them. Sterilizers like the Steripen with solar case can be had new for about $150 and will effectively kill off anything in the water same as boiling without the work and cooling time. These work best with clear water but even pre filtering through cloth can achieve this. Filter units start a little cheaper than this and quickly exceed this price tag. Both Berkley and Katadyn make great quality products that range in size from a water bottle personal filter to institutional units. There are many other choices for filter brands but these are the two that I have had over the years and the are top notch.
Never forget that water can be made safe by boiling for a full minute, using water purification tablets (iodine) or chlorine bleach.
Here is a chart for using regular Clorox Bleach to sterilize water.
Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification
2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.
Only use Regular Clorox Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, rotate or replace your storage bottle minimally every three months.
Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution
To sanitize containers and utensils, mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.
Any chlorine bleach will work but for the tiny expense extra I would only buy name brand. I would print this guide and post it beside your stored bleach.
The next item on my list is a gas or diesel generator. I would get one that uses the same fuel as your main vehicle so fuel storage is simplified. The size of the unit really depends on how much you want to run off of it and how much you are willing to spend. We have become very dependant on our appliances even being able to have the use of them for the first few days of a event may give you the piece of mind to analyse the situation and form a solid plan. Any generator you buy will have a fuel consumption guide along with it. A good minimum fuel supply is 72 hours at full load but it would be better to have 7 to 10 days. While you are figuring out the required storage to achieve this you should look at having a minimum 2 tanks of fuel for your vehicle. In my case my truck is a diesel and holds 25 gallons in the tank and 40 gallons in the auxiliary tank, my 10KW generator consumes 6 gallons every 12 hours. So for me to have 2 tanks for my truck and 72 hours for the generator I need to have 86 gallons or 325L on hand. For 10 days and 2 complete fills for my truck I need 250 gallons or 950L. Honestly I do not have near the fuel on hand that I want but I fill another 5gal jerry can each time I fill my truck. For storage at home I have 50gal poly fuel barrels and a barrel pump for transferring the fuel along with a dozen or so 5gal jerry cans. Fuel must be stored out of direct sunlight and the more stable and lower the temperature the better. Fuel has a fairly short shelf life so you will want to use a fuel stabilizer and change out you fuel every 6 months to a year by using it in your vehicle and refilling storage. These large storage numbers are a best case even having an extra 5gal of fuel is better than not having it.
Do not get overwhelmed keep it to one prep at a time and stay positive. Till next time keep on prepping.
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