White flour! White flour!

You're ready for the Rapture™.

I wouldn't go to the coast. I'd think heading to the nearest hig mointain range would be better, where there's snow and steady water flowing down.

Also, less people in the mountains, therefore less danger than at the coasts.

This.

Heading for a coast is probably not a good idea, considering all the water there is of the salted variety.

Best idea would be to head inland and find farmland. Most farmsteads, even the modern ones, have been farmsteads for quite some time and thus will still have the manual pump. And even if not, it being farmland usually means regular rain, which can easily be collected if one has gutters and large, barrel-esque containers to store it in.

I hope you never have to use that cache (in desperation), but I'm glad that you have it available. That's wise forethought.

Sensible precaution.

Nope. Sorry. Not just any coast and not just anywhere. The west coast is water stressed as is much of the south and right up the coastline to about New York. Your best bet is the Dakota's or New England. Everywhere is feeling pressure, though.

Enjoy your flour

Huh?
Did I miss something?

The coast is a great idea if you know how to do your own desalination. Luagha and I should rebuild our survival gear and stock ammo

Empty 2L bottles are good for water storage, if you want to be sure they last spike it a little, alcohol kills things.

Add a solar panel or two (Pick up some used ones on the cheap), a couple of deep cycle batteries and an inverter, and you can run a refrigerator in the truck even if you're on the move. Maybe see if you can get a mini chest freezer of sorts. Just thoughts. :)

Karno is stocking up for the 2012 zombie horde.

Note to self: more guns.

"The best thing since canned sugar!" needs to be a phrase.

A long time ago I took a few of my plastic gallon orange juice jugs, cleaned them out, filled them with tap water, and stashed them in a basement storage space. Now I'm generating similar jugs from milk. When they are cleanable, I swap them out for an older jug (and date when I put them down there), using the old water for making iced tea, Kool-Aid, juice from concentrate, or just drinking straight. It keeps my emergency supply from getting contaminated by age, I'm regularly checking for leaks, and yet I have at least a week's water waiting for the worst.

I should do similar with a case of canned food. Preferably something that is safe to eat unheated. Stash it for a while, swap it out with new, and put the old into my regular eating supplies.

Take a look at the silver part of my post below!

Can't drink seawater. Luckily, I live near a Freshwater Lake. :D

If you put a brass or copper distiller in the sun you can make fresh water easily.

Point.

Can be used to clean up lake water too. But still be careful when you do this!

*Nods* Smart.

Taking the side of your inner voice...

...what if they spoil?

As for water, someone posted a video with a good idea for that over here.

For storing dry stuff, like sugar and flour, try paint style cans. You can buy them brand new empty for about three bucks each. Seal them with an oxygen absorber packet and stuff is good for years. rodent and bug proof, just keep them away from moisture so they don't start rusting.

Thanks for the tip!

There is a problem with the Bleach method is certain carmful bacteria and viruses actually survives the bleach method.... I prefer using a desalination pump and iodine tablets because the pump filters the impurities and the tablets kills the germs that even survive in bleach......

I can advise this book to store enough water! http://www.amazon.com/Water-Storage-Emergency-Use---Ferrocement/dp/0964343363/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307276523&sr=1-1

To improve potability of the water you can always use a UV-light filter, use a green roof and/or a big planter basin to filter out organic particles. And you can always use the ancient trick of adding a silver plate or even a coin in the water tank, the oligodynamic effect of silver will take care of most of the germs that find their way into your water. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligodynamic_effect

How much of a problem are water shutoffs for you, actually? I have no idea what part of Tucson you live in, but someone else I know living there tells me that it's not all that uncommon for the water to be off for a period of hours for no announced reason. He has taken to keeping several jugs of water around at all times in case that should happen.

The water wars are the reason OTEC isnt being researched big time. The big problem with it is when your generating Gigawatts in a baseline plant, you have to get rid of the millions of gallons of waste freh water every day somehow.

A small unit running a litre a second can generate up to 5kW from a 20C difference..solar panels, thermal, can reach 100 C easy.

At 20C, micro OTEC would be 6 % efficint, far better than cheap PV, at 150 C max?.. Efficincy is 20%, or staged? easily equiv to top grade PV,a dn you have hot fresh water as well?

Still working on it, was basis of combo washer dryer, AC kettle etc.

Good luck.

I could use a set of that stuff for when The Big One hits. Stored in a few plastic tubs, they should be fine for ages.

Sugar, potato flakes, white flour, kæstur hákarl; yup, looks like you’re ready for any potential food shortage.