ice, water, batteries, chlorine, pictures

[w0nderer]

Mods, i'm aware this is a repost of an answer

i was asked to repost this as a separate article
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1817420&mesg_id=1817992

if that violates rules please feel free to delete this
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i added in a few small things i missed the first time around
sorry bout the delay

oh and if you want to save this entry
email it to a phone, save it on a laptop

a lot of mp3 players will even display text files, copy it there

---repost as OWN post---

ice, water, batteries, chlorine, pictures

wash and rinse 1-3 liter soda bottles
then fill them with tap water and put 2-3 drops of chlorine bleach (unscented) per liter into them
don't fill them 'all the way' leave a few inches, close them up , then toss them into the freezer

ice and potable water in one step
since they are solid they outlast cubes
and since they are sealed they don't add to the water in the cooler much
heck they even help keep the freezer cold when power goes out
so one doesn't have to move as much out of the freezer

according to some sources chlorinated (2-3 drops per liter) tap water (municipal) will last in a dark cold place up to 6 months
i've never pushed it that far, 3 weeks is as far as i've pushed it and as long as it smells of chlorine a little, it's good
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if there are kids in the family, keep batteries in a safe location
nothing like going into week 2 , all stores are out of batteries and finding out someone with a handheld game decided to raid the battery supply hard
and there now is only enough for 2 flashlights for a day

keep different flashlights (battery wise) with no batteries in them, possibly beside them
i keep my main lights on D and AAA's but i have adaptors or lights (and wire and tape) to fit most other sizes
sometimes you have to get the batteries they have
ie, when the store has AAA batteries, make a AAA to D convertor
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if one has a digital camera (most of us do today) or a cellphone with a camera
or a friend with one
use or borrow and take pictures of all important papers (sure what you have at home, pack up in plastic bags
and into the evacuation bag it goes) but the pictures all go onto a flash or microsd card that can go on your person
anyone ever wonder how many microsd's will fit in a pill fob? a LOT
ss card, drivers licence (both sides), credit and debit cards both sides,
passport, insurance cards, insurance papers, deeds, loans, birth certificates.


pictures of the house and possessions with date stamp can be handy in case the worst happen
word of 'i had a 42 inch tv' is nice
a picture of it in your house does more to convince the insurance company though

i put mine on an encrypted 'container'
i've got copies on my smartphone and in a pill fob
on same cards are also the encryption program i use ( http://www.truecrypt.com )
which does the main 3 os's windows/linux/mac os x 10.4+
so no matter what it's readable
and it's less likely to be part of 'identity theft' issues
it's also easy to use
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most of these should have been done already
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charge all electronics that can take a charge
if you got ups for computers, unhook the computers from them when you shut them down, then when power goes out, shut the ups's down, save the power from the 'whiny alert'
it's an extra power reserve to charge up cellphone or handheld cb or a handheld hamradio, run a weak light or a fan (yes, you would damage the battery, yes, you would have to eventually replace the ups battery, cope deal get over, ups's are consumables)
i didn't have a generator and kept my laptop and cellphone (tethered) powered during 3 weeks of power outtage by moving my 2 ups's to the office (that does have a generator) and charging them there


oh and a small camp stove, do yourself a favor here, learn to use it BEFORE the hurricane, or read and understand the instructions


don't use it DURING the hurricane (or indoors)
you can cope with 2-3 days of cold food
and don't use it after till you check for gas leaks

same goes for generator (indoors or in a garage connected to house..no no)

and DON'T hook a generator into the house to power the house it dangerous for you as well as the linesmen trying to repair the lines

i do all dishes, laundry, drying, and showers before the hurricane too, easier than having a sink full of dishes, wash clothing, dry clothing, clean people
using boiled or chlorinated water and no power

do sun tea for caffeine headache, or for first 2 days into the hurricane just mix milk and instant coffee, shake, then mix in water
this is only during the hurricane is hitting so...3-4 days max, the fridge will keep cool for a day or so unless it's opened a lot
heck make coffee in advance and freeze a bottle of that


books have been written but those are the ones i have on my fast checklist
actually a 'first aid', a 'home fix it', and a 'urban/suburban guide' with tricks like above are good things to keep as ebooks on a phone,
ipod touch, kindle or similar (assuming you can 1/power it and 2/read ebook formats on it, 3/keep it dry)

