First, we did Drinking Water: Going Down the Rabbit Hole Part 1 with some interesting info and tips. Here we continue with Drinking Water: Going Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2. This part will give some ideas on how much water you should have available to you for different situations.

We started this talk and realized that it was going to be far too long so we decided to break it up into two parts. We hope this will make for easier reading and taking in the info provided.

Drinking Water: Going Down the Rabbit Hole Part 1

1. What is dehydration

2. Common signs of dehydration

3. How to fix dehydration

4. What you should be drinking

5. What not to drink

6. How you get dehydrated in the first place

Drinking Water: Going Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2

7. How much water the average person needs daily

8. For Emergency Situations: How much water to keep on hand

9. Long-Term Emergency Care

10. Alternative to using water for non-drinking needs

Drinking Water: Going Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2

7. How much water does an average person need?

In a normal, everyday, situation, a person needs to drink about half their body weight in water a day. This is just to keep you in the best physical condition. How many of us actually drink half our body weight in water every day?

There is, of course, a difference in how much water a 30lb kid needs as opposed to a 200lb man. The general rule of drinking half your body weight daily is for preventative upkeep.

A person that is working out in the sun, doing manual labor will be sweating and thus losing fluid. The person that works in the air-conditioned office is less likely to lose fluids through sweating. So what you are actively doing does play a part in how much fluid you lose and the water you will need to drink every day to replace it.

8. In an emergency situation, how much water should we have on hand?

This question is always a big one when it comes to being ready for disasters, natural or otherwise. The general rule is 1 gallon a day per person. Here we are talking about clean drinking water. One gallon a day is strictly for personal health. This will be to drink and brush your teeth. Many people do not think about the water they use to brush their teeth. But if you are thinking about keeping healthy, clean teeth brushing water should be on your list. Know how many people you have to supply so you know how much clean, drinking water to keep on hand. It is always a good idea to have as much water as you can store safely, you may need to share it with others. But at least keep the minimum required for you and yours.

9. For Long-Term Emergency Care

In long-term emergency care, a single person will need more than one gallon a day for personal daily use. Pets daily water needs must be calculated also.

Are there any medical issues that will require the use of water? Taking pills is only one need for water in medical terms. Injuries will need clean water. The ability to boil water may be required if injuries need to be washed out. What about sterilizing tools and equipment? All of this will need to be taken into account when thinking about water for medical needs.

You will need to take into account, washing, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. This will depend on how many people you are supplying. Is it just you? Or are you in a group? Do you have access to a moving water supply? That will make it easier but do you have a way to collect it and store it? Again, there are so many things that need to be considered with Long-Term Emergency Care.

You can find ways to do some of these things without water.

10. Some alternatives to using water for cleaning NOT drinking.

A. Hand Sanitizer:

If you need to clean your hands and need to keep the water for other things, try hand sanitizer instead. It will clean and sanitize. You can always wipe it off with a towel if you really need a scrub-off.

B. Baby Wipes:

The baby wipes we use here on the farm will take the dirt, hide, hair, and paint off anything. We always keep baby wipes on hand. No water for a bath? Not an issue, use a baby wipe. You can wash your face with them. Need a quick spill cleanup? Grab a baby wipe. Baby wipes are great for mess pickup. You can even “wash” dishes with them. Not sure how sanitized that is but baby wipes will take the leftover food and stuff off the dishes.

C. Dry Shampoo:

To wash hair instead of water, try dry shampoo.

If you are in a real pinch and have no dry shampoo, a hand full of cornstarch will do. Rub the cornstarch into the scalp and brush through your hair. It is not as good as a good hot shower but that is the point, you do not have a hot shower to use.

D. Alcohol:

If you only have alcohol, you can use it to wash and clean. But do note, alcohol will dry your skin with frequent use. Alcohol also is rough on hair. But alcohol will sterilize and it dries quickly with little scent left.

E. Vinegar:

Vinegar is a great cleaner if you have it. There will be some vinegar smell left over when it dries and vinegar takes longer to dry than alcohol.

F. For wound cleaning:

If you can not spare water, alcohol, peroxide, and vinegar will do. But it is good to note all of these will burn an open wound and none of them should be used on deep, penetrating wounds.

G. Herbal Tea Wash:

There are herbal teas that can be made at home to be used for wound cleaning. You may not know it, but many herbs and spices have medicinal properties as well as antibacterial abilities. To make your herbal wound wash, steep the herbs in clean water, let them cool, and strain them off. There you have a herbal wound wash that can be used just like the store-bought ones but these are natural, safe, and homemade. This is another skill you should look into for becoming more self-sufficient.

We are sure there are many other alternatives but these are the most common ones that people are likely to have on hand.

Sometimes you just have to have water, nothing else will do. In that case, think before you use what water you have on hand. Make sure you have enough clean water to drink. In any situation, daily life, work day, weekend outing, or zombie apocalypse your health is the most important thing. If you do not keep up your health, you will not be able to take care of yourself or your family.

And that was Drinking Water: Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2. If you missed Drinking Water: Down the Rabbit Hole Part 1, be sure to check it out for more info, tips, and ideas.

We hope this talk has been useful to you and that you have gotten some good info and tips from it.

Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.