Being fully prepared can be a daunting task. Our ReadyExperts have helped millions of people prepare and they have great insight into how to help you prepare. We asked a few of our ReadyExperts what were some common mistakes that people make when they begin to prepare.

Check out some of the points they talked about and contact your ReadyExpert to get help with your preparations.

What are you actually preparing for?

Disasters can strike at any time in any place. But what disasters are most likely to occur in your neighborhood? Do you have to deal with tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes? Based on what natural disasters are most common in your area may affect how you prepare by the things you store.

One of the most common preparations is for economic disasters. It doesn’t matter where you live, you will be better prepared if you have enough food storage to hold you over through rough economic times or unemployment.

Our ReadyExperts will be able to help you determine which products fit best with you needs. Since they’ve helped so many people prepare, they know items that would help you too.

Water water everywhere!

Most people think about eating, but how long could you live without water? Water storage is essential to your survival especially if you have freeze-dried food that requires water to prepare.

A lot of people realize the importance of food storage but assume that they’ll just have water in an emergency. In reality, a lot of things could happen to the water system or even local supplies to prevent you from having water. Not to mention that many people live in desert areas that are deceptively settled and people forget that water isn’t as abundant in those areas.

At the minimum, have a few gallons of water and a filter. Our experts can also help you determine how much water you’ll need for your family.

Not storing enough

Many times, people want the feeling of being prepared more than actually taking the steps to be prepared. They want the comfort of having something in their pantry in case there is a disaster. That leads to many people buying the bare minimum of food storage instead of a high-quality food that your family is accustomed to.

If you are not prepared to actually use the emergency supplies or food storage then you’re not prepared.

Appetite fatigue

This goes along with my previous point. Typically, when a person goes with the bare minimum, they choose a product that offers less variety.  This can have an affect on your overall health during an emergency. You want to prepare so you don’t skip a beat – prepare with the foods that you typically eat.

Foods that you never eat

Do you know how many times I’ve heard someone say, “My food storage doesn’t taste very good, but if you’re hungry enough, you’ll eat anything!”

Why settle with food that doesn’t taste very good? If you’re going to prepare, prepare the right way! Get foods that your family already enjoys and that they are used to. That’s one of the things we pride ourselves on at The Ready Store – having food that people like to eat.

Where are you going to be?

When you think of yourself in a disaster, you typically always think of yourself at home, next to your food storage and 72-hour kits. However, are you at home for most of the day? Probably not. You need to be prepared at work, in your car.

Can you make anything with your food storage?

Food storage is great to have – if you can use it! Many times, people prepare with basic staples that are used for cooking – sugar, flour, wheat. But you’ll also need other basics to prepare these items. Don’t forget things like salt, cooking oil, baking soda, yeast, fruits, vegetables, etc.

Alternative cooking sources

Similar to the last point, if you have these basic items, how will you cook them? Imagine the power goes out. How would you cook your food? Freeze-dried food is always good for that situation but you might also need something like a solar oven.

What have you seen?

Help out those that are beginning to prepare by adding your advice below. Add your insights and share our knowledge.

Contact our ReadyExperts at 1-800-773-5331 to get help creating your own emergency plan.

Water is one of the basic necessities of life yet in a recent survey, nearly 57 percent of Americans said they don’t have any drinking water supply in case of an emergency.

You might be able to live a while without food or shelter, but you won’t be able to live long without water. You’ll need it to keep your body working properly, prepare your food and even for hygiene.

This article delves into the necessities of water, helping you understand the importance of water, tips on how much water to use for your food storage, and even a water storage calculator to help you figure out how much water you and your family will need in case of an emergency.

Benefits of water
Sixty percent of your body weight is made up of water – it’s an essential part of your body’s make-up. Every system in your body uses water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to needy parts of the body and creates a healthy environment for tissue.

