I also keep capsules of activated charcoal in my first-aid kit, just in case I do drink bad water or have food poisoning. The standard dose is 2 capsules every 2 hours until the symptoms subside. This remedy will cause you to have black stools, but that's normal. ERs in the States use activated charcoal regularly.
Video suggestion. Make a proper test of this filters or the top 3 filters you are using. Take that nasty river water, filter it, and send it of too a water lab to get the quality tested. Also perhaps get a sample of the tap water in your house for control. I know it aint cheap to get a water lab test but I think it would make a great and interesting video to see how effective this filters are.
like you Simon I'm sensitive to the taste of chlorine as well. so something I've learnt when dealing with water that's been disinfected with chlorine tablets, basically chlorine evaporates at 30 degrees temperature. so bring the water to a rolling boil then continue for an additional 30sec - 1min, so most if not all the chlorine will be cooked out of the water.
I only recently found this channel through Andy, something about this guy feels like the father figure I never had. I really feel like he cares about his viewers and videos like this even tho it’s a year old are so nice because most people don’t give this information in such a clear concise and approachable manner, 🎉🎉🎉 lovely vid
Here in Sweden it is actually safe to drink from any open water. Regarding filters (for usage in more southern countries, the market leader here is Grayl.
Nice one! Basic skills on safe drinking water are important. A note on our clean lakes and rivers in Scandinavia. I'd generally not recommend drinking water from a stream or lake w/o filtering or boiling even here in Sweden. There can be a dead animal upstream or a flock of geese that have recently occupied the area and you can be in real trouble if you get diarrea miles away from help.
Very!! Good advice 👍🏽 I watched a documentary on the bigger rivers in that parts of the world and that the fishing is becoming toxic to us through the fish. It seems some industrial co r letting chemicals flow & leak in 2 the rivers ... But natural streams inland & at higher elevation tested well with in , " standards ". I watch the RU-vid channel " Eric Normark " (. Hope I spelled it right ). Drink from streams in his swedish home land but always boils when from lakes as far as I can remember . So he must think as you do !!
Simon, I ended up researching this topic extensively. Nice video! And, if I may, one note: For chemical tabs, there are actually different active ingredients to watch out for. The sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets use chlorine as the active ingredient. That works for bacteria, viruses, and giardia. But, it’s not effective against cryptosporidium. The tablets that use sodium chlorite (with a trace amount of sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate) have chlorine dioxide as an active ingredient in solution. Though it sounds like chlorine, it’s really more of an oxidizer than a chlorinater. These types will kill crypto (like the Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets). And as far as the 30min treatment time, that’s just for viruses and bacteria. For cysts it is typically 4hrs, which is highly temperature dependent. The colder it gets, the slower those chemical reactions go, and the longer treatment time you need. Near freezing, it could easily double those times (or worse). There’s a thing called CT numbers, the Concentration of your chemical solution multiplied by the Time to soak. You can get tables to help figure it out. I did do a video on it, but it’s awfully long. Just remember to give it extra when the temperature is really low. Absolutely love your channel, sir. Thanks so much for all your hard work!
Thanks Simon. Yeah on my trips to Mexico and Central America I never trusted the water and used the chlorine tabs and or boiling. Mostly just the tabs or bought water which I thought s terrible waste. After a half hour or do I found it hard to detect the chlorine taste. We use an in line filter for camper trailer expeditions, but the water always comes from treated Town water which is reliable and good here in Oz. Pleased to get your expertise though Simon.
I think that during peace time in Western Europe, one needs to know or have an understanding of what contaminants are most likely to be found in their off grid water supplies. I live in a rural high intensity farming region where the natural running water streams (when they don't run dry) contain high levels of Nitrates and Nitrites and NONE of the filters in this video will remove them; they're tasteless, colourless and odourless, but not good for you if consumed everyday. I don't even have Mains water at my house, I have a 30 metre deep Borehole and high levels of calcium so have to use a Brine filter to make the water softer, but I don't drink with it or cook with it as I prefer to bring in 100% guaranteed mineral water from a source some 40km away so will do a run during the night when there are no queues and get around 300 litres which is about the maximum weight limit my Jeep can take. There are natural spring dotted about my location, but then, as I videoed for myself, you can and will find a dead sheep lying in it upstream and hence one needs to know their environment and inherent risks. Probably why I prefer beer.
