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! 

How Can I Get the Most Out of My First THRIVE Experience?

The other day, I was asked this question: What products would I recommend to someone who was planning on trying THRIVE. What a great question! I gave an answer (which I will include here), but as I've pondered it more, I've also thought of other tips to help someone who is wanting to try THRIVE for the first time and wants to get the most out of their experience.

First off, I think it depends on what you plan to use the THRIVE for. What is your plan for using it? Is it something you want to just store for a while unopened to start building your home store -- your emergency food supply? Or is it something you want to open right away and try out?

For example, one of my customers shared that, at least initially, she wants to focus on getting products she can't get as easily elsewhere for her long-term storage. She doesn't like the taste of canned chicken, so she wants to get some of the THRIVE chicken. She wants a store of proteins that will last a long time. That is what is important to her initially, so that is where she is starting.

On the other hand, if you are looking for something tasty and healthy to snack on right away, there are a number of delicious things to try. My recommendation for this category is asparagus (we LOVE the asparagus! Including my toddler!), the green peas, the corn, and the pineapple chunks -- just to name a few . These are delicious and healthy and EASY for snacking. I love that. And I love that we are getting more veggies than before through the THRIVE.

But maybe you're looking for something to make your life easier? Make meal-prepping faster and more convenient. In this case, I would definitely recommend the Seasoned Chicken Strips (holy cow, have I raved about these enough!?!) or something like celery or onion -- things commonly called for in recipes which, by having your THRIVE, you don't have to chop to use in meals, because they come already ready-to-use!
And the other recommendation I have is this: make a list of items you know you throw out on a regular basis because they have spoiled before you got around to using them (for me, this is cilantro, green onions, mushrooms, bell pepper). Find out if THRIVE offers those items. You may want to consider purchasing those first, thereby helping you reduce waste and not "throw away money"!

I will post a link on the left under "Things You Want to Know!" for the THRIVE shopping list. Use it if it's helpful to you. Just a little way to organize your thoughts and maybe help you determine what might benefit your family most as you begin THRIVEing!

Hope this was helpful! And as always, feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or orders .