The 7 Day Challenge: DAY 1 (THURSDAY)

Welcome to the 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Each day will bring a NEW mock emergency, or situation that will test at least one of the reasons “WHY” we strive to be prepared! REMEMBER: No going to a store, or spending any money for the entire 7 days! And please feel free to adapt the scenarios to fit your own family and situation.

A natural disaster occurred a number of days ago. Power has been restored, but you still don’t have access to your sewage systems. You don’t know how long you will be without water so you do not want to waste your supply by flushing it down the toilet … AND it’s about time you shower. You can’t put it off any longer.
Today’s Goal: Learn about and use proper sanitation practices in a crisis

Today’s Tasks:

Go and practice shutting off the main water supply to your house (view tutorial) – If you are doing the advanced tasks, leave it off for the day to help you avoid “cheating”
“Go to the bathroom” without the use of toilets today. Did you make the sanitation kits we HINTED about a few weeks ago?
Take a shower today without using your house’s running water, yes you have to do this!
Inventory the first aid items in your home to determine if you have: clean bandages, something to disinfect wounds, something to sterilize needles, knives, bandages, etc.

Today’s Limitations:

For this day, and ALL days of the challenge: no spending money, no going to stores, and no restaurants.
Since we really want you focusing on sanitation, you can turn your water back on and use it for cooking and drinking.
Remember that you have gone several days without water and account for that when you consider how much you have stored.

Advanced Tasks:

Use your stored water for cooking and all other needs as well
Go to the nearest source of fresh water and fill up several water containers.
Purify that water with either a water purifier or an alternate purification method.

REMEMBER, TOMORROW’S CHALLENGE WILL BE DIFFERENT.

Make sure your fill out today’s Report Card to see how well you did, to keep track of areas you can improve, to remember things you need to do, and things you need to buy. Use the data to make a game plan to take you to the next level of preparedness, whatever that may be.