EMERGENCY SANITATION AND HYGIENE KIT

Posted by: Bev Sanlin | on April 29, 2013

Emergency Sanitation and Hygiene Kit in a Bucket

By MsKYprepper, Editor-At-Large

More people die in the weeks following a disaster than during.  Without good hygiene and sanitation diseases like diarrhea and typhoid bloom. Cases of malaria are increased, as a result of mosquitoes breeding in the disaster-environment.  Plus, you’ve probably heard about the outbreak of cholera in Haiti and the raw sewage, industrial chemicals and floating debris in waterways around New York City after Hurricane Sandy.  Having supplies on hand for emergency sanitation will help your family remain healthy following any disaster. 

Inspiration for my original kit came from “Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook” by Peggy Layton.  I gathered items from the list in the book and Hubby and I committed to using the kit – and only the kit – for one weekend.  We found that it covered the basics, but the experience pointed up additional items we’d like to have.  Practice with your preps, right?  What follows is my existing setup.

Buckets

You’ll need one 6-gallon with lid and one 2 ½-gallon bucket.  During the disaster, the large bucket will be your emergency potty and the smaller one will be used for sponge baths and other general cleaning. Attach an Emergency Potty Seat to the larger bucket.  The 6-gallon bucket is the same height as the modern, chair-height toilets.  It’s more comfortable for the elderly and disabled but you could just as easily use a 5-gallon bucket and sit a bit lower.  The smaller bucket fits neatly inside the larger, along with everything listed below. Into the buckets, put:

Emergency Sanitation

A cheap plastic shower curtain, shower rings and line to make a simple privacy enclosure for your potty. 12-gallon trash bags: used to line the bucket when doing your business.  A folding shovel to bury waste until you are able to dispose of it properly. A lighter to burn waste if you are unable to bury it.  Toilet paper and Scott’s Shop Towels.   Hubby convinced me that shop towels were thirstier than regular paper towels and they’re reusable.  I used my vacuum food sealer to suck the air from the rolls, saving space in my bucket. 

If you watch only one YouTube video this week, checkout the channel by “EmergencyHelps.” There, I learned about Medaphene Plus Disinfectant Spray and SuperSorb.  Medaphene is an aerosol that kills staff, herpes, tuberculosis, salmonella, HIV and other germs.  Think of it as Lysol on steroids.  Super Sorb is an instant absorbent: sprinkle a bit into the potty after use to eliminate odors, kill germs and turn liquids into a gel.  You could also use kitty litter, saw dust or other items, but it is heavy and you’d have to store more of it.  Find them both on Amazon or where janitorial supplies are sold.

General Cleaning

Pool Shock and an eyedropper. Bleach looses its strength in long term storage and is bulky.  A small amount of Shock, mixed with water will make fresh bleach.  Find it in the pool section.  Tide detergent: for washing clothes.  Dishwashing detergent for general cleaning.   Add 33-gallon trash bags with twisties for other general trash.  Again, the vacuum sealer sucked the air from the plastic bags, saving space in the bucket.

Personal Protection

Gloves: the long-cuff latex type is best, if you’re not allergic.  Safety glasses.  Several N95 masks.  Don’t under estimate the need for personal protection (gloves, mask and eye).  If someone in your family becomes ill, you’ll need to protect yourself. In a disaster situation you may be cleaning up urine, diarrhea, blood or who-knows-what.  If space permits, add N100 masks–In the paint department.  N100 blocks all of the germs and odors plus, the small ventilator makes it more comfortable to wear.

Personal Hygiene and Body Care 

Toothbrush, paste, mouthwash and floss. Deodorant. Bar soap. Shampoo. Face cloth and camp towel. Baby wipes as an alternative when water is scarce. Chap stick. Lotion. Powder. Bug spray. Sunblock. Razor and shaving cream.  To fit it all in the bucket, stick to small or travel sizes. Feminine hygiene supplies. Scrunchies: if you have long-hair, (else you probably don’t even know what these are.)  Nail file and clippers. Multi-vitamins.  Camp shower: this is one of those black bags that you hang in the sun.  It works pretty well specially if you use it with the shower curtain.  A knee-high stocking: makes a convenient soap-on-a-rope that can be tied nearby. 