Thank you for talking about this subject. It is not sexy or exciting, but very important. I live in Arizona and water is very important, so good filtration is the key. Because you quickly identified your information error, admitted it, then corrected makes me believe that you are a very honorable and trustworthy soul.
Where I live, I pump water straight out of my spring fed lake. I use a simple filter and my water is crystal clear. BUT, good for washing dishes, clothes and me, I still want to drink it. I fill a gallon jug and add 8 drops from an eye dropper of unscented bleach, pop on the lid and put it in the fridge. The next day the water tastes like high end spring water. I keep 2 rotating. That way I always have hydration on hand. 13 years and no problems yet......I also keep an eyedropper full in my truck and all my ditty bags.
Also important with the Sawyer type filters to keep them warm at this time of year, they can split in freezing conditions. As they're so light I usually carry a Sawyer Mini, a Millbank Bag (New Forest Fundamentals one, their design is wider and shorter than the old ones so easier to fill, I use it either in cold weather or where there's a lot of sediment E.g. peat) and tablets from ration packs. Mostly back packing so fuel to boil can be at a premium unless I'm boiling for a meal or hot drink anyway.
Is that only if they've been used and might be a bit damp? I have one that I have yet to use, and I don't want to keep it in my garage for fear it will freeze and be ruined.
@@scottplumer3668 Yep, what Tom Bryant said. Water expands when it freezes so there has to be some moisture in it for it to expand, but if you're out on the trails with a wet filter in freezing conditions then keep it in an inside pocket
I've used an old felt "jeely bag" since 1983ish for filtering water before boiling. It looks like an upturned witch's hat and was one of many used by my late Gran for jelly (not jam) making during the 1970's. Works much like a Millbank bag in keeping ducks and pebbles out of your potable water.
Im going to be honest here , when i first seen one of your videos Simon , i thought to myself "oh he`s a bit of a geek" (No offense intended) roll on a few weeks later , ive watched nearly all your videos , working through them , im now on the look out for a Defender to rig out and probably convert/roof tent 😂😂 I have never been camping or spent a night in a tent in my 44 years of existence ! But you have totally given me the camping bug mate !!!
It's a complex area and there's always new technology coming along. The Grayl filters are excellent and are used by one of the big Bushcraft training companies in the UK. They remove bacteria and viruses as well as fertiliser and pesticide residues but they are quite expensive and the filters need changing quite frequently. As for chemical sterilisation, well the old fashioned Chlorine tablets do indeed make the water taste like it's come from a swimming pool but the much more expensive Chlorine Dioxide tablets kill more bugs and don't impart any taste to the water (complicated isn't it?). If you're boiling water that has any visible particles in it I'd boil it for five minutes as there may be bacteria or cysts inside a particle of mud and you need the heat to penetrate the particle to kill the bug.
Great video Simon 👍👍. Fabulous explanation of water filtration. As I got Beaver fever twice, it's not good. Was coming out BOTH ends 🤮. Took a 4 days to recover. I carry the life staw, 1 in my fishing bag, 1 in my bug out bag. And a spare at home.
Nice one Simon, great to hear your views and opions on water purification. All very useful and giving me direction on what I will buy. Top man 👍🏻 Did I spy a bearded Andy and the lovely Maggie in that video as well?....
I live in the US and about fifty years ago I went fishing with my dad brother and uncle and as we walked into the river and lake we were going to fish in we had empty canteens and I didn’t know what was going on until we got to the river and filled our canteens from the river best tasting water I ever had and the fish from that river were amazing, it’s a shame more places like that don’t exist anymore.
