Physical Preparedness

Now that we have covered spiritual and temporal preparations, it is time to move on to physical preparedness. This concerns the literal preparation of your body and the church as a whole for the Second Coming and the events that will precede it. Remember that in our story, Mary was physically at the feet of the Savior while Martha hurried around the house. Part of physical preparation is knowing that there is a time to be busy and a time to be still, or a time to be up and doing and a time to watch and wait- and to know which is which.

There are certain things you must do with and to your body to prepare for the Second Coming. Some of these are spiritually driven actions, but they are in this section because there are things that physically have to happen before Jesus can come, and we have to work to bring them to pass. Let's get to it!

Missionary work- The gospel has to be preached to all the earth before His coming. President Monson recently asked church members to pray for the leaders of countries who will not allow the missionaries in, that their hearts will be softened and that missionary efforts in those areas of the world can move forward. So we need to pray.

Ordinances of the Gospel- Be baptized and renew your baptismal covenants each Sunday by partaking of the sacrament. Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and live in tune with the Spirit. Receive your endowments in the temple; keep and use a current temple recommend. Be sealed to your spouse, children, parents and ancestors through temple work.

Fasting- Going without food for 24 hours once a month not only provides for the needs of others through fast offerings, but it provides us with an opportunity to teach our bodies that our spirit is in charge. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We need to learn to function while all of our physical needs aren't being met. We need to learn to be patient and cheerful while hungry and thirsty. We need to learn to put others above ourselves.

Make your home a holy place- In Doctrine & Covenants section 45 the Lord tells us that when all these horrific events foretold in the scriptures are happening, that His "disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved" (v. 32). Since we cannot be at the temple all day every day, we need to make our homes a safe haven and a refuge from the literal storms of life. We are told in the Bible dictionary that "Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness." (pg. 781) and if we want to abide the day, we need a place to stay! Each family prayer said, each Family Home Evening held, each scripture read and each song sung invites the Spirit of the Lord into our home. If the Lord can create the world by speaking the right words, the words we sing and say in our homes can build a holy place if we so choose.

Eat Right- I say "right" instead of just "healthy" because physical preparation for an emergency is different from a good diet. It takes time for our bodies to learn to digest whole grains if we're not already used to them. Oatmeal and beans and rice every day is a bleak prospect for pop-tart and pizza type people. You don't need to cut those things out entirely, just add the right things in! In most cases (including in our family) sweets are a part of our daily lives; we need to learn self restraint in that area too. Try going without any sugar for a week, and you'll be surprised how your body reacts (I was!). And if you are a caffeine junkie, you might consider kicking the habit now. It's not just that soda is bad for you, but that the last thing you want in an emergency is to have to deal with a crisis while also feeling the physical effects of needing an addiction fix! The current recommendations for caloric intake and food sources specific to your body type and stage in life can be calculated at http://www.mypyramid.gov/ .

Exercise- Our bodies are temples. We need to keep them in order. The Word of Wisdom promises us that we can run and not be weary and walk and not faint (D&C 89:20). But did you ever stop to think that maybe that is the result of the healthy lifestyle choice we commit to, not an over-the-counter-blessing? We need to give the Lord something to work with, and if we don't put forth the effort by being healthy He can't bless us with the effects of strong physical abilities. Be fit and condition your body to know how to work hard. The current exercise recommendations for the average healthy adult under 65 years of age is 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily (except the Sabbath for us of course!), and weight bearing exercise twice a week. For weight loss programs and other physical activity information see http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/. 

Sleep Right- We are counseled in the Doctrine and Covenants to "cease to sleep longer than is needful" and also to "retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." (D&C 88:124) Brigham Young is also attributed with the idea that the day should be divided into thirds: eight hours for work, eight hours for play, and eight hours for sleep. Our bodies need rest to perform optimally so make this a priority. The current recommendation for the average adult is seven to nine hours a night. For more information and recommendations for infants, children, and teens see http://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep/ .

Practice makes perfect; get experience! - We need to not only have the equipment to survive any emergency, but we need to know how to use it. Having first aid supplies and having first aid experience are worlds apart in value. Find recipes and try them out. Buy patterns and make clothes for gifts. Plant a garden and learn from trial and error how to produce the best food while you can still mosey over to the market and get whatever your heart desires. And remember, any intelligence we gain in this life will be retained for the eternities so gain experience now and no matter what it won't go to waste.