Poly Tarp

Make a floor for your shower.  Don’t waste shower water, you might be able to reuse it elsewhere.  Many items have multiple uses, as an example the shower curtain and tarp can be used to catch rain water.

Don’t underestimate the need for pleasant smells after a disaster.  But also, don’t buy products with overbearing scents that conflict with one another.  Keep smells light and fresh. 

Water

Collapsible water carrier to transport water from a local source.  Coffee filters, water purification tablets, and several 1-gallon ziplock bags to use with purification tablets, a Katadyn water filter–I wanted to have several methods to assure clean water in addition to boiling. 

Cooking

A mini, foldable cook stove with fuel tabs and a small stainless steel cook pot: for food or to boil water.  A general purpose knife and sharpening stone.  Sporks: a combined fork and spoon. Heavy duty aluminum foil. Matches, BIC lighters and a magnesium fire starter.

Other Stuff 

LED Flashlight, LED headlamp light, spare batteries and several 200-hour glow sticks: who wants to potty in the dark?  A canvas fanny-pack. A battery powered alarm clock.  Sharpie, pencils and a small tablet of paper. Small first aid kit with triple antibiotic ointment, alcohol, peroxide and various bandages and pain meds. Last but not least – Duck tape: just because there are a million uses.

Aggressively vacuum seal and carefully pack anything that can be compressed and it will all fit neatly into one 6-gallon bucket.  Print an inventory list and maybe instructions your family may need and toss it in as well.  Put the lid on it and label the bucket.  You’re done.  Of course you can buy kits, but expect to pay a lot for a basic unit.  I spent about half of the cost of commercial unit for twice as much.

Note: I didn’t include water in my kit as I have water stored elsewhere. Depending on your situation, you may wish to include some water.

OK – this part is not included in your bucket but it may be useful if you live in an older home.  If the sewer system in your town becomes overloaded, either because of flood or because people are flushing toilets when the system is not able to process it, water and/or raw sewage may backup into your home thru toilets, drains, washer hookup and sinks.  Search the subject on YouTube and the videos will make you gasp.  Newer homes install a device called a Backflow Preventer on the mainline to prevent backflow.  A plumber can easily retrofit an older home.  My final invoice was $300 installed.  Expensive but worth it.

What can we learn from West, Texas?

For those who don't know, there was an explosion in West, Texas the evening of April 17th, 2013.  Fifteen were killed - mostly First Responders - and around 200 were wounded. any buildings were destroyed including an apartment complex and a nursing home. For the town of West, this was their "9-11." Though it's not a contest, I've been surprised at how little coverage the West disaster has received in contrast to the Boston explosion. You HAVE heard about West, right?

As a Chaplain with the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN), I have just spent 3 days in West rendering assistance to Survivors there, plus an unexpected fourth day at my Stephenville home fielding eMail's and phone calls from people offering finances, jobs and lodging to West Survivors. Though I experienced things I will never forget in West, I came away with a message I feel compelled to share with anyone inclined to increase their own Disaster Readiness.

Because my wife and I carry a Bug-Out bag in both our vehicles, when the ADRN Volunteers received our deployment instructions by eMail, I was able to leave without much preparation. I encountered person after person at the incident site in West who were either looking for FEMA (they had not arrived as of the 23rd at 5PM) or were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and found themselves completely dependent upon someone else in order to survive. Sure, there are instances where grabbing a bag is impossible. For example, when a car containing your survival gear is on fire or crushed. I get that. But that is NOT the case in most instances. Truth is, 93% of folks simply aren't ready for anything, and that's a statistical fact. 

One woman who'd heard me speak on Disaster Readiness months ago confessed, "...I admit I patronizingly nodded in agreement with you but now, after this, I can see we had all better be ready because we never know when it's going to be happening to us." Another woman - a professional wearing a business suit - was allowed back into her home but said she was warned not to eat anything or wear any of her clothes because of the ammonium nitrate that had burned so many there. Add to this there would be no water for about three weeks and she and her son had no choice but to relocate and start over.

