Millbank bag usage

[Slimey]

When using a millbank bag where do you catch the filtered water?

If your going to boil it to treat the water I guess you would catch it in your billy (or whatever you use) and then boil it, job done.

If you are going to chemically treat it do you have two water bottles, one clean and one 'dirty'?
If you only have only one bottle surely there would be a chance that untreated water may contaminate the outside of the bottle (threads or cap) and then pass on the contamination to you. I know you should flood your bottles when filling, but if you only have the treated water in the bottle...

Could you maybe invert the bottle and loosen the cap so some treated water flushes the threads and cap?

How do you get around this?

I may be being a bit dim here and am missing the obvious so if anyone can put me straight before I poison myself I'd be gratefull!

Simon.

 

[leon-1]

You can flush the threads with purified water in a mug, it just means that you will require to make up a little bit more, or as you say you can always leave the cap a little loose and then invert the bottle to flush the threads if you have only the one water bottle.

 

[bp1974]

With a millbanks bag, soak it so the fibres swell up, then fill it to the brim and hang it up. Wait a few seconds for the water on the outside to run off the bag and then put any suitable container beneath to catch the filtered water.

In terms of chemical treatment, I've always used iodine tincture. In the tropics I put a drop or two of iodine around the neck of my water bottles before screwing the lid on to ensure that the place I put my lips to remains sterile. Obviously that's not an option with iodine or chlorine tablets, that's why I like tincture.

 

[Slimey]

Hadn't thought of putting some iodine around the threads.

Thanks guys.

 

[SMARTY]

just a small tip. Collect the water in a clear container, then you can judge the effectiveness of the filter. If there are still particles in the water milbank it again, and again. You can then treat the water by another means

 

[Gary]

Clarity of water isnt a guide Simon. Millbank bags only filter out suspended matter and larger nasties - not colour - but same as gathering anything you can help yourself by selecting the best site available.

Follow the instructions on your bag - basically soak and then fill to the black line. Allow a small amount to run off to flush the fibers then collect.

If your boiling collect in the pot - easy.

If not then collect in a non-opaque bottle or container (i.e one where sunlight cant enter as UV rays will stop your chemicals working or greatly reduce their effectiveness) - once container is full add your desired treatment and allow it to work for correct contact time - not water temperatures ect as these can slow things down. ONCE treated loosen off the cap and flood the thread to ensure these are clean also.

That about covers it.

 

[Slimey]

Follow the instructions on your bag - basically soak and then fill to the black line. Allow a small amount to run off to flush the fibers then collect.

ONCE treated loosen off the cap and flood the thread to ensure these are clean also.

Cheers Gary,

I've experimented with the bag just using tap water to see how it behaves. The instructions say to fill the bag completely and let the water run off until it reaches the black line, then start collecting, so that's what I did.

I wouldn't like to use one when there is nowhere to hang it, they take some time and that was with clean water!

Cheers,

Simon

 

[leon-1]

Hi, what they teach on the water duties course is not just to soak the bag, you literally scrunch the thing in water.

When the bags are new they can seem almost water repellant and to speed things up you will basically slighlty abrade the bag, by roughing it up in river silt or on rocks.

Quite correctly allow the water to drop to the fill line this allows loose debris time to of been washed of the outside of the bag, if however you are using the ten litre bag used for groups by the time you have opened the water bottle all debris will have already washed of the outside of the bag.

You will not remove all discoloration of water (peat stained water is a good example) so as Gary said water colour is not always a good guide.

We were taught;

QUALIFY. Does your source meet the requirements for collection of water in its location and quality.

CLARIFY. Method to filter out suspended particles in the water.

PURIFY. Chemical or physical (boiling water) and soak times required along with amounts required.

The millbank bag is an old effective tried and tested method to clarify water, it is not fast and it is not pretty, but it gets the job done.

 

[stotRE]

Clarity of water isnt a guide Simon. Millbank bags only filter out suspended matter and larger nasties - not colour - but same as gathering anything you can help yourself by selecting the best site available.

Follow the instructions on your bag - basically soak and then fill to the black line. Allow a small amount to run off to flush the fibers then collect.

If your boiling collect in the pot - easy.

If not then collect in a non-opaque bottle or container (i.e one where sunlight cant enter as UV rays will stop your chemicals working or greatly reduce their effectiveness) - once container is full add your desired treatment and allow it to work for correct contact time - not water temperatures ect as these can slow things down. ONCE treated loosen off the cap and flood the thread to ensure these are clean also.

That about covers it.

Is that how they taught it in the Army as my memory is some what shot, i remember a corporal calling us idiots and something else that i cannot say without getting banned and then filling up the millbank bag, letting it fill up a 58 patt water bottle and then chucking in a puri tab and shaking the bottle.

 

[Stevie]

remember to turn it inside out to clean the inside as well otherwise you end up filtering through a thicker and thicker layer of debris which slows it down.

 

[logstacker]

Where can I buy a millbank bag?

 

[leon-1]

Where can I buy a millbank bag?

I picked up mine from Jasper at Strikeforce Supplies. Hope this is of use

 

[Stevie]

I actually got mine off EBay It was £6 brand new and untouched. Postage was only £2 if I remember rightly...there was a multiple auction for about 6 of them so prices stayed down.