Kalmia wrote:
>
>Better ice blocks are made in those cheapie plastic shoe boxes.
>The milk jugs, I found, don't hold up well and don't pack well in
>a freezer. I DO save the sturdier jugs which vinegar comes in.
>( I buy it by the gallon) for storing drinking water.

Plastic milk jugs hold up fine and they are rectangular so don't waste
freezer space. I see no point in storing emergency drinking water in
used containers, tap water won't remain potable for more than a couple
three weeks... instead simply buy bottled water in gallon jugs, and
even that has a shelf life of a year or two... bottled water is not
sterile unless you buy sterile water, and even sterile water has a
shelf life only slightly longer than ordinary bottled water. Distilled
water one buys at the stupidmarket is not sterile either, it's only
mineral free, but may contain higher bacteria levels than ordinary
bottled water, so don't buy distilled water for drinking unless it's
medical (USP) grade... USP water has a shelf life as well. If you
store tap water for drinking be sure to boil it first. For emergency
drinking I always have a couple three cases of beer, and it gets
replaced periodically, before it's "best used by" date.

Brooklyn1 > wrote:
> Kalmia wrote:
>>
>> Better ice blocks are made in those cheapie plastic shoe boxes.
>> The milk jugs, I found, don't hold up well and don't pack well in
>> a freezer. I DO save the sturdier jugs which vinegar comes in.
>> ( I buy it by the gallon) for storing drinking water.
>
> Plastic milk jugs hold up fine and they are rectangular so don't waste
> freezer space. I see no point in storing emergency drinking water in
> used containers, tap water won't remain potable for more than a couple
> three weeks... instead simply buy bottled water in gallon jugs, and
> even that has a shelf life of a year or two... bottled water is not
> sterile unless you buy sterile water, and even sterile water has a
> shelf life only slightly longer than ordinary bottled water. Distilled
> water one buys at the stupidmarket is not sterile either, it's only
> mineral free, but may contain higher bacteria levels than ordinary
> bottled water, so don't buy distilled water for drinking unless it's
> medical (USP) grade... USP water has a shelf life as well. If you
> store tap water for drinking be sure to boil it first. For emergency
> drinking I always have a couple three cases of beer, and it gets
> replaced periodically, before it's "best used by" date.

When I fill up containers, I add the bleach drops. I don't know how how
long it will last, but longer than nothing added.

Greg