How Much Water Should Be Included In An Emergency Kit?

Believe it or not, storing plain ol' H2O for an emergency is the most critical part of your survival kit. A natural disaster can limit access or even contaminate your municipal water source and can make a bad situation much worse. The body can handle a substantial amount of time without food; however, our bodies can succumb to the effects of dehydration in less than a week. Why? Because every cell in our body needs water in order to function, that’s why.

You can prepare for a natural disaster or another emergency by prioritizing H2O as the most critical element in your family’s emergency plan. But how much water, exactly, should be included in an emergency kit, might you ask? 

Keep reading to find out!

Everything You Should Know About Storing Water For An Emergency 

According to the CDC, it is recommended that you store one gallon of water per person per day for emergencies. Half a gallon for drinking, a quarter of a gallon for cooking, and a quarter of a gallon for bathing. This adds up to be about thirty gallons of H2O storage per person per month and a whopping 360 gallons of water storage per person per year. 

A gallon of water weighs around 8.3 pounds. Water is not easy to transport because it can get pretty heavy. That means your emergency water plan should account for that.

Keep these items in mind when you're planning. For example, you may want to put a gallon of water per day in your 72-hour kit. But that will weigh about twenty-five pounds. Are you and your kids strong enough? Will it even fit?

How do we do this?

Here is an approach to water storage. It is recommended that you have three ways of getting to clean water:

Store Water

Every shelter-in-place supply should have water storage. However, a small word of caution: Don’t try to go cheap on your water storage. Be sure to purchase a food-grade water storage container like a 55, 30, or 5-gallon container and use that. Don’t fill up your old milk jugs or juice cartons. They will crack more easily, and they are not designed for long-term storage. 

The water containers and barrels are not very expensive, and when the time comes that you need the water, you’ll be glad you stored water you can actually use. Also, have a variety of different sized storage containers. Don’t just keep a 55-gallon barrel that you never move and never clean out or fill up because it's so heavy. Use smaller, easier-to-transport containers like a 5 gallon stackable. 

Have a Portable Water Filter

If you do happen to have the water stored, but you’re not exactly sure if it's safe or you come across questionable water in an emergency. You don’t know if it is safe to drink, portable water filters are incredibly handy and will allow you to clean water that you come into contact with and make it drinkable. 

These portable microfilters will remove harmful bacteria and protozoa from the water. If you have a lake, pond, stream, or river by your house, you will be able to drink the water using one of these filters. 

We love the Stealth Angel Personal Water Filter because it begins with a layer of cotton and medical-grade, hollow fiber UF membrane, eliminating 99.9999% of bacteria by itself. After that, water will then pass through activated carbon and antibacterial beads for an even more thorough cleanse. 

Have Water Purification Tablets

In addition to a great water filter like the one found at Stealth Angel Survival, water purification tablets are also great to keep in your emergency kit. These are very handy to have around because they work fairly quickly and will kill bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The Stealth Angel Potable Aqua Drinking Water Germicidal Tablets are our favorite tablets on the market because they can make questionable water drinkable in as little as 35 minutes, and an unopened bottle should remain effective up to four years.  

Keep in mind that if you don’t have any of these three things, you can still clean water by boiling it. As a matter of fact, boiling is one of the most effective ways to clean water, except it won’t filter out all the floaties. However, the issue with boiling water is it uses a lot of fuel that you may not want to use for that specific purpose. 

Emergency Water Storage Tips 

Nobody knows when an emergency will strike. However, what we do know is that we can only survive a handful of days without water. Water is critical to our survival because every single cell in our bodies require it in order to function properly. With that in mind, it goes without saying that preparing for an emergency by storing water is of the utmost importance. 

Here are some tips for storing water in your home:

• Try to store your water away from heat and light.
• If you must store your water outside, make sure to store it in opaque containers so no light can get in.
• If you store your water in large drums, make sure you also store a siphon pump and a bung wrench so you can effectively get the water out.
• Do not store your water where it will freeze (frozen water is very difficult to use). 
• Do not store your water containers directly on cement. Instead, place a piece of cardboard or scrap wood under them.
• You can store your water that is to be used for cleaning and bathing in old laundry soap containers or something similar. 
• Keep all of your stored water away from stored gasoline, pesticides, kerosene, or similar substances.
• Clearly label all containers: “Drinking Water” vs. “For Cleaning Only.” 
• It could be a good idea to store a container or two of water in the freezer to help keep food frozen should the power go out for a short period of time. 
• If supplies run low, don't ration your water. Drink what you need today—two quarts for normal people, more if it is extremely hot, or if you’re pregnant or nursing—and try to find more water tomorrow. 

A Final Word

So, how much water should be included in an emergency kit?

According to the CDC, it is recommended that you store one gallon of water per person per day for emergency purposes.

Additionally, it’s also a good idea to keep other emergency supplies on hand, such as non-perishable food, blankets, flashlights, radios, batteries, and a first aid kit, just to name a few.  

When looking for supplies, be sure to purchase from an honest and reputable company, such as Stealth Angel Survival. 

Stealth Angel Survival is the leader in emergency preparedness kits, supplies, and survival products. Whether you are looking for a bug-out-bag or a way to make questionable water drinkable, Stealth Angel Survival can help!

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/creating-storing-emergency-water-supply.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-days-can-you-survive-without-water-2014-5#:~:text=REUTERS%2FFrancois%20Lenoir,to%20four%20days%20without%20water.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/making-water-safe.html

https://sciencenotes.org/much-gallon-water-weigh-easy-calculation/#:~:text=Answer%3A%20A%20US%20gallon%20of,F%20(17%20%C2%B0C)