I just ordered one, as well. There are 2 cell phones, a kindle, 2 iPods and a couple of handheld games here that can be charged with it to give that little bit less money to the electric company. If SHTF, it's primarily for the kindle and iPod - information and music.
or not... I see you're enjoying electricity at the moment in your computer and internet. Why do without if you don't have to?
We all expect that which is why we are exploring and installing other sources of power. That's just common sense. Wood stoves instead of electric heat. Solar ovens or grills instead of electric stoves. Solar panels to run refrigerators. Like Brent asked, what are each of us doing to make sure we don't have to miss the things we'd miss the most if SHTF?
And I do think that's the smartest move - to keep things as simple as possible. What will you do for water? That's my biggest concern. I've managed to store quite a bit once I realized how vulnerable I was in that respect but it isn't enough to sustain us in a long-term situation.
I don't have any of that. The nearest water source is about 10 miles away and it is a series of manmade ponds in front of a large housing development - so that will do me no good. The ocean is about 20 miles away. No streams, no wells. I have 14 five gallon buckets that catch rain water for my garden. I still haven't been able to get any 55 gallon barrels but hope to achieve those with a rainwater catchment system for them in the next month. I've been adding five 2 1/2 gallon containers of distilled water per week to my storage, but, just read in another thread that distilled water lacks needed minerals. So, I guess for awhile I'll be adding purified spring water or whatever someone else suggests here. I'll have to find a source for that as the distilled water is all that I can get at the store where I regularly shop.
Portable filters! The life straw is an option, and there are other brands out there. I think the best is something like a berkey. It's a gravity fed, ceramic filter design hat can be used over and over with no special replacement parts. You simply scrub the ceramic and start using again. The only thing I am certain of is getting an intestinal bug while in an emergency is not a good thing, so have a backup for your backup when it comes to water. I was lucky and found a guy that sold me his berkey filter cheap, well 100. bucks isn't cheap, but is a lot less than new. There are other ceramic drip filters out there that are less expensive.
Yeah even at 100 it hurt a little! The guy told me he paid 330.00 for it, ouch! Whatever you get or can afford, there is nothing as important, so get multiples, and try to get something that dosent need new cartridges since you may not be able to order them.
Between the Sawyer, which is a straw type filter, my water purification tablets and bleach granules, I should be okay drinking water out of ponds, creeks, etc.. And if not, I have metronidazole to take at the first sign that I got a tummy bug.
Sounds like you're working in the right direction. Even if not near a water source you can collect dew with a tarp or sheet of plastic. You can also collect water from car tires and debris lying around as well. It may not sound appealing but if you're on the move in a real emergency you work with what you have available.
Glad I could be of assistance! I'm only 50, and if I don't write it down, it dosent get done!
