I read these words on the page “Emergency Survival Kit” on KGMB’s website, a TV station in Hawaii. This is the same information on emergency kits you will get from the American Red Cross or FEMA.

What “cycle” actually means here is that you throw out the food and water every 6 months.

In terms of food, the real answer on how often you need to “cycle” really depends on the 2 things.

First the type of food you chose to put in your emergency kit will determine how often you need to throw out the food in the kit and replace it with a fresh food supply.

If you choice was to store energy bars, every 6 months will likely be the case.

If you choose MRE, then the food will store 5-7 years so you will not need to throw it out every 6 months. This information should help you decide on which food to buy, as MRE will be a better choice if you include the cost of throwing out 10-14 supplies of energy bars or other food you replace every 6 months (if you remember to do it, if you don’t you will have a different problem when disaster strikes).

However as stated above how often you need to cycle the food in a survival kit depends on two things.

The second thing is the storage conditions for your survival kit. If you store your kit in a cool dry place your MRE will last up to 7 years.

However if you keep a kit in the trunk of your car, the high temperatures will dramatically reduce the shelf life of MRE or energy bars. I am not saying don’t keep a kit in your car, it is important to be ready wherever you may be in a disaster, but you may need to make extra effort to replace food if you do.

Daytime temperatures in the trunk of a car can get well over 120 degrees F on even a warm day. Below is an MRE shelf life chart based on studies by the U.S. Army’s NATIC Research Laboratories.

If you store MRE in a place that the temperature is elevated for any sustained period of time then you will need to replace your food more often. The data below is useful, but not a guarantee of product, you will have to refer to the manufacturer of your food for accurate information on that specific product.

I have done some research and have some further comments of my own and clarifications on water storage. Thanks for the excellent article on water storage by Terry Fitzroy of Survival Solutions published in a previous post here on Bulk Survival Food.

There was a suggestion in that article that you should drink 8 glasses or 64 ounces of water a day. This is a myth so pervasive medical professionals sometimes say it. Medical journals found no research supports this anywhere and have traced the myth back to a mis-interpretation of a 1945 medical report.

The fact is most of the 64 ounces of water is contained in the food we eat. That is if what you are eating is a healthy well balanced diet. Read this British Medical Journal article that quotes the 1945 report “One origin may be a 1945 recommendation that stated: A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 litres daily in most instances. An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 millilitre for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods“.

Over time it appears most people, even doctors, have forgotten the key second sentence in bold above.

If you are eating MRE food reserve in a disaster, most of the 64 ounces (~2.5 liters) of the water is already in the food. If you use a Freeze Dried Food food reserve , you need store more water to hydrate the food when you eat, but the water you use to hydrate the food all ends up in your body when you eat it.

That said, then what is the real amount water storage needed for emergency preparedness?

The Red Cross and FEMA say one gallon of water per day in their “Preparing for Disaster” pdf (on page 8), but this for a “3 day supply kit”. So perhaps this does not include water requirements for hygiene? Does it assume you have also included in your 3 day kit mostly canned food that has water in the food as opposed dry grains and cereals which will need a lot more clean drinkable water to cook?

www.72hours.org offered this advice on water “Store one gallon of water, per person, per day. This amount will be adequate for general drinking purposes. Three gallons per person per day will give you enough to cook and for limited personal hygiene.”

They also advised to replace unopened stored bottled water once a year.

Perhaps you can plan to replace the water each year the day before or the day after your birthday so you will remember to do it. Or Perhaps we should have a “Preparedness Day” holiday so that we can do once a year whatever needs to be done that year like throwing out the canned food and bottled water and replace it with a new supply for another year. I am sure the food industry will be all for this holiday, they should take the cue from the chocolate and flower people for what they did to create Valentine’s day. Let’s move on.

So the answer, in terms of clean water storage for consumption, appears to be 1 to 3 gallons per person per day depending on whether you are using water for cooking.

If your survival food store is MRE then your requirement will be closer to 1 gallon per day, and 1.5 gallons if you use Freeze Dried Food.

You may think there is an advantage to MRE here but you will need the same if not more storage space for the same period of food support for MRE due to package density of MRE. As well you will always have more options in terms of water resource allocation as the additional water you store for Freeze Dried Food can be used for other purposes if it makes sense, while with MRE the water that is already in the food can’t be practically extracted out.

