water storage?

[Delvehound]

I was thinking about where to put a couple 55 gallon drums of H2O. Will a 55g plastic drum freeze and fail if I left it outside thru the winter? Multiple winters? Anyone store water like that?

[Wulf202]

They will fail over several winters at the seam. Fill to 80% or they may fail the first winter.

Do you not have space for them inside?

[Delvehound]

Well, my wife thinks I'm a crazy person for wanting to have a big bag of rice, beans, and some extra canned goods as it is (maybe 2 weeks worth). I tried to get her to read One Second After, but that didn't work (Her exact words, no joke: "I'd rather die than live in a world like that."). So, needless to say, I'm trying to stock up on stuff on the down low. So if something happens, we're covered. Not to segue, but if you've got any advice on that too, it'd be extremely helpful.

Example: The other night we had a power outage at about 20:30, and while she was using her phone to wander around the house, I pulled out a couple candles. She said "That's a great idea!".. At that point I thought it'd be a good opportunity to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing. She thought I was joking. lol

I may be able to hide a couple water containers in the utility room, behind some boxes or something, I'll get dimensions and see what I can come up with.

[Irving]

Kerosene hurricane lanterns can be at Walmart for about $5. They make big and small, but the wick, and therefore the flame, is the same size so you get the same light with a small one.

[TheGrey]

Well, my wife thinks I'm a crazy person for wanting to have a big bag of rice, beans, and some extra canned goods as it is (maybe 2 weeks worth). I tried to get her to read One Second After, but that didn't work (Her exact words, no joke: "I'd rather die than live in a world like that."). So, needless to say, I'm trying to stock up on stuff on the down low. So if something happens, we're covered. Not to segue, but if you've got any advice on that too, it'd be extremely helpful.

Example: The other night we had a power outage at about 20:30, and while she was using her phone to wander around the house, I pulled out a couple candles. She said "That's a great idea!".. At that point I thought it'd be a good opportunity to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing. She thought I was joking. lol

I may be able to hide a couple water containers in the utility room, behind some boxes or something, I'll get dimensions and see what I can come up with.

I think I can help with the communication aspects a bit. There are many women that don't accept the TEOTWAWKI premise. It's just too big and fantastical. However, tackling the problem in smaller bite-sized situations may be the way to go. Weather-related incidents often result in power loss, for an extended period of time. Look at what has recently happened in Evergreen (I think?)- they're without power for a week because one power pole went down. Wildfires and house fires are another real possibility. A loss of income is another- what if one of you was injured on the job, or lost a job? You've got to start out slow. An extra case of water, for instance. A good price on canned beans equals a few more added to the stockpile. Baby steps in response to genuine problem prevention is the way to approach it. I read One Second After, and it's a bit extreme. The women I know aren't going to be turned prepper because of it.

[clodhopper]

Well, my wife thinks I'm a crazy person for wanting to have a big bag of rice, beans, and some extra canned goods as it is (maybe 2 weeks worth). I tried to get her to read One Second After, but that didn't work (Her exact words, no joke: "I'd rather die than live in a world like that."). So, needless to say, I'm trying to stock up on stuff on the down low. So if something happens, we're covered. Not to segue, but if you've got any advice on that too, it'd be extremely helpful.

Example: The other night we had a power outage at about 20:30, and while she was using her phone to wander around the house, I pulled out a couple candles. She said "That's a great idea!".. At that point I thought it'd be a good opportunity to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing. She thought I was joking. lol

I may be able to hide a couple water containers in the utility room, behind some boxes or something, I'll get dimensions and see what I can come up with.

Adjust how you present it to her. She obviously connects prepping with the apocalypse. However, there are a lot of levels. Putting a pair of boots and a coat in the trunk during winter is prepping, but most might consider it simple common sense. You need to identify what lower level situations she may see as possible, and prep for that. Over time, she will likely become comfortable with those things and you and find reason to add another. Hiding the purchase costs as well as the items purchased is very difficult. You already know that going whole hog on preps will get you shut down.

It just isn't practical/possible for one half of the team to prep while the other half ridicules the efforts. There are plenty of issues even when both sides agree. My wife still has a habit of pulling from the set backs when we run out of something with the intention of replacing it, but then procrastinates/forgets. I come along months later to inventory and find storage has reduced instead of increased. While I appreciate the "oh sorry, I intended to replace it, blah blah" it is still frustrating.

