Questions tagged [drinking-water]
Questions referring to water that is safe for human consumption.
49
questions
1
vote
1
answer
277
views
(How long) Is swimming pool water potable?
Assuming a major blackout and collapse of infrastructure, swimming pool water should be (fairly) potable. Given that volume-wise even a small pool could supply a family for years, are there any ...
- 383
4
votes
1
answer
243
views
Would keeping a silver dollar inside a full Camelbak prevent mold/bacteria growth?
When you're out and about in the wilderness for some time (say, a week), it might be difficult to keep your Camelbak clean and free from bacteria/mold. Sure, I can regularly drop water purifying ...
- 1,748
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Water in Tour du Mont Blanc
My friend and I intend to do part of the Tour de Mont Blanc this summer. While we are aware of the refuges and huts, we would prefer to stay in bivouacs for the night (at least one night, but probably ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
263
views
Use external water tank with destination trailer
My wife and I recently purchased a brand new destination trailer to spend the summer in with our kids. We chose our "permanent" campground based on my wife's parent's presence there and ...
- 23
4
votes
3
answers
863
views
UK blanket bog peatland water - safe to drink?
I was recently walking in the North Pennines on a hot day. 10 miles into a 16 mile walk, I stopped to check my 2.5l water bladder and saw that it was almost empty. This naturally caused me some ...
- 155
41
votes
8
answers
8k
views
Had to drink untreated water: Any immediate action to avoid getting sick?
In the wilderness yesterday I ran out of water and did not think I could hike out safely at my level of hydration. Lacking a treatment method, I drank 1.5 liters of water directly out of a small, ...
- 931
3
votes
2
answers
247
views
Lightweight vacuum flasks / ways to carry hot liquids
All the hiking gear is getting more and more lightweight and hi-tech... but vacuum flasks haven't changed much for the last fifty years, they're still extremely heavy pieces of steel! One litre bottle ...
- 1,748
4
votes
1
answer
313
views
Shrimp like creature in spring mountain water
May I know if someone know about this tiny plankton shrimp like creature in spring mountain water? I know ( traditional ) if there is leech in spring water it means it is very good to drink but it is ...
- 43
4
votes
2
answers
169
views
How broad is the safety range for water consumption in order to avoid both dehydration and hyponatremia?
People on this site frequently ask about how much water they should drink while doing strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking and running. How broad is the safety range for water consumption in ...
user2169
17
votes
4
answers
7k
views
When hiking, is it harmful that I wear more layers of clothes and drink more water?
I am a 38-year old that loves hiking as a hobby. I usually do 10-20km hikes with up to 2km altitude change. This year I started tours with a new crew and two people talked to me independently that my ...
2
votes
2
answers
569
views
Flight of the Phoenix (1965) -- how realistic would walking out be?
I was not sure where to ask this question. The 1965 version with Jimmy Stewart is the one to watch. Everyone from the flick is gone now with the exception of Barry Chase and Hardy Kruger. Warning: Do ...
- 213
9
votes
4
answers
485
views
What are some good hydration solutions for long winter hikes?
I'm planning a hiking and photography trip to the Rockies in January as a follow up to a similar trip last year. The major difference in this case is the length of some hikes, with a handful of out-...
- 193
1
vote
1
answer
260
views
Water sources: which are safe and which should be avoided? (UK)
I have been trying to find a list of water sources that should be avoided. I have checked online and looked at several water companies, e.g. Scottish Water. I haven't found any information on which ...
- 13
1
vote
0
answers
83
views
Minimum amount for Survival water [duplicate]
I am making up emergency kits. What is the min I can survive on if the only source of water is what I am carrying?
16
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Filtering fine silt/mud from water (not necessarily bacteria etc.)
We are heading for a trek in the Fann mountains and I've heard a lot of the water there is cloudy with very fine silt particles in it. I noticed most water filter manuals explicitly tell you not to ...
- 263
21
votes
4
answers
7k
views
How to melt snow without fire or body heat?
I did a backpacking trip once where I was above treeline, there was no running water and I was low on fuel for my stove. While some of the snow was melting it was draining into the ground so fast ...
