Regardless of the Outlast situation there is one thing that is universal; Outlasting sucks but it beats the alternative.

Outlast situations always are difficult; they can be made more difficult when you fail to follow certain steps. Number 1 - Plan ahead.

My good friend Jerry Ahern wrote a series of books called The Survivalist. The hero, John Thomas Roark's favorite saying was "Plan Ahead". When you're driving and see an accident coming at you, you don't have time to put on your seat belt.

That's the way Outlast situations hit you. One minute everything is normal the next, they're not. You have to be prepared.

The most common Outlast situations are usually weather related. With some weather events, likeornados - you have very little if any time. The devastation is immediate! Utilities such as water and electric are stopped and may take hours, days or weeks before they function again.

Outlasting at home means you have to be independent of outside support. You need food, a way to prepare it and you need water.

Here is a reality. You CAN live for several days to over a week without food. You normally can't live more than several days without water. Real life situations have taught us that the more active you are, the more water you need. The dryer the climate you live in, the more water you need. The hotter the climate you live in, the more water you need.  Ergo, water is essential!

If you have not stored water, when water no longer flows, you only have what is in your pipes to use for drinking. First of all, drain the water from the pipes into containers for drinking. If you know a potential event is coming (weather warnings), fill up your sinks, your bathtub, pots and pans, etc. and either seal them or cover them to keep out contaminates.

If you live in a two story (or more) structure, open a spigot on the top floor and drain from the bottom floor. You can drain water from your hot water heater.

If you have a hot tub or swimming pool, use that water to flush toilets. Toilets will continue to function if you fill the tank with non-potable water and sanitation is a lot easier. Don't waste water on taking a bath, use body wipes (something you need to already have on hand).

Drink water and fluids from the refrigerator first. Fruit juices and milk will begin to go bad without refrigeration; use them first. I recommend planning ahead with pre-packaged emergency drinking water, as it has a shelf life of 30 years! Keep in mind the average home has enough water and food to allow to Outlast for several days or weeks; if you use it wisely. I recommend you plan ahead with emergency food storage. There are great emergency long term food storage options that have a shelf life of 30+ years and come in savory and tasty options. There's something available for even the pickiest of eaters!

Once you have food and water covered, sanitation should be looked at next. Human waste should be flushed. If flushing is not an option, use garbage bags to collect it and store it outside in a suitable container. What do you use to collect it? Plan ahead; scoops, large cooking spoons, small pots - the time to think about that is NOW. Planning ahead with an emergency sanitation kit is your best option.

In this same vain, toilet paper is important and stores forever. I recommend you purchase in bulk and "hide it" to ensure it's not used for daily use. If you have women in your universe, don't forget feminine hygiene items. They also store forever and trust me - are absolutely essential. If you keep Momma happy (not to mention the teenage girls), you can keep yourself focused on keeping everyone alive.

I'll tell you more about Outlasting in next week's Survival Basics.

Also, don't forget to visit the Survival Basics website, you'll find emegency preparedness items such as:

• Emergency kits
• Emergency power and chargers
• Tools and knives
• Food and long term storage
• MRE's 
• Water filtration and storage
• And much more! 

 Thanks,

 Bob