Where to store emergency supplies?

[Saym14]

If you have a large family, I'd imagine you have a good sized water heater. In the case of emergency, your water heater holds quite a bit of water... Additionally, the waterBOB is a clever device that holds a good amount of water in your tub that hopefully you can fill before the water runs out in case an earthquake damages the water mains in your neighborhood.

or a pool ? mine holds 22,000 gallons.

[vortec_cruiser]

You could store a lot of the lighter stuff in the attic or rafters of the garage. Water of course needs to be stored somewhere on the ground.

long storage foodstuffs properly packaged can go into a lawn shed if there's no room in the house. You really can fit quite a bit into the attic of virtually any kind of dwelling and as long as you don't overdo it there is no downside. It's not like you are going to be eating your supply, and if you rotate the supply to keep it reasonably fresh just take down some stuff now and then, maybe once or twice a year and eat it.

The attic is the very last place I would store any food. Do you have any idea how hot it gets up there during the summer in So. California? Personally, I wouldn't store anything up there, since its too difficult getting up and down. But then, I have lots of other places to store my stuff.

[vortec_cruiser]

If you have a large family, I'd imagine you have a good sized water heater. In the case of emergency, your water heater holds quite a bit of water... Additionally, the waterBOB is a clever device that holds a good amount of water in your tub that hopefully you can fill before the water runs out in case an earthquake damages the water mains in your neighborhood.

Both good ideas. The WaterBOB is good as long as the disaster isn't a sudden earthquake that rips the water mains apart. I have a WaterBOB - holds 100 gallons, and has a built-in pump & hose.

[vortec_cruiser]

or a pool ? mine holds 22,000 gallons.

Until an earthquake rips it in half.

[socalbowhunter]

We have a storage space under our stair case and we put our food storage there. On the hottest day of the summer, the small room gets about 70 degrees. It is dry walled with the wood floor from the living room extending into it. It has a 4ft lockable door on a push lock system. My wife put a drapery on the wall so it can't be seen.
We call it our Harry Potter room.

[socalbowhunter]

Both good ideas. The WaterBOB is good as long as the disaster isn't a sudden earthquake that rips the water mains apart. I have a WaterBOB - holds 100 gallons, and has a built-in pump & hose.

What is the point of a waterbob? Wouldn't it just be easier to just fill up the tub? Or are you some filthy mf'ers and have gross tubs?

[olhunter]

What is the point of a waterbob? Wouldn't it just be easier to just fill up the tub? Or are you some filthy mf'ers and have gross tubs?

Evaporation, drain leakage, contamination, aftershocks that slosh the water on your floor, etc.

All good reasons for a waterbob.

[socalbowhunter]

Evaporation, drain leakage, contamination, aftershocks that slosh the water on your floor, etc.

All good reasons for a waterbob.

Touche

[TheChief]

Evaporation, drain leakage, contamination, aftershocks that slosh the water on your floor, etc.

All good reasons for a waterbob.

To further on Ol'Hunter's comments...

For me the benefit is convenience and time.

Sanitation - Tubs are very nasty places even with a good cleaning schedule. Unless you clean after every shower or batch with a disinfectant, you are going to leave a layer of scudge, albeit very thin, on the surface. This is what you would be pouring your water into...uh uh, not for me.

Sealed Container - The Water BOB provides a sealed container that will keep the water good for months. Otherwise it will both evaporate and collect dust and other mildew spores and get rank. Also, it keeps other accidental debris that may enter the tub while you do your normal activities in the bathroom in the aftermath of whatever event you are experiencing.

Drain Leakage - Using both the built-in drain stopper and a 5" flat rubber stopper, the water will leak out over the course of a few days. Not so with WaterBOB or other similiar container.

I like them so much I have five of these in my house (bought as a package). I have three tubs and a WaterBob under the sink in each bathroom and two "extras" in the stoarge room. I bought some for my family as well.

[Saym14]

Until an earthquake rips it in half.

that doesnt happen. maybe it tilts or floats out of the soil. pools dont just crack in half.

also I agree the attic is the last place I would go.

[Databyter]

The attic is the very last place I would store any food. Do you have any idea how hot it gets up there during the summer in So. California? Personally, I wouldn't store anything up there, since its too difficult getting up and down. But then, I have lots of other places to store my stuff.

Well, it's an option for folks who have no other room. Also not all attics are too hot to store foodstuffs, even in California. It depends on the design and the location. Many homes are completely shaded for much of the day for instance. Many homes have modern designs that keep the attics cool in the summer.

Also, I am talking about dehydrated foods and light foods. These are light and easy to store and you don't need to have daily access to them if they are for emergency.The other option is to take the other light stuff from your closets and bins and put THEM in the attic leaving more room for the foodstuffs and other emergency items close to the ground.

Of course it is ideal to have an extra pantry or a spare room, but not everybody has this. I offered it up as a possibly overlooked option. Even half a dozen small boxes of stuff you don't want to get rid of but never use tossed into the attic space opens up lots of possibilities for those who are storage challenged. Put those empty product boxes up there and the old tax and business records and free up the space below. And it's not hard to get to provided you have a stepladder and are reasonably functional.