A disaster can be whatever an individual is going through at any moment. I helped a woman change a flat tire last night; that could have been a disastrous moment for her. For someone else, it's a cheating spouse, a bad doctor report, a son who gets arrested, or a daughter who gets pregnant. People react the way they do as a result of where they're at when the crisis occurs. They might act completely different and have a melt-down during the next crisis.

Are YOU prepared? If you can get a group of at least 12 adults together within 3 hours of Stephenville, I will gladly come and make an encouraging Disaster Readiness presentation. God has burdened my heart to see as many Americans increase their preparedness as possible. E-mail miketummillo@me.com and type "HELP" in your Subject Bar.

Finally, because the out-pouring of love has been so great and is now much more than they need, what the people of West need most is finances (donated through ADRNTX.org, SalvationArmy.org or any other relief organization) as well as jobs and temporary dwelling places.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Workplace Chaplain

Founder, The Church @ Work

Chaplain, ADRN

Top 5 ways to start a fire.

Friction-based method – probably the most difficult way to start a fire and one that will make you wish you had a Bic lighter more than any other.

Bow drill – the most effective of the friction-based methods.

Flint and steel – matches get wet, so a flint and steel set is something you’ll want to keep with you.

Lens-based method – remember when you used a magnifying glass and the sun to melt stuff as a kid? Same principle here. Consider the polished bottom of an aluminum can.

Batteries and steel wool – Rub the wool on the battery contacts until it warms and then burns.

Water will quench your thirst, but fire will provide a wide variety of things you need, including warmth, light, a cooking flame, heat to dry wet clothes, water purification, smoke signals and much more.  Bic lighters are CHEAP! Get a bunch of 'em! In my own bug-out bag, I carry waterproof matches, cotton balls and Chapstick,  petroleum-based product. Great fire starter!

"My People Perish for Lack of Knowledge."

Are you planning to attend the Self-Reliance Expo?

This FAMILY-FRIENDLY event takes place in Arlington, TX 

April 26-27 at the Arlington Convention Center (Oct 4-5 in Denver, CO)

$10 for Adults covers BOTH days! 

Ages 12 and under get in FREE as do Scouts in uniform!

CLICK HERE to go to the event website!

This event focuses on traditional values and long-forgotten skills

Classes include:

Nature's Medicines

Beekeeping

Canning

Food Storage

CPR

Cooking with the sun

DIY Solar Panels

Small-scale Family Food Production

Classes and Speakers on a variety of topics!

Stuff for the kids, too! 

See ya there!

SEVEN STEPS TO TAKE 

FOLLOWING A DISASTER

1. Are you safe?

Your first concern is to insure that family members, loved ones and pets are safe. Check to see if there are any injuries that need immediate attention and tend to them first.  Walk around your home to determine if there is structural damage that makes staying inside unsafe.

2. Locate dry warm clothing and sturdy shoes.

Conditions can change very rapidly following a disaster.  Locate dry, warm clothing and put them on along with a decent pair of socks and sturdy shoes.  If you have some gloves, put those on as well. 

Many people keep these items under their bed so that they can be located in a hurry in the even they had to get out quickly.  Yes, it may be the middle of summer but go ahead and layer on the clothing anyway.  You can always shed it later.  Put them on, along with gloves if you have them. 

Remember, you are dressing for safety, no fashion or style.

3. Turn off the utilities.

Turn off the electricity coming in to your home.  Why do you need to do this?  A disaster can disrupt your electrical service or cause wires and electrical fixtures to separate, creating a shock and fire hazard.  It is better to be safe than sorry. 

If you smell natural or propane gas, or hear a hissing noise, evacuate immediately.  Locate the gas meter outside your home and turn off the gas.  This is something that everyone in your family should know how to do. 

Note:  Most meters are at the front or side of the house. 

Some are put inside a building. In apartments or commercial buildings, they might be in the back.
If you do not smell gas or do not here hissing, it may be okay to leave the gas on but when in doubt – or if the damage appears severe, shut it off anyway.

4. Conserve Your Water

Water quickly becomes a precious resource following many disasters. For that reason you will want to turn off the water at the main valve in order to insure that the water that is already in your home remains safe and clean.   

