how to make rainwater drinkable

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I gave up drinking water (rainwater or any other kind) long ago When I found out fish have sex in it. I also have to wonder about everybody trying so hard too only eat "natural" foods. After all, every time I read the obituaries, most of them died of "natural" causes. I figure I need all the preservatives I can get.
 

Sideburnt

Full Member
Apr 7, 2011
81
0
Leeds
The only time I've ever caught anything nasty from rainwater was when I was camping as a kid near the coast with scouts, it tasted quite brackish I remember and left a lingering taste.

I can distinctly remember the Chernobyl accident and the effect it had on Wales, my folks used to part own a cottage in Wales and local meat and spring water was off the menu for a while until the all clear was given, even then there was paranoia about how much fallout had already become part of the eco system.

As a 9 year old, I remember being really freaked out at the green lambs meat, until I knew better.
 

Aussiepom

Forager
Jun 17, 2008
172
0
Mudgee, NSW
Here in Oz a large portion of the rural population drink rain water collected directly off the house roof and have done for generations, (some city folk too, but it's not as common.) To put it into perspective, if an individual was interested in minimising risk to themselves, they'd be far better served by giving up driving. There's a much greater chance of dying in a road accident than from drinking rainwater.
 
Feb 15, 2011
3,860
2
Elsewhere
There may be a slight difference between rain water collected in rural Australia than that which has passed over industrialised towns & cities in Europe,the UK in particular........I could be wrong.
 

Tony

White bear (Admin)
Admin
Apr 16, 2003
24,131
1
1,879
53
Wales
www.bushcraftuk.com
I'd imagine that the population that drink the collected water would also have built up a resistance to any baddies in it, over here there's people that have always drunk out of springs, lakes etc and are fine, those that never or rarely do though are often not prepared for the bugs and their bodies can't fight them. I'd say that those that don't normal drink from natural sources shouldn't start later in life (unless of course it's necessary :D)
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
yeah people are always dying from contaminated water over here you can hardly find the sports sections in the papers for all the stories about it, nobody in britain lives beyond 30 any more because of all the pollution. i also like the way santaman said he didn't trust tap water because its full of all those nasty chemicals vital to life, or rain water because its full of cancer, but then went on to say that rainwater from reservoirs was fine because it had been through a purification plant? which one is it?

i'd like to add that i've drunk water straight from tarns and streams, and straight off my tarp when its wet out, never once got the trots or even felt a bit queasy
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
yeah people are always dying from contaminated water over here you can hardly find the sports sections in the papers for all the stories about it, nobody in britain lives beyond 30 any more because of all the pollution. i also like the way santaman said he didn't trust tap water because its full of all those nasty chemicals vital to life, or rain water because its full of cancer, but then went on to say that rainwater from reservoirs was fine because it had been through a purification plant? which one is it?...

What I said, with tongue in cheek, was I don't drink water (any water) since I learned that fish have sex in it.

As to the cancer causing chemicals in rainwater, I never said rainwater was "full" of anything. Only that it was just as suspect as any other water source.

As for those nasty chemicals "vital to life" found in tap water, well I don't think chlorine is especially vital to life. Actually it's put there as an antibiotic. Look up that word. It's Latin roots actually translate as "against life." A necessary evil as it kills all those nasties from that reservoir. Further treatments remove whatever pollutants are present in that reservoir water. They also add floride to aid dental health (never mind that floride is also toxic) No, I don't like the pollutants found in the reservoir nor the chemicals added by the treatment plants (resulting in the final tap water) What are the alternatives though?

As you pointed out though most developed nations have generally longer lifespans. In spite of worries over additives in water or food. In spite of worries over geneticly enhanced foods. In spite of just how unnatural our foods have become.
 
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dp0001

Forager
Apr 27, 2007
125
5
London
OMG! TAP WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't get me started on the chemicals in TAP WATER!
Or the damage soaps can do to your skin - and once absorbed through your skin - your internal organs!
... or the damage that exercise can do to your body,
<EDIT>
Excellent, that's my excuse for being a lazy b%^$^r sorted :)

As someone else mentioned, in Oz they collect and store the rainwater from the roof in big tanks. They do run it through a filter jug before drinking though. (well my relatives do.)
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
I'm sure I remember reading that nuclear weapons explosion tests were carried out in rural Australia years ago. Just think of all that nuclear-contaminated dust in the atmosphere, just waiting to form droplets of water and poison Aussies......

Life's a balance - at sea, I used to collect rainwater straight off the sails, after allowing a few minutes rainfall flush the salt out of them. I have no real problems drinking rainwater collecting on a tarp. Yet I'd be very wary about drinking direct from streams because of the possibility of up-stream pollution. And I still like travelling to Cornwall, despite the fact that the majority of it would be categorised as level-3 nuclear waste in nuclear power-station terms because of the incidence of Radon throughout the county......................
 

leahcim

Tenderfoot
Aug 2, 2011
92
1
USA
rainwater is pretty safe unless you drinking acid rain. If it just rain, you are good to go. Rainwater that sits is another issue or rainwater on poisonous plants or in muddy holes already infected. A simple plastic bag, like a turkey oven bag filled half way with water left in the sun for 6-8 hours will kill any bacteria.
 

leahcim

Tenderfoot
Aug 2, 2011
92
1
USA
h ha ha toddy where are you the north pole? California Redwoods had o sun when i was there, but dew collectng and fog collecting is pretty safe. I had a tarp inbetween 2 treess, to block wind from ocean, and fog getting me wet, and I rolled tarp around a dead log as a lean to brace at bottom. made it loose to make a channel on the inside of the log, to collect water like a gutter, and dug a hole in ground at sloping end and place pot to catch he water. when I awoke I had pretty drinking water to last all day from the fog. I never got sick. I learned this from Chili South America, thats how they got water for cities in the driest desert in the world.
 
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leahcim

Tenderfoot
Aug 2, 2011
92
1
USA
yeah northern California, Oregon, Washington are the same way, so was Maine, and Mount Washingtion in Maine/New Hampshire where winds exceed 100mph up there. You be surprised in places like Smoky Mountains national park where My people live, in the ravines of the mountains, you sometime think the sun is never coming back.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
It was the suggestion of a poly bag heating up and killing the bacteria that I found a touch surreal.
Fine on a nice day, but otherwise, not a hope :rolleyes:
It's high summer, it's a beautiful day and the temperature is only 25 deg C, (about 77F if my maths is right).
Water isn't a problem, not getting it anyway. Even the tops of our hills are sodden wet. Making it potable can sometimes be an issue. UV isn't reliable in our climate.
I'm a Scot, according to my bother it's written into the contract with the maker, "must be rained on at least twice a day" :rolleyes:

Different environments require different strategies.

cheers,
Toddy

Sassenach? Me ? yeah right ;)
England's beautiful too, it's just not home, that's all.
M
 

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