Water: An Important Component of Being Prepard

As I mentioned yesterday, I had  THRIVE Party Thursday night.  There were some great ladies there, and in the last couple days, I've been in contact with a couple of them who had some questions about preparing.

One of them asked if I had any advice about water storage, because her husband was very interested in that aspect of becoming prepared.  He had recalled attending a class in the past in which they spoke of things you can put into water to purify it.

So today I did some research to help her know what some of her options are!

My first piece of advice echoes what disaster-relief agencies such as FEMA advise:  You want to have at least 1 gallon of water per adult per day for at least 3 days.  I recently read in a FEMA handbook about preparing that a typical adult should drink about 1/2 gallon of water per day (it can be more for children or people who are ill).  But you would also want some water for other uses, such as brushing teeth, sponge-baths, and cooking.  That is why a full gallon is recommended for each day.  A 3-day water supply per person is a bare minimum, of course. 

I referenced how we handle our water storage in our home while I spoke of our 72-Hour Kits and having water included with them.  What we do is store our water in clean gallon jugs.  In order to make sure our water is rotated and stays fresh, We use this water for cooking (when we make soup or pasta or rice).  We then re-fill the jug when it is empty and it goes back into the rotation.  We currently have 7 gallons of water on-hand.  But this really isn't a long-term store of water.  This is actually very minimal for us -- and not quite sufficient since we have a toddler. 

That said, there are many ways to store larger amounts of water for the long-term storage.  Jugs are still an option.  However, having 50 gallon jugs sitting around and finding a place to put them (especially in our apartment) would be a challenge.  So what are my options?

One option is to have a very large water barrel, such as this one.  And if you want to have the whole kit to easily access that water, it's available here.  The large barrel will hold a large quantity of water to help you survive for a while until you could find another source of clean water again.

Another option is to have water filters.  This is probably the direction my family will go.  I like the idea of being able to get water from a stream and then filter it to make it potable.  This is one of the filters I am considering because it is rated to filter so much water.  I also like that it can remove 99% of viruses in addition to other bacteria and pollutants.

A third option is to have either drops to treat water such as these or tablets such as these.  The drops don't seem to purify as much as water filters or even the tablets, though.  So just a heads-up on that. 

I definitely plan to do more research to determine what will be the best option for our family.  And when I decide, I'll let you know!

Thanks for the question, Andrea!  I really appreciate the opportunity to research more and learn!

Do you have any questions or want to get prepared yourself?  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Preparing With a Car Emergency Kit!

Though I have been trying to feature a post all about preparing with your 72-Hour Kit on Tuesdays, I was recently asked a question about a different kind of kit!  And I do love getting questions so I can answer them and help people with what they need right now!  So today I will discuss a Car Emergency Kit!

Let me offer a little bit of background as to why I got this question.  So my best friend lives in Alabama -- around the Birmingham area.  Though the winters get very cold there, snow and ice on the roads are not frequent occurrences.  And even when they do happen, it's usually a light dusting which melts before lunchtime.  And, usually, it happens overnight; so people are home safe in their beds, and many of the businesses and schools will just close in the morning.

Last winter was not a typical winter in Alabama...  There had been a forecast of snow on a specific day in the evening.  That being the case, many businesses were planning to close that night and possibly the following day.  But during the day, people went to work and school as usual. 

...And by 10 a.m. -- many hours before it was supposed to -- the snow was falling heavily.  People were trying to get home.  Interstates were backing up (when you don't know how to drive in snow, it's not an easy thing to do), accidents were happening.  Many people spent the night in their car, because they simply weren't moving.  Others were close enough to home to get out and walk.  For my best friend's daughter who'd gone to college that morning and didn't have a full tank of gas...  Well, she ran out of gas and ended up spending the night at a fire station.  Fortunately for her, she was able to get to a safe and warm place.  And she didn't mind hanging out with the cute fire fighters ;).  But for many others, the car was the best they could do to keep them out of the elements.  My best friend calls it Snowmaggedon.  And she wants to be prepared, in case it happens again -- for both herself and her daughter.  And she wanted to know what she should have in a car emergency kit.

