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water purifying?

EphemeralStick

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Hey all, I'm looking for the best way to purify water. so far I've found boiling and filtering but i was wondering if anyone knew any other ways to get the job done?
 

wildboy860

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use the search function next time. there's a few other threads on this already. there's tons of ways to get water with out boiling it.
 

Doc Road

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Hey all, I'm looking for the best way to purify water. so far I've found boiling and filtering but i was wondering if anyone knew any other ways to get the job done?
So one time in Sac Ca i was with a bunch of cats from Seattle, we kept running back and forth (camp and the nearest spicket ) (5 dudes drink shitloadsaday) So I made a filter. checkit you need; One three liter bottle, one bandanna, clean sand (on the edge of a river the silt is pretty dope) charcoal (from the fire that you sat next to and got tossed and now your hungover, witch is why your dehydrated in the first place).knife, duct tape(not rely) Cut the bottom of the bottle(say bout 2-3 in bowl) bandanna goes first(to keep shitin) then alternate layers of sand and charcoal. cram the bowl on top, put holes in it (the bottom for water to flow) lil duct tape keeps shit, like a bag full of bobcats(together) like a big funnel pour the water in the bowl, the water comes out clean from the mouth of the bottle. you can still boil it to be sure its microbial y safe. then keep it in cleaned out 40 bottles(glass is the shit no BPA). Also my native american friend, Spirit tells me the best water in a river is found by swimming out to where its the deepest, dive down and collect the cold water at the bottom. sounds kool.
 
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Desperado Deluxe

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u can just jam charcoal into a straw an put your shirt over it to drink without getting ash in your mouth saw it on a survival show. most portable filters use carbon basically the same shit. i carry a small portable water filter. and didnt use it for the longest time and one day i felt like shit on a train and was drinking hard water (from a tap). i used the filter and felt instantly better. chocolate helps too to remove metals from your body from tap water. drinking live water, its good to boil but not entirely necessary if you got it from a somewhat clean source u can also use the carbon filter too.
 
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Mad Max

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Hey all, I'm looking for the best way to purify water. so far I've found boiling and filtering but i was wondering if anyone knew any other ways to get the job done?

When I was in the woods I would dig a hole and put a tarp in it to catch water when it rained. I used an MSR water pump filter with a 0.2 micron flow. My understanding is that will pretty much take care of everything short of viruses and nuclear waste. If you are concerned about viruses you can put the water into a Nalgene water bottle and let it sit in the sun for 3 hours or get a UV light filter.
 

kecleon

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I usually can get clean water most everywhere here but I have iodine for sketchy water or I boil if I've got time. Water filter takes up a lotta space. Like the looks of those pen straws you can get that filter as you drink but could just be fulla chemicals for all I know. And a UV thing also kinda cool sucks about batteries though.

I don't think there's any perfect thing, like the filters charcoal ceramic whatever miss the viruses the iodine and chlorine miss the metals and pollution the UV the same plus eats batteries. Boiling takes time and fuel.

If I had deep pockets and a big bag I'd take a katadyn and UV I guess. I think they compliment each other?
 
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Sawyer squeeze filter. Small and ight as fuck, kinda pricey at 60 bucks, but you will never have to buy another. Easy to clean and use too. They say it lasts a million gallons, mine's still going strong after two 6-month backcountry trips. Good for everything but viruses, which you don't have to worry about in the USA. If you go out of the country, they have a virus-proof filter for just a bit more. Or a few drops of bleach and a bandana to strain out floaties, if you're hard up.
 

notOK

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Since you don't hafta worry about viruses in the US, how important is a filter, anyway? I mean, sure I prefer the taste of cool refreshing water coming outta the side of the mountain, or collecting morning dew off leaves. But if I'm parched bad, a dirty puddle works.

Don't you get an immunity to water bacteria if they ever gave you grief? Again, stagnant swamp water isn't my first choice, but boiling seems like a lotta work to do on the regular. And water sitting in an old tire hasn't got me sick anytime that comes to mind.
 
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^^^ Bad advice...in my humble opinion. If your in the backcountry (which is probably the only place you cant find clean water) animals poop in and near water. And humans often do dumbshit in and near water too. Ever see a dude with Giardia. Scary shit. I realize the chances are slim you'll get sick, but why risk it when it so easily avoidable.