- 69.2k
7
votes
2
answers
550
views
Drinking surface water heuristics
I'm curious about some general guidelines, that may represent a probability although not necessarily certainty, especially when combined with other factors, about choosing the best source of emergency ...
- 4,063
3
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Lead free brass fittings on potable water hoses
I need to run a hose from a tap to my campsite. I have a drinking water rated hose, but I'd like to know whether brass splitters and hose fittings (sold as gardening items) are safe -- I believe brass ...
- 139
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How can you identify whether brackish water is too salty to drink?
Sometimes there are sources of water which are slightly contaminated with salt, such as coastal wells or pools of rainwater in rocks near the coast, or water containers with pinhole leaks which have ...
- 3,486
5
votes
2
answers
275
views
What is a good way to clean the inside of a water bottle straw while on a multi-day backpacking trip?
When coming back from a day of hiking and eating I often notice that the top of the straw of my water bottle is dirty on the inside. I've come across quite a few options to clean the inside of the ...
- 2,750
3
votes
3
answers
244
views
When is improvised water filtration warranted for survival?
In the comments of the accepted answer to this longstanding question: Water filters - why sand and rocks?
the makings of a debate started, but no definitive consensus was reached. I'm going to do my ...
- 777
14
votes
3
answers
548
views
Is it safe to drink rain water from a stream after a long drought?
I was hiking in Switzerland yesterday and came across a small river which holds very little water on most days (or even none) and grows a lot after rainfall. The day before yesterday it rained for the ...
- 242
6
votes
4
answers
870
views
Reclaiming water lost from breathing
What can we do to bring water loss from breathing down to the absolute minimum possible?
Techniques or devices useful to adventurers with no frequent water access is what I am looking for, such as ...
- 3,526
5
votes
1
answer
582
views
Camelbak safe to use after cleaning for the first time in 4 years?
I'm going on a 2-day backpacking trip. I have a CamelBak that I haven't used in 4 years. I saw zero mold in it, it smelled fine. I flushed it a few times, including the lines and mouthpiece, with near ...
13
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Can a person picky about water taste use a hydration bladder?
I feel like I would find a hydration bladder extremely useful. Especially so when going on via ferratas or multipitch climbs. But even when doing simple hikes it would allow me to have a sip of water ...
- 3,474
6
votes
1
answer
879
views
Could a steam juicer be used to desalinate water?
Could someone use a steam juicer to desalinate water? The juicer is used on a stovetop and the steam rises to the fruit in the top basket and the juice collects in the middle pot.
I think it might ...
- 63
8
votes
4
answers
685
views
How long can I trust the purity of water in a water bottle?
In the morning on day 1 of my multi-day hike I opened up a one liter plastic bottle of water and drank half the contents. I stored the bottle in a loop on the outside of my pack and promptly forgot ...
- 432
9
votes
1
answer
239
views
How to find water in thick tropical forests?
A couple of years ago, we hiked up to a place in the western ghats during the month of December (end of it). Which is actually the end of winter in the Indian subcontinent. The biggest problem we ...
- 7,815
23
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Can you boil/decontaminate water with heat from a magnifying glass?
A bit hypothetical, but ruling out being able to use a solar still, or the SODIS method, could you make water drinkable by using the suns heat through a magnifying glass?
Paper self ignites at 451° F ...
- 2,664
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Can I use sunlight to purify water without a special container?
According to the answers at Does water in the sun get purified from or polluted by algae, fungi and bacteria? & Can sunlight be used to purify water? water in special containers can be purified in ...
- 30.3k
8
votes
3
answers
479
views
Obtaining drinking water from a glacier or icefield, in the absence of snow or reachable meltwater
What are some methods to obtain drinking water from a glacier or icefield, in the absence of snow or reachable meltwater? Collecting ice is much harder than collecting snow. Do I need to bring ...
- 27.1k
11
votes
1
answer
560
views
Are Icelandic deserts so dry I need to worry about drinking water?
I am investigating the feasibility of a hike looping around Hofsjökull. This will take me through several “deserts” such as Hofsafrétt and Sprengisandur. On photos, this looks pretty dry, but ...
- 27.1k
15
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is the most efficient strategy to melt snow using a stove?