Have plans and practice them. - Research shows that it is not enough to have read information about disaster response--we need to physically go through the motions. Especially where children are involved, we need to practice what to do in an emergency. Experts also say that you need to update information and rehearse your plans twice a year.

The best part about all these things is that there is no cost directly linked to any of them, so don't delay!

Merry Christmas!!

Temporal Preparedness

Once the patterns of spiritual preparation are set in motion, we are ready to also begin to prepare temporally. Remember, Martha couldn't make dinner and listen to the Savior at the same time, so we have to be prepared before He is supposed to arrive.

In the foregoing posts, we have read admonishments and statements from our current prophet, other church leaders, and the scriptures urging us to prepare ourselves now- for when disaster strikes, for when the unknown comes, or for when we are faced with difficulty and challenge. The scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 88 perhaps sums it up best as it simply states: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing” (v. 119).

As much as we hate to admit it, the world is on a slippery slope that will continue to decline until the end. From devastating natural disasters to corrupted political systems at home and abroad, we are experiencing many prophecies of the Second Coming being fulfilled. As the world continues to erode we must do all that we can now in order to prepare ourselves temporally to be able to survive the calamities that will come our way. However, not everything is just about storing wheat and water, but truly being temporally prepared to face the world today.

We have a basic understanding that the most important area of preparation is spiritual, but we also understand why we need to be temporally prepared. Temporal preparation is action-based and thus requires lots to do and learn, not necessarily parables and quotes to inspire internal transformation. It will take time and should be treated as a process. There are few of us lucky enough to simply be able to go out and buy our preparedness. And even then, many lessons are lost in doing so, for there is wisdom to be gained and lessons to be learned in the actual doing and process of preparing. Half of preparedness itself is the knowledge and learning of what to do with everything once you have it. With that said, roll up your sleeves; it’s time to go to work!

Give you family the best gift you can give this year: peace of mind through preparation!

At the Feet of the Prophet

I love this man! Here are some quotes from President Thomas Monson about preparedness:

“We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.”

“We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.”

“Preparation is hard work but absolutely essential for our progress.”

“Have discipline in your preparations. Have checkpoints where you can determine if you’re on course.”

“Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food…and were debt free. Today we find that many have this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food free.”

“Make certain as you prepare that you do not procrastinate.”

Have a great week everyone and Merry Christmas!

Spiritual Preparedness

Last night i got online to post and i saw that the senate passed SB 510- the "farm bill", so i spent the rest of the time until i went to bed reading about what people are saying that will mean for America. Family and friends, the time to act is NOW. I almost switched and posted about food storage today, but i know that our spiritual preparation has a more far reaching affect than buckets of rice and wheat. Plus last week i posted about terrorism and i don't want to be reactionary two weeks in a row. =o]

Spiritual Preparedness

We know that the Savior walked on this earth 2,000 years ago, and just as surely we know that He is coming back. A lot has to happen in the world before He returns, but many of the prophecies in the scriptures have already come to pass or are happening right now. We need the guidance of the Spirit to know how to best use our limited time and resources so that we can be prepared at His coming. Fortunately, the most important preparation we can do is our spiritual preparation, which is free. We need to be faithful or it won't matter how much rice and wheat we have stored.

The scriptures state the Lord will not do anything without first revealing it to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7) The prophets have spoken clearly and repeatedly that now is the time to prepare and that we are in the latter-days. Although their messages are urgent and powerful, none of them are alarming or imposing; they highlight our need to be prudent in our preparations. 

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 tells us that if we are prepared we shall not fear. "Shall not" is the same language used in the Ten Commandments. This suggests that preparation and being at peace go hand in hand because they are things we choose to be, not necessarily because they are consequences of each other. In other words, it is not an if-then statement. It does not say if ye are prepared, then ye shall not fear, but rather, "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." Our worries and fears drown out the whisperings of the Spirit, and since we can't afford to miss His help, we need to choose to follow the commandment to be prepared and to not fear once we have done all we can do. Fear is the opposite of faith, so in reality, we could interpret the scripture as saying, if ye are prepared, ye shall have faith. As we prepare, our faith in the Lord will grow. We will be able to trust in His promises because preparation is an enabler of faith. We must believe that our preparations have a purpose and are more than just the means to an end. We will be blessed both now as we prepare, and then if we have done our part to be ready to listen to Him. Both Mary and Martha knew Jesus was coming, but Martha wasn't able to be with Him because she was stuck still preparing (Alma 34:32-33). Meanwhile Mary's choices enabled peace of mind and readiness of heart while at the feet of the Savior, and thus, she was able to receive her part of the spiritual blessings He had to offer.