You shut off the water for two reasons:

• 1) Cracked lines external to your home may pollute the water supply.  2) Shutting down the water prevents cross contamination. 

• The effects of gravity may drain the water in your hot water and toilet tanks unless you trap it in your house by shutting off the main house valve.  You may need to conserve this water for your own use for a few days, before the community water is again deemed safe.

5. Communicate with Others

Place a communication card in your house window to show your family’s condition – have OK written on one side and HELP written on the backside.  This will alert neighbors and first responders of your condition and will allow them to help those most in need first. 

You will then want to execute your family communication plan.  If you have not put together a plan, then make that a priority now.   

If communication lines are open (cell phone, texting, emergency radios), make contact with the out-of-state or out-of-area contact person that has been pre-selected to relay information when family members are separated following a disaster and local lines are not working.

6. Fire Protection

If you home is safe and the electricity is off, gather your  fire extinguishers and place them outside of your home in a visible location so that others in the neighborhood can use them if a fire erupts.  You are not only being a good neighbor by doing this – you are also preventing a fire next door for jumping over to your home and setting it on fire as well.

7.  Help Your Neighbors

If you have taken my advice and introduced yourself to your neighbors, join them in an effort to determine whether anyone in the community needs immediate assistance right way.  Check on the neighbors that might be the most vulnerable, including families with young children, the disabled and the elderly. 

For those that are hurt, provide basic first aid.  Turn off any remaining gas valves if you suspect a leak (by smell or by sound.)  And most important, help evacuate anyone who appears to be in danger and is too shocked or dare I say, too ignorant, to do so on their own.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST CLICK HERE

Have you ordered your FREE SAMPLE KIT from GOFoods yet?

If not, CLICK HERE!

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a TV show where a man was "prepping" and had a huge room loaded with 6 months worth of food. Hmmm. My wife and I prep with GOFoods and 1-year's worth of food fits into three 5-gallon buckets! Delicious, too!

10 Free Items That Could Save Your Life

There's plenty of things that will help you survive in an emergency situation, some can be expensive, some coul be free or cost less than $2. I'll provide a list of things that are either free or cost you next to nothing that could potentially save your life!

Syran Wrap - Use it to wrap around large wounds, to keep bacteria and viruses out. You can also use for solar water distillation (learn here), waterproofing items, or using it to hang something on a tree. Pour water into the plastic, and wrap it up like a ball, use it like a magnifying glass to start a fire!

Plastic Bags - Carry all kinds of bags, from ziplock to grocery bags, use them to carry items, to wrap around tree branches to collect water (see how here), making a filter, using it for wound protection for your feet or hand just wrap around cord to keep any conaminants out. Endless uses.

Bottle of Chlorox - A small bottle of bleach is very handy, 2-4 drops per quart of water can kill any bad contaminants. Use it to kill viruses on dirty surfaces.

Iodine Liquid 2% - Use iodine to disinfect wounds, gear or even drinking water. Add 5-10 drops to 1 quart of questionable drinking water. (you have to wait an hour before drining, pregnant woman and people with thyroid illness shouldnt drink water that has been disinfected with iodine)

Candles - A batch of wax candles could come in handy, plus they are entirely waterproof! Use it to help start fires, use hot wax to seal openings or wounds, frayed twine or string can be mended with alittle wax so they can easily go into holes, use it to waterproof other items like matches, twine, use it to seal bottles. The list is endless.

Duct Tape - Use it to make bowls or cups, to seal holes or wounds, make pockets, rope, traps, the possibilities are endless. Use as fly traps, etc.

Clear Packing Tape - Most of the uses that ducttape can do, but, clear packing tape can be used to waterproof items like bic lighters. Just wrap the tape around the head of a lighter and squeeze the exess tape together at the top. Waterproof just about anything!

Bic Lighters - I came to the conclusion that if you waterproof your Bic lighter (like i explained above) you will have no problems with starting fires. Bic lighters are highly reliable.

Dental Floss - Preventing gum disease is also important to overall health, but it can also be used to suture up wounds, tie things together, used for traps, cordage, etc.

