'We've reached the end of antibiotics': Top CDC expert declares that 'miracle drugs' that have saved millions are no match against 'superbugs' because people have overmedicated themselves !

A high-ranking official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared in an interview with PBS that the age of antibiotics has come to an end. 'For a long time, there have been newspaper stories and covers of magazines that talked about "The end of antibiotics, question mark?"' said Dr Arjun Srinivasan. 'Well, now I would say you can change the title to "The end of antibiotics, period.”

The associate director of the CDC sat down with Frontline over the summer for a lengthy interview about the growing problem of antibacterial resistance.

Srinivasan, who is also featured in a Frontline report called 'Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria,' which aired Tuesday, said that both humans and livestock have been overmedicated to such a degree that bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics.

‘We're in the post-antibiotic era,' he said. 'There are patients for whom we have no therapy, and we are literally in a position of having a patient in a bed who has an infection, something that five years ago even we could have treated, but now we can’t.’.

Dr Srinivasan offered an example of this notion, citing the recent case of three Tampa Bay Buccaneers players who made headlines after reportedly contracting potentially deadly MRSA infections, which until recently were largely restricted to hospitals. 

About 10 years ago, however, the CDC official began seeing outbreaks of different kinds of MRSA infections in schools and gyms.

‘In hospitals, when you see MRSA infections, you oftentimes see that in patients who have a catheter in their blood, and that creates an opportunity for MRSA to get into their bloodstream,’ he said. ‘In the community, it was causing a very different type of infection. It was causing a lot of very, very serious and painful infections of the skin, which was completely different from what we would see in health care.’

With bacteria constantly evolving and developing resistance to conventional antibiotics, doctors have been forced to ‘reach back into the archives’ and ‘dust off’ older, more dangerous cures like colistin.

WHAT ARE ANTIBIOTICS? 

Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are types of drugs that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria. 

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria are microscopic organisms, some of which may cause illness.

Before bacteria can multiply and cause symptoms, the body's immune system can usually destroy them. But if white blood cells fail to fight off the infection, antibiotics can help.

The first antibiotic was penicillin, which was discovered in 1928 by Scottish Professor Alexander Fleming.

Such penicillin-related antibiotics as ampicillin, amoxicillin and benzylpenicilllin are widely used today to treat a variety of infections.

Source: Medical News Today

‘It’s very toxic,’ said Srinivasan. ‘We don’t like to use it. It damages the kidneys. But we’re forced to use it in a lot of instances.’

The expert went on, saying that the discovery of antibiotics in 1928 by Professor Alexander Fleming revolutionized medicine, allowing doctors to treat hundreds of millions of people suffering from illnesses that had been considered terminal for centuries.

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Antibiotics also paved the way for successful organ transplants, chemotherapy, stem cell and bone marrow transplantations - all the procedures that weaken the immune system and make the body susceptible to infections. 

However, the CDC director explained that people have fueled the fire of bacterial resistance through rampant overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

‘These drugs are miracle drugs, these antibiotics that we have, but we haven’t taken good care of them over the 50 years that we’ve had them,’ he told Frontline.

Srinivasan added that pharmaceutical companies are at least partially to blame for this problem, saying that they have neglected the development of new and more sophisticated antibiotics that could keep up with bacterial resistance because ‘there’s not much money to be made’ in this field.

PREPARE WARNING HIGHER PRICES ARE COMING Report: Milk Could Skyrocket To $8 A Gallon If Farm Bill Not Passed

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — The fight over renewing the nation’s farm bill has centered on cuts to the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program. But there could be unintended consequences if no agreement is reached: higher milk prices.

Members of the House and Senate are scheduled to begin long-awaited negotiations on the five-year, roughly $500 billion bill this week. If they don’t finish it, dairy supports could expire at the end of the year and send the price of a gallon of milk skyward.

KLTV reports that the price of milk could reach $8 a gallon.

“We are pretty much at the mercy of the people that are going to pay us. We have no control over the milk price,” dairy farm manager Bear Vanderwier told KLTV.

There could be political ramifications, too. The House and Senate are far apart on the sensitive issue of how much money to cut from food stamps, and lawmakers are hoping to resolve that debate before election-year politics set in.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who is one of the negotiators on the bill, says the legislation could also be a rare opportunity for the two chambers to show they can get along.

