Home Page Hard Times Survival Hard Times Recipes Gourmet Recipes Healthy Recipes Gardening Tips Firearm Facts Economy Book Reviews
Wilderness Survival Christian Poems Bible & Prophecy Bible Truths Other Information Children Stories Product Links Search Website Español Spanish My Books

Free Hot Water During Hard Times

 Copyright © September 2, 2024 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

During hard times most families will still appreciate having very warm water (or hot water) for taking showers and for washing dishes and for doing laundry.

A hot water tank is an expensive way to provide hot water when you need it. Therefore a hot water tank is not a practical way to heat a small amount of hot water on an as-needed basis.

An on-demand hot water heater is a better way to provide exactly the amount of hot water that you require at the exact time you require it. However, if you do not have electricity or gas then an on-demand hot water heater won't work.

It is also possible to heat water in a cook pot on a stove or above a wood fire. But a stove consumes either electricity or gas. A wood fire consumes wood but this would be a practical way to heat water if you were using the wood fire for another purpose, such as to prepare a hot meal.

Another option is to use 5-gallon solar shower bag to heat water. This option will be discussed in detail below.

Discussion

Solar Shower Bag On September 2, 2024 the Solar Shower Bag in the picture on the right is available in the camping section of many Walmarts for approximately $12.77. A similar 5-gallon solar shower bag is also available on Amazon for approximately the same price. It should also be mentioned that Amazon also has several more expensive solar shower bags..

The instructions that are printed on the bag in the picture are as follows:

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Instructions:
Rinse with one tablespoon baking soda and warm water before initial use.
Fill with water, place on flat surface with black side up and exposed to direct sunlight.
Place line through the handle as shown.
Caution:
Camp shower can attain temperatures over 50°C.
Test water temperature before showering and add cold water as necessary.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Some additional information about the solar shower bag is as follows:
  1. 50°C is equal to 122°F and this temperature feels very, very warm to most people. If the warm water will be used for showering then it should be monitored periodically and the bag should be removed from direct sunlight when the water is at a temperature that feels comfortable to your skin.

  2. The shower bag should be placed "black side up" on a smooth flat surface in direct sunlight. During warm weather it could be placed outdoors if this is feasible. During cold weather it should be placed on a table or on the floor in direct sunlight in front of a window inside a home. The position of the bag should be periodically adjusted so that the bag remains in direct sunlight as the earth rotates on its axis.

  3. The solar shower bag will not boil water. Therefore the solar shower bag will not kill any pathogens that might be in your water. However, a hot water heater will not boil water and a hot water heater will therefore not kill any pathogens that might be in the water.

  4. 5 gallons of warm water is enough water for two (or three) people to take a "military shower." A person should get wet and immediately turn off the water. The person should then wash themselves by hand with some soap, and then turn the water on to rinse off the soapy water, and then turn the water off. Then the next person should take a shower.

  5. One side of the shower bag is made of clear plastic. This allows you to visually see how much hot water is still inside the bag as you gradually use the hot water inside the bag.

  6. During hard times dishes and laundry should be washed using the three pot method. The first pot contains soapy water. The second pot contains water for the first rinse. The third pot contains water for the second rinse. When the water in the first pot becomes too dirty then that pot of water could be poured down the front of your toilet stool to flush the toilet. Then the pot should be rinsed out with clean water. The pot should then be filled with clean water and used as the third pot (second rinse). The original third pot (second rinse) should become the second pot (first rinse). The original second pot (first rinse) should become the first pot (soapy water).

  7. When you first acquire your 5-gallon solar shower bag you should immediately add one tablespoon of baking soda to two gallons of water and put that water in the shower bag. Allow the water to remain in the shower bag about thirty minutes to give the baking soda enough time to do its job inside the shower bag. Turn the bag over every 5 minutes in order to allow the soda water to make contact with the opposite side of the bag. After 30 minutes drain the soda water out of the bag and rinse the bag with clean water at least three times. Do not close the spout on the bag. Place the bag in the sun for a few minutes to evaporate any drops of water that are still inside the bag. You can see through the clear plastic side of the bag to verify that the inside of the bag is dry. Then close the spout. The bag may now be put in storage and it will be ready for use whenever you might need it during a future hard times event. Or you may begin using the solar shower bag immediately after you have rinsed out the soda water.

  8. If the sun is shining, one solar shower bag will provide enough warm water for one person for one day if the person takes a shower, and washes their dishes, and washes their socks and underclothes. Therefore it would probably be a good idea to buy at least one solar shower bag for each person in your family but each person should still take a military shower and not waste the warm water. A solar shower bag will allow you to conserve your electricity, gas, or wood for uses other than heating water.

  9. If the sun is not shining then you will need an alternate method for heating water if you need warm water on the days the sun is not shining.

  10. A solar shower bag is not appropriate for heating drinking water to make a warm beverage.

Conclusion

For the average person, the best source of replacement drinking water will probably be rainwater. Although this is an excellent source of safe drinking water, it is unpredictable in regards to timing and quantity. However, for most people, this is probably the cleanest source of replenishment drinking water they will have access to on a regular but intermittent basis.

Rainwater normally does not contain any pathogens.

On the other hand, if the air contains smog, pollen, or any other unpleasant stuff, then the rain will usually clean that stuff out of the air during the first 20 to 30 minutes of a good rain shower. Therefore, when it begins to rain you should wait about 30 minutes and then start collecting the clean rainwater in a container.

However, if there is a nuclear explosion, or a volcanic eruption, or if some other type of event fills the air with harmful particles, then you will need to filter your rainwater after you have collected it.

Several heavy duty tarps can be hung using paracord attached to trees (or a building) and to the ground. Each tarp should be arranged in a “V” shape so that the lower end of the “V” empties the rainwater into its own plastic storage container. When the container is full, it should be removed and an empty container put in position below the tarp.

A clean 10' by 12' tarpaulin (or a clean thick sheet of plastic or a clean plastic shower curtain) should be positioned so that it slopes downward into a "V" shape towards a large 5-gallon pot (or other large container). Tarpaulins are commonly called tarps. With this size tarp you could collect about 70 gallons of water if it rains one-inch in your area (if you keep emptying and replacing your 5-gallon pot). However, you will need to secure your tarp very carefully because it is frequently very windy during a rain storm. Determine the primary direction in which the wind is blowing and then secure your tarp facing the wind at an upwards angle so the wind will blow a lot of the rain onto the surface of your tarp where it can collect and be channeled down into your water storage container.

In many areas it usually rains less than one-inch each time it rains. Therefore it would probably be a good idea to use several tarps to collect rainwater when it does rain. Many different tarp sizes are available, but for collecting rainwater a tarp between 6' by 8' up to about 10' by 12' would be ideal. Smaller tarps don't cover enough area nor do they have very many other practical uses. Larger tarps are too heavy and they also have a limited number of other useful applications.

The best rainwater storage containers are 5 gallon food grade plastic pails with wire handles because they will weigh about 45 pounds when full of rainwater. When a lid is put on the pail then the pails can be stacked 3 high.

If you are not able to collect enough rainwater, and your other source of water contains harmful pathogens, then you may wish to read the following article on my website.

Katadyn Water Filters

Respectfully,
Grandpappy.

Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com

Home Page Other Articles