Deserts and bottled water and water filters...

[jakunen]

Seeing Stewart's comment about the Desert thread, word of advice to anyone going to places like Tunisia.

Back in 97 my mother got a BAD stomach illness and spent a week in hospital because the hotel were bottling their own 'mineral' water straight from the tap and sealing the bottles with a crown cap.

Either buy water in a plastic bottle (although many hotels won't let you bring in water from the shops) or take a filter.

I'm going back for my birthday this year and doing a four day jeep and camel safari into the Sahara so I'm buying a couple of the small Pre-Macs that Gary sells to take with me to filter any water we get.

Mum and I will each carry one in our cabin luggage and I'll put a spare in my suitcase...

I don't like hospitals anyway, but Tunisian hospitals are REALLY bad!!!

[Stuart]

be aware that the miniral water bottles that you buy in the shops are often refilled, children collect the empty bottles they find and get a few pennys for taking them back to the shop (or fill them from the tap and sell them on the street) whos owner refills them with tap water

you cant blame them really when they see the ridicolus amount of money tourists pay for bottled water it must be ever so tempting

so check the seal or better still save your self the money and just purify the tap water

[jakunen]

Too true Stewart. £2 for a litre of water, against £17 for a filter that does 60 litres...

[bothyman]

£17 for a filter that does 60 litres...

How do they come up with the figure 60 litres???

Does it depend on the quality of the water you are filtering??

Do you have to throw it away and buy another when your 60 litres are up?

I have been thinking of getting one but 60 litres is not much.

we have peaty water here so the peat would probably bung it up in no time?? or would it??

Can you clean it out??

[alick]

This only works so far, but a tip I was given as a kid viisiting RAF stations on Malta and Gibraltar was that soft drinks from the major brands (coke, fanta etc) were among the most trustworthy. They are also ubiquitous because everyone wants them. Though made locally under license, the big names don't like press and tend to police hygiene standards of the local bottlers pretty thoroughly.

OK you cant boil your rice in coke, but if you do want to grab a drink on the street, these are the safest bet. ):

Cheers

[Ed]

OK you cant boil your rice in coke

Why? .......
I've improvised stranger cooking techniques while living in asia....

Ed

[Tony]

More info Ed :wink: :biggthump

[Ed]

I've cooked things in cider, larger, guiness (a luxury in asia I blagged of a tourist), orange juice (duck boiled in organge juice is a bit icky), arak (tends to ignite though) .... even goats blood (congeals quickly and becomes like jelly)!!! we normally did this as its cleaner than the water available.... cooking in coke doesn't seem that bad.
On the pakistan/afgan border, many of the wells in the desert are contaminated and no amount of boiling or filtering can get rid of that petrol/oil taste which makes me gag, so we improvised with any liquid we had to hand.

Ed

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Bothyman, remember that there are water FILTER and water PURIFIER systems and strategies. A filter does just that, remove particulate matter down to so many microns. Theoretically, straining out dead animal bits, leafs and heavy metal waste through your teeth while drinking is filtering. Purification is killing all the nasties through heat, chemical or, again very fine micron filtration. Most dedicated systems may employ both in some form. Capacity of any system is honestly subjective. Filtering clear stream water with active crypto is one thing. Filtering the brown tea from a peat bog quite another. Some systems employ disposable elements and others a permanent sytem with some self cleaning protocol. We have a review of filters @ www.equipped.org you may want to study.

[Gary]

Thats right Chris, as has been discussed on other threads there is a vaste difference in filters, purifiers and the quality of each but to answer Bothymans questions, (ALL FIGURES RE PRE-MAC PRODUCTS)

1. 60 Litres is the minimum they can handle (in this case the Pre-mac Pocket) they usually go way past that but unlike other filter/purifiers where you have to testt he water with a chemical test kit to ensure its still clean pre-mac will work 100% until they cease to pump. Ray (who endorses them) actually exploded a candle trying to force it to pump out a few more drops of water!
2. Water quality is a issue but more suspended matter int he water - to assist and prelong your filter/purifiers life I recommend typing a small peice of a ladies old tight over the filter to act as a pre filter.
3.The pocket is a survival filter/purifier the trekker (which is what I use) actually has replacable candles and will filter twice as much as the pocket before the candles need changing.
4. Look at the range - as I say above 60 litres is the smallest of the range.
5. Peaty water - prefilter as described (old tights) will help - but overall you should be fine.