“In the middle of the chaos of the last month comes opportunity,” Klobuchar says of the farm legislation. “This will really be a test of the House of whether they are willing to work with us.”

The farm bill, which sets policy for farm subsidies, the food stamps and other rural development projects, has moved slowly through Congress in the last two years as lawmakers have focused on higher-profile priorities, like budget negotiations, health care and immigration legislation.

But farm-state lawmakers are appealing to their colleagues to harken back to more bipartisan times and do something Congress hasn’t done very much lately — pass a major piece of legislation.

Even President Barack Obama, who has been largely silent on the farm bill as it has wound through Congress, said as the government reopened earlier this month that the farm bill “would make a huge difference in our economy right now.”

“What are we waiting for?” Obama said. “Let’s get this done.”

The main challenge in getting the bill done will be the differences on food stamps, officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The House has passed legislation to cut around $4 billion annually, or around 5 percent, including changes in eligibility and work requirements. The Senate has proposed a cut of around a tenth of that amount, and Senate Democrats and President Obama have strongly opposed any major changes to the program. 

The cost of SNAP has more than doubled over the last five years as the economy struggled, and Republicans say it should be more focused on the neediest people. Democrats say it is working as it should, providing food to those in need when times are tough.

“I think there are very different world views clashing on food stamps and those are always more difficult to resolve,” says Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union.

Johnson says coming together on the farm issues, while there are differences, will be easier because the mostly farm-state lawmakers negotiating the bill have common goals.

Passing a farm bill could help farm-state lawmakers in both parties in next year’s elections, though some Republicans are wary of debating domestic food aid in campaign season. Republican House leaders put the bill on hold during the 2012 election year.

One way to pass the bill quickly could be to wrap it into budget negotiations that will be going on at the same time. The farm bill is expected to save tens of billions of dollars through food stamp cuts and eliminating some subsidy programs, and “that savings has become more key as we go into budget negotiations,” Klobuchar said.

If that doesn’t work, lawmakers could extend current law, as they did at the end of last year when the dairy threat loomed. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he wants to finish the bill and won’t support another extension.

One of the reasons the bill’s progress has moved slowly is that most of farm country is enjoying a good agricultural economy, and farmers have not clamored for changes in policy. But with deadlines looming, many say they need more government certainty to make planting decisions. Most of the current law expired in September, though effects largely won’t be felt until next year when the dairy supports expire.

If Congress allows those supports to expire, 1930s and 1940s-era farm law would kick in, as much as quadrupling the price that the government pays to purchase dairy products. If the government paid that high a price, many processors would sell to the government instead of commercial markets, decreasing commercial supply and thus also raising prices for shoppers at grocery stores.

Some farmers are feeling the effects of the expired bill already. An early blizzard in South Dakota earlier this month killed thousands of cattle, and a federal disaster program that could have helped cover losses has expired.

Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., also a negotiator on the conference committee, says her constituents aren’t concerned with the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, but they just want to see a bill pass.

“Maybe the biggest question is can we put together a bill that can pass on the House and Senate floor,” she said.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Doomsday Prepper Tips: Steelwool Fire

"I'll go where you want me to go"

Essential Oils – An Essential Part of Your Medical Preparedness

As preppers we stock up on medical supplies, we count bandages, tape, gauze, and bottles of liquids on our checklists. Many of us store and grow herbs to supplement medical needs with tinctures and decoctions. We take our family’s health seriously and try to prepare for every possible scenario. This is all very important and each of these things play a part in preparing for a future where the availability and quality of healthcare is unknown.

Personally I have lists of medical supplies, grow herbs in my garden, I have taken Medical Prep and herb classes, and many medical books line our library shelves. I’ve also learned yet another level of preparation, another way we can care for our family’s medical needs both now and during uncertain times ahead – Essential Oils. I have discovered that essential oils are safe, compact, and inexpensive, they last forever, are easy to transport, they are very effective as well as versatile and these oils belong in every preppers medical arsenal!

Essential oils are the life blood of the plant, when organically grown and distilled properly without solvents or synthetic additives they contain concentrated amounts of amazing healing properties and have the ability to heal where drugs don’t. Stored properly with tightly closed caps in a cool dark place they will last forever and maintain integrity and healing properties.