We have been instructed to put on the "whole armour of God." Part of that armor is preparation (Ephesians 6:15, D&C 27:16): "And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace." Feet represent movement, direction, and purpose. If we are not prepared with the Gospel, we will not know the direction we should go, or whom to follow. Our spiritual preparation has a direct correlation with our temporal lives. We are promised that as we strive to be spiritually worthy --keeping the commandments and pointing our feet in the correct direction --we are blessed in all things, including temporal blessings.

Perhaps the best preparedness story we have in all of scripture is the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25. This is a story about "the kingdom of heaven at that day, before the Son of Man comes". Everyone is waiting for the bridegroom to walk by so they can follow him to the wedding party. It is midnight before he arrives, and by that time not only has everyone fallen asleep and has to be roused, but some people's lamps have burnt out so they can't light the way for him. They go run to buy oil, but by the time they catch up to the group, the door has shut and the bridegroom says he doesn't know them when they ask to be let in. Verse two states that five of the virgins were wise and five were foolish. The parable ends by saying "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." 

Elder Dallin H Oaks likened this parable to our day in this way: "The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The ten virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came. But only half were ready when he came…. Brothers and sisters… Are we preparing? We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. A 72-hour kit of temporal supplies may prove valuable for earthly challenges, but, as the foolish virgins learned to their sorrow, a 24-hour kit of spiritual preparation is of greater and more enduring value."

We as members of the church are all looking forward with faith to the day the Savior returns, but to only watch and wait is not wise. This parable is as much or more about spiritual preparation than temporal preparation because when the time came the people with oil couldn't share with the people who didn't have any. Spiritual readiness takes time and effort and no one else can do it for us. Since we know He is coming we have to prepare ourselves to meet Him so He will know us when we knock at the door. We can have our year's supply of food and still miss the feast if we are not spiritually prepared.

President Henry B Eyring once said, “The greatest test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. What we will need in this day of testing is a spiritual preparation. It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends. That test is part of the purpose God had for us in the Creation.” So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home. The storms will rage, trials will come, and temptations will besiege us. We must choose to have faith, to be strong and of a good courage, for truly the Lord God is with us. He has promised us that as we go and do those things He requires of us, that He will prepare a way for us to do them. That through faith we can do all things. Preparedness is a commandment, and as such, part of our spiritual worthiness is to do just that- prepare. We read in Doctrine & Covenants 78:13-14, “Behold, this is the preparation wherewith I prepare you, and the foundation, and the ensample which I give unto you, whereby you may accomplish the commandments which are given you; That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world.” As the Lord commands, so must we obey. He has prepared the tools necessary for us to accomplish this commandment. We have been reminded time and time again by church leaders the things we can do to prepare ourselves spiritually:

Read the scriptures daily

Have daily personal and family prayer

Attend church and partake of the sacrament weekly

Hold regular Family Home Evenings

Attend the temple as often as possible

Pay an honest tithing and fast offering

Keep the commandments

Follow the counsel of the prophets, apostles, and other church leaders

Follow the standards set forth in For the Strength of Youth

As we do these things we will find ourselves clothed in the “whole armour of God” and our feet prepared with the Gospel of Peace. We will find ourselves ready to meet our Savior when He comes again on that great day.

Terrorism

Since I am hosting Thanksgiving, and with the holidays around the corner in general, I decided that this week and the next few posts should be more theoretical than practical (knowlegde is power!!). I was going to post about following the prophet, but when I got online and saw the headlines about North Korea I thought it would be be fitting to post this information instead. I haven't done everything to prepare for these types of emergencies, but I have compiled the following:

Terrorism

And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars. Behold I speak for mine elect’s sake; for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom  -JS Matt 1:28-29

And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke. -D&C 45:41

The ways a terrorist group could attack are too varied to cover, but here is some basic life-saving information. 

Bombs

When there is an explosion:

4  If things are falling around you, get under a sturdy table or desk. When things stop falling, leave quickly, watching for obviously weakened floors and stairways. As you exit from the building, be watchful for falling debris.

