I work in the camping industry. One of the hardest things to get people to be serious about and invest in is water safety/filtration. It is not just knowing about where you are going, but finding information on the current situation in that area. Some times this can be a simple phone call to the ranger station. Other times it is reading up on public water table alerts for areas. If it is an area with high arsnic or iron, most filters will not do the job.
Learning how to make a makeshift filter, digging a foot from the shore line to gather water, and even taking the time to boil are things every bush man or woman needs to learn. We are not o a schedule. If you are, you are, in my humble opinion, missing the point of being there. Moss, sand, charcoal are our friends in emergency situations. It might do to get used to filtering these ways, then boil of couse, instead of turning to your msr or katadyn filter right away. Practice makes perfect. Sure, but it best of all it makes ready the ekills you need to be seacond nature.
do your homework
- DBX
- Camp Curmudgeon Master Edge Technician
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Re: do your homework
I trust my Sawyer filters and/or boiling, over any others, for biological protection.
In all honesty, the rock, sand, charcoal homemade filters are not as effective as a simple paper coffee filter.
Charcoal filters need the 'activated' charcoal and dwell time to work. Nothing short of an industrial/municiple type purification process will remove chemicals or heavy metals contamination.
Believe me! Living where I live, I think seriously about water purification.
In all honesty, the rock, sand, charcoal homemade filters are not as effective as a simple paper coffee filter.
Charcoal filters need the 'activated' charcoal and dwell time to work. Nothing short of an industrial/municiple type purification process will remove chemicals or heavy metals contamination.
Believe me! Living where I live, I think seriously about water purification.
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- Pointman
- Bush Wacker
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Re: do your homework
I think you are both right. Red Wolff did state "in an emergency situation". Just like we practice primitive firemaking, water filtering and purification should also be practiced even though it may not be the best choice. Although I would never advocate drinking the resulting liquid except in the most dire circumstances, a point can still be made for practicing.
The hard reality is nothing short of commercial filtration systems are ever gonna give you truly safe drinking water and as a result the Sawyers and Katydin filters are a must have for all of us. That being said, DBX is spot on regarding the "activated charcoal and the dwell time for chemical impurities." The dwell time being the most critical to give the medium enough time to absorb toxins as they pass through the filter. There are lots and lots of YT offerings for crude homemade filters but that is all they are, filters. Boiling is still, and always will be, the only reliable way to kill the little nasties that generally inhabit water sources.
Bottom line... doing your homework for an unfamiliar area and practicing your skills (all of them) is always good advice.
The hard reality is nothing short of commercial filtration systems are ever gonna give you truly safe drinking water and as a result the Sawyers and Katydin filters are a must have for all of us. That being said, DBX is spot on regarding the "activated charcoal and the dwell time for chemical impurities." The dwell time being the most critical to give the medium enough time to absorb toxins as they pass through the filter. There are lots and lots of YT offerings for crude homemade filters but that is all they are, filters. Boiling is still, and always will be, the only reliable way to kill the little nasties that generally inhabit water sources.
Bottom line... doing your homework for an unfamiliar area and practicing your skills (all of them) is always good advice.
- ClovisMan
- Fair Weather Camper
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Re: do your homework
I like Sawyer filters as well. I carry the Sawyer mini in my pack and have a Sawyer Point Zero Two set-up between 2 food grade buckets for base camp. I trust their products as long as you follow the directions. I try to backflush my filters after every other use.
As Les Stroud said at the end of SurvivorMan Season 7 Episode 3, "You have to push hard through the heavy bush." 

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Re: do your homework
Hello,
I agree with all above, no doubt, here in east texas, at leat where i live the ground (surface) water and streams, rivers, etc are down right crap. the sabine river, good luck drinking out of that. most lake are ok, maybe. I just built me a 3 stage filtration, Moduler ( 3 differant filters ) system to drink the water here from any source. Granted with the gravity set up, it filters at 8 min a QT ( when your at camp this dosen't matter ). with the pump attached 2 min a QT ( pump for on the move ) . I know this seems extreme, and my system is a little heavy, but i feel safe drinking the water.
sc
I agree with all above, no doubt, here in east texas, at leat where i live the ground (surface) water and streams, rivers, etc are down right crap. the sabine river, good luck drinking out of that. most lake are ok, maybe. I just built me a 3 stage filtration, Moduler ( 3 differant filters ) system to drink the water here from any source. Granted with the gravity set up, it filters at 8 min a QT ( when your at camp this dosen't matter ). with the pump attached 2 min a QT ( pump for on the move ) . I know this seems extreme, and my system is a little heavy, but i feel safe drinking the water.
sc
- saustin1967
- One with the Wilderness
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Re: do your homework
Right now, there should be no shortage of fresh water falling from the sky where you are.
Been raining for what seems like 3 months
Been raining for what seems like 3 months
2020 - 6 Nights Under the Stars
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Re: do your homework
Dear god in heaven, don't i know it...i can't walk in the yard without sinking 3 inches...
sc
sc