The small plant molecules in essential oils are quickly metabolized by the body, they find the receptor sites that need them and jump right in to heal, detoxify, strengthen, and restore. Within 21 minutes of applying essential oils the molecules have reached every cell in your body and determined if they are needed or not, and have cleansed and healed – leaving your cells healthy and restored.

Experiences with Young Living Essential Oils

Soon after learning about Young Living Essential Oils and purchasing the Everyday Oils Kit I had a chance to put them to the test. I burned my wrist on the wood stove one drop of Lavender no pain or blister or scar. My oldest daughter cut her finger deeply and could not get the bleeding or pain under control. One drop of Lavender essential oil and the bleeding stopped and pain was gone within 5 minutes. My youngest daughter uses Lavender oil every month for cramps. My father got a spider bite and had a large hot red 6” area on his arm. One drop of Purification oil the next morning could barely see the bite mark. My grandsons often come to me with owies, bumps and boy injuries and there’s always a special drop of essential oil to heal, comfort and send them on their way and when it comes to sleepovers at Grama’s house they love the relaxing foot massages with Peace and Calming that send them into sleepy land. Cold sores have a lifespan of only hours when a drop of Thieves is used. PanAway has relieved sciatica and sore back muscles. Peppermint quickly halts headaches and clears sinuses. Thieves in a neti pot cleared my chronic sinus infection. There isn’t a day when we don’t use Young Living Essential Oils in our home.

Uses for Essential Oils

Lavender stops bleeding, cuts the pain of burns quickly, soothes menstrual cramps, stops allergies and allergic reactions, and also kills lice and ringworm. Bruises, open or closed wounds, rash, skin eruptions, eczema, Lavender heals all of them as well as headaches, insomnia, and high or low blood pressure. Lavender is the “Swiss army knife” of essential oils – when in doubt use Lavender and always keep it close in your first aid kit! Lavender heals so quickly that you want to be sure to use Thieves or Purification first on deep or puncture wounds to assure healing from inside out.

For broken bones, shock, trauma, convulsions, back pain and sciatica Valor is your essential oil of choice in fact it is referred to as “chiropractor in a bottle” because of how it helps realign the body both physically and emotionally. Valor is wonderful for emotional strength, stress, as well as labor and delivery. If your children need courage for a test, or you need to perform a difficult task or stress is affecting you or those in your group, a drop of valor on the back of neck will calm and encourage everyone.

Thieves essential oil will quickly kill infections, soothe sore throats, stop a cold, flu, strep throat or tonsillitis. As well as killing fungus and athletes foot, it will get to the root of a toothache quickly. Thieves oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, it kills germs and cold/flu viruses and lyme disease if caught early. Mouth care gums and gingivitis, cold sores and more are gone when you add Thieves to baking soda while brushing teeth or in your water pick. You will want to store many bottles of Thieves.

For spider, bug, scorpion and snake bites, Purification is the answer. It will calm hives and poison oak/ivy, heal boils, puncture wounds, and blisters. Diffused it will purify the air and lungs of carbon poisoning. Purification is natural detoxifier, bug repellant, and will kill lice and bed bugs, prevent infection, and toxemia. Diffuse to clear air of chemicals, smoke, and use as a natural deodorant.

Peace & Calming can help wean a person off medications as well as preventing depression, help assure a restful sleep and over time even cure insomnia. There is bound to be lots of stress and anxiety in uncertain situations and Peace & Calming will soothe crying babies, calm out of control children, and anxious animals, as well as over stressed adults. This oil will also help regulate an irregular heartbeat.

For soothing and healing calluses, bunions, and warts Lemon is your oil of choice. Lemon oil will turn water into a wonderful treat, quickly rehydrate as well as detoxify the body and cleanse the intestinal tract of parasites. Lemon will ease sore throats, freshen the air, and the fresh aroma relieves anxiety.

For those aches and pains, inflammation, bruising, headaches, sore muscles and injuries we know are inevitable PanAway is the best pain reliever available and it doesn’t harm your liver the way other OTC medications can. PanAway is the best pain relief for sore muscles, migraine headaches, muscle and ligament sprains as well as arthritis and bruising. Just one drop gives hours of relief.

To strengthen the immune system, amplify concentration, lift depression and balance the emotions, Frankincense shines here. This versatile oil is also wonderful for head injuries, shock, respiratory difficulty and skin issues. Frankincense has high anti-cancer properties, imploding cancers and tumors.