If your body hasn’t had water in a while, it could start to shut down. You’ll feel your mouth start to get dry, your urine will get darker and have a stronger odor. Your heartbeat will increase and, if you’re severely dehydrated, you could begin to vomit or have diarrhea.

How much water does my body use a day?
We’ve all heard the recommendation that one should drink 8 glasses of water every day. However, the amount of water that you need every day might be different. Studies have produced a lot of different recommendations and in truth, the amount of water you need, depends on your health and activity along with a lot of other factors.

Every day you lose water through digestion, perspiration and even breathing. In order to keep your body functioning properly, you need to keep yourself hydrated. The Institute of Medicine has determined that an average male needs to drink about 13 cups (0.8 gal) while a female needs about 9 cups (0.5 gal) of water a day. However, remember that this is only for consumption. You’ll also need water for cooking and hygiene.

Depending on how active you are throughout the day, you’ll need between ¼ and 1 gallon of water just for drinking.

How much water do I use in my food storage?
The other point that a lot of people don’t think about is the fact that they will be using water to cook. Whether you are boiling water or just adding it to freeze-dried just-add-water meals, you’ll need to plan on water to supplement your food storage.

After looking at some of the cans in our warehouse, we figured some averages of how much water you’d need to prepare a variety of freeze-dried foods.

So in other words, in order to prepare freeze-dried foods, you’ll probably need 1/2 – 1 1/2 gallons of water per can. Figuring that most 3-6 month food storage kits have dozens of cans in them, that would mean that you’d need somewhere between 70 to 100 gallons of water just to prepare your food.

If you’re preparing food by cooking, you’re obviously going to need a lot more as you boil or mix the water with other cooking staples. It’s recommended that you have between ¼ and ½ gallon of water just for cooking.

Hygiene
You’ll need water for cooking and body regulation, but how much water do you need for hygiene? I guess that really depends on how clean you need/want to be.

During an emergency, preventing illness and the spread of disease is a major concern. Usually a disaster can decrease the water available and contaminate water supplies. Humans also tend to have less-than-desirable hygiene habits during a disaster. Even in an emergency situation, it’s important to have water to wash your hands, clean your dishes and treat wounds.

Considering that you need to wash your hands, brush your teeth and wash different parts of your body, it’s recommended that you have about 3 cups (0.18 gal) – ¼ gallon for hygiene purposes.

Water Storage Calculator
So, now that we know that you’ll be using water in your food storage and to keep yourself healthy, how long do you want to plan for?

This calculator below will help guide you to know what the minimum water requirements are in order to help you prepare.

Water Storage Calculator

Conclusion
Well, we hope that helps you understand how much water you’ll need to be fully ready for an emergency situation. Comment below to let us know if you have any questions or to help others with their preparation needs.

Summer heat is upon us and it’s important to stay cool. With heat waves rolling across the United States, it’s essential to not get overheated and dehydrated. Many deaths have even been connected to power outages during the heat wave.

These tips will help you and your family stay safe in a power outage situation but might also help you save some money during the summer months.

Close Your Windows. Your first instinct might be to open your windows but often this will make your home hotter instead of cooler. Close your windows, blinds and shades during the day to keep the sun and heat out and trapping the cool in. Open your windows at night if it gets cooler outside.

Eat Cold Foods. Keep your body temperature down by consuming colder foods that will lower the temperature inside of you. This will also prevent you from using stoves and ovens that will raise the temperature in your house.

Install Attic Insulation. This is a great way to keep that cool air in your home and not escaping through the ceiling. This will allow you to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Plant Trees Strategically. Everyone loves sitting in the cool shade on a nice hot day. Where you plant your trees can have a large effect on where that shade is. Be sure to plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your home. During the winter, the sun won’t be blocked from getting to your home. You can also plant trees near sides of your house that have a lot of windows.

- Stay prepared with enough emergency water for your family -

Install Awnings. Just like a tree works to block the sun’s rays and provide you with shade, an awning can do the same thing.

