How Long Can You Survive Without Water?
Did you know that 60% of the human body is made up of water? Perhaps even more interesting are the more specific compositions of individual organs. Do you know that the brain and heart are each 73% water? How about the fact that 79% of our muscles and kidneys are made up of water? Do you know that our lungs contain 83% water? Floating through life is all we have to do.
We rely on the water down to the cellular level to keep our most essential organs as well as our greater bodily functions like circulation, muscular activity, and nutrient and message delivery operational. rely on the water down to the cellular level to be able to perform properly, i.e., keep us alive.
In the absence of water, what happens? Without water, one of our bodies' most desperate needs, how long can you survive?
When you find out the answers, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got enough water stored for your family in case of an emergency, and we’ll let you know exactly how to do it—the right way.
HOW LONG CAN YOU SURVIVE WITHOUT WATER?
It's trickier than you might expect to find an answer to the question, "How long can you exist without water?" However, due to the individuality of each of our bodies and situations, there is no simple, comprehensive solution. Some individuals believe that a person may survive for up to 72 hours without water. But such a response is inaccurate since it doesn't account for the particulars of each unique circumstance. How long you can go without water depends on several factors, such as:
Age
Sex
Body composition
Activity levels
Location/temperature
Overall health
What you’ve eaten recently, particularly salt vs. water content
The 10% rule is another number that professionals occasionally utilize when estimating how long you can go without water. Meaning that you are considered very dehydrated and your body will start to shut down quickly if you lose 10% of your body weight as a result of water loss.
Most people have experienced dry mouth or extreme thirst at some point or another. These are the initial signs that your body is dehydrated and needs to be rapidly rehydrated with water and potentially supplements.
Once your body is passed that initial phase, other bodily functions that rely so heavily on water, will begin shutting down as well. Some signs of dehydration include:
An inability to produce sweat and regulate body temperature
A drop in blood pressure and proper circulation
A slowing down of the digestive system
Lack of kidney function and subsequent toxin buildup
Other organ failures
Fatigue, unconsciousness, and even death
Whoa. That got serious, real fast. And we obviously never want to see those negative side effects of dehydration. So let’s talk about how to prevent it, particularly in emergencies.
Did you know that 60% of the human body is made up of water? Perhaps even more interesting are the more specific compositions of individual organs. Do you know that the brain and heart are each 73% water? How about the fact that 79% of our muscles and kidneys are made up of water? Do you know that our lungs contain 83% water? Floating through life is all we have to do.
We rely on the water down to the cellular level to keep our most essential organs as well as our greater bodily functions like circulation, muscular activity, and nutrient and message delivery operational. rely on the water down to the cellular level to be able to perform properly, i.e., keep us alive.
In the absence of water, what happens? Without water, one of our bodies' most desperate needs, how long can you survive?
When you find out the answers, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got enough water stored for your family in case of an emergency, and we’ll let you know exactly how to do it—the right way.
HOW LONG CAN YOU SURVIVE WITHOUT WATER?
It's trickier than you might expect to find an answer to the question, "How long can you exist without water?" However, due to the individuality of each of our bodies and situations, there is no simple, comprehensive solution. Some individuals believe that a person may survive for up to 72 hours without water. But such a response is inaccurate since it doesn't account for the particulars of each unique circumstance. How long you can go without water depends on a number ofseveralofofof several FoF several of several factors, such as:
Age
Sex
Body composition
Activity levels
Location/temperature
Overall health
What you’ve eaten recently, particularly salt vs. water content
The 10% rule is another number that professionals occasionally utilize when estimating how long you can go without water. Meaning that you are considered very dehydrated and your body will start to shut down quickly if you lose 10% of your body weight as a result of water loss.
Most people have experienced dry mouth or extreme thirst at some point or another. These are the initial signs that your body is dehydrated and needs to be rapidly rehydrated with water and potentially supplements.
Once your body is passed that initial phase, other bodily functions that rely so heavily on water, will begin shutting down as well. Some signs of dehydration include:
An inability to produce sweat and regulate body temperature
A drop in blood pressure and proper circulation
A slowing down of the digestive system
Lack of kidney function and subsequent toxin buildup
Other organ failures
Fatigue, unconsciousness, and even death
Whoa. That got real serious, real fast. And we emergencies never really ever really want to see those negative side effects of dehydration. So let’s talk about how to prevent it, particularly in emergency situations.