Any digestive issues such as indigestion, stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, and heartburn are treated with Peppermint essential oil. It quickly brings down fevers when applied to the feet, relieves headaches, clears sinuses and sooths bug bites as well as quickly cooling you down during heat exhaustion or heat stroke. For headaches and digestive issues, stomach upset, nausea, indigestion and heartburn Peppermint is your oil of choice.

To cover larger areas Young Living Essential Oils can be added to aloe vera gel or coconut oil for soothing relief. Although entirely safe for children and babies the oils should be diluted 50/50 with coconut or olive oil until you see how your children respond.

Your pets will also benefit from using essential oils to repel ticks and fleas and prevent heartworm, as well as treating injuries and wounds and to keep them calm during stressful situations.

There are many and varied uses for essential oils. You can simply inhale the aroma from the bottle, use in a ultrasonic diffuser; apply topically; and take internally either under the tongue or in capsules. Parents have used the oils in capsules rectally for severe cases of fever, constipation or diarrhea. The oils can be added to a 100% cotton tampon for female issues.

Young Living Essential Oils are oils that are therapeutic grade, 100% pure and safe enough to take internally, use on children as well as adults and your pets and recommended for every ailment in this article. They are never diluted or synthetic. Quality from seed to seal is guaranteed by Young Living.

Use these amazing oils now and experience natural healing, health and wellness, as well as stocking up for the future medical needs of your family.

An excellent book for your preparedness library is The Essential Survival Guide to Medical Preparedness by Julie Behling Hovdal. This 400 page guide shows you how to use Young Living Essential Oils and herbs for your family both now for prevention and healing as well as in a survival situation.

Making Your Home More Secure in 5 Simple Steps

With homes constantly being invaded by burglars, it is extremely necessary to protect your belongings from the reach of uninvited strangers. An astonishing fact about burglary is that, a burglary happens once in every 15 seconds in the USA. Most of them happen when you are away at work. The cities that recorded the highest burglary are Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles etc. So, what measures have you taken so far in restricting the thieves from breaking into your house?

It does not take a professional approach in making your house more secure than before. A few simple steps are enough to enhance the security of your house.

Step 1

 Lock All Your Doors and Windows Properly Before You Leave the House

Locking up all the doors and windows of your house before you leave is the first essential step to take. It is better to use a deadbolt lock as it provides better security. Whenever you leave your home, make sure to lock the garage area and the backdoor because people tend to forget these areas often. Also, do not keep a spare key within the reach of intruders. One common mistake people make is by keeping the spare key under the door mat. By doing this, you would be inviting strangers to break into your house.

Have all the old locks replaced by new, modern and stronger locks. Pin your windows for maximum security. Get rid of hollow doors and have them replaced with solid wood doors or metal ones with lock block. If you having a sliding door at the backyard then make sure to have it secured as well. In case of any confusion, you may call a locksmith and he will assist you well.

Step 2

Get an Alarm System Installed

There are various kinds of home alarm systems available in the market. You can get one of them installed as per your budget, convenience and need. This would an excellent addition to the security of the house. A security system can offer protection 24×7 and can guarantee peace of mind.

Step 3

Have Adequate Lighting

Homeowners often leave the backyard and the garage area unlighted. This invites burglars who hide in this unlighted area of the house and break into whenever they get a chance. So, even if you are away, make sure to light up the exterior areas of the house. You may install a motion sensitive light for the backyard. Do not worry about the electricity bills; instead get a low energy consumption lighting device for the exterior areas of the house.

 Step 4

 Cut Away Tall Bushes around Your House

Do not neglect the tall shrubs and bushes that cover the garden area and the exteriors of the house. These can serve as a hiding den for the burglars. Immediately tell your gardener to cut the tall bushes that surround your house, especially around the window area. This method of using environment for crime prevention is known by the name “Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)”.

Step 5

Keep Some Pets

Ever thought of getting a pet for your home? Well, if you haven’t then have a look at these interesting questions being put by Jack Mclean before prison inmates who were burglars. Most of them say they are afraid of dogs and 32% would not opt for burglary if there is any breed of dog in the house. I hope I have explained my point well. Hence, it is more than recommended by home security experts to keep a dog in your house.