Wear Light-Colored, Loose-Fitting Clothing. This will keep your body cool and breezy. Wearing dark or black clothing will absorb the sun and make you hotter. Wear light colors like white and tan.

Food and Refrigeration. If the power goes out for an extended amount of time, the food in your fridge might begin to go bad. You can use a cooler with ice to keep perishable foods good. You should also begin to eat the foods that won’t keep. If you have freeze-dried foods, you don’t need to worry, they won’t spoil!

Avoid Alcohol. To prevent dehydration, avoid drinking alcoholic drinks. Instead, stick to the water bottles and juices.

Drink Water. To avoid dehydration, continue to drink water. It’s recommended that you have about eight glasses of water per day.

Stay Out Of The Sun. This seems pretty intuitive but, to avoid the heat stay out of the sun!

What Ideas Do You Have? What methods have you used to stay cool during this heat wave?

How much water do you think you use on a daily basis? Depending on your personal hygiene preferences:  5 gallons? 10 gallons? 20 gallons?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the average American uses 80 – 100 gallons of water per day! In fact, over 410 billion gallons of water are withdrawn from the country’s water supply each day!

Now imagine that supply wasn’t available. What would you do? That’s why having an emergency water supply is so important – not only for natural disasters but water outages and other problems.

It’s recommended that you have 1/2 gallon of drinking water per day. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, recommends that you have 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking AND hygiene. That means if you want to prepare for a month for a family of four, you’d need about 120 gallons of water!

You can see how water storage preparations would begin to add up!

That’s why our new 500 gallon water tank is a great way to help you prepare. This behemoth tank is a great way to prepare for a long time to come!

Good material. The lining is BPA-free with heavy-duty walls that are ¼” thick. The walls are made from food-grade high-density polyethylene. That means you can store water in it and not worry about harsh, man-made chemicals.

Space saving comparison. With the 500 gallon tank, you’ll save on space compared to 500 gallons of the equivalent tanks. The 500 gallon tank measures 4 feet wide by 5 ½ feet tall. That’s not much space when considering how much water you get!

How long will it last? If you follow FEMA’s recommendation of preparing 1 gallon of water per person per day, you’ll obviously be cutting back on your water consumption. If you chose to use more water per day, the 500 gallon tank would still last! You can use this chart to plan for your family’s needs:

Questions?
If you have any questions about the 500 gallon tank, we’d love to help! Post your questions below and we’ll answer!

WaterBricks began as a smart way to transport water to impoverished countries while helping them build their communities. Now, WaterBricks have become a durable, vertsatile water storage option for millions of Americans!

Check out how WaterBrick started, how you might be able to use the WaterBrick and demonstrations on just how durable a WaterBrick can be!

History
Adams came up with the idea of the WaterBrick – an interlocking brick water container that could double as housing. The water would be delivered to those in need and then they would be able to use the bricks to create shelter and housing for their communities.

The Ready Store was the first company in the nation to begin selling WaterBricks back in 2010. Now, they are recognized as a high-quality, dependable source of water storage in the industry!

Building A House
WaterBricks were designed so that once the contents were emptied, you can reuse the container to create a transitional housing. It doesn’t require a foundation or mortar, just stack them and run a ¾” PVC pipe vertically along the grooves and it joins together. They are surprisingly strong.

Please note that WaterBricks are not an approved building product in the United States.

Storage Variety
WaterBricks are great for camping, home water storage, boating or even transporting other materials in a food-grade container. Some people use them for transporting ammo, paintballs or other materials. You can even freeze the WaterBricks to make giant ice cubes.

With the interlocking peices, you can strap them to campers, RVs or even use them handles to carry them around.

Durable
The WaterBricks are so durable that they can stop a bullet! The bricks are 9 inches long and most bullets didn’t get half way through the brick.

We even decided to throw one off our roof to see what happened. Take a look:

While many of us are excited for the hot weather of summer, others are worried about another type of heat: Wildfires!