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when using anything with a speaker, unless it's for more than just you, use headphones
tempers and irritation go high in stress situations, besides headphones take less power to run the batteries
same for cellphone, use a wired headset and you save power

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when listening to the news
write it down, storm there and there, power out there and there
with a map it gives a little information and removes the fear of uncertainty
and you need a map anyway, evacuation routes (and do make sure you know where your shelters are and the routes there
even in the dark, with rain hammering down, and not just by the main road)
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put the kids in charge of something even if it's just the PB jar or listening to the news
or keeping the hand crank lanterns charged up

when they feel part of the 'unit' it helps aleviate their fears a little

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we usually kept cat litter since we had cats, considering the purpose
of 'hygienic non smelling buriable disposal of feces'...an alternate use does suggest itself that
doesn't need cats, depending on how long the outage of water stays
i know the worlds best cat litter works for that
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anything packed gets packed in heavy duty ziplocks (cellphone)
or contractor grade garbage bag..these things are gold!

i don't care if a higher power came down and wrote 'waterproof' in stone in front of you when you bought that
backpack, it's not...really, unless you are a canooist, boater or surfer, that bag ain't water proof
so line it with a contractors bag
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loperamide and TP for nervous tummy and diet changes issues
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stay safe

[hlthe2b]

1. Good list, but why the chlorine in already chlorinated water?

I'm assuming you are using potable water to fill the bottles, right?... that are going straight into your freezer? As long as you wash/rinse those bottles well with warm soapy water and use treated tap water pre-disaster, I really don't think you need the chlorine. Maybe set aside a small bottle in your emergency pack, however, for post hurricane eventualities. :shrug:

[w0nderer]

6. chlorine

it's chlorinated from the tap, true, depending on how far you live from the water works
and how long since they changed the chlorine 'cartridge' or what ever they use
it's weak

so to preserve the water a bit better in hot environments
add a few drops, basically a precaution

where i live i can't get a reaction from indicator solution on chlorine

[Lucinda]

2. Thank you.

Never even thought about the alternative use for the kitty litter! Good tip.

[w0nderer]

7. people almost never do n/t

[uppityperson]

3. A good month's worth of any medicine, prescription or not as it can take time

for pharmacies to get up and refilled if they get trashed, or the roads do.

[w0nderer]

8. should have added that

it's on every other list though
that and cash

cash is KING

and gas for the car
and the generator if one has one

[myrna minx]

4. Thank you for making this an OP. It's so helpful.

I'm bookmarking this - I live in blizzard country and many things posted are quite helpful in any emergency. Thanks. :hi:

[w0nderer]

9. rotflmao, i had to learn these late in life, i grew up in polar low country n/t

[Uncle Joe]

5. Those are good tips, w0nderer.

I bought a crank flashlight (no batteries) at a convenience store, I plan on buying more, it works fine, just crank it a few times.

Thanks for the thread, w0nderer.

[w0nderer]

11. i got some crank lights, they're awesome

mine have batteries, just rechargable
and will take normal batteries

garretty lanterns
am / fm radio + cell charger, charges off wall (110v), car(12v), crank

i hacked up old bicycle dynamo to give me a charge for it once wind goes down
worth of 6 watts per hour

http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/5684194/garrity-20-led-rechargeable-crank-lantern-with-am-fm-radio-reviews/reviews.htm

much as i hate to link walmart

i got mine from a big lots

crank lights the point of failure is often the 'gearbox'

i've got three of those above, no failures so far and lights up 2-3 rooms
and the light is variable

i refuse to recommend what i haven't tried, experimented with, dropped a few times, kicked around a few times and had hands on experience with, call me picky

[malaise]

15. Get one of these

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/64042?pi=1067419&subrnd=0&qs=3021021_pmd_nextag

[w0nderer]

18. those are nice!

as an alternate if one doesn't have one

roll up a spiral of garden hose on black tarmac, roof or similar (after hurricane) and leave it for an hour or so then
run the water slow

in florida at least the water in the hose will be warm enough for a hosedown
remember if a boil water order is in effect it's that water too

there is also the old 'copper spiral on heater' version, but that one can get people seriously scalded
and is best left alone *turns on halo*

[TBF]

10. Great tips -

I can tell you've been through serious storms.

