In any survival situation, water is going to be one of your priority needs. Many survival manuals quote the “rule of 3s”, saying that a person can only live three days without water. While this may vary a bit from one person to the next, after three days without any water most people will be in a downward spiral that will soon result in death unless a source of drinking water is obtained.
We get some water from food, and water is contained in other beverages such as juice and milk, but drinking water itself is your main, and best source, of water. Depending on where in the world you are, finding a source of water may be quite easy, or quite difficult, but finding that source of water is only the first step in having a supply of drinkable water. After finding a source of water you must purify it to make it safe for drinking. In a remote area, water from natural sources might be just fine, or it might contain parasites that will make you very ill. The basic rule is to purify all water from unproven sources.
Common global water-related diseases caused by parasites include guinea worm, schistosomiasis, amebiasis, cryptosporidiosis (Crypto), and giardiasis. People become infected with these diseases when they swallow or have contact with water that has been contaminated by certain parasites. For example, individuals drinking water contaminated with fecal matter containing the ameba Entamoeba histolytica can get amebic dysentery (amebiasis). An individual can get guinea worm disease when they drink water that contains the parasite dracunculus medinensis.
Boiling can be used as a pathogen reduction method that should kill all pathogens. Water should be brought to a rolling boil for 1 minute. At altitudes greater than 2000 meters (6,562 feet), you should boil water for 3 minutes. Boiling is the best method for killing pathogens in water, and is the preferred method to use whenever possible.
Filtration can be used as a pathogen reduction method against most microorganisms, depending on the pore size of the filter, amount of the contaminant, particle size of the contaminant, and charge of the contaminant particle. When choosing a water filter, look for any of the four messages below on a package label; indicating that the filter should be able to remove microorganisms such as cryptosporidium:
• Reverse osmosis (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling)
• Absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling)
• Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst removal
• Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst reduction
The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System is my preferred filter for survival use. Concerning their water filters, the Sawyer web-site states: "Our filters are certified for ABSOLUTE microns making it impossible for harmful bacteria, protozoa, or cysts like E. coli, Giardia, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhi (which cause Cholera and Typhoid) to pass through."
Another popular choice for filtering water in the field is the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter. With the LifeStraw you can drink water directly from a stream, pond, or swamp by sucking the questionable water through the filter like you were drinking with a straw. When you first start to use the LifeStraw you must suck enough water into it to fill the filter, so it can take a few second for the water to begin to flow for drinking. The LifeStraw is good for filtering questionable water sources for drinking, but does not allow that clean water to be stored after filtering (you suck the water through the filter directly into your mouth for drinking). Still, as long as you are always willing to drink your water through the LifeStraw it is a good filter to keep in your survival gear.
While filtration is effective against microorganisms; filtration is not effective in removing viruses. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine however has a high effectiveness in killing viruses. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine is not effective in killing Cryptosporidium. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Giardia. Against Cryptosporidium and Giardia you must either boil your water, or use a water filter meeting the filtration standards listed above.
My preferred chemical purification method for water is the Polar Pure Iodine Water Purifier. Polar Pure has an indefinite shelf-life, and a single bottle will purify 1875 liters (2000 quarts) of water.
If boiling water is not possible, a combination of filtration and chemical disinfection is the most effective pathogen reduction method in drinking water for backcountry or travel use.
Keep both a Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System and Polar Pure Iodine Water Purifier in your bug-out bag along with a stainless steel water bottle, such as the 40 ounce Klean Kanteen, allowing you to boil water, and you are prepared to purify most any water source for drinking.
Once you have purified your water, you will need a way to store and carry it. For this I recommend a water bladder such as the 3 liter (100 ounce) Aquatic Way Hydration Bladder Water Reservoir.
The three-liter (100 ounce) is the largest commonly available, and you will want to be able to carry as much fresh drinking water as possible in a survival situation.
Many survival manuals show the construction of a homemade water filter. While these types of homemade filters will help remove dirt and sediment from the water, they do nothing to remove microorganisms from the water. That being said, this type of filtration can still be valuable to remove sediment from water sources before boiling or using a filter, like the Sawyer Mini Water Filter or LifeStraw, to purify it for drinking.
