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Thread: SHTF water filtration

  1. #51
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    Bringing this back from the dead. Boiling water is a common misconception and a fairly recent, modern thing in an energy-cheap world. Every "expert" has his own magic number...1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes! Why not 100 minutes or 1000 minutes? Notice there isn't a consensus? Certain bugs cannot be killed by boiling water, and most harmful things are dead before water reaches a boiling point.

    The process of pasteurization is good enough to kill the microbes that can commonly cause human illness in our FDA-regulated liquids. There is a lot of interesting material on "solar water pasteurization" in Africa and it seems fairly simple that boiling is simply a waste of fuel considering the bugs that make us ill die above 149F.

    It's also a misconception that our ancestors have been boiling water for thousands of years. Waterborne diseases and it's side effects like dysentery have probably killed more folks than plagues. People didn't boil water for the sake of making water safe to drink...safe from what? They didn't know about viruses, bacteria, or protozoa. Sure, folks knew that water could often make you sick, but not the reasoning behind it. People shat in the rivers they pulled water from. Wood in many parts was not a cheap resource. Yet peasants and kings alike died from drinking unclean water. Royalty have no excuse not to boil water, but it was simply not done. Instead, they found that teas and coffees and alcoholic drinks like beers, meads, and wines made the liquids safe to consume. They never figured out why or how, but rarely did you just gulp down a glass of water. Why do you think every culture has such a rich heritage and tradition behind alcohols, coffees, and teas? It was what most people consumed.






    Back on topic, I have the Lifesaver Bottle which removes particles down to 0.015 microns, so it's GTG on viruses. Only downside is the filters have a finite life shelf, brand new or in use of roughly 2 years. It's listed as 99.999% on viral removal and 99.999995% bacterial. It's a self contained filter/bottle unit which you prime with an onboard pump to force water through the membrane and out the drinking nipple. It does 4000-6000L of water depending on the filter you select. It is around $300 depending on options. Incredibly convenient with an all-in-one system but there is a risk of cross contamination with careless use. The plus side is it squirts out with some force so you could use it for wound irrigation.

    I also run the Katadyn Pocket, their most expensive portable filter in their product line. It has an aluminum housing with a ceramic filter which can be cleaned. It lasts 50000L and will filter down to 0.2 microns, so no viral protection, but gets rid of everything else. The fact it's field-servicable makes it much more useful to me than the Lifesaver Bottle. It's also a product line they've carried for decades unchanged, so it's very well-proven around the world. You won't find it in most brick & mortar sporting goods stores, even the REI's. It is around $300 depending on what deal you can find, usually a special order item.

    I also have a Saywer 0.02 micron inline gravity filter somewhere but I've moved away from those because they're clunky to use. That filter will remove viral threats as well. I think if you buy the kit with the dirty and clean bladders, all tubing, and inline filter, its around $180. I have plenty of bladders and found the filter itself somewhere. I think it was $60ish on clearance but usually $120 or so. This system is more useful if you're bugging in and could rig the filter into some bigger 5-gallon buckets because drip filters take forever. For something on-the-go, it's just too unwieldy to set up.
    Last edited by Cesiumsponge; 01-30-12 at 19:47.
    “The practical success of an idea, irrespective of its inherent merit, is dependent on the attitude of the contemporaries." Nikola Tesla

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redmanfms View Post
    Just noticed this post.

    Actually, anybody familiar with the specific heat of water knows there is in fact a very compelling reason to use chemicals for municipal water treatment. Cost. It takes a metric shit-ton of heat energy to boil water. Boiling also removes oxygen making water taste flat and unpalatable, meaning people would want the water to be re-oxygenated.

    And water can sit in lines for days and weeks. Chlorine provides an active kill. Plain water in typical pipes would start to breed bacteria quite swiftly.
    My brother saw Deliverance and bought a Bow. I saw Deliverance and bought an AR-15.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jteck31 View Post
    I switched from the hiker pro to the sawyer squeeze last year and I highly recommend it. Very sturdy, no moving parts and no filters to replace. Light, compact, and comes with a 1 MILLION gallon garentee. The squeeze is sawyers newest product but they have many different options to chose from. If your not looking to spend $150+ on a filter check these out. I picked up mine for about $55 on eBay.
    These are great and they do not take up much space. its just the filter and three water pouches that are different sizes that roll up when empty. you can fill up a pouch and sqeaze it into your water bottle or drink from the pouch. that way you dont have a filter restricted to being inside your water bottle taking up capacity. sawyer makes good filters.

  4. #54
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    There are some things to remember when planning out your emergency water sterilization. First, boiling at 100C for 10 minutes at sea level kills many microorganisms, but not all of them. Endospores are extremely tough, and can generally survive hours of boiling (types of Bacillus, Clostridium botulinum, found in dirt). For these you need to use a pressure cooker to raise the water temperature beyond 100C.

    Second, filter all water before anything else. Blue green algae you may get in river water can excrete horrible toxins when boiled.

    I'm no scientist, but I did take Microbiology, and both Anatomy/Phys courses in college. I've worked with some of these MO's and have seen first hand how resilient they are.

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  6. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcsparky View Post
    I've lived in Alaska for the last 15 years. I've worked the north slope man camps mos of that time.
    All of the water up there comes from Fresh water lakes. I'v taken a nalgene bottle filled it capped it and let it set for 24 48 hours and it smells like a swimming pool. Same with the water from the Anchorage utility. Taste good, but smells like a swimming pool. I developed gout, over the years. When I quit drinking the water from the Slope and from the Anchorage utility, drinking strickly bottled and or filtered (carbon) water, I've nevr had a problem with gout. Chlorine?maybe maybe not. I dont drink the water AT ALL though.

    Let it sit for a day or so uncaped and the Chlorine will off-gas.
    My brother saw Deliverance and bought a Bow. I saw Deliverance and bought an AR-15.

  7. #57
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    There is also the HTI X-pack osmosis system which is integrated into a bladder. 0.0004 microns. It'll filter out everything but its slower than a gravity system and requires a fresh syrup charge per each batch of water. I've never used it but it sounds like an interesting alternative for someone looking for an ultralight viral filtration system. On a positive note, the syrup packs add electrolytes back into you intake. Can anyone chime in on the osmosis systems and any additional benefits on removing chemicals or heavy metals? It appears it is a magnitude finer in pore size than other consumer viral filtration units.
    “The practical success of an idea, irrespective of its inherent merit, is dependent on the attitude of the contemporaries." Nikola Tesla

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cesiumsponge View Post
    There is also the HTI X-pack osmosis system which is integrated into a bladder. 0.0004 microns.
    Thanks for the input, that is awesome =]
    Paulo Marcondes -- Brazil.
    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    If we could control all the variables, we'd just put all the bad luck on our enemies and stay home

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by HunterAlex View Post
    If you just want the water to taste better to your family, a filter is probably all you need - on a RO setup, you end up wasting some water in the process and the water just tastes 'flat'...filtering it as it goes through, you do not. Both types must be maintained and parts replaced at what can be short intervals depending on your water condition and use. This article on best water filtration system may be useful.
    Just over 7 years since this thread was last participated in. That has to be some kind of necro-post record! Hah!

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