I've only evacuated and it is eerie coming back into the area. Businesses were boarded up - everyone left. Takes awhile for groceries and gas stations to get re-stocked. People have no idea what it's like to be without power/services for weeks.

[w0nderer]

12. couple of years back we lost power for 3 weeks

water was on boil water order the whole time

my family kept telling me i was having too much fun out figuring the problems

hurricanes are nastier
i've been through polar lows too, different kind of 'nasty'
not as intense, but instead if power goes out, you don't get uncomfortable
you get 'frozen to death' unless something is done

they both have their 'points'

[RebelOne]

13. Don't forget to fill the tub with water,

You will need that water to flush your toilet.

[w0nderer]

14. and after the last water is gone

drop some cooking oil onto the water then cover the bowl with clingfoil to prevent evaporation
and start using outside facilities or bucket plastic bags and kitty litter

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. What does the cooking oil do?

Should that be considered with any non-potable water storage?

[w0nderer]

17. i wouldn't use it aside from that trick, it's an extra evaporation barrier

cooking oil evaporates slower than water

it's a double layer

oil on the water slows water evaporation

then cling foil/wrap

slows is even more

not something to use for closed container storage

[myrna minx]

19. I never would have thought of that. Thanks.

:hi::

[w0nderer]

23. just keeps some water in the waterlock

keeps bad smell out

and like i said above, only for when flushing the toilet is no longer possible (ie, retire the WC and go to alternate toilets 'mode')

[myrna minx]

24. Your experience has been invaluable - I've passed it along to my

friends in Brooklyn and while they won't experience the severity of what you've been though, your information is very helpful. While they did prepare, your info provided "a-ha" moments for things that only someone who's been thought it can bring. Thanks again.

[w0nderer]

25. welcome

and thanks

i'm thinking some of us need to get together and start working up
blizzard
hurricane
drought
earthquake

lists

there's alot of knowledge on these forums

be interesting to see the write ups after
'debriefing'

they have to run into some different things than we do

hope your friends in Brooklyn stay safe

[myrna minx]

26. I think you're onto something - I live in both tornado and blizzard areas,

and your list was rather informative and applicable to my situation as well. You provided practical advice that *never* would have occurred to me. A tornado did tear through my town this summer and that's when I realized that I was horribly unprepared. While the tornado was bearing down on my city- I was running around looking for my kitty carrier, photos and etc. I was fortunate and was spared the devastation, but only by a half mile - my neighbors just north of downtown weren't as fortunate.

I even own hand crank radios/flashlights because my power grid is so awful and yet I was completely flummoxed by this sudden urban tornado. After this happened, I decided to create a place in the basement storage locker of my apartment building to keep a spare cat box, litter, canned food, a flash light. glo-sticks, bottles of water and a hand crank radio. If you already know it's there, you actually have time to collect your own mind and your cat!

[tammywammy]

20. Papers

All your important papers: insurance, wills, birth certificates, etc. My grandfather has a box that holds all his important papers, so every evacuation he was able to grab and go.

[w0nderer]

21. yep, it's in the list, as well as electronic copies of them/photos n/t

[BeFree]

22. Small inverters

They have ones that plug into cig lighters. And larger that attach to a car battery. I once went three days running lights and a bit of computer by having two car batteries and charging the used one in a drive to town and back. Then switching. I just wired my UPS to the car battery. UPS is a small inverter.

[ohheckyeah]

27. Great tips, all.

I suggest that if you can afford it get special treats for everyone. For me, that's Starbucks Mocha Frappucinos.

We have a small converter I think it's called. You charge it up and it stores the charge and you can plug things into it. How long of a charge depends on what you plug into it. I have it charged up for when the electricity goes out I have about 4 hours of modem and router. I've also used it for my bedside lamp to read. You could use it for a coffee pot or small tv.

And yes, we bought it at Walmart....I know, that's evil.

Also, board games, cards, dominoes, whatever you like to help with the boredom or to take your mind off what's going on.