Tips For Spending the Night In Your Vehicle During An Emergency

Anyone who drives faces the possibility of spending an unplanned night in a vehicle.  Bad weather, breakdowns, running out of fuel, getting stuck are some of the more common reasons why a driver might have to bed down for the night (or perhaps for several nights) until the situation is resolved.  A night out does not have to be a life threatening experience.

Assembling a survival kit is the first step and, as with any survival kit, the contents should be selected based on personal needs, the season and the geographic location. (See following list of recommended equipment) If you become stranded you’ll be glad you took the time to put together an emergency kit.

In addition to the kit, you should also evaluate the effectiveness of your clothing to keep you warm in a cold vehicle when the engine isn’t running.  Most people dress to arrive at a destination and not to survive a night out. — The reverse would be more appropriate “Dress to survive not just to arrive!”

When traveling with others don’t forget to provide sufficient supplies for the additional people as well.  Preparation also involves ensuring that your vehicle is ready for winter travel. Never set out in stormy conditions without a full tank of gas, a good battery, proper tires, a heater and exhaust system in good working condition, good anti-freeze and a good dose of “common sense.”

YOU’RE STUCK!

If you do get trapped by a blizzard or severe snow storm – “don’t panic!” Stay with your car and use your survival kit.  Your vehicle makes a good shelter and an effective signal – don’t leave it.”  In your car you are warm (warmer than being outside), dry and protected from the weather.  Trying to dig yourself out or attempting to walk to help can be fatal.  “Sit tight – let the rescuers come to you!”  Move all of your emergency equipment and any other useful gear into the passenger compartment.

SHELTERING IN YOUR VEHICLE

A carbon monoxide detector can be a life saver in a stranded vehicle.

While sitting out a storm you must use your resources sparingly – you don’t know how long you’ll be there.  While the car will shelter you from the wind and keep you dry you will need to keep the interior warm.  The heat your body produces is insufficient to heat the interior.  Sitting in a car you will become cold quickly—especially your feet.  Put on your warmest clothes (socks, hat, gloves, long underwear and additional insulation layers), wrap yourself in blankets or get into a sleeping bag before you become cold.  Sit sideways so that you can place your feet on the seat where the foam cushioning will offer insulation from the cold.  The foot wells will be the coldest part of the vehicle.

Alternatively, place foam padding under your feet to insulate them.  Place insulation behind your head so that it does not come in contact with the cold window when you lean back.

If you are the sole occupant use a space blanket and duct tape to partition off the back of the vehicle from the front so you only have to warm the part of the vehicle you are occupying. Ways to warm the interior of your vehicle include running the engine for short periods of time, long-burning candles, small stoves and Isopropyl alcohol/toilet paper improvised heaters.  Run the engine about ten minutes each hour or for shorter periods each half hour, but only after ensuring that the exhaust is not damaged and the tail pipe is clear of snow and other debris.  Run the engine on the hour or half-hour – times that coincide with news and weather broadcasts.

Ventilate the vehicle by opening a downwind window approximately one inch.  Carbon monoxide is a very real threat to your safety.  Do not go to sleep with the engine running. Carbon monoxide poisoning can sneak up on you without warning.  Almost 60% of the unintentional deaths in the United States each year are caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from motor vehicle exhausts.  It is far less risky to use your clothing and other sources of heat to keep yourself warm.

If you have to get out of the vehicle in a blizzard put on additional windproof clothing, and snow goggles if you have them, then tie a lifeline to yourself and the door handle before moving away from the proximity of the vehicle.  In a white-out condition visibility can be as low as 12 inches.

Eat right.  Without enough energy stored in your body you will not have the ability to generate heat to keep your body warm.  Your emergency kit should include quantities of high-calorie, non-perishable food (carbohydrate food bars). Keep yourself hydrated.  Dehydrated people have great difficulty maintaining their body temperature.  Don’t eat snow!  It takes body heat to convert snow to liquid.  Use your heat sources to melt snow for your drinking water.  Don’t smoke – the nicotine in cigarettes reduces blood flow to the skin and extremities and increases the possibilities of frostbite.  Don’t drink alcohol – alcohol effects judgment. Bad judgment decreases the chances of survival.