4  Leave the building as quickly as possible. Do not stop or go back to retrieve personal possessions or make phone calls.

4  Do not use elevators.

4  Once you are out:

8  Do not stand in front of windows, glass doors, or other potentially hazardous areas.

8  Move away from sidewalks or streets that will be used by emergency officials or others still exiting the building.

4  If you are trapped in debris:

8  Avoid unnecessary movement so you don’t kick up additional dust.

8  Cover your nose and mouth with anything you have on hand. (Dense-weave cotton material such as a T-shirt can act as a filter.) Try to breathe through the material.

8  If possible, use a flashlight to signal your location to rescuers.

8  Tapping on a pipe or wall will help rescuers hear where you are.

8  If you have a whistle, use it to signal rescuers.

8  Shout for help only as a last resort. Shouting can result in the inhalation of dangerous amounts of dust.

In the instance of a nuclear bomb, three factors for protecting oneself from radiation and fallout are distance, shielding, and time.

4  Distance: the more distance between you and the fallout particles, the better. An underground area such as a home or office building basement offers more protection than the first floor of a building. A floor near the middle of a high-rise may be better, depending on what is nearby at that level on which significant fallout particles would collect. Flat roofs collect fallout particles so the top floor is not a good choice, nor is a floor adjacent to a neighboring flat roof.

4  Shielding: the heavier and denser the materials - thick walls, concrete, bricks, books and earth - between you and the fallout particles, the better.

4  Time: fallout radiation loses its intensity fairly rapidly. In time, you will be able to leave the fallout shelter. Radioactive fallout poses the greatest threat to people during the first two weeks, by which time it has declined to about 1 percent of its initial radiation level.

Remember that any protection, however temporary, is better than none at all, and the more shielding, distance, and time you can take advantage of, the better.

8  If you have been exposed, following these steps will eliminate a large portion of radioactive material that may be on you.

1.   Do not touch other people. Touching others can spread radiation.

2.   Remove your outer layer of clothing including shoes or boots.

3.   Do not remove the clothes over your head. If necessary, cut clothes off.

4.   If possible, put the clothes in a plastic bag and seal it. Be sure to keep cuts and abrasions covered when handling contaminated items to avoid getting radioactive material in the cuts.

5.   Put the sealed plastic bag where others will not touch it. Keep it until authorities tell you what to do with it.

6.   Take a shower or wash yourself the best you can with soap and lukewarm water.

7.   Redress in clothes stored in drawers and closets—they are unlikely to be contaminated.

If there is a chance of radioactive fallout from a bomb:

4  Go to the lowest level of the building. Find a room with as few windows and doors as possible.

4  Reduce air flow from outside to inside. Close vents, air conditioning, fireplace dampers, and anything else that exposes the room to outside air.

4  Eat only sealed, stored food and water. Do not eat or drink anything that may have been exposed to radiation or radioactive debris.

4  Turn on the radio, television, or internet for updated health and safety announcements. Emergency workers will inform you when it is safe to go outside or evacuate to another location.

Chemical Threats and Bioterrorism

Signs of a chemical release include people having difficulty breathing; eye irritation; losing coordination; becoming nauseated; or having a burning sensation in the nose, throat, and lungs. The presence of many dead insects or birds may also indicate a chemical agent release.

During a chemical attack:

4  If you are instructed to remain in your home or office building:

4  Close doors and windows and turn off all ventilation (furnaces, air conditioners, vents, fans, etc.).

4  Seek shelter in an internal room with your disaster supplies.

4  Seal the room with duct tape and plastic sheeting.

4  Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities.

4  If you are caught outside in or near a contaminated area, you should:

4  Move away immediately in a direction upwind of the source.

4  Find shelter as quickly as possible.

4  HEPA air filters are useful in biological attacks but will not filter chemical agents. If you have a portable HEPA filter, bring it into the central room of your home where you are seeking shelter and turn it on.

8  A person affected by a weaponized chemical or biological agent requires immediate medical attention from a professional. Decontamination is needed within minutes of exposure to minimize health consequences. If medical help is not immediately available, decontaminate yourself and assist in decontaminating others.

8  Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical agents.

1. Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Contaminated clothing normally removed over the head should be cut off to avoid contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth. Put contaminated clothing and items into a plastic bag and seal it.

