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Post by cajunlady87 on Jan 15, 2013 12:25:32 GMT -7
TJ's recent post on another thread utilizing two cans to make a water filter got me thinking. I know, my head is hurting.  He suggested using sand and gravel along with other items to filter the water. My area has neither so it would be challenging for me to accomplish this. If I were to become lost in the woods of my area I'm not sure how to accomplish this and need help figuring it out. Our dirt is mostly claylike and rocks are non-existant except for those found near road shoulders layed out by the parish workers. Maybe others in their area would be presented with this same problem and need a resolution also. What to do? |
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Post by Lawdog2705 on Jan 15, 2013 14:09:21 GMT -7
I would think you could pour the water through a cloth covered bucket a couple of times, then boil it. Should be potable then. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.
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Post by tjwilhelm on Jan 15, 2013 14:21:35 GMT -7
Hi Ladies...
The reason for starting with course material and working down to fine material is to avoid premature clogging of the filter. If you have only a piece of fine cloth, course contaminants could plug it up pretty quickly.
You MAYBE could use a course wire mesh, then transition to window screen, and then to fabric.
Of course, ALWAYS boil after filtering.
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Post by offtrail on Jan 15, 2013 16:34:17 GMT -7
If you have no material like sand to filter your water before using a store bought filter or before boiling it. use some charcoal from your camp fire. Put some in a shirt and crush it up so the dirty water has to go through the charcoal and not around it. But don't forget without a certified filter to run your water through it must still be boiled before drinking. Punk wood may also be a good material for filtering water, just be sure what type tree it was as some trees are poisonous. if you have two containers, fill one and let it sit so all the solids sink to the bottom. then carefully pour off the water without stirring up the dirty water from the bottom. So don't worry honey there are other ways to do this. Just be sure you boil it first before drinking.
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Post by cajunlady87 on Jan 15, 2013 16:37:22 GMT -7
Agreed TJ. Just trying to figure out things in the outdoors I could use in place of sand and gravel which aren't readily available for me. Thanks for the suggestions.
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Post by pathwinder14 on Jan 16, 2013 7:40:48 GMT -7
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Post by cajunlady87 on Jan 16, 2013 8:11:34 GMT -7
Thanks PW. I'm adding ziplocs containing carpenters sand and activated charcoal to my EDC and other bags should an emergency arise where I do need to filter water.
Sand and activated charcoal will be added to future caches also to have extras on hand.
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Post by pathwinder14 on Jan 16, 2013 9:19:54 GMT -7
Thanks PW. I'm adding ziplocs containing carpenters sand and activated charcoal to my EDC and other bags should an emergency arise where I do need to filter water. Sand and activated charcoal will be added to future caches also to have extras on hand. No Problem. However you don't need to add/carry those. Making a water filter in the bush is a simple process. All you need to carry is some sort of container with a hole in it (or make one) like a ziploc bag, 20 Oz. water bottle, or soup can. Heck, most of the time you can find a junk soda/water bottle lying around somewhere. All you really need in a bushcraft water filter is a cloth at the bottom with charcoal on top, lots of powdered charcoal. Take some black burnt wood and scrape off the black stuff (carbon, otherwise known as charcoal). Smash it into a powder. The larger material (sand, pebbles, rocks) simply filters out large debris like splinters, leaves, mud, etc. The whole point of the filter is for the charcoal(carbon) to bind to any chemical pollutants. Boiling is what kills the micro-organisms. You have to do both to be absolutely sure because boiling won't get rid of chemicals and charcoal won't filter out all micro-organisms. |
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