When melting snow to obtain drinking water, what is the most efficient strategy if one needs more water than results from one pan of snow? Most efficient for me is using a minimum of fuel, not ...
- 1,881
6
votes
1
answer
239
views
Could you use Silnet to seal a drinking water bladder?
I'm considering a MYOG gravity filter project but I'm not sure where to find out if Sil Net™ can hold up under long term submersion and won't leak toxins into the water.
Is it safe? Do you have a ...
- 257
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Vaseline or Teflon grease near potable water?
I want to install a deck plate in the top of the fresh water tank of my camp trailer (RV) to allow for cleaning the inside at the start of the season. The product I am looking at recommends "...
- 30.3k
6
votes
1
answer
371
views
How to get drinking water if I am stuck below Matterhorn summit?
Suppose I am descending the Matterhorn along the Hörnli ridge, and night falls when I am near the Solvay emergency hut (4003 m; safe bivouac is several hours of descent away). In this case, I believe ...
- 4,486
14
votes
5
answers
18k
views
What is the safest and most effective additive to keep drinking water from freezing?
I know that the antifreeze used in fresh water RV tanks is non-toxic and can protect to -50F.
Thinking Sugar might be a good choice I posted the question How to calculate how much sugar to use as ...
- 30.3k
9
votes
1
answer
7k
views
How to calculate how much sugar to use as antifreeze in drinking water?
Sea water does not freeze until about −2 °C (28 °F) if you add more salt you can lower the freeze point to -21°C.
We know from How much sea water can I safely drink? that drinking salt water is not ...
- 30.3k
11
votes
5
answers
3k
views
What is the most effective means of melting snow with body heat for drinking?
The related question Is it safe to drink snow? tells us that in addtion to then normal considerations for any wild water source, you also need to consider how the snow may tip your metabolism into ...
- 30.3k
13
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Is it safe to drink snow?
If it snows, is it safe to drink the water when it melts? What sickness can I get from snow? I am in Europe and would like to know for here, but other places would be interesting too.
- 133
8
votes
1
answer
10k
views
What micron level is needed to properly filter viruses from water?
While viruses are not commonly encountered in the great outdoors there is no doubt that many areas of the world that we travel, or live within, that are contaminated with viruses (hepatitis A, ...
- 589
15
votes
3
answers
10k
views
How to efficiently fill a bladder with water?
I normally use cheap, lightweight water bottles to carry my water when I'm hiking. However, sometimes I'm with people who use bladders such as a CamelBak, and I offer to go and fill water bottles, so ...
user2169
6
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Why is boiling water making my steel pot brown?
Lately, as I boil water in a steel pot, it is making the pots very dark brown, and the inner surface of the pots seems to have changed to feeling rough and scrubby.
Can anyone help with this?
Also,...
- 61
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Does water in the sun get purified from or polluted by algae, fungi and bacteria?
We live at 27° latitude, about 200 metres above sea level and drink water from PET bottles laying around on the soil (SODIS method). They are filled with fresh water from a well and reused over and ...
- 201
27
votes
2
answers
22k
views
Can groundwater still be consumed if after boiling the water turns brown with an oily substance floating on top?
This weekend we went "pole camping". A pole camp site (dutch link only) is a camp site offered by the departments of forestry in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is very basic. What is offered is a ...
- 371
4
votes
1
answer
103
views
Potability measure of water on Volcanic Mountains
Is it safe to drink water found from natural resources on the Volcanic Mountains?
Considering Chemistry part of it, What could go wrong if I have no way to boil it, at the most I can filter it with ...
- 31.7k
19
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How safe is drinking distilled water?
Are there any adverse effects of drinking distilled water (possibly obtained melting snow or using other survival techniques like a solar still)? Maybe dehydratation, diarrhea...? Some people even ...
- 349
12
votes
1
answer
435
views
How to tell if water is likely to have cryptosporidium?
I often use CLO2 (for example this product) to treat drinking water when I’m backpacking and boiling is not convenient. The instructions for the product say that the dose should be tripled if the ...
- 2,243
54
votes
4
answers
34k
views
Is drinking urine safe?
We've all heard stories about how people saved their lives by drinking their urine. Is drinking urine safe when there are no other water sources available? Can I filter it with a water purifier?
- 7,259