I'm new to prepping. And pretty low on money (just got out of college) but I don't wanna be like "i should have bought this when I could have"


Preps so far.

Guns.. got that covered. Low on ammo though.

Food. 2.5 cases of mre's.  building up canned stuff now.

Water.  have been buying the big 2 gallon water dispensers with spout for the refrigerator.




Where i live we have a nice sized river and about 32 acres of lakes behind my house.


Which should i be getting water out of and how (filters and all that)?

 

You need to decide if you want to filter it there and bring clean water home, or bring dirty water home and filter it when you get it there. Portable filter versus stationary filter system.

YOu want a water filter that filters down to a micron or 2 then use a chemical treatment for the stuff that gets through. MSR has a really nice filter (the Sweetwater) for less than a hundred bucks and I have used it on a whole lot of lakes here in Michigan

Another good option for people on a budget for a stationary filter is the monolithic filter.

I don't have much storage for stuff so small would be nice. (portable i guess)


That thing looks nice for the price. Chemical as in clorox or those little pills?

What about this?

http://www.sawyer.com/SP180.htm





 

get  a good portable filter for now.



the msr line,sweetwater,katdyne mini , hiker pro etc.



or purchase or make a table top.



then get some more food. unless your single.



ya gotta drink and eat everyday...

What jnatv said

Since you have very limited space you don't have to use the five gallon buckets like the site suggest, something smaller would also work.. Below are the filter specs.

Water Filter Specifications


...Just Water Ceramic Filtration Specifications
(filters Manufactured by Winfield and Black Jack Industries)


Product is manufactured to meet:
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 42
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 53
ISO 9002 Quality Standard
USA AEL Laboratories
USA Analytical Food Laboratories
USA Johns Hopkins University
British 5750 Quality Standard
England’s Water Research council (WRc) Performance Standards

The filtration efficiency is 0.2 micron

Removal capabilities as follows:
>99% Arsenic 5 and 99% Arsenic 3 (special order)
>99% Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
>95% Chlorine and Chloramines
>99% Taste
>99% Odor
>98% Aluminum
>96% Iron
>98% Lead
>90% Pesticides
>85% Herbicides
>85% Insecticides
>90% Rodenticides
>85% Phenols
>85% MTBE
>85% Perchlorate
>80% Trihalomethanes
>95% Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons
>99.999% of particles larger than 0.5 micron (Staffordshire University Labs) (includes Anthrax)
>99.7% of particles larger than 0.3 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)
>98% of particles larger than 0.2 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)
>100% Giardia Lamblia
>100% Cyclospora
>100% removal of live Cryptosporidium (WRc Standard)
>100% removal of Cryptosporidium (NSF Standard 53 – A.C. fine dust – 4 log challenge)
>100% removal of E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Johns Hopkins University)
>99.999% removal of Salmonella Typhil, Shigella Dysenteria, Kiebsiella Terrigena (Hyder Labs)

Product is silver impregnated
and will not permit bacteria growth-through (mitosis)
provides a hostile environment for all microbiological organisms and will not support their growth
Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times with a soft brush or damp cloth.

Performance Features:
Easy installation
Good flow rate / 14 to 17 gallons a day (gravity flow)
Up to 60-70 gallons per day (pressure flow)
Filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream
Semi/Annual filter replacement Cleansable with clean damp cloth
Shelf life is extended by shaking filter every 3-4 months to loosen media inside and prevent packing
Once in use, filter will last 6-8 months


JUST WATER, 669 Scenic Ranch Circle, Fairview TX 972-886-0263 e-mail: [email protected]



 

Copyright © 2011 Monolithic Marketplace. All Rights Reserved. All prices USD.

This online store is powered by Shopify E-Commerce
   

You seem to be making good progress. Don't let the people who would have you believe that anything under 10,000 rounds of ammo per gun is not enough, or that you should have a couple skid loads of MREs in your garage discourage you.

I suggest you write down what you think you need to survive for 3 days. Get it in a bag that you can grab and go with 5 minutes or less notice. IMO, it probably belongs in your car.

Then look at would it would take to survive a month of bugging in.

Then maybe 90 days.

Bring this out to as far as you think is wise. Personally, I think anything beyond 90 days, maybe a year tops, is stretching things a bit. If something bad happens that lasts that long, I am not sure that any level of preps is going to solve your problem.

I forgot to say... I have 7,000 gallons of off road diesel next to my trailer. Covered on powering my truck.

My dad has a welding machine/generator that runs off diesel. So I could have power for a long time unless it breaks.



I don't really go anywhere, way out of town so not worried about crazy people. If i go on a trip or something I always pack heavy with guns and ammo, and now mre's that just got.



I have maybe a month of food with me and my GF.





 

Well I'll be a horned toad, those specs look just about like the berky!!!