Wow, I am going to get the liberty lifesaver bottle and when I go abroad to Jamaica, I’ll use it there and I think it would be a very good idea to give as a gift for friends and family
Very nice impromptu video on the solutions of drinking water in the outback or out of the backyard as it may be for some. Peace and keep on rocking the free world 🙃
Good video Simon. I've been using a Katadyn pump filter and Millbank bag for a number of years and haven't had an issue. Millbank bag and boiling is the back up process. Years of ration pack Puritabs has turned me off chemical purifying for life!
Thanks for that Simon. I always thought those filters were pretty much the same and have now learned a very valuable lesson, thankfully by shear luck and caution, I have not put myself at risk but could well have done in the future. Cheers.
Nice video. I use a Sawyer Squeeze where water is from remote areas. Where nearer civilisation I team it with the S3 you mention to get rid of the chemicals and may boil or add a tab too. Good advice mate 👍
Personally I start and finale by... 1.Using a millbank to filter the 'water' out of the mud. 2.Then carefully removing all 'bits' with the finest of harrods tea strainers. 3.Then...boiling the water for 20 minutes. 4.Then once boiled syphoning through a sawyer water filter. 5.Then through my trusty Survivor 4i bottle. 6.Then adding a couple of chlorine tablets... I'm usually dying of thirst at this point.
Hi simon, if i missed it and you mentioned it please excuse me. have you thought of using a cheap TDA (total dissolved solids) monitor to check how well your filters perform. i used to use one for my marine fishtank when filtering water through my RO unit. They are quite cheap and worth a look at even cool to check your household supply. very small device and might give you more insight of the filters you use. As always i love watching your channel i have learned and been inspired by many videos. Thanks Ian.
Everyone has different requirements for his best fitting outdoor gear. Choosing a product is often a compromise. Compromize to size / weigth, to price, to function (capacity, safety, reliability) or other criteria. But when it comes to drinking water, I'd suggest to avoid as much as possible compromise in safety or reliability. That's why I carry a Katadyn Pocket water filter with optional active-carbon filter cartrige. It was expensive to buy and it's relatively heavy (*) to carry, but I know I always can rely on that gear. (* heavier than most others, but still easier than carrying just one more liter of water.) Before owning that filter, I was usually carrying two filled "Platypus" water bags (2 liters each) for a bushcraft overnight. Now I have just one bag filled, sometimes just partially - and carry the empty bag in the filter pouch. That spares me about 3-5 pounds of load and gives me access to more water than I possibly need. I don't know if You can imagine that reassuring feeling I always have, when I pack potentially 50 thousand liters of safe drinking water into my backpack. If You ain't got (or want) a water filter, the best way to clean and safe drinking water is destilling (that even can turn salty sea water into drinking water!) there are some interesting DIY outdoor / survival stills here on RU-vid.
Im going camping this weekend, and Im going to boil the water (rolling boil for 3 minutes) and then filter the water. The idea is to make the water safe and then filter it to make it clean. Plus, the filter should stop lead and other metals from getting into our stomachs.
I've had a number of filters over the years with various pros and cons. Currently I'm using the Grayl Geopress. It might be larger and heavier than some but I'm prepared to take that hit for the ease of use. I can filter 700ml of water in 10 seconds. On a recent trip abroad with the family, I was topping up everyones bottles in under 2 minutes. It really is a breeze to use and one filter will clean 250l of water. It filters out viruses, bacteria, protozoan cysts (including Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Giardiasis, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Cholera, Salmonella, Dysentery and more), particulates (sediment, microplastics) and many chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals. It's also pretty robust. Mine's been dropped a few times and bounced around in various rucksacks but still works flawlessly. For simplicity, durability and effectiveness the Geopress is hard to beat. I love it.
@@stephenlambert9826 yes but with the caveat that concentration level dictates toxicity. I mean, you wouldn't drink straight from a can of pesticide would you? As I can't be sure of the concentration of agricultural chemicals in a water source, I'd want to filter out as much as possible.
