Larger Amounts of Stored Water

[Benn Gleck]

Matt, I'm one of the guys that sells barrels on craigslist. I have a few that I use at my BOL to collect rainwater and I tipped my rain barrels over this fall because I was worried about them bursting. I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread that they freeze from the top down. I found that not to be true. They freeze from all the way around including the top and bottom. We get distilled water delivered to our house and most of the time I just leave the jugs outside until needed, lately when you bring one in they're like a jug shaped ice cube with water in the center.

I'm not able to get the pickle barrels like you have but I'd like to find some. I'd just fill those with mylar bags instead of buckets.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Other reasons to store at least some of your own water

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=14008013

http://www.kfor.com/kfor-news-konowa-water-pipe-issue-story,0,5054749.story

http://shawnee.kfor.com/news/news/major-water-main-break-affects-shawnee/71066

http://www.kfor.com/kfor-news-tips-frozen-pipes-story,0,413014.story

The Government can't /won't take care of you.
The Government aint always in charge, Mother Nature is!!!

Below 0 degrees and still no ruptures in the barrels!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

You still should have 4 or 5, 5 gallon water jugs available to transport water from a water source. And a cart to move them to your place of residence. Even if you had 500 gallons on hand you will need to resupply at some point. I have been thinking that I will need another (armed) person to provide security while getting and moving the water. Wow, I hope I don't have to go through all this being stuck in the city. I fear "Long Term" might not last long.

Ok I'll break a little OPSEC to help some folks, see the pics, I already showed you the barrel

my 30+ in the house is in (see pics) 3 army water cans, one orange rubbermaid, one POS wallie world jug and another spiquot insulated European water jug I brought back from across the pond. I have numerous 1ltr and 1 gl (water not milk) jugs stashed under the sinks primarily for the women folk to flush during those short term things where the well pump might be down. However I do treat those, label and date just like I'm gonna use them for drinking. I rotate them every 6mths too normally July and December, this year was different with my moving houses. I plan on using my deer cart (see attached) to transport the water and have been plotting courses and doing map and visual recon the last 2 weeks so it can be done under cover of darkness. My son and I will alternate on cover fire so we can rotate on the cart load much as we do when we hunt. He and I are already very good at this and have even taken deer while transporting downed deer which means we were quiet, using the terrain to our advantage on breaks and someone was ready with a weapon. You will see my all my jugs are labeled and dated and I put what they were treated with too. I also have several gl jugs of "store" water in the pantry with the canned food on the bottom shelf.

I also put 2 of the dollar store chemlights on top of the jugs, my thinking being if the ladies need them the power is out so they may need extra light too and those are the wrist band type and attach to the doorknobs, towel racks etc to mark the trail to porcelain heaven:) The plastic container on top of the jugs has my hair clippers in them cause post SHTF that hair will need to stay off or in some folks cases come off for easier maintaining. The bag is an extra spiqot for the gray container in case I break the one on it. The small amounts of 550 cord on the handles of the water cans are used to tie the jug to a stable object. Many times in the Army or when I have been camping critters and tricycle motors have knocked over my water and spilled it all:( Also if you using them for hand washing you can tie them to hang at an angle so you aint trying to hold them at the same time.

Well thats my plan folks, flawed probably but it's the best I can do given where I am and the financial resouces I have. Let me know if you see holes in my game because every day I try and make progress.

[Monel]

You still should have 4 or 5, 5 gallon water jugs available to transport water from a water source. And a cart to move them to your place of residence. Even if you had 500 gallons on hand you will need to resupply at some point. I have been thinking that I will need another (armed) person to provide security while getting and moving the water. Wow, I hope I don't have to go through all this being stuck in the city. I fear "Long Term" might not last long.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I am going to do them all in drinking water. I have plenty of storage for other stuff and having 165gl of starter water plus what I keep in the house 30+gl is really appealing to me since I no longer have my creek right behind my house in my new place and the nearest water source being ponds hear are anywhere from 740 to1000yds away. I really like the open top barrels too. 200gl total without scrounging the hot water tank, filling the tub etc. that will make a good starter post SHTF IMHO.
aint no issue with curiosity, wouldn't have said nothing if I didn't wanna share or have ideas thrown my way too.

[arcangel911]

Matt, I was curious and forgive my curiosity... but are you going to convert them to convert drain water from the roof or are they just going to hold drinking water? And or are you going to do the up and vertical in this storage shed?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

We had a nice day and I washed out the 2 remaining pickle barrels and I believe I found the key to the persistant smell, Pool Shock. Good scrubbing afterwards and a few rinses and no more smell other than clean.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

What was in those barrels before you got them? Just wondering. I would use those open end drums to store mylar bags of rice, beans, and wheat. Good score!

Pickles - one my very well see that yet! There are more out there on craiglist for my okie brethern

[Monel]

What was in those barrels before you got them? Just wondering. I would use those open end drums to store mylar bags of rice, beans, and wheat. Good score!

[All Talk]

Excellent.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Ok we had a week with solid below freezing temps and many nights in the single digits. I filled the 65gl containers up with 55gls. The top 4-6inches froze but the rest stayed thawed. When I removed the lid today there was still a noticable seal and it opened with a pop. I am stoked. I have 2 more barells to finish cleaning then fill. This will be a good start post SHTF or even a wether event.

[Klayton]

$12 a piece? You lucky dog! :)

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Put up 55 gallons of water in a 65 gallon drum today treated with bleach. It's supposed to hit single digits next week and stay below freezing for a while so we will see what happens. I only paid $12 a piece for the barrels on craigslist so I won't lose a ton of money if it ruptures. I'll let you all know what happens.

[mosinfan]

you could try to find a small blow down valve of sorts....similar to a hot water heater valve....pressure gets to high and it opens to discharge the pressure,but still would keep the air tight seal you would be looking for.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Good thoughts! I got 2 used barrels today. I'm going to fill one up and put it in the well house which is heated and the other I will try at 80% and see what happens. Maybe I will post this spring and let everyone know.