[Wulf202]

Does she like frugal shopping? Encourage her to buy extra food when it's on sale. To save money over the course of the year

Water in bottles in the back unused space makes the fridge and freezer run more efficiently. And keep cold wthout power. Distilled water for the car batteries and the iron.

A hot tub would be a source of un treated water and an excuse for pool shock. A pond? A second water heater inline adds efficiency to the system 50 gallons extra...

Have a box of "camping food". The headlamps you need for working on the car or in the crawl space... speaking of crawl space its likely got lots of room.

Like Irving said with lamps. Also tiki torches for parties and citronellla. Propane for the bbq a couple of extra tanks cause you hate running out when the steaks are on. An extra tank for the mower. Same reasons. Seperate tank for the weed eater.

[Delvehound]

Thanks for all the replies! I do have her to the point where if canned goods are on a good sale, we buy a few extra. It's the few extra on top of the few extra where I get the look. Do you remember when you were a kid, trying to sneak goodies in the cart, hoping your mom didn't see? Same situation LOL

I'll adjust the way I present it to her, and use actual real-life situations, folks are going thru as examples. I have her on board for a week or two worth of extras, but we're not prepared if we lose water, heat, or more than a couple days electricity... Come to think of it we're screwed, unless something happens in the rainy season, and folks keep the peace in old Aurora... I just ran out of propane last weekend (all three tanks), I'm out of gas mowing the lawn, I've got a small amount of Kerosene, but that'll be gone from the garage heater come winter, and I shoot more than I buy/reload. Looks like I'm going to have a busy weekend while the wife is at work. LOL

[Irving]

There is a lot of good advice in this thread, and it will be EXTREMELY important that you onboard your wife at a pace that will be unnoticed by her as anything but normal. Let's say for example that she loves you very much and just gives in and says, "I think you're being silly, but do what you want." While you may be excited by having gotten a green light, she'll be telling ALL her friends what a weirdo you've turned into and it's a good thing she loves you so much. The BEST case scenario for however those conversations play out is probably not at all anything you will want to deal with now, or in the future.

We don't know your wife at all, so you'll really have to try different tactics to find a good fit. I'm a big fan of pointing the finger at other people and saying, "Man, I sure don't want to be THAT guy!" This works very well for people clearing store shelves before weather moves in, or even people fighting over the latest toy on Christmas Eve. All it takes is a positive experience to get the ball rolling. If you convince your wife that you guys should start buying Christmas presents now, (better prices, less pressure, more inventory, spread out the cost load) and are successful by having the least stressful Christmas in memory, you've made a giant leap toward your goal, all by completing an exercise that your wife will likely never relate to prepping. "Oh man, aren't you glad we got all the shopping done early? I can't believe how much more enjoyable this holiday season has been."

Being prepared for the holidays months ahead is the exact same principle as being prepared for anything months ahead. The propane idea someone mentioned is perfect. Maybe one day you run out of deodorant and it throws off your whole day, so when you come home from Costco with a 5 pack of Speed Stick, 52 razors, 5 toothpastes, 3 Q-tips, and 20 bars of soap saying, "I NEVER want to have a crappy day like that again just because I wasn't paying attention," it might seem like an over reaction at first, but after 6 months of not having run out of any toiletries, she may get used to just having stuff on hand and you'll be one step closer.

[rbeau30]

You can store your stuff at my house.


RE: Water. You can look to things that are already available to you. Getting that water from where it is to your stomach and everything in between. (like your hot water heater, toilets, rain barrel (oops don't do that it is illegal). Maybe Look in your neighborhood to see where you can get water (creek, etc) Stor the stuff you would need to render the water safe, it is easier to hide (I mean spread out the preps so it does not look like you are stockpiling stuff.) as well.

Do you have a Water BOB? It is easy to stash somewhere.
https://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;...09800AFC857AE2


I like how Irving mentioned the OPSEC portion. My wife is on board with me 120% but... for some reason her co-workers know a little bit too much. With me... It seems that only the preppers around me have found me out (by the way I act and the way I am observant of things around me.)

Do things gradually. What probably happened is that she watched some show like doomsday preppers and say all the idiots on that show and got turned off by all that.

Worst Case Scenario: She doesn't want to live in a world like that right? Well you gotta eat... so it is a win-win either way. I have some of my Wife's most favorite food stored in my preps. Fatten her up a little bit first.