Curved Upolstry Needles - For patching up large wounds, this is a must have along with sutures/wire/string.

Cotton Balls - Could be used for wound care and starting fire!

How to stay warm in the house 

when the power goes out

When Sandy hit, more than 8 million homes were left in the dark. But with a superstorm of such proportions, that was to be expected. However, no one expected the power to stay down for 3 straight weeks!

Unless you`ve got a reliable energy source, your home is going to become your living hell, especially when you have to go through many long, cold nights. And even if you do have a backup energy source, you may never know when something goes wrong and suddenly you`re forced to rethink your survival plan from scratch. In this case, knowing how to keep yourself and your family warm with just a few resources can be lifesaving. So read this carefully and then send it to your loved ones. One day, they may be thanking you for keeping them alive.

Keep the cold outside your home

First thing you need to do is keep your home as warm as it can be. Which means you`ll have to turn your home into a greenhouse.

Here`s what you`ll need:

• Plastic wrap
• Duct tape
• Towels
• Old clothes

1. Start by shutting all doors and windows. If you have interior and exterior windows, make sure they`re all perfectly shut.

2. Cover interior windows with clear plastic wrap and secure them with duct tape. The plastic wrap will create a greenhouse effect, capturing sunlight during the day and keeping your room warm longer. The duct tape will prevent cold air from leaking in the house. However, be careful about carbon monoxide leaks! I suggest you get a carbon monoxide detector before sealing up your home this way.

3. Now roll up some towels and old clothes and cover all drafty areas, especially along the bottom of your doors. A good way to check for draft is to hold a lighter close to the the wall or door that may be leaking air from the outside. Pay attention to the flame. If it flickers, then you`ve got to draft-proof that spot.

Keep yourself warm

To keep your body temperature high, you`ll need:

• Clothes (for multiple layers)
• Warm socks
• A wooly hat
• Food
• Water
• A hot water bottle
• Hand and feet warmers (the ones you squeeze and they instantly start producing heat)
• 
  

1. First thing your should know: you lose most heat through your head and feet. So if you`re thinking a couple of warm sweaters will do, you`re wrong. If you don`t have at least one pair of thick wooly socks and a hat, you`re likely to keep freezing. Gloves will help, too. The whole point is to cover as much skin as you can.

2. Wear multiple layers of clothing: an underlayer, a midlayer and if it`s really cold, an outerlayer. Something like this:

• Underlayer - Two-ply long johns and undershirts (cotton on the inside for comfort, wool on the outside for warmth).  Two pairs of socks–a thin pair of cotton socks beneath a heavier wool pair–are warmer and more comfortable than a single thick pair.

• Midlayer – For warmth and ventilation, wear a tightly woven wool shirt that opens down the front and a quilted jacket over it that also opens in the front.  Pants should be of tightly woven wool, cuffless, with plenty of room in the seat and legs, and flaps over the pockets to help keep snow out.  For added ventilation use suspenders rather than a belt. A woolen stocking hat or mask-like hat will greatly reduce loss of heat from the head.

• If it doesn`t make you uncomfortable, you can also wear an outerlayer, for example a parka that covers the hips and has a hood with a full-length zipper. Usually, you`d wear this outside to protect you from snow, wind and rain, but since it conserves body heat very well, you can wear it during very cold nights, too. 

3. Wrap yourself and your loved ones in blankets. It`s best if you can all cuddle under the same blanket, to keep yourselves and each other warm. Make sure your heads are covered as well, because your breath will warm up the air underneath the blanket faster.

4. Move. I`m not saying you should start running around the house until you collapse on the sofa, but you should at least tense and relax muscles while sitting in bed, all covered up in blankets. Physical activity produces body heat, that`s why you start shivering when you get cold. So don`t just sit there like an ice sculpture, get your muscles busy so they can warm up.

5. Try a hot water bottle. If you can heat some water, it could help you keep your feet warm longer. An alternative would be running a hot pan over the blanket, to warm it up.

6. Light a few candles.Candles can produce a lot of heat, but you`ll have to be extracareful where you place them. Don`t leave them unattended, check them once in a while and never fall asleep without putting them out first.

