Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Here's your outdoor tip on finding drinking water in the outdoors.
“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink”--. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
This quotation from Samuel Taylor Coleridge does not just apply to traveling on the ocean, but also most places we travel in the outdoors. Over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, but only about 1% is safe to drink. If you do not have the drinking water with you, is the water you find in the outdoors safe to drink?
Many experts say don’t ever drink the surface water you find in the outdoors without treatment. There are others that say if you are in a true wilderness situation, the water is much cleaner that some perceive. Humans, pets, and wildlife all have the potential to contaminate outdoor water sources so many still argue that the risk of drinking water without treatment is not worth the risk.
The question then is how should you handle the water you collect to drink in the outdoors?
1. Always carry some treatment method to disinfect any suspect water.
2. Be observant for human or animal activity. Remote areas may have drinkable water.
3. Maintain good personal hygiene—watch particularly dirty hands and fingernails.
4. Bathe, cook, urinate and defecate at least 200 feet away from water source. Even soapy water can spawn algae, which can later establish a population of microscopic pathogens in the water.
5. Be aware microorganisms may be in water
a. Protozoa are single cell parasites that are capable of causing infection. They can survive for months in cold water and have a shell resistant to iodine and chlorine. They can cause diarrhea, vomiting, gas and intestinal discomfort lasting for a week or more. The most effective treatment is boiling and mechanical filtration. UV light; chemicals/halogens may be effective.
b. Bacteria can be salmonella and many others. Symptoms may appear in a few days and include diarrhea and prolonged intestinal discomfort. More serious disease is possible. Treatment includes boiling and mechanical filtration. UV light; chemicals/halogens may be effective.
c. Viruses such as hepatitis may have symptoms that can appear in a day with diarrhea, intestinal discomfort and a variety of other ailments. Treatment again includes boiling and mechanical filtration. UV light; chemicals/halogens may be effective when done for 5 minutes and more.
d. Pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins may be present around agriculture and urban development. Carbon components will remove some of these, but not all chemicals.
e. Green algae will secrete harmful toxins and should be avoided if at all possible when you see it.
Remember several other things to help you have safe water to drink:
· The best source of water will be a lake, pool, or slow moving stream. There is less sediment in the water and the hard shelled protozoa will sink to the bottom reducing your chance of getting them from the surface. Also, surface water has more UV exposure reducing the pathogens.
· Avoid collecting water to drink after a heavy rain. Rain transports surface material and bacteria.
· You should also select your water in area with little evidence of animal or human activity.
· Use a prefilter of at least a bandanna or a coffee filter before your final filter processing.
· Snow may not be save as bacterial can live form months in ice.
Short of collecting rain water or dew, boiling your water source in a wilderness area is usually the best alternative. Of course, the best thing to do is to find a way to carry enough safe drinking water with you when you travel in the outdoors.
This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
References-Additional Reading
Backcountry Water: What are the risks?
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/water-risks.html
How to Find and Purify Water in the Wilderness
http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/how-to-find-and-purify-drinking-water-in-the-wildernes-1580821351
How to Collect Safe Drinking Water from the Wilderness
http://thesecretyumiverse.wonderhowto.com/how-to/collect-safe-drinking-water-from-wilderness-0133419/
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