[lvxdm]

Looking to stock up on water for the long term. Has anyone used or have the 3.5 gallon Waterbricks from The Ready Store?

If not, what are you all using that is durable and long term?

 

[Groo]

I am seeing food grade palletized transport tanks for sale all over the place around here, 275gal or so cube for under $100.

 

[lvxdm]

I should have clarified. I'm looking for smaller containers. 3-5 gallon.

 

[Groo]

I should have clarified. I'm looking for smaller containers. 3-5 gallon.

My suggestions for smaller are outside your range. I'd either do military water storage cans (6 gallons I think) or more likely, just get the 1 gallon jugs from the grocery store. They are already commercially sealed, so they are probably safer longer than whatever you'd do yourself. I think they come 4 to a case (4 gallons is in your range) so the cardboard will protect them and will stack easier.

 

[lvxdm]

My suggestions for smaller are outside your range. I'd either do military water storage cans (6 gallons I think) or more likely, just get the 1 gallon jugs from the grocery store. They are already commercially sealed, so they are probably safer longer than whatever you'd do yourself. I think they come 4 to a case (4 gallons is in your range) so the cardboard will protect them and will stack easier.

I've done that. The plastic containers you get at the grocery store will leak if exposed to heat. I had containers break and ruin a second floor. That's why I was wondering if anyone has used the Waterbricks.

 

[Groo]

I don't think the attic is a good water storage spot, no matter the container.

 

[Nidstyles]

You don't want to store any water for drinking in an area that is exposed to higher temp's. You want dark and cool places to prevent chemical seepage from the container's and algae growth from the light sources.

 

[Zombie Hunter]

I'm thinking of ordering the water bricks myself. If they are very sturdy they are worth the extra money. I have bought 7 gallon containers from REI and they cracked and failed after a year.

3.5 gallons is a really handy size too, my wife could move them around by herself. Imagine having to take a 7 gallon jug down to a water source to fill up, kind of unwieldy.

 

[lvxdm]

I'm thinking of ordering the water bricks myself. If they are very sturdy they are worth the extra money. I have bought 7 gallon containers from REI and they cracked and failed after a year.

3.5 gallons is a really handy size too, my wife could move them around by herself. Imagine having to take a 7 gallon jug down to a water source to fill up, kind of unwieldy.

Yeah, they have a video dropping the waterbrick on to concrete from the roof of a building. They also stack in different configurations for space optimization. And, as you noted, the females in the house can manuever 3.5 gallon containers if SHTF and I'm not there.

I'm thinking about getting those and adding the water preserver for a 5 year shelf life. Just wondering if anyone has experience with them.

 

[Kansas Slim]

Try the WaterBob. It goes in your bathtub. You can't move it around but it's great if you don't have much time to prepare and it leaves you with a bunch of water you can use for daily duties.

 

[madcap1one]

+ I live in an area with plenty of access to water (i.e. easy to get to source, would only need filtering)
- Need to filter that water...

Water is obviously vital to our needs, but storage has always been an issue due to bulk (space,) weight, and cost of reliable containers.

The water bricks I have actually played with at some expo - they are REALLY nice, but also really effective if you are in an arid climate and absolutely need long term storage solutions.

The aforementioned water Bob is nice as well, but what wasn't mentioned is its use. Basically, its a large bag, that when you know the SHTF is coming, you unroll into your bathtub, connect to the faucet, and fill - presto, a couple hundred gallons of freshwater in your tub. Great with some warning, and no need for a tub, not so great for long term storage. The manufacturer has now come out with some newer products including a heavier duty bag that can then be dragged out of the tub to wherever, or thrown into the back of your pickup, etc. Some nice alternatives to losing use of your bathroom.

I think what this boils down to is a series of questions:
-What is my immediate environment? i.e. I live near a lake/stream, I live in the desert
-I have needs for this much water (W people X Y gallons X Z days worth)
-I have this much budget for water needs in my SHTF planning

For me, my solution was a few cases of bottled water (we like to minimize our use of individual bottles, but they are great for running to the gym, car, etc.) a water bob (cheapo) for emergencies, and a couple of filtration systems including a Berkey

 

[lvxdm]

Thanks for the info. The water Bob is a great idea. I live in the desert so water is a major concern for us. You really start to think about it when it get's near 100 degrees so early in the year.





...Just ordered me a waterBOB.

 

[cz75luver]

I looked into WaterBob a couple of years ago and read it was a one time use item. Not sure if that's still the case.

At any rate, for Hurricanes what we do is we have five or six, five gallon containers that get filled and we also fill a 32 gallon Igloo cooler. There's three of us so that would last some time. We also back up to a pond. This year I'm going to get the Katadyn base camp filter system (Amazon.com: Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter: Sports & Outdoors) and an extra filter. Each filter is supposed to last for something like 200 gallons. What's really nice is that it can be reused by changing filters, doesn't take much room and nothing to really go wrong with it. Hi flow as well which is really nice.