Learning + Tutorials

You need to provide 1 gallon of water (3.7 liters) per person per day for you and each of your family members if you don't have access to clean water or a faucet.

Think about that for a minute. That's a lot of water. 

A half gallon (2 liters) is what you need for drinking each day - in warm weather or during periods of high stress or activity that amount could double.

If Super Storm Sandy taught anyone on the east coast anything, it's that huge winter storms can happen and cause incredible destruction and inconvenience.

Power outages are commonplace and can take weeks to restore, which leaves people without heat, hot water and electricity. 

You may not be able to drive due to snow, ice, and downed trees. That means limited access to food. Water pipes can freeze and explode without heat causing your home to become uninhabitable.

Should traditional modern communication systems be unavailable, having a backup way to communicate far distances is a smart thing to have.

It's not uncommon for large storms to take out cellphone and land line phone systems and with them likely goes the internet as well.

The easiest and most useful backup option is one that's been around a very long time - and it's long range radio communication via voice and telegraph.

You may have heard it referred to as Ham radio which is slang for Amateur Radio.