View Full Version : Has anyone caught any 'nasties' from water.
walshy155
02-09-2011, 18:25
Has anyone here caught any bad things like Giardia, I want to know what it is like catching them, is it fatal?
if its fatal, they wont be able to answer......
:lmao::lmao::lmao:
walshy155
02-09-2011, 18:31
if its fatal, they wont be able to answer......
:lmao::lmao::lmao:
I didn't mean it like that, I'm 15, so if I were to accidentally drink bad water even if boiled how bad would it be for me?
If you boil water properly, that is a good rolling boil for a couple of minutes, you shouldnt have any problems.
Cheers
Ness :)
walshy155
02-09-2011, 19:03
If you boil water properly, that is a good rolling boil for a couple of minutes, you shouldnt have any problems.
Cheers
Ness :)
I heard that you have to let the water boil over the container rim to get any bacteria or whatever off the rim so you will not become sick.
Mesquite
02-09-2011, 19:08
If you boil water properly, that is a good rolling boil for a couple of minutes, you shouldnt have any problems.
All you need to do it get it to about 90degC to kill off everything... however not a loty of folks carry a thermometer with them so getting it to a rolling boil is best then take it off as you'll be wasting fuel.
I heard that you have to let the water boil over the container rim to get any bacteria or whatever off the rim so you will not become sick.
No need.... the pot is the same temperature, to with a degree or two, of the boiling water so the outside of the pot will be sterile.
Maybe if you supect the water and your container to be severely contaminated....
Under normal circumstances a good boil will sort the water and the rising steam should see to the container :)
Just don't scald your mouth!
walshy155
02-09-2011, 19:29
OK that is great thanks guys!
I was bad for a couple of days after a long session drinking Makers Mark Bourbon and water, must have been bad water in the mix.
http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-long-do-you-need-to-boil-water
Get the water up to 80c and job done.
walshy155
02-09-2011, 19:36
What can I throw in while it's boiling to give it more flavour, although I actually like council pop...
I heard pine leave are great, but my luck I will throw yew leaves in there, ahah.
Mesquite
02-09-2011, 19:37
What can I throw in while it's boiling to give it more flavour, although I actually like council pop...
I heard pine leave are great, but my luck I will throw yew leaves in there, ahah.
A teabag :rolleyes:
walshy155
02-09-2011, 19:58
I mean't wild, and common.
walshy155
02-09-2011, 20:00
Nettle leaves
Ohh yeah, damn I'm stupid.
nunzionuk
02-09-2011, 20:00
i'll 2nd a tea bag. Rolling boil will kill 99% of nasties, in water, the other 1% your tummy acids will kill.
Ohh yeah, damn I'm stupid.
No, because you're asking questions rather than insisting you know it all already.
I've read sorrel makes a nice drink but I've never found it (not looked all that hard, mind). You can also use rosehips but nettle tea is surprisingly nice - just don't make it too strong
santaman2000
02-09-2011, 20:29
All you need to do it get it to about 90degC to kill off everything... however not a loty of folks carry a thermometer with them so getting it to a rolling boil is best then take it off as you'll be wasting fuel...
Almost. If you're at altitude wayer will boil at a cooler temp due to the reduced pressure. Over about 8000-10000 feet best to let it boil a couple more minutes to be sure you've reach temp.
If it's boiling it won't get any hotter regardless of how long you heat it for. That's why you'd need a pressure cooker
santaman2000
02-09-2011, 21:53
I Cain't really dispute that logic. The Boy Scouts still teach boiling for a couple of minutes though. I'm sure the pot temp would continue to rise and possibly the heat trapped in mass of the water? I'm just throwing an idea out here.
Ive been sick from drinking bad water...but I was a very small child then, have since learned my lesson
i remember once with a mate in Wales drinking straight from a crystal clear, cold, fast running stream and it was beautiful............only to get round the next bend and find a rotting sheeps carcas wedged between two boulders in the stream ! didn't get ill though :)
Graham_S
02-09-2011, 22:13
I've been ill from bad water, I don't know what it was, but I spent two days throwing up.
"It'll be alright, I'm in the highlands"
Rubbish,
I treat all water as dodgy now.
I caught a Gurnard from water once.
http://www.freshfoodscornwall.co.uk/images/uploads/gurnard-whole.jpg
That looked kind of nasty but tasted great.
Mesquite
02-09-2011, 22:17
I caught a Gurnard from water once.
http://www.freshfoodscornwall.co.uk/images/uploads/gurnard-whole.jpg
That looked kind of nasty but tasted great.
