It is the nightmare scenario every parent fears.
It’s 3:00 AM. The pharmacy is closed. The roads might be blocked due to a storm, or maybe the shelves are just empty again. Your child is burning up with a fever, or struggling with a stomach bug.
You keep offering them water, but it goes right through them. They look pale, lethargic, and their lips are dry.
You are witnessing the early stages of dehydration. In a survival situation—or even just a bad flu season—dehydration kills faster than starvation.
Most people think the answer is “drink more water.” They are wrong. In Chapter 4 of my book, Survive From The Pantry, I explain why plain water can sometimes make a sick person worse, and I give you the $0.10 recipe that can save a life.
The Science: Why Water Isn’t Enough
When a person sweats from a fever or loses fluids through illness, they aren’t just losing water. They are losing electrolytes—specifically sodium and potassium.
Think of salt as a “magnet” that holds water inside your body. If you flush a sick body with plain water, you might dilute the remaining salt levels even further. The body can’t hold the fluid, so it expels it.
To fix this, you don’t need expensive sports drinks full of blue dye. You need a specific ratio of sugar and salt. The sugar opens the cell “door,” and the salt pulls the water in.
The “Rescue Formula” (ORS)
This recipe is based on the World Health Organization’s formula for Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS). It is used in disaster zones all over the world to treat dysentery and cholera. You can make it in your kitchen right now.
The Ingredients:
1 Liter (approx 1 Quart) of clean drinking water.
6 Level Teaspoons of Sugar.
½ Level Teaspoon of Salt (Table salt or sea salt)
The Process:
Measure Accurately. This is chemistry, not cooking. Too much salt can be dangerous for a child.
Dissolve. Mix until the liquid is clear.
Sip. Do not gulp. Take small sips every few minutes.
Gear Spotlight: Why I Use the WaterStorageCube
When you are stressed or in the dark, messing around with tiny measuring cups and bowls is a recipe for disaster. You need a dedicated “mixing station.”
For my family, I use the WaterStorageCube.
It measures for you: I know exactly how much water is inside, so I don’t get the ratio wrong.
The Spigot: Once mixed, I can set the cube on the bedside table. I don’t have to lift a heavy pitcher every time the patient needs a sip—I just open the tap.
Hygiene: It keeps the solution sealed and clean, unlike an open pitcher.
The “Tip”: Dealing with Taste
I’ll be honest: ORS tastes like tears. It is salty and sweet, and sick kids often refuse to drink it1.
Adding a splash of fruit juice, a pinch of powdered drink mix (like Kool-Aid), or a squeeze of lemon won’t hurt the chemistry, but it will help the medicine go down2.
Get The Full Protocol
This recipe is just one page of Chapter 4: Water.
Do you know how to purify water with bleach? Do you know the exact boiling time for your altitude? Do you know how to wash your whole body with one cup of water?
Don’t wait for the water to stop running. Get the full guide now.
�� Survive From The Pantry: Protect Your Family from Food Shortages and Collapse
Stay safe, stay hydrated.— Protocol Redwood