Water way to cook and boil

[Moonraker]

It is not infact true that purifying simply requires bring to the boil.

You should infact boil the water for as long as possible, but after ten minutes there are no microorganisms left to kill. So atleast ten and add an extra minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level, as water boils at a lower temperature higher up.

If you cannot afford the time and effort, boil for as long as possible, bringing it to the boil will still kill most microorganisms, but it will not be completely safe.

Use this as a guide, I believe to be true, but do not hold me responsible for anything that may go wrong.

There has been quite a bit of discussion on this topic. Most recent sources advise that bringing water to the boil (making allowance for lower boiling point at altitude) is sufficient to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. This is from the UNHCR providing advice to aidworkers for providing potable water in emergency situations, which in fact advices against prolonged boiling:

92. Boiling is the surest method of water sterilisation. At low altitudes, water that is simply brought to the boil can be assumed to be free of pathogenic bacteria. Boiling should, however, be continued for one minute for every 1,000 metres of altitude above sea level, as the boiling temperature reduces with altitude. Prolonged vigorous boiling is often recommended but is not necessary to destroy the faecal-orally transmitted pathogens; it wastes fuel and increases the concentration of nitrates in the water. Water with high nitrate content is dangerous for very young babies. Domestic fuel supplies may, in the longer term, be the determining factor: boiling requires about 1 kg of wood per litre of water

source: http://www.aidworkers.net/UNHCR/water-09.html

 

[wingstoo]

Hi Folks,

Take a look at :-

http://ludlowsurvivors.bravehost.com

look at the photos of the EVENT 2005.

Boiling water in a plastic bag!!!!

You visit enough and I may give away the secret of how it is done!!

Ludlowsurvivors, Dave.

Can you guess how its done?

 

[Stuart]

studies done at everest base camp (5545m). have shown that just bringing water to the boil killed all harmful organisim even at that altitude. so there is no need to add time to the boiling for altitudes below 5500m.

for futher information see:

Backer HD: Field Water Disinfection. In: Auerbach PS (ed): Wilderness Medicine: Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies, 3rd Edition. Mosby, St. Louis, 1995.

 

[anthonyyy]

"I've carried my water in my condom shoved in a sock back to camp. "


Move your camp to where the water is - save your condom for when you really need it.

 

[Graham_S]

take plastic bag, place flat stones in bottom.
fill with water.
place fire heated stones in the bag making sure they rest on the flat stones.
remove and replace heated stones untill water is boiling.
easy.

 

[arctic hobo]

studies done at everest base camp (5545m). have shown that just bringing water to the boil killed all harmful organisim even at that altitude. so there is no need to add time to the boiling for altitudes below 5500m.

for futher information see:

Backer HD: Field Water Disinfection. In: Auerbach PS (ed): Wilderness Medicine: Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies, 3rd Edition. Mosby, St. Louis, 1995.

I'd add that the way the world works, the most successful organisms (in this case bacteria) are the ones that can only live where they are, and ones that can survive a greater range of conditions only tend to thrive in the extremeties as they are out-competed otherwise. What I'm getting at is that if the place you're getting water from is stagnant and warm (best place for them), you will actually find that it is easier to destroy the resident nasties, which seems illogical.
I'm not suggesting anyone gets their water from the nastiest places they can find, just that they need not worry if they have to

 

[tomtom]

Only thing is, no cookware. No saucepans, mess kits or anything like that would fit in survival tin..

did anyone already say...

...use your your survival tin.

 

[Buckshot]

Leans over my hiking staff with a Yoda-esq look of bemusement. I pull my BCB tobacco tin out and extract a folded square of heavy guage cooking aluminium. Folding it into a simple box ( you want origami? go see my screen progenitor Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid) I have a container that with care ( don't let it scorch and burn through) will boil water over a fire.

Good post Chris
This got me thinking though and at the same time (who says blokes can't multi task!) I was walking past an old dicarded disposable BBQ. Hmmm, the base ali is about 1mm thick and obviously made to withstand heat. It's very light if a little bulky to keep in anything but a larger PSK - but worth a thought all the same...

Cheers

Mark