THRIVE Life offers a pre-assembled car emergency kit.  But as with the 72-Hour Kit, you can also assemble your own and include what you think is most important.  The following list is what I personally feel is important in a car emergency kit.  Some of these things popped right into my head when she asked.  Some things she thought of.  Others come from the research I've done over the last couple of days.  (I've included links to items available through THRIVE Life.)

• Jumper cables
• work gloves
• walking shoes (if you usually wear flip flops or dress shoes in the car)
• flashlight and/or glow sticks and/or candles (2)
• water (preferably a gallon, but at least a few water bottles) and/or water filter
• food (we always have granola or trail mix bars in the car; I have a friend who includes THRIVE Express meals in her car kit, because they only require water and are packaged to last 5 years!)
• manual can opener (if your food requires one)
• basic first aid kit (band-aids, antiseptic cream, pain reliever)
• toilet paper
• blanket (preferably 2) and/or emergency blankets
• whistle
• garbage bag (you just never know how this can come in handy!)
• duct tape
• rope
• waterproof matches and/or lighter
• battery-operated or hand-crank radio
• cell phone charger if you have an extra
• hand warmers
• wipes and hand sanitizer
• feminine hygiene items (if you're female ;))
• knife or multi-tool
• pen/paper
• batteries
• sunscreen
• basic tool kit (screwdriver, pliers, wrench)

That seems like a pretty extensive list!!!   But many of the items are small.  I would recommend you get an opaque container and pack all these items inside.  A clear container could invite people to help themselves if the kit is visible through the windows, and they think you may have something they want...

You want to remember to rotate your food and water every 6 months or so.  Some medicines will also expire and need to be kept current.  For us, we are sure to rotate every 6 months because of General Conference, which is held every April and October.  That helps us remember to check all our kits.  So find a way to remind yourself every 6 months so you don't end up with out-dated food in your kit!

And one last tip:  It's a pretty good idea to always try to have at least 1/2 a tank of gas in your car at all times.  I'll be honest:  this is something I need to work on!

I hope this was helpful!  Remember, you want to make sure your kit meets your needs.  You may need to add more or less based on your family size, etc.  It's sometimes hard to know how to prepare prior to an emergency situation...  But any preparation is good, so don't be discouraged!  Because as someone once said:  "When it's time to act, the time to prepare has passed."  The time to prepare is NOW!

If I can help you in any way, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.

Happy THRIVEing! 

National Preparedness Month!!!

Happy September Fellow THRIVErs!!!

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month?!?  What a great time to start getting prepared!  And to help you, THRIVE Life has super-awesome items on sale this month!  Follow this link to see all the items on sale!

Several of their Food Rotation Systems are on sale!  These are awesome shelving units which will help you rotate your canned goods!!  They help you have the storage necessary to have a good home store of canned goods (whether those be store-bought or THRIVE cans!).  And they help you use the oldest items first!  In this way, these nifty systems can help you reduce waste and save money, because you no longer need to throw away expired canned goods that got shoved to the back!!

There are many other emergency essentials available for sale as well -- from water filtration systems to emergency whistles!  You don't want to miss this opportunity to get better prepared for whatever may come!

And that's not all!  This month, it's time to "Rise and THRIVE!" with some delicious THRIVE breakfast items on sale!  Getting back in the school-year routine can be tough!  But THRIVE is helping you whip up tasty, quick, and healthy breakfasts for your family before they head off to school!  Dont' miss out on this month's Q-Pon item:  10 Grain Pancake Mix (it's already in my Q ;))!!  And check back at A THRIVEing Nilla each week to see how I'm using that 10 grain Pancake Mix in my everyday cooking this month as I begin a new "series" on this blog:  Cooking with the Q-Pon!

Let's celebrate National Preparedness Month by getting prepared!!!  If you're not on the Q, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll place your order and get you the Q price on these great items :)!

Happy THRIVEing!

72-Hour Kits -- Why?

I love when people ask me questions regarding preparedness.  It gives me an opportunity to pause and think things through -- an opportunity to fully understand the benefits of being prepared and why I do it.  I am also able to talk with my husband about those questions and get his perspectives and thoughts -- which I really appreciate.  He helps me see things I hadn't seen before, and so I feel like I learn so much.  So I love questions about preparedness.  Feel free to ask me any you may have at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I will do my best to answer -- and research when I don't know the answer!

