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The Key to Emergency Water in Urban/Suburban Areas [Preppers]
Backwoods Engineer Blog ^ | 29 March 2013 | Backwoods Engineer

Posted on 03/29/2013 6:42:31 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer

Imagine this scenario: for whatever reason, you are bugging out, and have to travel through an urban or suburban area, or even along an interstate highway.

It's hot. Dang hot. And you need water. There's no streams or lakes or ponds nearby. Nothing is open, and there's no power to operate a soda machine, even if there was one around. You've got a container in your bug-out bag, but you need a source of clean water.

If there are buildings, there is water available everywhere, but without a special tool, you can't get it!

What are you talking about, Backwoods?

Ever seen these special faucets on the side of a convenience store or gas station, or other commercial building?

[picture of sillcock hydrant]

It's known as a keyed sillcock hydrant. They are everywhere in the suburban and urban environment. They're used by building maintenance people for connecting water hoses for washing sidewalks, etc. It's a good bet that almost all have good water in them 24/7/365, whether the business is open or not. Even with the power down, there's probably going to be some pressure left, which allows you to get some hydration.

I recently drove around in the medium-sized town a few miles from my place, with an eye toward spotting these. I spotted keyed hydrants at the following places:

Yeah, keyed sillcock hydrants are everywhere.

But you need one of these special keys to open one:

[Picture of Wolverine PST154 Sillcock Key]

Without a sillcock key, it's going to be hard to get the water. Yeah, you could probably use the pliers on a Leatherman or Gerber tool, but why mess with all that? Just put one of these babies in your bugout bag.

And for $6.42 on Amazon.com, why not?

Throw this little 3-ounce key in your bugout bag, and wherever you see a commercial building, most likely you can get some water, in an emergency situation and businesses are closed.

I've got one of these in every bugout bag in every vehicle in my family. They may even be available from your local building supply store; I haven't checked.

Just a little survival tip from Ol' Backwoods.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Reference; Society
KEYWORDS: banglist; bugout; preppers
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To: Marcella
I must put that on Survival Podcast where I write.

You mean Jack Spirko's show? He featured my article in a Listener Feedback show last week, #1101.

41 posted on 04/11/2013 8:59:15 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Every survivalist knows about water filtration systems. I thought I would bring up something new.


42 posted on 04/11/2013 9:00:44 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: backwoods-engineer

“You mean Jack Spirko’s show? He featured my article in a Listener Feedback show last week, #1101.”

Yes, I have a section there where I write articles on that forum.


43 posted on 04/11/2013 9:50:19 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella
“You mean Jack Spirko’s show? He featured my article in a Listener Feedback show last week, #1101.” Yes, I have a section there where I write articles on that forum.

Link?

44 posted on 04/14/2013 11:08:10 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: backwoods-engineer

Sending link by Freepmail right now.


45 posted on 04/14/2013 11:20:10 AM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: backwoods-engineer

>> “And for $6.42 on Amazon.com, why not? “ <<

You forgot the $5.00 shipping added on, and why bother with Skamazon when you can just go to Ace Hardware or Home Depot to get it for less?


46 posted on 04/14/2013 11:29:14 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Marcella

>> “I thought I knew everything in the whole wide world, and find I didn’t know that.” <<

.
Only on FR can one achieve intellectual completion! :o)
.


47 posted on 04/14/2013 11:32:15 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: backwoods-engineer

You might wish to simplify your site.

I keep getting a warning flag after the site loads that says that IE can’t open the site. Clearing the flag clears the site off the screen.

You’ll get way more hits without the fancy frills that cause those flags.


48 posted on 04/14/2013 11:38:05 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

Uhh.... skamazon? Really? I personally love amazon. Low prices, no taxes, free 2 day shipping (with Amazon prime).

I know i’m going to regret this... but what problem do you have with Amazon? (this should be good)


49 posted on 04/14/2013 6:07:44 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: bigdaddy45

If you like it, go for it.


50 posted on 04/14/2013 9:21:31 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: backwoods-engineer

saving for later.


51 posted on 04/14/2013 9:44:31 PM PDT by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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To: editor-surveyor

I’m still waiting to hear why its a scam.


52 posted on 04/15/2013 12:39:49 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: bigdaddy45

Since you lack the intellect to discern it for yourself, Amazon always has small items priced attractively, but when you get to checkout the shipping cost always negates the savings.

They are also leading the charge to hit us with unlawful interstate sales taxes.


53 posted on 04/15/2013 2:34:10 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

“Leading the charge”?????? Are you daft???? Amazon is fighting the mandatory collection of sales taxes. It will cut into their business.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/us/28bcshort.html?_r=0

And as for shipping charges, you can always get things shipped free if you’re willing to wait a few extra days.

Do you honestly have no idea whats going on in the world?


54 posted on 04/15/2013 3:12:44 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: editor-surveyor
You might wish to simplify your site. I keep getting a warning flag after the site loads that says that IE can’t open the site. Clearing the flag clears the site off the screen. You’ll get way more hits without the fancy frills that cause those flags.

Sorry, but I have no clue what you're talking about, having not used in IE since the nineties. I thought that when you used a content management system like Blogger, it was supposed to work on all browsers. That's the point, right?

55 posted on 04/16/2013 1:51:21 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: editor-surveyor
You forgot the $5.00 shipping added on, and why bother with Skamazon when you can just go to Ace Hardware or Home Depot to get it for less?

OK, go wherever you want to buy it. I even said that in the post.

Amazon is there because it was the first place I found the key, because it was the first place I looked, like always.

"Skamazon" as you call it, charges no shipping at all for Prime members like me, if you are willing to wait 2 days for your item to arrive. $75 per year gets you more than free shipping; it also gets you their Instant Video section, which has a lot of movies Netflix doesn't. There are all kinds of other benefits. I write the $75 off as a business expense.

By the way, I am not making a single dime off the click from my site to Amazon. NOT A SINGLE PENNY. Because of North Carolina's hateful Internet tax laws, Amazon does not allow affiliate links from North Carolina site owners.

56 posted on 04/16/2013 1:56:16 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: backwoods-engineer
I was not attempting to criticize you.

I was just trying to point out that when shopping for a single small item, Amazon is rarely the best way. Amazon only works if you are buying several items at once.

57 posted on 04/16/2013 6:44:20 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor
I was not attempting to criticize you. I was just trying to point out that when shopping for a single small item, Amazon is rarely the best way. Amazon only works if you are buying several items at once.

And, I was trying to point out that for Prime members, shipping is free, so buying one item is fine. I do it all the time.

58 posted on 04/18/2013 6:36:14 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: backwoods-engineer

Prime isn’t free, so where is your point?


59 posted on 04/18/2013 2:07:55 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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