Water usage with illness.

[Pete Grey]

Has anyone thought how personal water usage increases when you’ve got such a thing as a simple common cold, you seem to be washing you hands every time you cough or sneeze (to protect others), you can use hand sanitiser, but not if you have to prepare food.

With a serious illness, with washing hands, patient, and sick room cleaning, it could double or treble the normal allowance of a gallon per person per day.

[Straight Shooter]

I can see your point Pete , as part of my preps I hold boxes of latex gloves ...one thousand would be correct along with two dozen rubber (marigold) gloves , loads of bleach ,disenfectant,jumbo paper rolls,hand sanitizer ,loads n loads of soap and a berky big boy with spare filters .

Also polythene sheet on a roll 13ft wide x25ft long that would work well for someone ill .....and many tarps ....thing is most of what our preps consist of have a multitude of uses and can be adapted without much fuss .

I have got into the habbit of buying latex gloves , soap ,lighters, bleach, (when they are on offer ) big costs like a berky are one off's ...but afore mentioned are not enough to notice a low cost , you soon accumulate a good stock .

[Pete Grey]

We do have stocks of most of the above SS but nothing like the quantities that you have. My main concern was that we do not have sufficient potable water here at home. We can get water from a pond 1/4 mile away at the bottom of a hill, but it may not be possible in a shut down situation. Consequently lack of water, that normally would be adequate in a bug in situation, could force us out in a pandemic when that would be the worst possible action to take.

[Straight Shooter]

It's not so much the quantities Pete ,the only honest reason to justify the amounts is when we see a good deal (on offer) we grab them...it's become the norm ! With the added bonus of items that can be bartered .

To address your main fear (water shortage) there are steps you can take ....water collection butts ,harvest rain water from your roof (cover butts with black polythene ) you will need a filtering set up and/or the ability to boil water ....bleach , water p tables .....one icb holds 900 ltrs .....you have hit on the most important resource we most defiantly NEED to survive Pete ....prepper or sheeple , so concentrate on the resolution ,do what you need to get done ..use your (justified fears) to you'r advantage positive acts produce positive results and piece of mind....there is always a way !

[Pete Grey]

Hi SS i would not say water shortage is a fear, a concern to be born in mind perhaps (or the ramblings off an elderly, slightly paranoid prepper).

We keep potable water in jerrycans (30 gallons) and have 3 40gallon waterbutts fed from the roof, water filter, sterilising tablets, thin bleach etc, good sensible quantities for most events. 150 gallons, 2 people, 75 days. But you can guarantee if TSHTF everything comes at once.

Event (could be anyone of many possibilities), so no electricity, no tap water, no sewage being pumped away (disease risk), drought, heatwave, then pandemic. You dar’nt go out to fetch water. You’ve already used most of the waterbutts on the garden, only jerrycans left 30 gallons, 15 days, with having to be extra careful with hygiene etc, 7 days ?.

Water storage has gone from ten weeks to one, hmm ?.

[Straight Shooter]

Well you have addressed your worries Pete ,so it's duration then ? Over supply .....so how much is enough over a set period of time ? Not withstanding all around you will have the same set of problems to deal with.....the toilet issue is easy you could use your camper for a while but let's look at the water ...all around you will know the local water source ! So it would look odd not to see you getting your share of that water (you must have food and water stashed ) why else would you not collect your share ? Remember Pete you and yours will be eating reasonable well ...if it's long term as you talk of ..water is important but starvation and hunger people will kill to feed their family and kids ! I would ! So now the scenario has notched up big time .....the longer it go's on the more will die and the more desperate things will become ...(even if you live rural ) things will still be bad ,plus ones age and health issues would be factored in the whole equation .

Bugging in.........( Fixed position ) problem here are several fold , one tends to feel safer , one has covered most preps required ....just there inspires(over confidence ) defending what (you know you have....even if hidden ) familiar surroundings ......knowing your area (as was) does it mean (as is) what you once knew could well change with dramatic effect ....these circumstances will be magnified further in a town of city .

Ok SS what about bugging out ? Forced or voluntary ?

Voluntary = planned BOL with or without stores ...very low population , up high with good all around vision ,shelter,water, game, growing options ,fishing options and good defensive options .

The area you have chosen ..you have scouted out ! Many times , you would have made yourself aware of all roads,paths,waterways ,rivers and farms ......stock farmed , power stations,wind and solar farms ,power relay stations /transformers .....danger assessments .....which directions incoming and how to get out in a hurry .

Forced bug out .
You must have a plan and a BOL ...you ideally have scouted out of have good prior knowledge of where you want to (end up) ...family,friends or somewhere you have some knowledge of will be good.

You may well have to go North to get to the South via West of East .

Right enough off topic from me ! I am sure you get the idea .

[Pete Grey]

My thought was if we have to hunker down and were unable to leave home because of the risk of infection, how long would our water last.

If it was a no electricity, no water situation, we would be out with everyone getting what we could, mixing with the rest, but not too pushy, being as normal as possible, being Grey.

[Straight Shooter]

We are back to duration and Daly volume of water required plus no power supply ! The calculation needs a time limit that will be equal to the infection risk , so now it's not just water.....firewood or gas bottles for heat and cooking and washing clothes flushing the loo ,how many persons ....and food supply ALL would need to be calculated to hunker down till the risk ebbs ...all within the boundaries of your home...you could have a stab at the math Pete....let's say two months plus a emergency extra month ....three months ? Plus a get away month too get to your BOL ......we have not talked about the (infection type) ? By this time scale things would/could be really bad and desperate ? Or on the other hand becoming back to some sort of normality ....in short Pete the piece of string is as long as you want it to be but a plan should be worked on....any plan is better than any guess .

[Pete Grey]

There are too many variables to be able to calculate all of your requirements with any certainty, all you can do is give it your best shot.

As i said earlier water usage can not be standardised at a gallon a day. My thoughts were more water would be needed if there was illness.

You are right, make your plans, work on the worst case scenario, a plan is better than a guess.

[Straight Shooter]

To many variables will be a constant theme ....over complication is another ...one problem most peppers do when planning future scenarios ,is planning with with blinkers on ,assumptions are made based on (what would I do for me ) from a standpoint of a pre wshtf ,and how can I maintain the comforts of what is enjoyed NOW ....levels of wants set against actual needs required .

Survival really comes down simple bascis,the best preparedness is knowledge developed by past generations ,their mistakes and their triumphs and skill sets perfected , so would I use a drill and brace over a portable modern battery drill (too right I would) but I could use a the old drill&brace ,learning old skill sets is key ...use the latest tech in also fine ! But you will return to old tech if all fails .

When I started work,the building sites employed plenty of labourers (and bloody good ones) for two tradesmen there would be one labourer ....brickies ,spreads,chippers .....in fact a small army of labourers ....these days one guy on a telehandler serving many trades .