The best way to safely store water is in food grade containers like the ones below. With stabilizer applied and containers properly sealed water will be good to drink for 5 years. Click on the pictures of the containers to get more information on them;

30 gallon container, 4 per package at Nitro-Pak

55 gallon container, 4 per package at Nitro-Pak

What if you did not prepare water before an emergency?

Here is some excellent information from Public Heath of Seattle and King county on “How to prepare safe water after a disaster”.

Water Storage Will Save Your Life Better Than Food

by terryfitzroy
Did you know that it is more important to store clean water in case of an emergency than it is to store food? There are many reasons for this fact, but the first may or may not be obvious to you.

Did you know that if there were a terrorist attack, that water supply would most likely be the first thing that gets cut off? Did you know that your city water supply is at a higher risk to be contaminated than the food in the grocery store is? In case of an emergency, you are going to want to stock up on both food, and water. But if you have to choose one, it needs to be as much clean drinking water as possible.

You can live longer without food than you can without water. This is the second reason why it is more important. The human body needs water like a car needs gas and oil. It is said by some biologist that 75% of our bodies are made up of water. When your body has a lack of water, immediately you will start to show signs of dehydration. Many people feel like food is more important mainly because they can feel hunger pains, and recognize them much better than they can feel dehydration beginning to affect their bodies. Some of the common symptoms of dehydration are muscle twitching, headaches, dryness of mouth, and blurry vision.

In fact, most of your common body aches can be traced back to a single cause: Not drinking enough water.
You should drink 64 ounces of water per day. That equals eight, 8 ounce glasses of water per each set of 24 hours.

That might seem like a lot of water to you, but truthfully, it ’s the recommended minimum amount. Drinking more won’t hurt. The easiest way to accomplish this is to keep a water bottle with you at all times and as soon as it is empty, fill it up again.
Food is important, don’t get me wrong. But you can potentially go weeks without eating, while you most likely won’t make it one week with no clean drinking water. So what are we to do? Start saving every single milk jug container you can.

Most families go through a gallon or more per week, sometimes two. Instead of throwing them away, wash them out thoroughly, and fill them with filtered, clean drinking water. Start stashing them away someplace safe, like in your basement or in your garage. In a few short months you’ll have a few dozen gallons of clean water, and if you somehow face a crisis, you’ll be prepared to make it for the long haul.

Another thing you can do is start stocking up on it at the grocery store when you see a sale. Water is pretty cheap. Even if you buy the brand name stuff, you can usually find a 24 pack of water for less than five bucks. Many grocery stores also sell jugs of water. Each time you go grocery shopping, make it a point to buy one.

This will also maintain your supply if you build it up over time. 50 gallons or more may be needed if drinking water is contaminated. 50 gallons can get you through for several weeks until you are able to go elsewhere, so make it your goal to save at least that much water. It could save your life, and others you know.

About the Author

Terry Fitzroy is a professional writer specializing in freeze dried food and disaster preparedness To learn more about Water Storage visit SurvivalSolutions.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

kemct Said;

Water is important and proper preparedness absolutely must include a water storage strategy. A well planned water storage strategy should include proper safe food grade bulk containers or at least containers with food grade liners. Also the water needs a stabilizer if you want it stored safely for an extended period of time.

Per Nitro-Pak’s website on water storage;

“Civil defense experts have for years suggested that you store approximately 2 gallons per day per person for two weeks.”

For their 30 gallon water container they say;

“Now you can purchase a water storage package that comes complete with everything you need. Just fill with tap water, add the 5 year stabilizer, and seal the caps with the included bung wrench. That’s it! For businesses, this package can also supply water for up to 3 days for 36 people. This unit uses 30 gallon size containers that will supply a family of four for 2 weeks. We also offer a 55 gallon size container unit which will provide up to 4 weeks of water for the same family. Both use our heavy-duty water barrels sold in the Storage Barrel Category. Each container is brand new, never used.

• No water rotation for 5 years!
• Everything you need including 4 - 30 gallon water containers and 5 year Water Stabilizer!

Included items:

• 4 - 30 Gallon Water Barrels1
• Siphon/Manual Hand Pump1
• 5 Year Water Stabilizer (Oxystabile/Aerobic 07)
• 1 Aluminum Bung Wrench (for opening & seal barrel caps)
• 8 Protective Seal Caps (protects caps from dirt & debris)”