Groups like the Westcoast Wildland Strike Teams, based in Portland, Ore., spend weeks on end camping out fighting wildfires across the coast.

And while fighting fires to protect our communities, who do the Westcoast Wildland Strike Teams depend on? The Ready Store!

We were so excited to receive this letter last week from Kevin Hawke, Engine Boss and Emergency Medical Technician for the WWST.

“Dear The Ready Store,

On behalf of Westcoast Wildland Strike Teams from Portland, Oregon, I would like to extend a big “thank you!” for providing us with such great products for our busy fire seasons.

While out fighting forest fires all summer my engine crew is often “spike camped,” which means we must stay out in the woods for several weeks at a time, and we are in charge of our own food and water supply. Proper nutrition is vital while working 20 hour shifts, and we appreciate an easily prepared hot meal to keep us going strong.

The MRE’s, #10 cans, and freeze-dried food pouches store perfectly in our engine compartments, and can withstand the bumpy conditions of our engines driving up and over bumpy logging roads all day.

While covered from head to toe with black ash, and nodding off from exhaustion, the last thing I want to think about is how to prepare food for up to 16 firefighters. The MRE’s, the freeze-dried food in #10 cans, and the pouches are considered delicacies out there compared to the “food” we are given by the commanding agency.

We also have a few vegetarians in our company, so we appreciate the vegetarian options available.

We will continue to use The Ready Store exclusively as our food and water supplier!

Once again we extend a big THANK YOU, and we will continue to use your products while we are protecting life, property, and the environment. Have a great day!“

Kevin Hawke
Engine Boss & Emergency Medical Technician
Westcoast Wildland Strike Teams

Thank you Kevin for protecting us! We hope to continue making good products that your strike team will enjoy!

If you’d like to send us an e-mail about our products, you can e-mail customerservice@readystore.com. You can also review a specific product by clicking on “Add Your Review” next to the product photo after logging into your account.

You can also receive 50 ReadyRewards points for each review you do! (Limit 10 reviews per day.)

We’re excited to tell you that The Ready Store will be participating in the Great Utah ShakeOut on April 17th at 10:15 am!

The ShakeOut is a state-wide earthquake drill planned to help businesses, organizations, families and individuals prepare for an earthquake in Utah!
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Since The Ready Store’s headquarters are in Utah, we have signed up to participate next Tuesday! We will be participating with over 850,000 other participants, businesses, organizations, universities and more!

On Feb. 7, 2012, nine states in the Midwest participated in one of the largest earthquake drills ever in the area. Over 2.4 million people registered for the event in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

Similar drills have occurred in other areas of the United States. Now, the ShakeOut drills are spreading across the nation to states like Utah, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. They also have drills planned internationally in Tokyo, New Zealand, British Columbia and more!

Here is a video that Be Ready Utah put together for the event. The video explains the effects of the earthquake would have on the state of Utah.

If you are a Utah resident and would like to participate in the drill, visit Shakeout.org/Utah to register.

They also supply videos, manuals and other resources that you can use to prepare and train those around you!

Most people know that there are microscopic organisms in backcountry water that can make you sick. But how prevalent are these organisms?

Many people have tolerances to certain types of organisms in water and thus think that they don’t need to treat any of their water! However, there are many protozoa, bacteria and viruses that can cause severe illness.

Here are a few of the most common and threatening organisms, advised by Ray Brooks.

Protozoa
Protozoa are the most common disease causing organisms in backcountry water. They are also the largest and easiest to remove with microfiltration. However, they are the hardest to kill with chemicals.

Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium is a type of protozoa that is found in 97 percent of the rivers and lakes found the in the United States. In 1991, two studies found cryptosporidium present in 65 – 87 percent of U.S. surface water samples.

