Drinking "wild" water

[Scottieoutdoors]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I have one of those "I know what to do" sort of scenarios in my head, but when my wife asked, I realised I actually didn't know exactly....

So, you're supposed to find running water number 1... then to make sure there is no dead t-rex lying in it somewhere upstream, you're supposed to walk upstream quite a bit (I've heard a mile "or so")...then what? Walk back a mile to your original point? I mean, you can't take water from 1 mile up, because a few hundred metres even further up there might be hippy camp using it as their everything water... so can someone help me with this knowledge so I can avoid dysentery or worse, risk poisoning the wife!!!

 

[knowledge=gain]

in my experience and prior to the life straw water filter i now use

i never walked upstream, i was always lucky and planned to be within reasonable distance to cafes and public-houses and-such to ask them if they would be kind to supply me tap water

now i have discovered the life straw others are available like the sawyer water filter i can go further in the woods and-such and not have to worry and find water sources in the wild

i am also lucky to find clear water sources that just need a single filtration

if i had to filter dirty mucky or murky water or non-sure if safe i would first filter then boil for at least one [1] minute to further sterilise the water

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I actually have a Sawyer water filter... but I think the plan would be to find something resembling evian, filter that, see that in 24 hrs my wife hasn't killed me due to being poisoned... then I can work from there towards muddy puddles... but for now, the safest wild option has to be carried out.

 

[Limaed]

I think the logic is that the higher you go the closer to the source and the less chance of contamination. In the mountains this makes sense. I’ve been on mountaineering expeditions where the river water is full of silt (this can give you diarrhoea and clogs filters very quickly) but with a careful recce you can often find a clean source in gully lines. I think in the flat lands a filter or filter/boil is a better option as long as there is no risk of chemical contamination. Sometimes it’s easier to just make sure you carry enough fluids for the intended activity then you know the source will be safe.

 

[oldtimer]

Assume no "wild" water is safe and treat it accordingly. Then no one gets poisoned.

 

[saxonaxe]

There are no guarantees, you can only take reasonable precautions, so if you walk a few hundred yards upstream and there is no obvious decaying T Rex corpse in the water then you know that between where you stop searching and back where you have left the Mrs there is a clear run of what appears to be uncontaminated water.
For the protection of both of you, I would advise always using a filter of good quality anyway, certainly anywhere in the UK lowlands, and if you are boiling it to make a brew, so much the better.

 

[Robson Valley]

There are "indicator" species of green algae which flourish only under certain levels of nutrients (aka fertilization). Here, the filamentous green algae and Spirogyra sp in particular, are excellent indicators of fecal contamination.

Fronds and wisps of green hair, wafting slowly in the current of sluggish streams and I'll have a beer, thanks.

 

[knowledge=gain]

also to note

there are water purification tablets that are cheap

yet many have claimed the taste is to be desired

i remember a chlorine taste like drinking swimming pool water

there are allegedly iodine tablets i think they are called however i have not used these myself and others are more likely to advise their delicacy palette for such

here is some knowledge on purification tablets https://www.saveourh2o.org/best-water-purification-tablets/

there is also the portable uv water purification to consider

 

[C_Claycomb]

Cannot get iodine tablets for water purification in Europe (or UK) any more. The result of REACh legislation.

Newer tablets use chlorine dioxide. I have used this only in the 2-part liquid form, in which there was little or no taste of chlorine, unlike when I used the old Life Systems chlorine tablets.

 

[knowledge=gain]

Cannot get iodine tablets for water purification in Europe (or UK) any more. The result of REACh legislation.

Newer tablets use chlorine dioxide. I have used this only in the 2-part liquid form, in which there was little or no taste of chlorine, unlike when I used the old Life Systems chlorine tablets.

thank you

this is handy to know

thankfully i am yet to come across a situation where i would likely need to use tablets

my thought process [i am not saying this is the correct way or wrong way]

in a worse case scenario order

1. water purification tablets
2. water filter such as life-straw or sawyer or other suitable brand
3. boil for at least one [1] minute

if one is lucky to have access to the UV light use as number one [1] then follow steps

one [1] - three [3] as two [2] - four [4]

do you think this would be a suitable and viable order...??

note

in a worse case scenario whereby one [1] does not have any of the above

there is a process of using natural materials and a plastic-bottle with charcoal from the fire small-stones sand grass and-such yet this is a very lengthy process yet you would still need to boil the water for at least one [1] minute before drinking

 

[Jared]

The ultimate worst case scenario, is a genuine survival situation. Take the risk and drink water. Dehydration kills 100% of the time.

