It is rare to find water in the wild which is safe to drink. Naturally occurring water will either be muddy, contain floating debris (including small debris), or have microscopic pathogens in it. Long gone is the day when we could safely drink water from a clear running stream or spring.
In a survival situation, we have to assume that any water we find is unsafe to drink, no matter how clean and clear it might look (assuming you can actually find clear water). Even water that tastes good might not be safe to drink.
That’s why its best to carry some sort of water filter with you, whenever you are in the wild. Most people use a straw-type water filter, such as the Lifestraw for day trips, survival kits and bug out bags.
For a longer period of time, such as a camping trip, you’ll need something that will handle a larger amount of water, such as one of the bag-type filter systems, which take water from one bag, through a filter and into another bag. Lifestraw makes an excellent one of these and so does Sawyer.
But what if you find yourself in the wild, without any of those water filters? You have to make sure that your water is safe to drink, otherwise there’s a chance of getting dysentery, which can kill.
⇒ 10 Medical Supplies You Need to Stockpile Before It’s too Late
Actually, we need to concern ourselves with both filtration and purification. While often used interchangeably, those two words don’t mean the same thing. Filtration removes any suspended sediment in the water, such as dirt, sand or organic matter.
Purification kills or removes microscopic pathogens. Of the two, the microscopic pathogens are the more dangerous, but the sediment will affect the taste of the water and how appetizing it is to drink. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a real fan of drinking muddy water.
For the sake of making water safe to drink, we may have to use both filtration and purification methods. Some filters, like the ones I mentioned above, filter water so well, that they also manage to purify it, removing the microscopic pathogens. But unless you have a water filter that advertises that it removes 99.99% of bacteria, I wouldn’t count it to purify your water.
Water Filtration in the Wild
Assuming that you don’t have one of the water filtration systems mentioned above, you’re going to have to use what nature provides to filter your water.
While these methods may not filter the water as well as the filters mentioned above, they will make it drinkable.
You can learn more about water filtration in the wild in this guide. Here you will also find out four more water filtration and purification methods, along with essential knowledge on crafting various types of fire for survival, constructing wilderness shelters, and other invaluable information for surviving long-term in the wild during a crisis.
One thing to keep in mind with any filter, is that the more sediment that is in the water, the faster the filter will clog. This means either replacing the filter or cleaning the filter medium. For the methods we’re going to talk about, cleaning is a real possibility, especially if you have a plentiful water source, like a stream to use.
Let it Sit
The simplest means of removing sediment from water is to just let the water sit. Napoleon Bonaparte is quoted as saying, “Dirty water, left sitting overnight, becomes clean.”
Most of the sediment that is found in water will settle out of the water, if the water is placed in a container and allowed to sit overnight, as the sediment is generally heavier than the water. Carefully scooping out anything floating on the surface and then pouring off the water, after the sediment settles, will provide water that is relatively clear.
Sand and/or Charcoal
The “Bio-filter” is a common technique used in survival and third-world countries.
It consists of a three-layer filter, using gravel, sand and finally activated charcoal. Each of the three filter mediums removes progressively smaller sediment, to the point of the activated charcoal, which will remove almost all of the bacteria.
Related: 8 Myths About Storing Water That Are Actually True
Some people add additional layers of sand and gravel, after the activated charcoal, but they are not necessary, unless it is to keep the activated charcoal from coming out of the filter.
The problem with this, from a survival point of view, is that it is extremely difficult to make activated charcoal in the wild, as that requires chemicals that we are unlikely to have with us. However, sand and/or crushed charcoal will work to remove most almost all sediment and improve the taste of the water, by removing impurities. It just won’t remove the microscopic pathogens.
Cloth
Cloth, especially any tightly-woven cloth, works well to filter sediment out of water. If the cloth doesn’t seem to be doing well enough, simply double the cloth over, so that the water has to pass through several layers. Each layer will capture and remove more sediment.
Moss
Another naturally occurring material for making filters is moss, assuming you’re in an area where it can be found.
Both live and dry moss can be used equally well.
The dry moss will swell as it absorbs water, making for finer filtration.
In order to do this, you’ll need a discarded soda bottle; something that’s usually easy to find. Cut off the bottom of the soda bottle to make a funnel. Then flip the funnel narrow side down and pack the funnel as full as you can with moss. Once the moss swells from the water, it will filter slowly; but will be quite effective.
Related: The Most Common Edible Trees Growing in Your State
This sort of filter doesn’t lend itself to reusing the filter medium, as the moss tends to break up when you try and clean it. So, you’ll need to be sure that you keep looking for more moss to refresh your filter with, as needed.
