Water filtering

[Wayland]

Wayland is that a ten liter millbank bag that you have there?

Nah.. Just the standard one.

Outputs about a pint per hour.

I hang it when I set camp. Boil up before turning in and put it in the bottle it when it's cooled in the morning.

(unless it's really cold in which case I bottle it hot, wrap it in a shemagh and use it as a hot water bottle.)

Takes less than a couple of minutes effort to sort over two litres of usable water by my reckoning.

 

[Timothy]

Though it is a bit heavy compared to other filter systems, I find the First Need System to be my favorite water filter. I think it does a better job of all-around filtration. Cysts, chemicals, bacteria, and I think some viruses (not sure on that one), I have used them in the swamps of North Carolina, the bogs of Minnesota, drip tanks in the North Dakota Badlands, along with water from Lake Superior on scuba trips. Beats the heck out of iodine, halzone, and chlorine. I will carry tablets as a back-up system, or if I have to go ultra-light, but I prefer something that reduces pesticides and herbicides in my drinking water. Years ago I and about eighty other Marines were treated for a bad case of dysentary, so I take clean water to be a major concern!

 

[Wayland]

Thinking about it, I do also carry Aqua Mira in my kit in case it's impractical to boil the water, but I've never used it yet and I think it's about to go out of date..

 

[Podcast Bob]

No one here seems to be mentioning the Aquagear Survivor Bottle which is currently taking the market by storm, as the best value for money filter AND purifier, removing all the nasties, heavy metals, chlorine and iodine, taste and taint, and is completely tested and approved by the MOD up to 400 gallons (they gave up after that!).

I did a podcast with the importer which may be of interest to readers of this thread, if you haven't heard it.

Either over on The Outdoors Station, or direct link here;

http://www.hipcast.com/export/P793d09abbffb64d5966f2576dc3676baYlp9SlREY2d2.mp3

 

[crazydave]

same principle as the seychelles pres 2 pure ones I use, what I dont like is the filters swell up and soften so you need to be carefull with them. this upside down system works well or so I've heard

 

[Christy]

has anyone tried to make a carbon filter yet? could be pretty easy with just some sort of funnel, a tampon and a bit of norit......

Next weekend's your chance than mate.

 

[robtheblacksmith]

I havent been here in a while and I do not claim to be the smartest guy, but I thought I might add to this:

Some years ago my ex's parents lived in the mountains of North Carolina and there was a neighbor who had a 4 meter x 1 meter concrete pipe buried right next to a stream rolling off the mountain with about half a meter sricking out. They filled it with about 2 meters of sand leaving room at the top for clear water.

The idea was to let the water seep up from the bottom and filter as it rose since water seeks its own level.

Based on this, I was fooling around with a rather large peice of bamboo ( because there is an abunbance where I currently live) about 2 meters long and 4cm wide, hollowed out of course. I put a chunk of denim in the bottom and alternate layers of natural charcoal and sand for the first half a meter or so, then just sand.

To be honest, I used some water I mixed with some dirt from the back yard and when fltered, it worked better then I thought it would as it was quite clear.

However, based on an event that I witnessed when I was in Scouts, you will never catch me using water that has been abo filtered and NOT boiled. It wasnt pretty and the memory has stuck with me.

Again, this was just something I fooled with and I never put it to the trail test or actually applied it, but the theory seems sound and the results werent that bad.

Rob