A source of fresh drinking water is essential in any survival situation. Keep your water bladder and canteens filled with fresh water, so that you have an initial supply if you have to grab your gear and go. Be sure that you have a plan for obtaining more water, and a means to purify it for drinking once you get it. If you can’t maintain a source of clean drinking water, your survival situation is likely to be over - permanently - about three days after your water runs out!
We get some water from food, and water is contained in other beverages such as juice and milk, but drinking water itself is your main, and best source, of water. Depending on where in the world you are, finding a source of water may be quite easy, or quite difficult, but finding that source of water is only the first step in having a supply of drinkable water. After finding a source of water you must purify it to make it safe for drinking. In a remote area, water from natural sources might be just fine, or it might contain parasites that will make you very ill. The basic rule is to purify all water from unproven sources.
Common global water-related diseases caused by parasites include guinea worm, schistosomiasis, amebiasis, cryptosporidiosis (Crypto), and giardiasis. People become infected with these diseases when they swallow or have contact with water that has been contaminated by certain parasites. For example, individuals drinking water contaminated with fecal matter containing the ameba Entamoeba histolytica can get amebic dysentery (amebiasis). An individual can get guinea worm disease when they drink water that contains the parasite dracunculus medinensis.
Boiling can be used as a pathogen reduction method that should kill all pathogens. Water should be brought to a rolling boil for 1 minute. At altitudes greater than 2000 meters (6,562 feet), you should boil water for 3 minutes. Boiling is the best method for killing pathogens in water, and is the preferred method to use whenever possible.
Filtration can be used as a pathogen reduction method against most microorganisms, depending on the pore size of the filter, amount of the contaminant, particle size of the contaminant, and charge of the contaminant particle. When choosing a water filter, look for any of the four messages below on a package label; indicating that the filter should be able to remove microorganisms such as cryptosporidium:
• Reverse osmosis (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling)
• Absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling)
• Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst removal
• Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst reduction
The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System is my preferred filter for survival use. Concerning their water filters, the Sawyer web-site states: "Our filters are certified for ABSOLUTE microns making it impossible for harmful bacteria, protozoa, or cysts like E. coli, Giardia, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhi (which cause Cholera and Typhoid) to pass through."
Another popular choice for filtering water in the field is the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter. With the LifeStraw you can drink water directly from a stream, pond, or swamp by sucking the questionable water through the filter like you were drinking with a straw. When you first start to use the LifeStraw you must suck enough water into it to fill the filter, so it can take a few second for the water to begin to flow for drinking. The LifeStraw is good for filtering questionable water sources for drinking, but does not allow that clean water to be stored after filtering (you suck the water through the filter directly into your mouth for drinking). Still, as long as you are always willing to drink your water through the LifeStraw it is a good filter to keep in your survival gear.
While filtration is effective against microorganisms; filtration is not effective in removing viruses. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine however has a high effectiveness in killing viruses. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine is not effective in killing Cryptosporidium. Disinfection with iodine or chlorine has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Giardia. Against Cryptosporidium and Giardia you must either boil your water, or use a water filter meeting the filtration standards listed above.
My preferred chemical purification method for water is the Polar Pure Iodine Water Purifier. Polar Pure has an indefinite shelf-life, and a single bottle will purify 1875 liters (2000 quarts) of water.
If boiling water is not possible, a combination of filtration and chemical disinfection is the most effective pathogen reduction method in drinking water for backcountry or travel use.
Keep both a Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System and Polar Pure Iodine Water Purifier in your bug-out bag along with a stainless steel water bottle, such as the 40 ounce Klean Kanteen, allowing you to boil water, and you are prepared to purify most any water source for drinking.
Once you have purified your water, you will need a way to store and carry it. For this I recommend a water bladder such as the 3 liter (100 ounce) Aquatic Way Hydration Bladder Water Reservoir.
Many survival manuals show the construction of a homemade water filter. While these types of homemade filters will help remove dirt and sediment from the water, they do nothing to remove microorganisms from the water. That being said, this type of filtration can still be valuable to remove sediment from water sources before boiling or using a filter, like the Sawyer Mini Water Filter or LifeStraw, to purify it for drinking.
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