7. Eat. If you haven`t eaten in a few hours, your body finds it harder and harder to produce heat. You`ll need to eat fatty foods, preferably warm. You`ll feel much more relaxed and warm after having a good meal, you`ll see.

8. Drink lots of water. When your body isn`t hydrated properly, your muscles might have trouble contracting. So drink water constantly, to “feed” your muscles, but don`t overdo it. Trips to the bathroom and back can get you shivering again and you`ll want to keep your body heat constant. However, don`t hold it in if you need to go to the bathroom. You body will use energy to keep the liquid warm inside your body and that`s just wasted heat.

9. Try to relax. Don`t think about how cold it is, try to picture yourself sunbathing or sitting in front of a fireplace. Being stressed about the cold will only aggravate the feeling, so think positive. It`s very important.

What is "Church"... REALLY?

Use the phrase, "The Church is not the buildings or denominations... it's the people," and you are sure to hear an 'amen' or two from anyone within earshot. But when a house of worship is struck by lightning and is burned to the ground, that's where the rubber meets the road.

The Saturday before Easter, at 3:30 am, lightning hit a beautiful chapel in Whitney, Texas, built by some friends of ours four years ago. The next day, with the charred and crumbling chapel in the background, the congregation and other supportive souls, gathered for their Easter service on the lawn south of the building. That "church-is-not-the-building" thing became a reality.

What now? Will the sheep scatter, being absorbed into other area churches? Will they shift gears and start meeting in homes, coming back together on a monthly basis for teaching, preaching, worship and guest speakers? Or will the church leaders wait until the chapel is re-built before they even think about meeting there again?

Many years ago, when I was the Assistant Pastor of a 300-member congregation, our landlord sold our building out from under us and left us with so-many days to vacate the building. During that time, we multiplied the church by creating 5 groups, including a Youth Group, who met in homes while we searched for a new meeting place. After that first month, quite a few people asked me why we couldn't simply continue meeting this way, gathering on occasion in a restaurant or hotel that could accommodate us to have an all-church gathering similar to Paul's meeting with the churches of Troas? 

The people were actually loving this new Church format and didn't want it to end!

As it turned out, a building was finally  found - a beautiful, recently re-modeled structure in a strip center. We couldn't afford it but stepped out on presumption anyway. We resumed our church-as-usual meetings and, within two years, our doors were closed. 

Here are a few reasons why I'm a big fan of House Church meetings (NOTE: by saying that, bear in mind I am NOT anti-institutional Church gatherings)...

1) Most churches are 501c3 non-profit corporations. As such, they are shackled to the government for the tax-exempt privilege and can never be entirely free to do as they are feeling led by the Spirit, especially if what they're planning is not considered Politically Correct. I believe the days are coming when this unholy marriage of Church 'n State will backfire and it won't end well.

2) In home gatherings, relationships have a greater chance of developing. Spiritual gifts can be developed. The "one another" verses of the New Testament stand a better chance of being fleshed-out. We can become more like a family. We can strategically multiply into regions and advance God's kingdom in more homes.

3) With no overhead costs, these groups have more money with which to help others in need, within the house church group, throughout the community and the world.

4) It's the way the early Church met. That model failed when people felt the need to get hierarchical and institutional. It's in our genes to form human pyramids, I guess. The early Church folks felt they needed a corporate ladder to climb and we are simply following suit. The lion's share of today's Churches are growing successfully only in 3rd world nations, mostly under persecution. 

I've been part of a successful House Church group meeting in Stephenville, Texas at a charming Bed & Breakfast for nearly 10 years. I use the word "successful" because, the way I see it, the litmus test for a church's success is: "Are lives being changed there?" Let's face it, if one were to have a collision with a milk truck, their life would never be the same; likewise, after a legitimate encounter with Christ. We either settle for a Religion with Jesus, or we can develop a dynamic Relationship with Him. It's our choice as individuals.

Imagine your own church being hit by disaster or, literally, going up in smoke. Are you ready? Do you have a plan?

If you are interested in pursuing the House Church model, I'll be happy to assist in sorting out the do's and dont's with you. Just ask! As Jesus said, two or three gathered in His Name is all it takes!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work