Really good intro to water treatment IMO. I did a couple of longer backpacking trips using iodine for water treatment. I actually got used to the taste (haven't tried chlorine treatment) in a couple of weeks. This was years ago, and I'd never use chemical treatment for an extended period now. The current filters are just too good - and I know a bit more about side effects of long term chemical treatment. Chemical treatment is super convenient though for shorter trips and at least for iodine you can get rid of the taste with a tiny amount of vitamin c in the treated water. For anyone who wants to know more about water treatment than they could possibly need - take a look at some videos from this channel www.youtube.com/@gearskeptic6355/videos.
Great video! Thanks Simon. I’ve just bought a katadyn befree gravity set up with the same filter as yours just with a bigger bag. Meant for our camps rather than hiking. We’re in the Highlands. I’m trying to find out if that’s going to be enough for mountain stream water or whether I’d still need to use purifying tabs too. What do you think?
Spot the muggle :) Though as a swede I wouldn't drink straight lake/river water, maybe not due to chemical pollution but bacteria and protozoa are common, and tannin isn't tasty...
Caught Giardia once when in Pakistan, don't wish to repeat that experience! Having said that I grew up on a farm with an untreated supply and currently live in a house with similar supply adding up to 50+yrs without problem. Usually I boil water since it's for either a hot drink or for a meal. For cold water in dodgy areas I've the MSR Trailshot - supposedly a 1L per minute flow rate, maybe for Popeye! Can't remember the filter size but it's not up with Katahdin.
Simon me and my wife have recently discovered your channel and we are enjoying your videos.We have watched around 20 to 30 videos and have lots of catching up to do. The guy Andy that’s with you can you please tell me what is RU-vid channel is called as would be interesting to check it out.Thanks for bringing such interesting videos to your channel we certainly enjoying watching them.
Most so-called "bushcrafters" will show off their "fire kit" weighing more than a kilo, and with a dozen creative methods to burn down the forest, but very few talk about safe water obtainment, which is far more important! Is there a way to find out online which water source in Britain is safe to drink (after filter/purification) ??? For filtration I have Sawyer Mini and for purification I have fire and/or purification tablets. But what worries me mostly is all the toxins, heavy metals and chemicals that are to be found in British waters (I mean it is a very densely populated island, especially around London where I do most of my hiking) , and carrying that much water for 2-3 days takes all the fun out of it. So it would be nice is there was like a map=based app showing which water where is safe and where are the creeks and springs. Is there such an app?
I've got several water filters including Sawyer mini and squeeze, msr etc. At home I have used birky and Brita filters, but my latest, the zero water filter jug, removes 99.9999% of total dissolved solids, heavy metals, chemicals, flouride etc. It's a bulky system for home use, but it would be interesting to see a small portable version.
10:01 Is that a Sasquatch creeping into frame over Simon's right shoulder? But more seriously, if you treat the water with a chlorine preparation and then boil it will it remove some of the "taste". AFAIK, pools need their chlorine content adjusted frequently because it "evaporates" away.
I am really enjoying watching your videos. I was looking at the grayl as an option but the lifesaver looks good. Can I ask how do you know when the first need water filter requires a new cartridge? Best Darrell
I have done and went down a rabbit hole,...I have 2-40oz Klean Kanteens, A Stanley 24oz nesting pot ( about 750ml to the rim) , a 2L zebra billy pot . and a Sawyer Mini Gravity kit with the 1 gallon squeeze container... My problem is I don't know what my main kit should be, I like the ease of use with the filter kit, but I also wanted to option to boil the most water at a time to fill my 2-40oz KK's, also a problem is I hear its best to have separate containers, one for water boiling one for cooking food because of the problem of being able to taste what you cook in the water you drink., I don't really want to boil water in the KK's because of soot on my mouth and my backpack, and I want to keep my kanteen on the outside of my pack the extra one on the inside, I do have slip sacks for them but I want easy access on the outside one on the pack. I guess in my inexperience I wanted options but now I have stuff and dont know what to choose or what an experienced person would choose.
