• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

Water

No prob. I will say that something like this is great for personal use when you're out on the trail and on the go. However, I find myself after I reach my destination, using purification drops to make a more substantial water supply for multiple people, cooking etc...So If your heading out for a few days and are going to have a base camp I would grab another form of purification designed for a larger amount of water as well. Drops or tablets are inexpensive and small to pack around and with a full container you have the ability to purify a very large amount of water. Just a good habit to always keep purification tablets or drops in your pack or as part of your "kit", you never know when a daily hike will turn in to a week long, sticky situation. Along with this I will also say that if your water source is relatively pure, such as glacial run off, mountainous streams/river etc...I will try to not be lazy and boil my water instead of using up all my drops. If I know its a decent source but I am being cautious I will use one or two drops after boiling just to be safe. Great way to ration your supplies so its there when you really need it. I will leave this up to your own judgement as I live in a much different area than most of you. This would only go for flowing water as well, if it were at all stagnent I would boil it, then treat it with drops. It's always good to know what sort of parasites and nasties that are present in the water in the region you are going to be out in. Most purification drops are designed to kill off these parasites which can range from a big list of nasty stuff that can be in the water. Boiling can kill a lot of stuff, but not everything, which is why I encourage the use of purification chemicals.
 
Carbonmike,

My wife and I carry LifeStraws when we hike. The weigh a whole lot less than a quart of water................but we can carry the quart anyway, just in case there is no water available on the hike. When there is, we just bend down to the stream and drink away.............content knowing Giardia isn't going to ruin the rest of our vacation.

We also keep two brand new LifeStraws in our bug-out bag. Very satisfied...............and worth the money.
 
Belated thanks for the input Chris. I just saw this thread again. It's always good to hear from people that have used the product.
 
Shoot, I glanced at a post date and it was from earler in the thread. I am pleading exhaustion :D
 
I have a Sweetwater purification system in my BOB, but will take BCGuy's recommendation of purification tablets and boiling. A rocket stove can be built in the wild relatively easily if you have access to river rock and mud. then all you need is a metal container for the water.
 
My brother is a hydro-geologist for our county. He does water quality testing. I was asking him about this the other day. He suggested finding springs first, usually in hilly areas. He suggested staying away from streams and creeks that go thru pastures due to run off, and any that go thru industrial areas, as they would likely be contaminated. Avoid stagnant water. I asked him for a listing of general suggestions. We used to have a very popular spring close by. People would flock there in droves with their empty 2 gallon milk jugs to fill up. Just recently, the county destroyed the whole set up and posted no trespassing signs all over. Not sure if there was a problem with the water, or they just closed it due to liability concerns or property issues. This was before he started, so he wasn't sure. We have 2 streams close by, but also a wastewater facility close as well, so I'd be wary of using that stream's water unless I had nothing left to lose. I have been storing a little, and devising other methods such as rain water collection. It's hard living in a townhome with limited space.
 
I reckon after the 2016 election a lot of folks gave a sigh of relief and sort of pushed BOBs and the such to the back of their mind, or the back of the closet. I ran across this thread and it reminded me I need to get in my bag and check some expiration dates on things and refresh my mind of what is there and what isn't. Great ideas here .

Don't be lulled into complacency.
 
My youngest son recently bought me a Sawyer. For a pack filter, I like it.


As for chlorine purification, Clorox has a page for that, which tells you how many drops (or spoonful) you need for a given amount of water. I do recommend keeping a gallon of Clorox on hand. You can treat a lot of water with a gallon.

It's not a bad idea to print it out and tape it to the Clorox jug for future reference.

https://www.clorox.com/dr-laundry/disaster-preparedness-purifying-water/

clorox water treatment.JPG
 
Last edited:
Thanks John. That is a handy chart. I'll be carrying a small bottle of Clorox with a dropper in my bag. I'll have the handy chart taped to it.
 
Mud,
Great question.
In SHTF of TEOTWAKI situations <snip, hack, cut>

finally, go online and find one of the water test kits and buy it and throw that in your BOB. You want one that let's you make several tests and get the results right on the spot (they are similar to what you use to test aquarium water for your fishies). Once you get to your TEOTWAKI location you can begin searching for and testing water sources to get your long term supply secured.

Okay, this is too long but you hit on a topic about which I'm passionate :D

Hmm, gonna have to go look for a test kit now!
 
I've got a couple of Sawyer water filters, the larger one rated to a million gallons and the small portable model. They will handle pretty much anything except viruses. Nasty little buggers. I have some strong powdered bleach with which I could make up normal-strength bleach to kill anything including viruses. I'm planning to add a little wood gasifier stove to my BOB soon to allow boiling if there's twigs or better around, and I don't plan to be anywhere where there isn't! We keep some bottled water onhand for short emergencies. The local water system is old and outages are fairly frequent, though short.
 
I just came back to this thread and re-read some of the old posts. There is so much good info here. Time for me to go through the bob and check the inventory again. Thanks to all for the input.
 
Warning, bleach does not last forever. I had some in my shop for a few years I used to pour in my well. I forgot about it and when I opened it, it turned to pure water or whatever with no bleach smell what so ever. So, rotate your stock.
 
I'm glad @dogfoot resurrected this thread.
I figure if I've put a couple of LifesStraws in my tankbag I'll be less likely to get stranded in the forest.


Available for less than $20 everywhere.
 
I've spent a lot of time on this subject. Currently have a rain catchment system up for about 6 years now in addition to municipal water...3 tanks totaling 2100 gallons with a 24V solar powered pump. I use regular unscented bleach. Bleach degrades over time to basically water. Haven't found a powdered form here that isn't loaded with other chemicals that I'd rather not drink. Water is pumped to the house through a 10 micron canister filter.
We use an Aqua Rain filter in the kitchen for drinking purposes. Not a fan of Berkey. I'd rather make my own filter with activated charcoal. Aqua Rain, made in USA, w/ 4 natural ceramic filters is good for 60,000 gallons. Not cheap but worth it. I use a LifeStraw on hikes in the woods.
After 10 minutes of solid rain and the roof is clean, I close a pvc knifegate valve to begin collecting. We had no municipal water after hurricane Maria for almost 3 weeks so this system was perfect, and enough to supply neighbors with drinking water,
If you keep a stored barrel of water, try to use the blue plastic as they are food grade. When I bought two of them they had a quart or so of 7Up syrup in the bottom and it was fun to clean out. (took a lot of water!)
 
Shadowdog, it looks like you do have it figured out pretty good. I treat water for a living and I think you've got it.
Distribution uses HTH to disinfect water lines after a repair. It is the same stuff you by at the swimming pool place. HTH is just a powder form of Chlorine.
Also, it would be nice if you could test your chlorine levels. (minimum 0.3 mg/L - to a high of 3.00 mg/L)

Dog
 
Back
Top