:rofl:.. Good one Gary :)
nunzionuk
02-09-2011, 22:25
what a fugly nasty.. I always boil water when away, be it camping or hiking, better safe than sorry and sick.
A pal drunk some nasty water up in Scotland a few years ago, he did nothing different to what he usually did but he ended up peeing out of his backside for a week.
Never drink the tap water in Magaluf either, I got up after a heavy night out and downed three pints of water and then went back to bed. A couple of hours later I was retching into the bog and spent the next two days never far from a lav.
I once got some giardia at Ft. Hood, Texas. They allow herds of cattle to roam the area and they do their duty everywhere. It had rained some 7 inches just before we arrived there and since we were out in the field as a 12 man team, the only water we could manage was from streams. I added military purification tabs but apparently they were out of date. I didn't have a problem until a week or so after and then it was pretty ugly. It meant staying very close to the privy and was quite uncomfortable for near 2 weeks. Avoid the issue if you can!
walshy155
03-09-2011, 08:42
I caught a Gurnard from water once.
http://www.freshfoodscornwall.co.uk/images/uploads/gurnard-whole.jpg
That looked kind of nasty but tasted great.
Hahah, nice one.
cought giardia twice one in dominican republic the water may have been filterd but the ice cubes were brought in from outside the complex.
and the second time was in the uk when the water bord was working on the water supply and sent someone around to tell the residents. unfortunatly i was at work
walshy155
03-09-2011, 19:12
cought giardia twice one in dominican republic the water may have been filterd but the ice cubes were brought in from outside the complex.
and the second time was in the uk when the water bord was working on the water supply and sent someone around to tell the residents. unfortunatly i was at work
How log does it last, and how bad is it?
Back to the original question.
I caught a bug in Central America. It really sucks for a week to ten days unless you have some antibiotics.
The Wee Beasties are not fatal as long as you continue to hydrate. They usually get out of your system within a fortnight.
Now malaria is a completely different ball game........
I don't tend to drink from streams etc as usually have enough water anyway but the occasional times I do I will happily drink water without boiling or any sterilising if it is fairly fast flowing and clear looking (quite a few streams in the hope valley area I have drank from) its a good feeling drinking it straight from the cold stream on a hot day.
It hasn't made me ill yet:lmao:
yungmannfuzz
05-09-2011, 11:30
I was sick in Feb this year. Wild camping, I was at the top of a wee mountain, and I made some risotto- I used water brought from home. Instead of putting dirty crusader cup into my pack, I thought I would wash it in a big puddle. The puddle was pretty green, and had sheep poo in it, but I figured I would wash it properly when I got down again.
That was Friday, Monday I was getting pretty violent cramps, and going to the toilet 10-15 times a day. Felt so incredibly sick and weak, that I couldn't face any food!
Went to the Docs on Wednesday, and he was pretty convinced it was some form of parasite, wanted to get me tested. Turned out tests were not conclusive, but I had to take 3 weeks off work, and lost a stone! Was still going to the toilet 7/8 times a day 5 weeks after!
Apparently you can get gardia (Which on reading I think it was what I had) from a cut, or even splashing water in your eye!
Now I wouldn't stick my hands in dirty water ever again, pretty paranoid about boiling it too, but saying that I have drank fast flowing, pretty high up stream water a few times since with no ill effects!
I will happily drink water without boiling or any sterilising if it is fairly fast flowing and clear looking
Please, please, please do not drink water from a stream without boiling it!
walshy155
05-09-2011, 15:46
I was sick in Feb this year. Wild camping, I was at the top of a wee mountain, and I made some risotto- I used water brought from home. Instead of putting dirty crusader cup into my pack, I thought I would wash it in a big puddle. The puddle was pretty green, and had sheep poo in it, but I figured I would wash it properly when I got down again.
That was Friday, Monday I was getting pretty violent cramps, and going to the toilet 10-15 times a day. Felt so incredibly sick and weak, that I couldn't face any food!
Went to the Docs on Wednesday, and he was pretty convinced it was some form of parasite, wanted to get me tested. Turned out tests were not conclusive, but I had to take 3 weeks off work, and lost a stone! Was still going to the toilet 7/8 times a day 5 weeks after!
Apparently you can get gardia (Which on reading I think it was what I had) from a cut, or even splashing water in your eye!
Now I wouldn't stick my hands in dirty water ever again, pretty paranoid about boiling it too, but saying that I have drank fast flowing, pretty high up stream water a few times since with no ill effects!
Well I'm 15 and 2 years ago when I was more immature I walked through a small stream, having a laugh it was to me then, and I didn't get any nasties, now I hate putting my hands in water, with deeps cuts, but I think giardia has to get into your lower intestine to make you ill.