After dealing with my youngest throwing up sporadically for three days, I wonder how well we will do in real emergencies. My wife could barely deal with the smell tonight. I guess my hay fever isn't so bad after all since I can't smell it.

This got me thinking about what I have in my 72 hour kits. I have a pretty good first aid kit, but I don't have any Pepto or Imodium. I'm going to have to add that to my kit. Think about it. You are dealing with a disaster, there is no aid available, and you or your kids have diarrhea or are throwing up. Not only is it unpleasant, it could become life threatening.

How much water do you need in a kit? The American Red Cross recommends a gallon per day, but if you have to hoof it out of Dodge, are you going to be able to carry that much, especially if you have to carry for children too? My wife and I each have four liters in our packs, and my older children have at least two liters. Why liters you ask? That bottle of soda you finished off just needs a soapy rinse and some hot water put into it and you have a safe bottle of water. Probably better than the bottled water from the store. One word of advise. Don't use anything but a clear bottle. It is not that other bottles won't work, but you can't see what's growing in it if it isn't clear.

For water storage in your home, you can also use these bottles as a cheap alternative to more expensive water containers. Don't store them directly on concrete. The lime in the concrete will leach into the container. I use the boxes the bottles come in to stack them, and I got some second hand rubber tiles to cover the floor in my storage room to create an extra buffer.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.