An experiment
 

OK, due to replacing a shower valve body, I had to turn the water off.

This got me to thinking.

Get up one morning and DON'T USE ANY WATER (or any other liquid). See how long you can go without drinking anything. No shower. You CAN use the toilet, BUT ONLY ONCE.

Then report back here.

This will give us ALL a dose of reality as to when shtf.

Re: An experiment
 

Dont use the toilet and save the water for drinking (tank) you also have water in your hot water heather and in your water hose lying outside on the ground......also in your frig.

Re: An experiment
 

Ponce,
Eight 15 gallon cubes. FIFTEEN cases of bottled water. Just for my wife and I. The dogs will get the water in the toilet and our new hot water tank. No hoses connected outside at this time. We had snow yesterday.

But solid info for those NOT prepared.

Re: An experiment
 

A few years ago there was a water shortage in Ca. and one of the rules was that you could not water the grass or wash your car, someone called the cops telling them that this guys was washing his Mercedes and when the cops went to check it out they found this guy with a bunch of empty plastic bottles around him and washing his car with bottled water......heheheheheh only in America.

Re: An experiment
 

I live in an apartment building in a rather dense urban center. About a month or two ago, a major water pipeline burst and a huge section of the city was without water for most of the day (it was a Sunday).

I didn't have fresh water stored, but I did have cans of coke and some juice in the fridge, so I was alright there. I didn't mind being stinky without a shower, but not being able to use the toilet did become a problem. I went number 1 without flushing for about 6 hours, and when it was time for number 2, I gave up and gave a shot at walking to the shopping mall to do my business. Luckily those toilets did work, I guess they must have a water tank for large buildings, enough to cover a prolonged outage.

This was a bit of a wake up for me, and now that I think about it I still haven't done enough preparation for these things yet.

Save your plastic shopping bags - they might come in handy.

Re: An experiment
 

falser,
That, a five gallon bucket and a toilet lid will resolve the #2 issue. Worst case, go outside for #1. Once the smell is overwhelming OR you get the plastic bag half full, remove it, tie it off and then just put it in the trash or dumpster.

This will work for short term. For long term make sure you have a place to dig an outhouse type of arrangement. Go down AT LEAST four feet. Six is better. Having a bag or two of lime keeps the fly problem down. A cup or two on top after you are finished will cover the top of what you just 'deposited' in your outhouse.

And one of my friends has an antique toilet of sorts. A chair with a hole cut out (use your imagination). The bottom is enclosed but when you open the lower door you will see a porcelin bowl for catching....

Re: An experiment
 

Short-term just place a plastic liner in the existing toilet...

Re: An experiment
 

I read an account of someone who used a 5 gallon bucket and Kitty Litter for a fecal matter toilet. The material broke down and did not have to be changed for a number of days. The old outhouse trick was to cover fm with crushed lime powder. Such was also done to hasten decomposition of corpses during the black plague years in Europe. Mozart has no grave, he was a plague victim.

Most urbanites do not understand how much they depend on the kindness (or employment) of others. Suburban living is less dependent, but only if you have storage to draw from. A swimming pool, even a kids toy pool could be covered and made sanitary as you need it.

Most people will be pretty done-in without electric and water. But, hey! You can bet they have new cars, fancy clothes, Corian, Granite, or Italian Marble counter tops and a $100K kitchen that is all electric. Kind of reminescent of the Tulip Mania.


You want to really experiment WalleW; try turning off the main breaker to your house.

Here's another experiment: When is the latest that the snowcover will reliably be gone from your bugout place? Or, maybe the question should be, how long after this the soil warm enough to plant a garden? When is the earliest frost date on record? Those statistics, available at a local feedstore or garden shop ought to open your eyes.

Re: An experiment
 

Here's another experiment: When is the latest that the snowcover will reliably be gone from your bugout place? Or, maybe the question should be, how long after this the soil warm enough to plant a garden? When is the earliest frost date on record? Those statistics, available at a local feedstore or garden shop ought to open your eyes.


Cool weather crops like brocolli, spinach, etc, we can put in late March. Warmer weather crops wait until the white oak leaves are the size of a mouse's ear.....usually last of April......even then, you have to watch....our latest frost was 2nd week of May in my memory.

Most urbanites do not understand how much they depend on the kindness (or employment) of others.

WHOA.....how true. We have 3000 gallons of water storage constantly being refilled by a spring. Gravity feed to the house.

Re: An experiment
 

Same here Andy, I have a 3,000 and a 550.......it goes into the 3,000 and then into the 550 and that way most of the sediment (very little) settles in the bottom which I clean once a year.

Re: An experiment
 

Regarding no power scenario. Been there. Done that. A couple of towns. It 'shook out' all the bugs.

The bugout place is in West Texas. Their spring started around March. Here in Colorado we don't plant until the 1st of June.

My potato and onions are already coming up.

Re: An experiment
 

No running water/electricity? That's every hurricane season for me, sometimes even with really bad thunderstorms.

Paper towels and baby wipes are awesome and go a lot farther than water for cleaning. With the right setup you can also reclaim water, even from urine and feces and garbage, everybody should have a still. Eat out of the can, pick a favorite spoon and stick to it, silver plated spoons and naturally antibacterial. Have a cistern if at all possible, and a pond. Baths get expensive, be prepared for sponge baths and shave your head.

Electricity-wise LED lanterns have staying power and storing such lights with batteries beats candles and oil lamps hands down. A simple light, even though it may be weak, is quite a comfort. Solar battery chargers are an interesting idea, gas or diesel generators are good if you can defend them. Neighbors will be all over you if you fire one up. I much prefer having a cranked or pedaled homebuilt dynamo that is practically silent and allows for direct lighting or the recharging of batteries. If you want to conserve calories it can be hooked up to a small steam, wind or water turbine. A fan can be nice if it is very hot like where I live, but expensive.

Re: An experiment
 

Well Rev. the way I see it is .....why not have all of them? the LED's, the lamps, the generatos, candles , light sticks and so on and as one goes out your would then still have something else.

Re: An experiment
 

I'll just leave the house and turn on the lights/water/toilet/shower/heat/refrigerator in the camper ...


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