Ok, I'm not that big, but...it seems traditional rules of thumb for planning seem to apply to a medium sized woman. Thoughts like a gallon of water per person per day (and that includes washing!) seem odd to me. As does the idea of 1,500 calories per day.

What are some realastic figures to use for us bigger guys?

Remember, fat stores some water. And those guidelines are for baseline survival. More would be better, and needs to be adjusted for environment as well as health.

On a non-active day sitting in front of the TV/computer I probably drink a gallon and a half of water minimum per day (factoring in ICE Tea. I never include soft drinks in that total and try to keep them out for the most part). I could probably do okay with a gallon, especially if I was doing VERY little but sitting around and the temperature was moderate. All of my planning centers around 1.5Gal. (6liters) per day for me. I figure about 1L per ~20kg per day should be plenty, even enough for at least a spritz to the face and light washing of hands. That seems about right to me, but it's a rough estimate.

You are correct that a larger person would require more supplies than a smaller person.

In reading about the Germans as Stalingrad, they commented about how it was the big, strapping soldiers who more rapidly succummed to supply deprivation and cold, while the scrawny little guys fared much better with fewer supplies.

The bigger you are, the more calories your body is used to burning in a day, the faster you are going to go through them. Water will be similar, in that there is more tissue to hydrate, so more water is required.

I am not sure of recommendations for what you should store. You could either come up with a multiplier for the typical recommendations, or you could try tracking your typical intake for a couple weeks and use the average to plan your supplies.

Good luck!

Greg

Just count yourself as two people, and plan accordingly. It makes the math easier. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue

...good point. thanks

Great point!

Plus you may have to work hard. Maybe you will have to help fill sand bags, evacuate on foot, etc. That will require a lot more calories and water.