Im with DF Sasha, the Sawyer is dope. (unless your a survivalist that likes doing the legwork for clean water) The packaging it comes in makes it perfect for razor-fingering as well, so the price shouldnt matter. The iodine pills are cheap and easy too, but fuck with the taste too much.
 
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AlwaysLost

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Here is a good video on DIY Purification. In my permanent homebum camp I rigged up 5 2 liters that sat inside each other so I didn't have to babysit it. Just poured water thru the different strata grass, sand then charcoal. You can do it with bandanas and a tripod as well.
 
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I now carry a katadyn pump. I have a dog so like extra water and don't fuck with shitty water unless necessary. I'd rather drink my filtered stream water than city tap. I filtered rain water this winter too. I can do a few gallons in not much time at all. The sawyer screw on filter saved !me a few times but you really can't filter as much or as swiftly as a good hand pump filter.
 

Shwillam

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Since you don't hafta worry about viruses in the US, how important is a filter, anyway? I mean, sure I prefer the taste of cool refreshing water coming outta the side of the mountain, or collecting morning dew off leaves. But if I'm parched bad, a dirty puddle works.

Don't you get an immunity to water bacteria if they ever gave you grief? Again, stagnant swamp water isn't my first choice, but boiling seems like a lotta work to do on the regular. And water sitting in an old tire hasn't got me sick anytime that comes to mind.

Haven't gotten giardia yet have ya? Trust me there's plenty of shit in stagnent water that can get even the most immune of us pretty damn sick.
 

DrewSTNY

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I have three Lifestraw water bottles from traveling and they do work; however, they do not have charcoal filters in them to remove any bad tastes or chemicals. I only ever put water that we bought from the local kioks in them so I have not experienced them in an emergency situation.

I take a Katadyn with me hiking and Ilike it a lot for getting water bottles filled quickly.

I think for a camp or more permanent situation, I would want a gravity filter like a Berkey or even build an RO system so I could even purify salt water.

EDIT:

I forgot to add that in Haiti, they teach people to put relatively clear water into a clear bottle (glass or plastic) and leave it in the sun for several hours. The trick is that the demonstrator actually drinks the previously dirty water. In a country with limited treatment facilities, this is a pretty damn fine idea.
 
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I have three Lifestraw water bottles from traveling and they do work; however, they do not have charcoal filters in them to remove any bad tastes or chemicals. I only ever put water that we bought from the local kioks in them so I have not experienced them in an emergency situation.

you know ive always wondered if and how they got rid of the awful taste. good to know.
 

ntdxc1878

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Sawyer squeeze filter. Small and ight as fuck, kinda pricey at 60 bucks, but you will never have to buy another. Easy to clean and use too. They say it lasts a million gallons, mine's still going strong after two 6-month backcountry trips. Good for everything but viruses, which you don't have to worry about in the USA. If you go out of the country, they have a virus-proof filter for just a bit more. Or a few drops of bleach and a bandana to strain out floaties, if you're hard up.
I got one for about 20 bucks, pretty sure you can find one cheaper than 60 bucks if you look around and check the internet :)
 

LeeenPocket

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I remember someone at the jambo had a life straw and they had some issues with it. Clogging or poor suction maybe? The Jambo is a blur at this point so if anyone else remembers wtf I'm talking about please chime in.
 
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I actually a couple years back got myself a lifesaver water bottle. They are not cheap. I have not used mine nearly enough. Honestly have only play used it. Never hit road and needed it. But loves the idea of being able to make any found water source drinkable water in an instant. It can also be used to filter and fill jugs too obviously. I saw a video of a guy filtering dogshit water one go through the thing and chug it down saying other than a tiny earthy taste it was good to go. Wish i had more to say about it and used it more but still glad i have it. Also have seen some pretty fucking handy homeade filters aswell. Filter + boil for best results. The lifesaver takes some maintenance including keeping lubricated, not extreme temps (i may have fucked mine, not sure yet), dont toss it off a roof, etc. But they are apparently literally "lifesavers". Cheers
 

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