5 MYTHS ABOUT STORING WATER
Now that you know you can only last a couple of days without water, it follows that you have to do something about the potential scenario of not being able to get water the way you normally would. In most cases, this means storing water as part of your emergency food supply. But if you don’t know much about storing water for food storage and survival, you may fall prey to some common myths about water storage. Like these…
Myth 1: Water Goes Bad
The fact is, water never expires. That said, not all water is good for drinking! If not stored properly, water can become contaminated with biological growth (bacteria, algae), or even with chemicals. So while the actual water doesn’t go bad, the gunk in it can make it ill-suited for human consumption.
Myth 2: You Can Store Water In Any Plastic Container
Not all plastics are designed for long-term water storage. Even disposable water bottles aren't great for the long haul. Some plastic bottles, even those used for other drinkable liquids—milk jugs, for instance—are biodegradable and will break down over time. Soda and sport drink bottles are a better option but can still leach previously-stored liquids’ flavor into your stored water so you could end up with cola-flavored water. It may make you start wondering how long you can survive without water, but it’s drinkable.
Myth 3: You’ll Be Fine If You’ve Stored Water Barrels Only
The problem with thinking that water barrels (large, typically blue, water jugs designed for your long-term emergency supply) are sufficient water storage, is that there are several emergency scenarios where you may not have access to your barrels. Think on-the-go emergencies or evacuations—you may not have time, space, or ability to move your water supply if it’s solely in barrels.
Myth 4: If I Have Water Purification, I Don’t Need A Water Filter
Water purification pills or chemicals can be a great way to kill off 99.9% of the microorganisms in your water. But they can’t remove chemicals, dirt, and other mystery “floaties” from your drinking water. Only a filtration system can do that.
Myth 5: I Don’t Need To Store Water Because I Have Access To A Well Or River
If you’re not storing water because you think you have access to a regular source of water, like a stream or well, think again. Even typically reliable water sources can be contaminated by man-made or natural disasters. They are also at risk of being reduced greatly by pump sources upriver or drought.
TIPS FOR STORING WATER FOR AN EMERGENCY:
After dispelling the fallacies around water storage, let's move on to the best practices for doing so.
Water is kept. Yes, simply doing it is the first piece of advice for the best way to preserve water. Yes, there is a proper way, and we'll discuss it later. But resolve to begin right away!
Be aware of your water requirements. There is an objective for water storage, just like FEMA's advice to keep a two-week supply of emergency food for each member of the household. One gallon of water per person per day should be kept in reserve in case of need. Although you won't be able to foresee how long a particular disaster will persist, you can start small and gradually increase your family's access to a reliable supply of drinking water.
Make that you have the appropriate water storage equipment. Not every plastic is the same, as we discussed in the myths section above. To safely store water, choose metalized bags or UV-resistant, food-grade containers. We advise investing in several smaller, more transportable containers as well as some long-term water storage barrels, which are normally constructed of plastic 2. For this, you can even use reusable water bottles, provided they are made of polyethylene and don't contain BPA (look for plastics 1, 2, and 4).
Avoid keeping your water storage on cement directly. Keeping water off of concrete is one of the finest methods to save it for an emergency. Preventing chemical and flavor leaching, flood damage, and extreme temperature variations that could destroy your entire supply can be done by keeping your water and food supply off the ground on pallets or in appropriate shelving.
Water is an important component of your dietary supply. Keeping in mind the one gallon per person guideline Remember that the estimate does not account for the water you would need to rehydrate emergency food you have on hand. For illustration, it's a good idea to add roughly 1 cup of water for every serving of a freeze-dried meal. To enjoy your fettuccine, you'll need to preserve roughly 20 gallons of clean, drinking water in addition to a month's worth of Hibernate's emergency food. (Have faith; it's worth it.)
Make sure you are prepared with water filtration and purification equipment. Things happen, regardless of how much perfectly preserved water you have on hand. If something becomes polluted, you could need to evacuate, and you'll need to go swiftly. The key to making sure the water you did save remains safe and drinkable or that new water you come across can become that way is to always have purification pills and a trustworthy water filter on hand.
Not to worry. Thinking about all the potential emergencies and the methods you need to start preparing now could feel daunting. But recognizing the value of properly storing food and water, as well as the dos and don'ts, has laid a foundation upon which to build. You may prepare your family one step at a time and take pleasure in the peace of mind that comes from making sure your family's health and safety—including their needs for food and water—before calamity strikes.
HIBERNATE MAKES FOOD STORAGE SIMPLE
At Hibernate, our goal is to eliminate the frustration and confusion that surround emergency water and food supply questions and concerns. We make it easy to know what to store, how to store it, and why it’s so absolutely essential to do so, now. If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that the unthinkable not only can happen but does. To me and you and everyone else across the globe.