How much do those dandy ceramic filters cost anyhows?

Oh, abt $25 each!

Actually, that is a super deal and folks ought to stock them deep while they can.

I'm going to have to look into those filters.  The Berkey filters are $100/pair.

Just a note on the OP's original question.  Standing water generally has more bacteria, etc, especially if it has any rotting vegetation, leaves, etc.  Rivers are generally cleaner in that sense although if SHTF, there's no telling what kind of pollutants will get into the streams, incl. dead animals with the diseases they can carry.

For just the filter the cost is $21.25.
It might be best if you get the package that contains the filter, spigot and filter sock, cost $27.50. You would just need to supply your own containers.
I now have two of these filters with the five gallon buckets ready to go.
I also keep several coffee filters around, if your water source is really dirty the coffee filter can help remove some of this then your filter and sock can take care of everything else.

This is exactly what I did.   I priced the Berkey, then one like it out of Missouri,  then found the Monolithic.   I ordered two complete kits minus the buckets and two spare filters.  So my total was $108 for 4 filters, 2 pre filter covers, and 2 spouts.  Then I found food grade five gallon buckets on sale at a farm store for $1.00 each.  I now have two complete filter systems and two spare filters.

Since you have 7000 gallons of diesel you will most likely be staying put.   I would get multiple containers to store the fuel in that are small enough to carry.   I'd stock up on more food and lanterns and security and barter and charity items.   I would also look into a refrigerator  and freezer that will run off the diesel.  I'm not a fan of generators.   I see them get stolen and when the power goes down they attract a lot of attention with noise and the lights people use.

Last month the power went down from a storm, within minutes we had a couple of home invasions.  Under the cover of darkness the bad people will try to exploit it.    

We are experiencing flooding now and we have been having thieves using john boats to go to evacuated houses and take what they want.  

There are only two people at my house and it is impossible for us to provide security so we have developed plans and alliances with very trusted friends to meet up at a location based on the situation.  With numbers comes strength,  so this is also why we have a lot of extra supplies.   I am one of the people that stock a lot of ammo.  It can be used as a barter item and given out to trusted friends in need.    Since you have a large supply of diesel it could be one of your barter items to trade for what you will need.

It really is a mindset you adopt and it doesn't stop with getting some guns and ammo and MRE's.  You should always be planning and fortifying you position.   Just this past Saturday I went to a flea market and found a two man cross cut saw for $10.   I grabbed it up.  Tools that don't require fuel, sparkplugs, and other resources are good to have.   A couple of months ago we built a chicken tractor and have 5 hens giving use between 3 and 4 eggs a day.    

I've got a supply of AA flashlights and rechargeable AA batteries and I'm planning on getting a 25 to 30 watt foldable solar panel in the next month.  

My wife and I are both Army vets,  both Military police, nurses.  She is working as a RN, I'm working as a LEO.   Our friends are a diverse skilled group from MD's to coal miners with electrician and welding experience.  

And most important of all we are all Christian and do a lot of charity work.  


So examine your strengths and deficits and work on them.   It is difficult to predict what could happen when, but you should be able to have a good idea what could happen naturally based on your geographic location.

Last month the power went down from a storm, within minutes we had a couple of home invasions.

Wow, you just never know what some people will do, hope you guys were not hurt or had anything stolen because of the home invasions.
Don't let these thieves take from you, do what you have to do to protect yourself and your family.

We are experiencing flooding now and we have been having thieves using john boats to go to evacuated houses and take what they want.

Wow. Unbelievable what some people will do.

About to order the sawyer bucket filter.

So much to do....





 

I was on patrol during the home invasions and later the flooding.  So it was not me personally that had the problems.  I actually got posted at a traffic control post for a power line that went down in the road.  It was still hot and arcing and sparking and people would stop and tell me there was a power line down.  I would say thank you out loud while thinking to myself what a bunch of idiots, why do they think I am here directing them to take another route?

When the power went out the traffic doubled.  People did not want to sit at home in the dark so they got in their cars and started driving around because they had lights and were entertained.  Then of course some end up running out of gas.  

I got called off my TCP to go meet an ambulance for a pregnant woman (18yoa) who had fallen.  When I got there I found out she was secure in a solid storm shelter building but wanted to go home so she ran 300 yards through driving rain, hail and 70 mph wind, and slipped and fell on a wooden bridge over a fast moving over flowing creek.  So when you do your prepping think of all the stupid things other people will do and add that to your plan.  

Sawyer filters are good I have one for my portable water bottle.  I also used it with my portable plastic shower bag.   I would fill the bag and let it sit in the sun so I had a hot shower then after the shower  I'd filter the water through a hose attached to the Sawyer and save the water.  I did this in May of 2009 when we had a big storm come through and knock out power for the week.  

The filter I looked at before getting the Monolithic is the Aqua Rain filter.