2. Decontaminate hands using soap and water.

3. (Remove eyeglasses or contact lenses. Put glasses in a pan of household bleach to decontaminate them and then rinse and dry. Clean contacts.) Flush eyes with water.

4. Gently wash face and hair with soap and water before thoroughly rinsing with water.

5. Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot (do not swab or scrape) skin with a cloth soaked in soapy water and rinse with clear water.

6. Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets is probably safe.

7. Proceed to a medical facility for screening and professional treatment when safe to do so.

Water

This week we will be doing a water kit. After shelter, water is the next priority in any crisis. The simple fact is that we don't know how good we have it here in America. Our purified and most likely fortified water appears magically at the twist of a knob. Let's take advantage of it while we still can!

Water Kit

·         Heavy or food grade plastic bottles

·         Paper towels/ cloth

·         Large pot and heat source

·         Liquid chlorine bleach or tincture of iodine

·         Eye dropper (for this purpose only)

·         1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon (for this purpose only)

·         Permanent Marker

·         For a Solar Still: Shovel 

o   Clean container

o   Piece of plastic about 3 feet squared

o   Small rock or marble

o   Drinking tube (optional)

In an emergency, the average person needs one gallon of water per day for drinking and food preparation. If you want water for personal hygiene, washing clothes, sanitation, and other cleaning you will need at least twice as much. That is a lot of water! Since it would be virtually impossible for most of us to store the amount of water required, we need to learn to find water and make it useable. In emergency situations you should assume that all water is contaminated and needs to be purified before drinking or using it. The two scenarios to discuss are if you are at home or if you had to evacuate.

If you are at home:

You need to store water for these occasions. You can buy commercially bottled water or large drums for storing water if you have the space and resources. You can also bottle your own water for storage. It will take a long time to accumulate the amount of bottles you would need to keep your family hydrated so get started now! Containers made of heavy, opaque plastic with screw tops are best. Clear plastic juice bottles are okay, but not ideal. Milk containers tend to crack and leak over time and should not be used. Stored water often acquires an undesirable taste and appearance, so rotate it at least once a year and consider storing powdered Gatorade or other drink mix so children will drink it. Sometimes the flat taste can be eliminated by aerating the water; just pour it back and forth between two containers three or four times. Plan on re-purifying the water for use in an emergency if it is more than a year old. To lengthen the shelf life of water stored in clear containers, store them in black garbage bags. Home bottled water should not be stored in extreme temperatures. 

To store your own bottled water you need to first sterilize the bottles, then purify the water, label it, and finally rotate it.

To sterilize the bottles, wash them with hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Fill the container about 3/4 full of water and then add 1/4 cup liquid chlorine bleach per 1 quart of water (this is still part of the sterilization process). Put on the cap and shake well, being sure to turn it upside-down to get the stopper too. Let it stand for 3 minutes. The same water can be used to clean up to five bottles. Finally, fill the bottle with purified water and label it with the date and "Drinking Water- Purified." 

 To purify water for storage or immediate use in an emergency, follow these steps: Strain the water through paper towels or a clean cloth to remove any dirt or other floating matter. Boil the water vigorously for five minutes (add one additional minute for every 1000 feet of altitude above sea level). More is better if you can spare the fuel for heating it. Or after straining add liquid chlorine bleach or iodine tincture.

Amount of Water	Amount of Chlorine Bleach to add:		Amount of 2% iodine tincture to add:
	Clear water	Cloudy water	Clear water	Cloudy water
1 quart	2 drops	4 drops	3 drops	6 drops
1 gallon	8 drops	16 drops	12 drops	24 drops
5 gallons	1/2 teaspoon	1 teaspoon	3/4 teaspoon	1 1/2 teaspoons

Mix well by stirring or shaking the container and then let stand for 30 minutes. If a faint chlorine odor is not present repeat the process and let it stand for 15 minutes. As liquid chlorine bleach loses its potency over time, it should be rotated yearly. If the bleach is a year old the dosage should be doubled. Two year old bleach is not reliable and shouldn't be used to purify drinking water. If you are not planning on storing it, only purify enough water to use in the next 48 hours to avoid recontamination.

There are sources of water already inside your home that you can use in an emergency once the water is purified:

·         Water drained from the hot water heater.

·         Water remaining in the plumbing.