The question I got a couple days ago was this:

Why have a 72-hour kit?  What life event would require you to grab your kit and leave your home?  And where would you go?

I want to preface all of this by saying that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We are commonly known as Mormons.  We believe we have a Prophet on the Earth today, just as in ancient times (like Moses and Noah of the Old Testament).  We believe the Prophet is called of God, and that God reveals to His chosen Prophet those things we on this Earth need to know.  We also believe in the prophecies in Book of Revelation.  We believe that there are troubled times ahead.  One of the things the Prophet has told us to do is to be prepared:  with savings, with a storage of food, with a 72-hour kit, with the ability to garden.  These things help my family be self-reliant and help us be prepared for whatever rainy days may lie ahead (whether those be natural disasters or loss of a job).  That is why my family chooses to be prepared and strives to become so in these areas.

In doing some research, I also found that there is a government agency which encourages people to be prepared in a variety of ways (and for a variety of reasons) including having a 72-hour kit.

So, as I mentioned before, these questions led me to ponder things.  Because I haven't been in a situation where I needed my 72-hour kit (and for that, I'm grateful), I didn't have a personal example to share.  However, I do remember significant events in my lifetime which I believe left people in a situation where they would have benefited from a 72-hour kit.  For example, Hurricane Katrina -- the massive Hurricane that destroyed New Orleans in 2005.  And the subsequent flooding that really created problems.  I can remember videos of people being rescued from roof-tops.  I think a 72-hour kit would have been helpful for people stuck like that:  they would have had water and food and some sanitary supplies to help them for 3 days.  Another scenario I imagined was an earthquake here where I live (again, this was just me imagining).  Perhaps our home was not stable and we couldn't go back in it due to lack of safety...  Having 3 days of supplies of things we need, particularly for the toddler, would be helpful until we could arrange more permanent plans.

But then, as I was talking with my husband, he pointed out some other scenarios.  Scenarios that really hit home for me.  One example he spoke of was, again, Hurricane Katrina.  But from a different perspective.  The people of New Orleans were told to evacuate when it was clear the hurricane would impact that city greatly.  Having the 72-hour kits would make it easy to grab the stuff you need to survive for 3 days and leave.  True, with a hurricane, you sometimes have a little more time to do some packing if you want -- and maybe it's not so urgent that your only option is the 72-hour kit.  However, there are circumstances where that could conceivably be the case.  The fact is, not far from where I live, there are signs for a Tsunami Escape Route.  We are not on the coast of Washington, so we probably wouldn't be impacted by a tsunami...  But people not far from us could be.  If there was ever an earthquake in the middle of the ocean, sizable enough to create a tsunami, people along the coast would be told to evacuate inland.  And they wouldn't have a ton of time to pack.  In fact, the potential for very little preparation time is real in this scenario.  I remember the descriptions of the tsunami that hit Indonesia around 2004A 72-hour kit would be very important in such a situation.  You'd be able to take what you need with very little time to prepare -- and leave. 

And you'd go wherever you were told to evacuate to.  Usually there are routes indicating where people should go in these types of events.  But it never hurts to have a plan in advance :).

So how can you have your own 72-hour kit?  Well, you can build one yourself (which is what our family has done) -- and I will post over the next several weeks about what we have chosen to include in ours.  Or, if building your own kit isn't really your thing, but you still want the peace of mind of having one, you can check out THRIVE Life's pre-assembled kits like this one.

I hope this helps answer any questions you may have about why a 72-hour kit could be important and useful for you and your family.  Again, I love questions about preparing, so feel free to contact me if you have any!  And if you're interested in learning more about how THRIVE can help you become better prepared, let me know that too!  I'm happy to help however I can!

72-Hour Kits: Food and Water
72-Hour Kits: Hygiene Items
72-Hour Kits: Survival Items 
72-Hour Kits: Miscellaneous Items
72-Hour Kits: Clothing 
72-Hour Kits:  Toddler Kit