Drinking "wild" water

[Woody girl]

I usually take a couple of litres of water with me and once that has run out, depending on location, I use a milbank bag filter, a sawyer mini and then boil. Never had an issue so far, but where I live we have good fresh spring water from the hills. They even sell it

That's exactly my method too. It works fine. , even with fairly suspect water, but I always try to find fairly clean supplies.
I also have a water to go bottle which can filter pretty nasty looking water, havnt tried to do that with it myself, but I've seen a live demo where it came out clear and drinkable. No upset tummy either after drinking . No nasty tastes and what went in was pretty green and nasty!
I don't know why it's not more popular as a water treatment option.

 

[hughtrimble]

I also have a water to go bottle which can filter pretty nasty looking water, havnt tried to do that with it myself, but I've seen a live demo where it came out clear and drinkable

That is a very impressive sounding purifier: https://watertogo.shop/how-it-works/

First I've seen at the price range that claims to remove viruses!

The website, I must admit, isn't the best, and it behaves quite strangely on my phone! If I'd come across it myself I'd have likely assumed it was a scam, given the website and the fact I'd not come across it before in searching for a filter/purifier!

Edit: for other readers, the gooutdoors reviews of it aren't brilliant for its longevity or robustness.

 

[Woody girl]

I've had mine for years, and buy packs of 3 replacement filters. It's not cheap, but it has been independently tested at three different labs and they all give it the thumbs up. Obviosly I treat my kit well and I've had no problems with robustness and longlivity.
It doesn't filter large amounts at a time, but its a perfect travel companion and works well in the wild too. Thumbs up from me.
I do have other filters such as sawyer mini and another for group camp use which I've forgotten the name of for now. All good filters, but if you want to see this in use , you tube Tom linden. He shows some short vids of him using it in various conditions that would make you think twice!!!

 

[walker]

I carry my nalgene bottles one on the hip and one in the rucksack if I need more water I carry a millbank bag and oasis tablets or filter and boil in my Swedish army stove

 

[Robson Valley]

The presence of "forever chemicals" in all wild surface waters makes them toxic when consumed over time. Basically made of chains of carbon-fluorine atom bondings, the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. They can be destroyed with extreme heat and boiling won't do anything.
The chemical has the shape of a flag on a pole. The 'flag' part is a cluster of much weaker bonds with oxygen atoms. In recent weeks, it's been learned that the 'flag' can be popped off with simple sodium hydroxide aka lye. Then the pole disintegrates into harmless fragments.
So now the search is on for a useful method to separate the water from the forever chemicals in some sort of a system where the baddies can be destroyed.

What I have been unable to find out is if well water, bore water, is any safer. I would hope so, some aquifers must be millenia in age.

 

[Murf]

I use a Waterdrop system. What I like about it is the flexibility. For main camp I fill the 2.5 galon water bag from a nearby lake. That's then hung in a tree and the filter attached. The filter can be connected to the small collapsible water bottle that comes with it. It is also threaded to fit standard plastic water bottles. At camp I'll filter into a 2.5 litre bottle that I take along empty to save weight. 2.5 litres at a time also means I spend less time filtering. The filter can also be used in a more portable way when away from camp. A standard 500ml water bottle can be filled from any source clean or not and attached to the intake end of the filter instead of the main water bag. You can then attach a mouth peice (provided) to the clean water end of the filter and use it like a standard water straw. I've used this system for a long time now and my confidence in it is such that I don't feel the need to boil or otherwise treat the filtered water. It's been a game changer for me.
P.s. the guy in the picture is most definitely not me .

 

[Robson Valley]

"Forever Chemicals" come by that name honestly. It is not possible, yet, to filter those from any water source. All surface waters, rain and snow included, are contaminated.

 

[MikeLA]

Year ago, early 1990s before all the modern filters, I either drank water straight from the streams or used puritabs and a sock for a filter in the
Lake District. Remember once it was so hot I just needed water quick.

 

[TeeDee]

I did wonder after an interesting return trip from Africa if it would be to possible desensitise ones guts 'rejection' of non-potable water by introducing small amounts of bacteria to water over time and titrating ones dose up? - I'm not sure if this would be possible but I'm guessing as the Human body can adapt to most things given time , recovery and minimal stimulus ( to begin with ) its quite plausible.

I'm wondering if any ex-pats that have moved to developing countries over time have had their gut bacteria accommodate the various new impure water?

 

[billycoen]

SWMBO just raised a good point about the TV adverts concerning Water Aid,logic being that if anyone was going to get desensitise it would be people who have no other choices but to drink dodgy water on a regular basis.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Bit like the Princess Bride and iocaine powder!

 

[billycoen]

Only it's not real...unlike dodgy water..

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Only it's not real...unlike dodgy water..

Pretty sure it was a documentary...

 

[walker]

Year ago, early 1990s before all the modern filters, I either drank water straight from the streams or used puritabs and a sock for a filter in the
Lake District. Remember once it was so hot I just needed water quick.

Yep always drank nice ice cold water from streams when younger out hiking and camping and am still here , never heard of forever chemicals before so am sure there just part of modern life and are probably building up in everybody's systems.

 

[SCOMAN]

When I walk on Dartmoor I carry less than a litre and filter what I need as I go along.

I had a bad experience with water on Dartmoor and regard it's streams and rivers as denizens of poison. Even the military take bowsers in so troops don't get sick, they did when I was there anyway. I would boil then add tablets to be on the safe side.

Generally unless I'm going a short walk I take 3L in a camelbak. Extra weight but I remember the experience of walking from Great Mis Tor to Princetown and having numerous 'stops'.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I find one issue with dartmoor is its pretty "flat" (despite being hilly!) and a lot of the streams up higher tend to have quite a few standing water areas... or water travelling through some pretty sketchy looking bits of ground. I don't know about its more flowing areas (upstream from Wistmans woods sort of places) and that type of stuff, but even then, I find it doesn't always inspire me to drink...

 

[nigelp]

I find one issue with dartmoor is its pretty "flat" (despite being hilly!) and a lot of the streams up higher tend to have quite a few standing water areas... or water travelling through some pretty sketchy looking bits of ground. I don't know about its more flowing areas (upstream from Wistmans woods sort of places) and that type of stuff, but even then, I find it doesn't always inspire me to drink...

The water is filtered and sometimes also boiled, or also treated with appropriate tablets. Never had an issue when taking those precautions on Dartmoor or other UK hills and mountains.

 

[SCOMAN]

I've said it before I'm sure I remember one of the Trail magazine journo's 'Graham' something did a bit of research with Leeds Uni in the Lake District. They found, much to the guys surprise, a lot of the water in the hills was quite badly polluted and full of nasties. If I remember rightly they blamed it on the intensive hill farming over the centuries. I've always been careful. If I'm camping out at 'my spot' I always millbank it and boil. I find 'making' water a faff but necessary.