Fast forward to today. Hubby Dear was moving things around in the back of our van and found this.
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| Leaky and moldy! |
That's not dirt you see in the above photo! It is mold. Eeew! All five of the Aqua Literz I had in my van's emergency kit looked like this.
I never found a real hole on any of the Aqua Literz. It appears that water had been slowly oozing out, contained between the layers of cardboard of the packaging. No wonder it grew mold! I have no idea how any of this occurred since they were all stored securely.
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| Not just mold but multi-colored mold. |
Obviously, I won't buy this product any more, but how should I store water in my vehicle kits?
Here are the options as I see them:
- Commercially bottled water - This would be an easy route to go. I am concerned with the possibility of the plastic leaching chemicals in the water, especially in a hot car. I'd also have to rotate this fairly frequently.
- Used juice bottles - I think the plastic in these are probably better than what is used in bottled water. I can't say that for sure, though. I'd certainly have to rotate these frequently, they might leak, and I'm afraid the water would taste funny.
- Canned water - Canned water is relatively expensive. It is hard to think of a more durable container to store water in, however, and it boasts a 30 year shelf life. I'd have to make sure that I keep a can opener handy and it isn't exactly the easiest thing to use on the go.
Am I missing something? How do you store water in your vehicle kits?
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Oh no! I've been eying those types of BOB water containers, but haven't been able to catch them at a good enough price. So I've been using commercially packed water bottles. I guess I'll be sticking with those-- although like you said it is a pain to have to rotate them. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteI have ran into this problem too, not the mold but being stumped on a great way to store water in my vehicles. Right now I store water in heavy duty juice water containers and just change them out each time I either wash the car or clean out the inside...so about once a month. My husband and me are looking into "rack mounted fuel cells" for ATV's. These are about 4 or 5 inches thick and about 30 inches by 24 inches deep. We are researching if they are safe to hold water and if it is possible to get out that plastic smell. I am attracted to these because they are basically flat sheets of water storage that are durable and would fit nicely in my rig. Thank you for bringing this article to attention, it has put my butt in gear and got me looking into this again.
ReplyDeleteI use those aluminum pouches.. I think Mainstay brand. I keep them in a plastic bin to prevent punctures.
ReplyDeleteCranberry juice containers are what I use. capri-sun style pouches, like Bitsy suggested, are also good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions everyone. Something so basic shouldn't be this difficult!
ReplyDeletewhen I am pressure canning and dont have a full batch I fill the extra space with jars of water. These sealed jars of water I would think would last indefinitly. No leaching plasics. Just not sure how they would hold up in freezing temps, but no worries in summer.
ReplyDeleteI regularly use cheap bottled water in my car, so I make sure that I have several extras in it, sometimes a full case. I use a couple bottles a month, so it gets rotated regularly and I've never had a problem with it leaking or going bad, even in the winter.
ReplyDeleteI like the previous idea of canning water; the only drawback there is the glass for use on the move.