In two part liquid water treatment, the second liquid is generally Vitamin C which will neutralize the chlorine and improve taste.

 

[nigelp]

Cannot get iodine tablets for water purification in Europe (or UK) any more. The result of REACh legislation.

Newer tablets use chlorine dioxide. I have used this only in the 2-part liquid form, in which there was little or no taste of chlorine, unlike when I used the old Life Systems chlorine tablets.

Chlorine tablets are quite ineffective compared to chlorine dioxide. I’ve used both tablets and two part dioxide. Both seem to be effective but the liquid preperation works more quickly and the tablets are more convenient. Some pre filtering maybe required to remove any ‘bits’ that may hinder the treatment process.

Also worth noting that a water ‘filter’ is great in most situations in UK but if sourcing water in lowland area (south England etc) a filter will not remove any pesticides, chemicals and viruses.

My preference is to use a sawyer filter rather than a lifestraw because I can filter the water into a container and boil or treat with tablets if I need to. That’s the belt and braces approach I use when working with groups in ‘wild’ country. I also get each person to filter and process their own water so if they don’t wash their hands priory on it they will get unwell.

If you can boil the water then I would do no more than pre filter the water through cloth - I wouldn’t bother making anything fancy.

 

[hughtrimble]

Also worth noting that a water ‘filter’ is great in most situations in UK but if sourcing water in lowland area (south England etc) a filter will not remove any pesticides, chemicals and viruses.

There are some filters that are also purifiers, such as the MSR Guardian and Grayl Geopress/Ultrapress, which should I think be able to take care of chemicals and most viruses? I note you did specifically state 'filters', but in case the OP is like me who until the other day did not realise the difference between a 'filter' and 'purifier', I thought I'd mention them.

 

[knowledge=gain]

My preference is to use a sawyer filter rather than a lifestraw because I can filter the water into a container and boil or treat with tablets if I need to.

the life straw also filter into containers or bottles if one wants to with its own squeeze bag or by using a plastic bottle rather than drink straight from it

for example i filter water into my single wall stainless steel water container, yet i could use it to filter into any vessel or drink straight from it

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Realistically I just tend to carry a couple 2l bottles of water and the wife takes a single 2l bottle and we're sorted, but just interesting to know the whole 'walk up stream thing. I get the whole clear stretch of water thing now.

Dartmoor is my local haunt, tends to be quite a few springs about... have yet to test them out drinking wise.... watch this space... or listen out for the sonic boom as I run to try to find a toilet in time!

 

[Lean'n'mean]

You could do what they did in the first half of the 18th century, avoid water & just drink beer.

 

[knowledge=gain]

You could do what they did in the first half of the 18th century, avoid water & just drink beer.

beer will not be available in many remote places unless you are supplying and distributing and storing free of charge

 

[nigelp]

Realistically I just tend to carry a couple 2l bottles of water and the wife takes a single 2l bottle and we're sorted, but just interesting to know the whole 'walk up stream thing. I get the whole clear stretch of water thing now.

Dartmoor is my local haunt, tends to be quite a few springs about... have yet to test them out drinking wise.... watch this space... or listen out for the sonic boom as I run to try to find a toilet in time!

When I walk on Dartmoor I carry less than a litre and filter what I need as I go along.

 

[Robson Valley]

I think I'd be boiling spring water, just to be on the safe side.

We still have a Boil Water Advisory. The spring alpine melt has a higher than normal sediment load, not that I have noticed a damn thing extra coming out of my kitchen tap.

But, the Health Authority claims that us geezers are at risk from extra germs so I'll boil water for tea, coffee and pasta. I'm not quite ready to fall off my perch just yet.

 

[JFW]

I usually take a couple of litres of water with me and once that has run out, depending on location, I use a milbank bag filter, a sawyer mini and then boil. Never had an issue so far, but where I live we have good fresh spring water from the hills. They even sell it