Do you drink water out in the wild?

[Stanleythecat]

I was just reading an article from Finland where their water is pretty potable and just needed a rolling boil for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria.

So I was interested to know how many of us in UK would be happy to drink water from natural sources and if so what measures you take to guarantee its purity?

I imagine there are a wealth of lucky Scotts who have very pure sources but I wonder whether here, in Wiltshire/South Glos, I could really be confident I wasn't glugging down a mixture of dilluted Roundup, car oil residue or cow crud!

Leo

 

[SCOMAN]

Well on Dartmoor I boiled and threw in a puritab for good measure. I mentioned on here previously Trail magazine did an article on the clear mountain streams, in the Lake District I believe, and their contents. It was surprising and for those involved in the article a little frightening. Most had some pretty big nasties in them that would definitely allow you to ....through the eye of a needle. The issue is, I believe, the intensive livestock farming that over many many years has polluted the water table with fecal matter. I recently went over to the Steripen but haven't done extensive testing yet.

 

[John Fenna]

I will drink water in the wilds - but only above the habitation line in the hills and from fast moving streams....
Otherwise - just like Mediaeval folk - beer, cider and spirits!


Or stuff I have put through a good waterpurifier

 

[Baggy]

What John said, after checking upstream a bit for dead sheep etc

> needed a rolling boil for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria.
I'm not sure that 10 mins is needed, an old hill walking buddy who is a scientist says that once the water has boiled anything harmful is dead... so he brought water to the boil counted five seconds and then turned the gas off.

 

[lannyman8]

i used an iodine filter/pump to treat my water at brockwell woods, it didnt kill me, yet...........

 

[Beardy]

I've drunk direct from a stream in Nordic countries and no bad has come of it. I've also drunk straight from the stream in Wales, but I might be unusual in that I'm lucky to have Snowdonia a stones throw away and that environment is obviously going to be different from lower lying and more populated areas (although apparently we still have radiation from Chernobyl here!). When I've been not on the hills, I've used puritabs, although that isn't going to do much against Roundup et al!

There are a range of things for this though - I've recently got a Millbank bag, but haven't had an opportunity to use it out and about yet, although, it seems a bit fiddly and time-consuming if you wanted a quick stop to top up en route. There are also quite a few purpose-built filters on the market, Katadyn seems to be a popular choice, but they can be pricey. My rule of thumb is, if it seems suspect, leave it. I'd rather go thirsty until I come across the next water source than be doubled over with the squits to be honest. Obviously take a look at it, smell it, choose running water over still water, be cautious of water sources by agricultural land (you probably don't need a dead sheep upstream or pesticide run-off in your flask).

What sort of terrain do you usually travel in? The higher it is (less likely to be used for arable farming) and the less populated it is, the better, is what I have always thought.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Yup i milbank filter then boil, i did boil for five mins, but now just bring to the boil, cool and drink, I check for dead animals and signs of pollutants, but other than that game for anything,

 

[Melonfish]

Its odd to find sheep lying in streams but you see it more often then not, clearly the water wasn't good for the sheep to drink

in the peaks me and Col survived fine using chlorine tabs with water from springs, there were some nice fast flowing ones too and it just looked like you could dip your face in and enjoy.. unfortunatly my stomach HATES chlorine tabs so i have to use alternatives now, but generally we were fine.

 

[sasquatch]

Big bubbles no troubles...

 

[sapper1]

Generally I only drink coffee,I make it with boiled water so I'm happy that it's O.K. If I want water to drink then I filter it with a proper filter or use puritabs and neutralising tabs.

 

[Tetley]

Having walked extensivley in the Lakes and Welsh mountains I have drunk out of High , fast moving streams for years and suffered no ill effects ( well known fact that Ribena kills bacteria) however I always use Iodine for water taken below the fenceline

 

[northumbrian]

When i was a bairn in first school we were on a 2 week walking trip in the lake district and i filled my water bottle from a lake and suffered no ill effects . A little later on when i was a teen i drank some water fresh from a burn going into the river Tyne , same again no ill effects ! but then again when we were bairns we used to eat chewing gum that we picked up off the street ( minus the bits of tarmac ) so i probally have a cast iron constitution ! lmfao
cheers Andrew.

 

[EdS]

been drink form streams in the Lakes adn Dales for 30 odd years no problem.

Once advantage of good strng cup of tea isthe tannin help to kill anything.

 

[andybysea]

Have done from streams in lake district when i was younger(dafter)just boiled and made coffee, but dont anymore,especially from the streams near me,the amount of sheep shinola on the land near them puts me way off,always carry my own to my camp spots.

 

[QDanT]

Its odd to find sheep lying in streams but you see it more often then not, clearly the water wasn't good for the sheep to drink

I just bring to rolling boil then turn off, and find the Swiss army volcano stove bottle handy for putting back into water source to cool then fill up plastic 58 water bottle from it.
Here's a view upstream starting from the sheep on one of my camping permissions

cheers all Danny

 

[Graham_S]

I purify everything I drink.
Even in the wilds of Scotland.
I'd rather take the time to be sure than suffer the effects of bad water.
I've drunk tainted water before, and I've no desire to repeat the experience.

 

[MrEd]

I purify everything I drink.
Even in the wilds of Scotland.
I'd rather take the time to be sure than suffer the effects of bad water.
I've drunk tainted water before, and I've no desire to repeat the experience.

me to in mexico. I NEVER want to be that ill again.

I have drunk from streams before, filtered and boiled and have been fine, but to be honest down south im rarely so far away from habitation that i need to drink from streams, i just carry what i need for an overnight trip.

I did melt snow in finland to get water, its really gash as you have to melt loads of snow for a small drink

 

[Beltane]

I use an Aquagear bottle from BPLUK for low-level sources. Excellent bit of gear, never needed to chemically treat water since I bought it in 2008.

Travel Tap is the latest version.

Higher up, I drink straight from the beck.

 

[Shewie]

I carry very little water with me and have always taken whatever I need from streams or springs. The Lakes or Dales where I visit are mainly arable land so I always take a walk to check for dead stuff upstream. In Scotland I don't bother so much, the areas we end up at are normally well out of the way of buildings or grazing land. A pal has had a really bad experience up there though so it's not always a given.

For treatment I always use a millbank and then bring to a boil whatever I need at the time.

 

[dwardo]

Milli bag and quick boil usually.
I do have a premac but hardly use it to be honest. The last time i was out bushying it was a milly, then boil which was from a spring.
The last time i was out in the hills it was melting snow, avoiding the yellow stuff of course..

Never had the squits yet.... Must be all the alcohol i chase the water down with