Giardia. Giardia is just as common as cryptosporidium in backcountry water. It’s estimated that 2- 5 percent of people have giardia at a given time in the U.S. In fact, from 1979 – 1988, an estimated 4,600 people were hospitalized per year as a result of giardia. The CDC reports during 1991 – 2000 show that giardia was a cause of 16.2 percent of reported infectious outbreaks spread through drinking water.

If you become infected with giardia or cryptosporidium symptoms can be very intense. They include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, weight loss, fever and vomiting.

The hard part about identifying protozoan infections is that they typically have a long incubation period. It typically takes 5 – 28 days before symptoms appear. Until 2005, people had to let these infections run its course. However, now a drug called Alinia can help.

You can also treat water with Katadyn or MSR microfilters to remove protozoa. Chlorine dioxide is also helpful in killing cryptosporidium.

Bacteria
Bacteria that is found in backcountry water that affects humans, is the same type of bacteria that is found in improperly processed meat. The method of transmission is the same – through traces of feces contamination.

Campylobacter jejuni. This is one one of the most common bacteria in backcountry water. C. jejuni can survive in high-altitudes. It can also survive in surface water for months at a time. C. jejuni can be carried by poultry, horses, cows, waterfowl, rodents, deer, elk and bears.

C. jejuni affects an estimated 1 million people every year. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. Symptoms usually arrive within 2 – 5 days of ingestion. Illness usually lasts a week.

E. coli. E. coli actually consists of four classes. These four classes cause gastroenteritis in humans. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, low-grade fever, nausea and malaise. E. coli is usually found in the intestines.

Salmonella typhi. People affected by salmonella typhi know it by its common name – Typhoid Fever. There are about 400 cases reported in the U.S. each year and the majority of these cases originated from international travel. Typhoid fever can be life-threatening and it’s recommended that you get an immunization shot or booster before traveling internationally.

Cholera. Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection causes severe vomiting, leg cramping, water diarrhea and a rapid loss of body fluids. Without treatment, cholera can cause death within hours.

Bacteria can be removed from water through Katadyn, MSR filters and purification tablets.

Viruses
Viruses in water have only one source – human feces from infected carriers. The majority of outbreaks occur due to cross contamination. Outbreaks have also occurred from well or river water contaminated with raw sewage.

Enteric adenovirus & astroviruses. Enteric adenovirus is the most common virus found in water. It can cause respiratory problems but can also cause illnesses such as gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cystitis and rash illness. Enteric adenovirus causes 5 – 20 percent of the gastroenteritis in young children.

Norovirus and the calcivirus group. Noroviruses symptoms include headaches, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within 48 hours. Norovirus can survive in up to 10 ppm chlorine – well above the levels used in public water systems. You can, however, treat norovirus with chlorine dioxide at 1 ppm in 30 minutes.

Rotavirus. One of the hard things about rotavirus is that it has an incubation period of 2 days. Symptoms include vomiting and watery diarrhea for 3 – 8 days. They are usually accompanied by fever and abdominal pain. Children are particularly affected by rotavirus and account for the hospitalization of 55,000 children in the U.S. each year.

Hepatitis A. Hepatitis A can be very prevalent in water outside the U.S.. However, it can be present in backcountry water in our borders. Hepatitis A affects liver functions and can cause long-term problems. It’s recommended that you get an immunizations shot for international travel.

Enteroviruses. This family of viruses includes 62 separate viruses that can infect humans. Most of the viruses cause cold- or flu-like symptoms. However, some of them can cause Polio, aseptic meningitis and more.

To combat viruses in water, you should first use a microfilter, then treat the water for 15 minutes with chlorine dioxide.

Other concerns
Blue-green algae. Also known as Cyanobacteria, this algae can affect water’s color and smell. You should try and avoid cyanobacteria water, however, if you’re forced to use that water, try and filter water where the algae doesn’t seem to be as thick. Be sure to run the water through activated charcoal. Microfilters will remove the majority of the toxins.