·         Water dipped from the tank of your toilet (not the bowl, or if you use self cleaning agents and the water is blue).

·         Melted ice cubes if you have an ice machine in your freezer.

·         Liquid from canned goods (fruit, vegetables, tuna fish, etc. ).

·         Water from a water bed should not be used for drinking, but you can use it for cleaning purposes.

There are also sources of water outside your home, but they should be used for hygiene and not drinking or cooking.

·         Water from a swimming pool.

·         Water remaining in your garden hose.

·         Water in fountains or birdbaths.

Finding and decontaminating enough water to drink will most likely be a major problem. But just because you may not see water flowing freely in streams or rivers—nor find any in lakes or ponds—does not mean that there is no water to be found. Remember that water flows downhill, carves a channel of some sort in the earth, and that areas with a rich water supply have the lushest vegetation. However, this water is not potable (not drinkable) in its present state. It must be purified and filtered before it can be used for drinking purposes. Here's where you should focus your search:

Ø  The base of cliffs and rocks where abnormal amounts of vegetation are thriving.

Ø  Anywhere the ground is damp or muddy. Dig a hole in the ground 12 to 24 inches deep and wait for water to seep into it. If the dirt in the hole is moist yet no water is seeps into it, scoop up the mud; wring it in a cloth to force out the water. Catch the drops in a container, purify, and filter.

Ø  Arise before dawn, mop up dew from rocks and plants with a cloth, and wring it into a container. You will collect about a quart an hour. Remember to purify then filter it before use.

Ø  In arid areas, cut or slice the top off large cacti and mash the center or pulp with a stick. The pulp can be wrung in a cloth to obtain water. Carry cut slices of pulp as an emergency water source.

Ø  Tap a tree by drilling a hole about 3 inches deep and inserting a hollow stem or straw. Maples, birch, aspen, and white pine are best and produce drinkable quantities from February through April.

Ø  Throw a plastic sheet over the top of leafy trees and bring the ends together to drain into a container. This way you will catch evaporation and dew which will drain into the container.

Ø  Old campsites. Trails leading away from old campsites often lead to water.

Solar Still or Distillation: A solar still (or other form of distillation) is the only method of purifying water that eliminates both the physical and the microbiological pollutants at the same time. To make a Solar Still, dig a hole in the ground about two feet in diameter and about 18 inches deep. Place a cup or other clean container in the center of the hole. Cover the hole with a piece of plastic and place rocks or soil around the edges to seal the hole from outside air circulation. Place a small rock in the center of the plastic directly over the cup.

As the sun’s rays strike the plastic it will warm the soil, evaporate the water in it, condense it on the plastic and cause it to drip into the cup. A still of this type could yield about one quart of water per day. If necessary, contaminated water and even urine or other non-potable water could be added to the soil to speed the process. A drinking tube can be fastened to the drinking cup and extended to the outside of the still, but this is optional.

Two of these stills in operation in even the driest deserts will produce enough water for one person each day. Placing green plants, sliced cactus or other moist objects in the pit will increase the amount of water produced.

A couple more important things about hydration to remember: When water is limited, avoid salty foods—they will make you thirsty. If no water is available DO NOT EAT. Eating uses up the body’s water reserve in the digestion process. Never ration water! Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water you need by reducing your activity and staying cool. When you are in extremely dry or hot surroundings, drink—whether or not you are thirsty—at consistent intervals. Eat foods with high water content.

this project took me weeks to do because when we moved we emptied out all the water from our drums and containers. it was just daunting! i realized about half way through that i should take a picture- at this point i had already filled one of our drums and done about 1/3 of the containers. i know they aren't ideal because they are clear plastic, but who has tons of soda pop bottles laying around? i finished at the beginning of October, about a month after i had started =o]

i filled the bottom shelf of our linen closet

 and then moved on to putting them under the kids beds. when there is no room left there i will put them under our bed. i put the ones that are lying down in plastic bags just in case, but i have stored them this way every place we have lived and never had a problem.

and here is our solar still and water purification kit. we also have various types of filters, but i didn't get a picture of them- sorry about that =o]

i don't consider this project actually finished since i didn't go out and collect water before dawn and filter it and purify it and drink it to see what it would really be like. or build a solar still and go through that process too. maybe after  holidays and i stop nursing caleb i'll get more ambitious. excuses, excuses i know. =o] i'll post about it someday once everything else is up. good luck!