It always helps to gather water from the healthiest source whether filtering - purifying or boiling in the pot.

If filtering/purifying into a bottle (not a clear one btw) remember to flood the threads so you know that they are sterile when you come to put them to your lips.

Personally I rate the Pre-mac very highly and have used them all over the world - however where possible it is still best to always boil your water correctly.

[SquirrelBoy]

Water quality is a issue but more suspended matter int he water - to assist and prelong your filter/purifiers life I recommend typing a small peice of a ladies old tight over the filter to act as a pre filter.

How many `layers` of tight do you suggest Gary? and of what denier ! :rolmao:

[Gary]

With your legs go for support tights mate!!

Speaking of which hows the recovery coming on?

[Ed]

If filtering/purifying into a bottle (not a clear one btw) remember to flood the threads so you know that they are sterile when you come to put them to your lips.

A skill which is really handy to learn is to drink from a bottle without putting the bottle to your lips.... just pour the water into your mouth. In india and nepal it is considered rude to put a bottle to your lips as you are likely to be sharing it with others and it is unhygienic. It takes a bit of practice and you'll end up getting wet quite alot..... and either laughed at.... or scolded for wasting water (especially if in the desert).... so best to learn before you go.

:-)
Ed

[SquirrelBoy]

With your legs go for support tights mate!!
Speaking of which hows the recovery coming on?

Cheers Gary

Well I can still walk mate but have to watch bending my knee too deeply or it gives way and go I into Monty Python mode :rolmao:

[bothyman]

Many Thanks for the Info.

One less excuse not to buy one.

Always boiled water up to now, the bits of peat floating about in the water never bothers me, I just had the impression it could clog up the filter in no time. :?:
And the description gave me the impression it was a use and throw away thing, 60 litres bin it, sort of thing.
so you can buy replacement filters??

Where's a good place to buy one then?? :roll:

[Ed]

And the description gave me the impression it was a use and throw away thing, 60 litres bin it, sort of thing.
so you can buy replacement filters??

The 60l version is a throw away item. They do a slightly bigger version that has replacement cartridges that is good for 200l+

Ed

[bothyman]

The 60l version is a throw away item. They do a slightly bigger version that has replacement cartridges that is good for 200l+

Ed

So I was right , I just need something small to fit in my bag.
Mostly I am alone so it is just for my own use.
May give the small one a try and see how long it lasts, the idea is if I buy a filter I would not have to carry much water.
Do Pre-mac have a website?? :wave:

[Ed]

http://www.pre-mac.com/ :biggthump

:-)
Ed

[SquirrelBoy]

Where's a good place to buy one then?? :roll:

Garys Bearclaw site stocks them in three sizes, am sure one would fit the bill :biggthump
I have the Trekker model and it has replaceable filters. It treats over 250ltrs probably a lot more if you fit the said `tights` over the intake.

[Survivorbility]

May I contribute my twopennies for what there worth. I tested the pre-mac pumps for the MOD in the jungle and desert in 1994-95 and apart from clogging far too quickly, and giving you blisters after pumping more than 3 ltrs a day they worked fine.
I have since tested and used many more efficient filters, and one I can highly recommend is the 'Aquapure traveller ' (survivor4 - military version) available from http://www.aquapuretraveller.com/
This little chap is fully Independently tested by various government laboratories and by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is the only system endorsed for Use by the Hospital For Tropical Diseases in London. It works by micro filtration and polymer-iodine7 (filtered out of the water before drinking so no taste, smell or dangerous residue)
Basically it is a 750ml sports waterbottle that you just fill, screw the top on, wait 10 minutes then drink from the top or squeeze into a cup etc. So not only is it a filter/purifier it also doubles as your water bottle! It also lasts for about 500 refills before you need to replace the filter cap.