GETTING RESCUED

Emergency equipment to store in your vehicle

Cellular phone with charger

Four quart bottles of water

Three dehydrated meals

Other carbohydrate based foods

Toilet paper

Wipes

Tools to include; jack & spare tire

Road flares

Tow strap

Booster cables

Folding or breakdown shovel

Blankets or sleeping bags

Chemical hand heater packets

Light sticks

Waterproof, windproof matches

Metal cup

Basic first aid kit

Knife

Additional clothing

Winter footwear

Two empty cans (one for melting snow & the other for sanitary purposes)

Sack of cat litter

Windshield scraper and brush

Spare personal medications

Flashlight and spare batteries

Portable radio with spare batteries

Emergency candles and/or small stove

Gloves

Multi-purpose tool

Ski goggles

Duct tape

Space blankets

Book to read

25 – 50 feet of nylon cord

Flagging tape

"Seek Ye The Kingdom Of God"

Living Without Running Water: A Practical Guide

Wow! So, I turned off our running water for 48 hours this week as one of my challenges for National Preparedness Month. And I actually learned a lot more than I thought I would! I really just wanted to see how much we used (you can find that info at the very end of this post), but I learned a lot more than that. I’m so,so glad I did this. I highly encourage you to do the same if you haven’t already!

What I Learned:

1. Anxiety is a REAL Issue!
My kids really will experience anxiety in an emergency situation! I did not tell my kids that this was a “test.” I just told them our water wasn’t working. One of my twins started crying and asked what we were going to do. He said something like this:

“Water is my favorite drink and I really like baths. And I think my teeth will fall out if I can’t brush them. What are we going to do Mom?”

Seriously? I was actually rather surprised at his strong reaction (and my other kids followed). So, what will I do with this information?

First,this re-affirmed my desire to have enough water stored that I can keep our lives
relatively normal. My son quickly realized that he could still drink as much water as he wanted to. We had a bath (although we used much less water than usual) and he was even able to brush his teeth! He was just fine after seeing that our life didn’t really change that much.

Second, I am so grateful that he has now been through this “crisis.” If we ever truly have to face a long term water shortage, he will be much more prepared and confident in our ability to do so. there will be just a bit less anxiety in our home than there would have been without this practice. I’m excited and even more determined to practice more things this month (as part of National Preparedness Month) and in coming months!

2. Laundry will be a challenge
I am actually a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven’t ever really considered how I would do laundry in an emergency! The night before we started this challenge, my son asked if I could clean a shirt for him to wear to school. I told him I wouldn’t have it clean by the next morning, but that I was planning to do laundry the next day, so he could wear it the day after. And then, I woke up to my water off and couldn’t do all that laundry!

So…..I will be making a few changes:

First, I think that instead of having one laundry day where I do all our laundry, I will try to do a load a day or so. That way, we always have some clean clothes and could get by for a few days to a week with doing no laundry.

Next, I added a bit of water into my totals (listed at the end of this post) for the amount of water I would expect my family to use each week.

Also, I will keep my kid’s “too small” clothes just a bit longer. In an emergency situation, I’d be totally fine with them wearing slightly high water pants! I’d just be grateful for the additional clean clothes!

Last, I will be doing a bunch of research on how to do laundry in an emergency to come up with a solution that will work best for our family. I will actually try out different methods and share what I learn here on the blog.

3. My Kids go to the Bathroom a LOT!

Seriously! WAY to often! We didn’t flush every time they went, but anytime it was “stinky,” we did! We filled up the back of the toilet with our stored water and we flushed it. But about half a day into it, I realized that in a true emergency, it wouldn’t just be our water that was off, and we wouldn’t be able to flush!

So, again, a bit embarrassed here, but I’m just now realizing how important it is to have some way for us to dispose of / take care of that type of waste in an emergency. Had we not be able to flush, it would have been a serious issue in just those two days. Not only would it have been unpleasant, but it would have been unsafe and unsanitary. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like for weeks or a month!

My husband said, well, why not just dig a hole in the backyard and go there? Well…..that would quickly become a serious issue. Untreated raw sewage can pollute fresh ground water supplies. It also attracts flies and promotes the spread of awful diseases.

So, I will again be taking action!

First, I will be investing in a bunch of these Gotta Go Waste Bags. These bags are 100% biodegradeable and are solid sturdy bags that can be placed in a bucket or even in your real toilet (all for keeping things as normal as possible, right?). Each bag comes with a ChemiSan application that turns fecal matter into na Enviro-Friendly material.

Second, I will be investing in this bucket seat cover. We go through a lot of 5 & 6 gallon buckets at my house. I usually just give them away, but I will be keeping one and putting this cover on it (and the waste bags in it) in case we need to leave home and don’t want to pollute other areas!

Last, I will also be investing in a few more sanitizing wipes (like Clorox wipes) to make keeping our hands, toilets, floors, counters safe and clean a bit easier without depleting our water supply.

4. I think dish water is gross!
So, when I wash dishes (with running water), I get the dishes just a bit damp and then put a drop of soap on each. I use a wet rag to wash them and put them clean (but soapy) in the sink. Then, I spray / rinse each dish individually and dry them.

But that processes uses more water than I was willing to use in our mock emergency situation. So, I put about a gallon of water in the sink with soap in one side of the sink and a clear gallon (no soap) in the other side. I washed and rinsed all dishes in the same water. And by the time I was done, both sides of the sick looked GROSS! It just felt so unsanitary to me! Yuck. I was washing / rinsing dishes in dirty water!

So again, I will be adjusting some things:

First, I will store more paper products. We can burn them when done using them, so I feel fine about it environmentally. It will save time / stress in a true emergency and I won’t have to wash my dishes in dirty water!

Second, I will accept the fact that I like to clean / wash my dishes individually and store more water accordingly. Even with paper products, I will still have pots, pans, serving spoons etc that will need to be cleaned. I know not everyone will agree with me, but I think this solution will work well for our family!

5. Bathing takes less water than I thought

The #1 reason I’ve pushed for storing WAY more than the recommended 1 gallon / person / day is because I felt like bathing would take a LOT of water! But really, it didn’t. I bathed with about 2 gallons of water. And I bathed my kids in about 4 gallons total (the boys shared and the girls shared). So, if we bathed every other day, that is only about 110 gallons for our family for an entire month. I was happy to find that out.

Heating Water for our Baths....that was enough hot water for mine and the kids!

Plus, it didn’t take that much hot water to make the baths comfortably warm!

I did learn however, that I really don’t like sponge baths for the same reason I don’t like washing dishes in dirty water. I prefer showers. So does my husband. I know that many families would be able to use less water by sharing their bath water. But for me, I’d rather store more and have my own 2 gallons! (-:

So……..

First, I will decrease the amount of water I’ve planned to store for bathing / showering.

Second, I will be purchasing a solar shower that we can hang and use in our regular shower. As a bonus, this could also be used if we had to pack up and go for any reason.

6. Different sized water containers are a good thing!
Pumping Water....LOVE that siphon!
I’ve always taught that you should have lots of different sized water containers. But now that I’ve actually lived it (kind of), I’m even more convinced that it is important. It was nice to be able to quickly grab a water bottle to drink while working out or going to soccer practice etc. The 5 gallon jugs were perfect for a makeshift faucet. And the 55 gallon drums were a convenient way to store lots of water. Moving the water from them to the 5 gallon jugs was simple with our siphon pump. We only had to pump it 3-4 times and then the water just flowed right out. My problem was getting it to STOP! I ended up spilling a bit each time!

Any tips to avoid the spills?

Even though we have quite a few different sized containers, I will still be making a few adjustments:

First, I will be purchasing more 5 gallon jugs and faucet caps. Right now we only have four, and I’d like to be able to have one jug at each sink.

Second, I will be adding a few more water bottles so we’d have enough to use those for our drinking water for the entire month.

Third, I will be purchasing an additional siphon pump in case ours breaks. It made transferring water from one barrel to the next SO easy, I do NOT want to be without it!

7. I am Blessed!
Last, and most importantly, this experience taught me to be more grateful for my running water! What a blessing it is to have this convenience in my home every day! Having running water saves me time (meaning I can do other things with that time…like play with my kids), makes it easier for me to protect my kids from disease, makes cooking simpler / easier etc. Here are a few interesting facts from Water.org:
780 million people worldwide lack access to clean water: that is more than 2 1/2 times the entire population of the United States and over 10% of the entire world’s population!
3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes.

Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water related illness. In fact, lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day

Those of us with running water are very privileged indeed! Living without running water complicated my life. It made keeping my house clean and sanitary more difficult, it made cooking more time consuming. It increased the stress in our home (and my grumpiness toward my kids and husband). And note that I still had access to plenty of clean water and so did all my neighbors etc. I wasn’t at any true risk like those who live without clean water are every day. This small experience was eye opening to my ingratitude and lack of appreciation for this incredible privilege.

So, I’ve decided to do something small. I will be changing up my facebook page header today and I have donated to water.org. I would encourage you to find something you can do as well! Even if you aren’t able to get involved financially, there are plenty of way you can help solve the water crisis in the world.

How Much Water We Used:

Well, over the entire 48 hour period, we used 34 gallons, but I need to make a few adjustments:
10 of those gallons were used flushing toilets. I will not be storing water to flush toilets.
I’m adding 1.5 gallons “extra” b/c in an emergency we will likely get dirtier, and possibly have wounds etc to clean.
I’m adding 1 gallon for drinking water. I realized on day 2 that we were drinking lots of milk and OJ…stuff from the fridge. I want to be able to have enough water if we have nothing else to drink.
I’m adding 1.5 gallons (5 gallons / week) for laundry. I may adjust this after I do all my laundry experiments.
How Much Water I Will Store:

So, that means that my family of six would use about 14 gallons of water every day (2.3 gallons per person) in order to maintain a somewhat normal routine in the event that our running water was shut off.

So, we’d need:
42 gallons for a 3 day supply
98 gallons for a 1 week supply
196 gallons for a 2 week supply
420 gallons for a one month (30 day) supply

Personally, my goal is a one month supply. I plan to do that in the following way:
10 Five gallon jugs (50 gallons)
12 water bottle 24 packs (38 gallons)
6 Fifty-five gallon barrels (330 gallons)

In addition, I would like to have the ability to filter / sanitize water for our family of six for six months. That is about 2000 gallons.

How To Wash Laundry With No Running Water

I realize that this might seem a bit basic, but washing clothes by hand is no joke!  I do it every year for two weeks, and every year, I’m glad I did a lot of research on the initial end!  I’m also very glad when I can come home and use the washing machine again too!

Here’s my set up.  I’ve got the following things in order to make it all work;

• A portable, folding clothes line
• A breathing washer
• A metal wash tub

• A commercial salad spinner
• A basket

• A bucket
• Clothes pins

 Please note that in the pictures, I was lucky enough to have a hose this last year, though it was very low pressure and would periodically turn off on its own…In past years I’ve had to do this with the bucket and expect that will be the case in future! Here’s how you put it all together.

•  Fill your wash tub, using the bucket for transporting water
• Put in the soap
• Use the plunger to make bubbles.  If you do not do this step, the soap never mixes well with the water and you end up with cakes in the bottom of the tub.  Not so hot if you really want clean clothing.

• Sort your laundry – do your whites first, with the exception of stinky socks!  If you do the dirty, stinky clothing in the beginning, everything that follows will be dirty and stinky.  Progress thru the clothing, light to dark, to the exceptionally dirty and stinky.

• Put half of what you think will fit into the wash tub.

• Plunge – the idea is to use the plunger like an agitator, and it can’t work if there are too many clothes.  My child model is six, and able to easily do this, though her stamina gave out after 2-3 minutes of plunging.

• When you feel its clean enough, put into basket of commercial salad.
• If you have very dirty or stinky clothes, put them off to the side for scrubbing on the wash board at the very end. (A great job for kids to do, as they love playing with water!)

• Let the clothing drain.
• Spin the spinner to get as much soapy water out as possible.
• Use the bucket to pour water on top of the clothing in the basket.  Pour slowly and gently – don’t soak it all at once.  The idea is to do like a washing machine would and force the clean water thru the clothing so that the soapy water and dirt moves out.

• Spin.  Even the two year old can do this – it’s a fabulous time to get kids involved!

• Rinse and repeat as necessary.
• Make a final spin and remove the clothing out to the laundry basket.
• Finish the load of wash.
• Hang to dry.

 This typically takes longer to dry than a load washed in a home machine because machines are much more efficient at removing the water from the load.  It will drip.  But, this method has the advantage of using a mechanical advantage (the salad spinner) to do the work that would otherwise need doing by hand, (wringing) and which is very hard work!