Survival Video Hacks

Tool 02 // Calculator

Water Storage Calculator

Based on the CDC and FEMA baseline of one gallon per person per day for drinking, with additional allowance for cooking and basic hygiene. Adjust for your household and climate.

Inputs

Total water to store

114.8gallons

For 4 people, 14 days, temperate climate.

Drinking

56 gal

Cooking

16.8 gal

Hygiene & sanitation

42 gal

Pets

0 gal

Rotation cadence

Every 12 months

Baseline assumption

1 gal / person / day

Container plan

  • 3 × 55-gallon barrels — best for a garage or shed you won't need to move. Heaviest per gallon, cheapest per gallon.
  • 23 × 5-gallon jugs — portable enough to carry between rooms and rotate comfortably.
  • 20 cases of 1-gallon bottles — sealed retail water with a printed best-by date, easy to give away or pack out.
  • Treat any water of unknown quality before drinking: filter first, then chemically treat or boil. Never store water at a temperature above 70°F for long periods, and keep it out of sunlight.

Gear & Equipment // Tested

Water gear worth buying first

Filter before you treat, and store before you filter. These are the four categories we test in that order.

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Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter

Amazon pick · Water

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter

The default for any bag: 0.1 micron hollow-fibre filtration, backflushes with the included syringe, and filters up to 100,000 gallons. Squeeze, gravity-feed or inline.

Street price: $35–$45

Check price on Amazon
Stainless Gravity Water Filter (2-Stage)

Amazon pick · Water

Stainless Gravity Water Filter (2-Stage)

For base-camp water: filters 2+ gallons without pumping and holds it ready. The right answer when a household is boiling and drinking all day.

Street price: $150–$300

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55-Gallon Food-Grade Water Barrel + Siphon Pump

Amazon pick · Water

55-Gallon Food-Grade Water Barrel + Siphon Pump

The cheapest way to store real volume. One barrel covers two adults for roughly three weeks at baseline consumption — fill it, treat it, date it.

Street price: $90–$140

Check price on Amazon
Water Purification Tablets (Potable Aqua)

Amazon pick · Water

Water Purification Tablets (Potable Aqua)

A 50-tablet bottle weighs nothing and takes over when a filter clogs. Iodine or chlorine dioxide tabs kill viruses that filters miss.

Street price: $8–$14

Check price on Amazon