Tell them I sent you for one and you might even get a discount!

Martyn H

[bothyman]

This one looks much the same?? just cheaper??

Anyone got one of these????

>> http://www.drinksafe-systems.co.uk/

[Cairodel]

Too true Stewart. £2 for a litre of water, against £17 for a filter that does 60 litres...

Jakunen, I think you'll find plastic bottles of mineral water pretty much anywhere in N. Africa now - just make sure the top is sealed before handing over the moolah. Here in Egypt we pay the equivalent of 1stg for an 18ltr bottle, or 14 pence for 1.5ltr.
When you get there, get to the nearest Pharmacy and buy a pack of INTETRIX capsules and take one every morning as a precaution (also against cholera). If you DO get the squits, take as normal - 2 every 4 hours, and spasmopyralgin at the same dose if you get stomach cramps with it.
These two together cost less than 1stg here.
Have a nice one! :wave:

[match]

If you're looking for serious water filtration, then I can recommend the Katadyn Pocket Filter - quite expensive (over 100-150 quid - cheaper if you can get it from the U.S) - but a seriously hardcore filter. They're guaranteed to filter up to 50,000 litres and for 20 years, and you can replace the filters. They'll remove anything down to 0.2/0.3 microns - i.e giardia, cysts etc, and are relatively easy to use. I think they also now do one that has a built-in carbon filter for removing chemicals/bad tastes from water.

[url=http://www.katadyn.ch/site/int/home/outdoor_products/our_products/endurance_series/pocket/]Katadyn[url]

With all water filters, the capacity given is an ideal one, and it is well worth making sure that the water you pump through your filter is clear of sediment etc to prolong the filter's life. If you have to filter muddy water, try and let it settle out for a while in a bucket before filtering. Having said that, covering the filter with tights/muslin does work well, and I have seen a good filter pull perfectly drinkable water straight out of a muddy puddle before now.

One thing to remember - filters are good in that they can reduce your pack weight, as you only need to carry the filter, you don't need to carry clean water. However, always remember that a filter is only good if there is water somewhere on your journey that can be pumped - a filter is less than useless in a dry desert

[Pete E]

Folks,

I came across this process for water purification which may be of some interest to people here.

Its called Solar Water Disinfaction or Sodis. It is being touted as a water treatment in poorer areas of the world where the climate is suitable.

The process is very simple in that it consists of filling a clean, clear 2L pop bottle with the water to be treated, shaking it vigiously for 20 seconds and then setting it in the sun for 6 hours. A combination of UV and heat treats the water. The water does need to be relatively clear for this to work and it does not remove chemical contamination.

For further info on the science behind the process see:

http://www.sodis.ch/index.html

Anybody come across this before?

Regards,

pete

[NickBristol]

i've heard of the process of solar water purification before tho not sure how effective it really is for anything but the very smallest scale. I saw it demonstrated once in the middle east: it was like a very large (2m x 2m) very very thin fishtank about an inch wide angled towards the south west. From side on it looked very like a standard double-glazed window. This was filled with water in the early morning and left for about 12hrs all day in the sun. There was a small tap fitted at the base and this was opened as necessary in the evening to give a pretty hot but fresh-tasting water. I think that there was some very basic filtering going on, along the lines of a muslin sock over the tap but nothing more.

I doubt it'd work in blighty tho :rolmao:

[tomtom]

not sure that it would be so effective under the british sun! what do you think?

[Pete E]

Tomtom,

I will let you know next time we have some British sun! :roll:

Still, the process does seem to have some merit and might be just one of those things to file away until needed.

For instance the thread started by warning about iffy bottled water on holiday...It would seem that putting those bottles in the sun for the day may have some benifit.

Interesting how the process does not sterilize the water though; that would sugegest that once the water has been "cooked", it would be best to use it up fairly soon...

Regards,

Pete

[Squidders]

yeah... I think the sun will only encourage the growth of algae. sounds a little daft to me. :?: