Prepping Baby Steps: Water Refill, Kit Refill

This weekend, take a few minutes and do one of these Prepping Baby Steps—none of them require a big time commitment, and you’ll feel great knowing you’ve done something to prepare for an emergency.

 

water storage1. Buy and/or fill your water storage containers.

  • Remember to buy food-grade water containers.
  • Fill them with water that is safe to drink through a food-grade hose or from the tap.
  • Store them in a cool area away from sunlight to prevent growth of bacteria.

    Put a pair of broken-in, comfortable walking shoes in the trunk of your car in case you experience an emergency on the road and need to walk or hike to get help.

    emergency kit

    2. Add items from around the house to your emergency kit

    Most of us have extra items around the house that would be very useful in an emergency kit:

      • Tweezers
      • Scissors
      • Bandages
      • Pain relievers
      • Plastic zip-top bags
      • Hard candy
      • Flashlight + batteries
      • Blanket
      • Hand Sanitizer
      • Energy or meal bars

      Let’s hear it… what baby step(s) will you complete this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

      --Sarah (Urban Girl)

      72 hour kitBaby stepsBug out bagCat-getting started with prepEmergency kitEmergency water

      19 comments

      Granny Frets

      Granny Frets

      I bought several large bags of charcoal briquettes and stored them in plastic buckets to protect them from the humidity. We live in hurricane territory and the volcano stove is one of my backup cooking options when we have no power for 2-3 weeks.

      lfhpueblo

      lfhpueblo

      Made some homemade beef jerky marinated in garlic salt. So now have about three pounds of that on hand. Cleaned out the shed and found a perfectly good bag after some surface washing, that could be a bug out bag. Filled up some more water. Taking care of my garden, so I'll have lots of things to dehydrate later on, as well as for us to eat this summer. Unfortunately my next door neighbor is very annoyed that I have a big vegetable and fruit garden. She made very loud comments to her husband that if I wanted a farm, I should go live out where there are farms. Ahh well, I lived here first and my plants are not in her space, they are well within my property lines. It's just that all they have is grass in their yard and I think that's what they think there'll all suppose to be. She shouldn't have bought in the county, where we're still considered rural and have different convenants. I bet she's overjoyed our other neighbors moved out. They had chickens. LOL.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      In the interests of being more comfortable for a walk, I'd suggest that women also pack a comfortable sports bra. I keep one in my wifes BOB. I like the shoe idea, will have to keep a pair close by.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      I will be transplanting the last of the 200 pepper plants we are growing this summer. Btw, they are all being grown in pots — along with our tomatoes, squash, zukes and cukes etc — so lets put the hammer down on this nonsense that you need to live out in the middle of nowhere to help free yourself from the fragile Big Ag food chain

      Jennifer

      Jennifer

      I am going to the bank to get small bills of cash to put in our cars and 72 hour kits. What will we do in a crisis if everyone only has $20 bills?

      Tammy

      Tammy

      I am just starting my preparedness, so this post was incredibly helpful for me. It's good to know that this can be spread out over a period of time, because the cost of doing everything at once was frighteningly high.

      Joe Burge

      Joe Burge

      Those huge 275 gallon food-grade PE tanks with wire enclosure can be found really cheap. I got two (550 gal total)for $75 each, rinse them out, added some bleach and they are sitting in the backyard still clean from last summer's hurricane supply. Also have gutter drain-spouts positioned so they can be refilled with collected rain-water.

      cajunprepper

      cajunprepper

      well I am well on my way with the water so I think 2 and 3 are the ones I am going to work on this week. maybe do an impromptu camping trip and see how well we would do if we got stranded somewhere. Dont think the kids would mind too much if we "broke down" at the lake for a day or two!

      Jonnalyhn Wolfcat Hall

      Jonnalyhn Wolfcat Hall

      I'll add one other thought that people could add as a baby step-a small sewing kit. You can pick up small ones at the dollar stores that will at least allow you to sew a button back on or mend a small tear or pulled hem, or set up one tailored to your needs with a small outlay. Needles, small spools of thread, snips, buttons of different sizes and colors, sew on hook and eyes, and safety pins can help keep things in check-especially if you have small children. More extensive kits could have iron-on patches for jeans and a mini-iron or fabric glue. I'll personally be over-hauling my 72 hour kits and camping trailer this weekend, along with a lot of sewing and cooking.

      Jonnalyhn Wolfcat Hall

      Jonnalyhn Wolfcat Hall

      Molly, the drinking jugs of water are made of a plastic that doesn't hold up as long over time. Even if you pick up one or two of the 5 gallon water storage containers, they will last longer and be less likely to leak or have other issues, without feeling you are overdoing for a single household. Plus it will take up less overall space for the container than 5 – 10 1 gallon water jugs. :)

      Molly

      Molly

      I'm new to this…is there a reason not to buy jugs of drinking water? I'm a one person household and don't feel I need huge quantities. Thanks, Molly

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      The hard candy is a "comfort" food. More of a psychological component to your kit.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      I will be adding water to our supllies. We will be changing out the stuff in the car from winter clothing to spring/summer.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Where is a good place to get cheap but safe 5 gallon water containers from? And also, what is the hard candy for???

      Joanne Rackley

      Joanne Rackley

      I'm also working on my food storage. going for at least a year supply.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      I'll be doing #1 since I need 5 gal water containers to put the bottled spring water in that I have already purchased.

      Susan S. in New Mexico

      Susan S. in New Mexico

      I'll be scouring the yard sales for canning jars, and getting my food better organized.

      Anonymous

      Anonymous

      I will be filling the last two 5 gallon water containers I bought several months ago. And maybe double checking that I have all of #3 in my kit.

      Holly at Myers Rental Properties

      Holly at Myers Rental Properties

      I will be rinsing out & filling the 55g barrel I bought this month from EE

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