Contaminated water. You’ve probably seen pools that have a skull-and-cross-bones sign in front of them. These pools are usually contaminated with metal deposits or chemicals. While activated charcoal will remove many organic chemicals, it probably won’t remove metals, salts, or carbonates.

According to a recent joint report by United States intelligence agencies, global water shortages could lead to conflict and possible war between nations.

The report was requested by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. While the report notes that the risk of war would be minimal within the next 10 years, that the risk will increase after 2022 – particularly in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia.

“ The report is based on a classified National Intelligence Estimate on water security… It says floods, scarce and poor quality water, combined with poverty, social tension, poor leadership and weak governments will contribute to instability that could lead the failure of numerous states.

Those elements “will likely increase the risk of instability and state failure, exacerbate regional tensions and distract countries from working with the United States on important policy objectives,” said the report, which was released at a State Department event commemorating World Water Day.

Clinton, who unveiled a new U.S. Water Partnership that aims to share American water management expertise with the rest of the world, called the findings “sobering.”

“These threats are real and they do raise serious security concerns,” she said. “ (Read the Huffington Post article.)

Fresh water needs have been growing over the past few decades. In fact, demand for fresh water is projected to increase by 55 percent by 2050. There is bound to be more natural competition for water supplies.

The report also notes that countries could use water as a weapon.

The report predicts that upstream nations — more powerful than their downstream neighbors due to geography — will limit access to water for political reasons and that countries will regulate internal supplies to suppress separatist movements and dissident populations. (Read the MSNBC article.)

Since water supplies could be so precious, the report also notes that water-related infrastructure, like dams and reservoirs; could become frequent targets of terrorist attacks. Even if an attack is not successful, a threat to U.S. water structures could increase spending among citizens and cause costly government measures for protection.

On the plus side, speakers highlighted a report released earlier this month showing that the world’s nations achieved a U.N. goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target. (Read the Huffington Post article.)

According to humanitarian aid organizations, natural disasters have increased over the last 40 years. They also report that emergency-aid organizations are facing unique challenges in the future.

Increased urbanization
According to the Cooperative Housing Foundation, a major problem of disasters is the increased amount of people who are moving to cities.

“The level of world urbanization today and the number and size of the world’s largest cities are unprecedented. At the beginning of the twentieth century, just 16 cities in the world—the vast majority in advanced industrial countries-contained a million people or more. Today, almost 400 cities contain a million people or more, and about seventy percent of them are found in the developing world. By … 2017 the developing world is likely to have become more urban in character than rural.“ (Read the National Academies Organization report.)

Increased frequency of disasters
According to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, natural disasters have drastically increased since the 1970s.

“The number of reported events [natural disasters] has more than quadrupled, from 78 reported in 1970 to 348 in 2004. Not only is the frequency of these events increasing, but more people are being affected than ever before. Urban populations are expected to surge to nearly 5 billion by 2030. The UN expects nearly all population growth over the next few decades to occur in the cities of middle and low income countries.

That’s why many are predicting that 21st century disasters will be exceptionally calamitous. Last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan was the most expensive natural disaster in history, costing an estimated $235 billion. Not only is the economic toll higher, but in cities with poor building codes, the human toll is considerable, as evidenced by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that killed hundreds of thousands of people.“(Read the Forbes article.)

Recommendations
Courtney Brown, from the CHF International, said there are three things that government and organizations can do to respond natural disasters:

Assistance should focus on communities, not households. She debates that in rural communities, self-sufficiency is needed. While self-sufficiency is recommended for urban people too, she debates that it might not be as needful in communities that already have infrastructure in place to help one another.

Urban livelihoods should be protected. She proposes that emergency plans should focus on businesses being able to maintain a supply chain. The quickest way to respond to a disaster would be to keep things normal.

Markets are key. CHF proposes that the majority of relief should go through local markets. In that way, people would be able to buy food, and other goods they need during an emergency. This would allow for the free market to continue without government intervention during an emergency. (Read Brown’s interview with Forbes.)