Purifying Water in the Wild
Since filtering water doesn’t guarantee that it will be safe to drink, we can’t really talk about filtration, without talking about purification as well. The most common methods of purifying water are a combination of filtration and chemical treatment.
But if you don’t happen to have chlorine or iodine with you, the chemical treatment is out of question. That leaves us to other methods. Please note that you’ll want to use these methods after you’ve already removed the sediment with a filter.
Boiling
Perhaps the oldest and most widely known method of water purification is the use of heat. Pretty much everyone knows that you can purify water by boiling it. But few people know that you don’t really have to get the water hot enough to boil, to have the same effect.
Water boils at a temperature of 212°F, but the water only has to reach 158°F to kill bacteria, protozoa and viruses. Raising water (or any other liquid) to this temperature to purify it is known as “pasteurization.” The use of pasteurization, rather than boiling, saves on fuel, which could be critical in some survival situations.
Some sort of heat-resistant container is needed to boil or pasteurize water. In addition, a means of measuring the water’s temperature is needed for pasteurization.
This can be a thermometer or a WAPI (water pasteurization indicator), which is ideal for putting in a survival kit or bug out bag.
The WAPI consists of a plastic capsule with a wax pellet inside. The wax is formulated to melt at 160°F, indicating that the water is hot enough to be pasteurized. Once the WAPI is removed from the hot water and allowed to cool, the wax solidifies, allowing the WAPI to be used again.
Distillation
When we boil water, some portion of that water coverts to water vapor or steam, evaporating. That water vapor can be captured and allowed to cool, condensing back to water. When that happens, you get extremely pure water, as everything but the water gets left behind.
The idea is to make what is commonly referred to as a “solar still.” This consists of a piece of plastic sheeting, suspended over a hole which contains the water source.
A small stone is placed on the sheeting, creating a dip point for the distilled water to drip off of and into another container. The better the plastic sheeting is sealed to the ground, the more efficiently the system will work.
Ultraviolet Light
A much simpler way of purifying water is to use ultraviolet light (UV light). This is common in those roadside water places, where you can fill your own containers with purified water. They use UV light because it will kill viruses, whereas viruses are so small, that it is difficult to remove them with filtration. UV light also kills bacteria and protozoa.
We have an abundant source of UV light hanging over our heads every day, in the sun. As long as we have good sunlight, we have sufficient UV to purify water.
All we have to do is pour the water into a shallow container and set it in the sunlight, ensuring that there is no shadow. UV will kill microscopic pathogens in 10 seconds; but just to be sure, leave it for a couple of minutes.
Alcohol
Besides heat, alcohol is probably the oldest means of water purification. Wine was added to the local water in many ancient cultures, in order to make it safe to drink. The alcohol naturally kills the bacteria, making the water safe to drink. This is the root of why we find people in some countries consuming wine with every meal.
The amount of wine required for water purification is something widely disputed. Home’s Odyssey states one part of water to 20 parts of wine, giving us some insight into the ancient Greek and Roman cultures.
However, the ancient Jewish culture, amongst others, used one part wine to four parts water. If stronger alcoholic beverages are used, the amount of alcohol can be cut.
Wine is typically 12% alcohol, where as hard liquor is typically 40% alcohol, so a bit less than 1/3 would be needed. Please note that this has to be drinking alcohol, not rubbing alcohol.
In the wild, it’s hard to find safe water to drink. Even clear-looking water might be dangerous. It’s best to have a water filter with you. If you don’t, you can try simple methods to filter it. But it’s important to purify the water too. Knowing these methods can save your life in the wild.
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Yes food, water, shelter and clothing will always be the norm for our modern living. It is not normal in these times to have forced immigration of non-Ellis Island non-vetted illegals we taxpayers are forced to take care of at our suspense.
Potable Water is a keystone to our survival in SHTF, which is already here with Bidenomics open border of our countries undoing.
A State of Washington tax program is spreading to all 50 States, California in next. It is called “How to Avoid the Long-Term Care Tax” – AMAC webinar. A tidal wave of increasing tax we taxpayers and seniors can not afford on top of illegal care. AARP is a Demoncrat insurance company for liberals.
The current Biden administration is pure dirty water evil in their mission to destroy America.
Found the webinar How to Avoid the Long-Term Care Tax
https://joinnow.live/r/ferTuZ?id=6L6UUr may not last long on the internet.
We Americans are being screwed at both ends, dam taxes, welfare and illegals. Drill baby, drill and build the WALL!
God bless America, it is Super Tuesday Voting.
Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink with liberals in charge.
These liberals tax everything and meter devices to our water, gas and electricity we use everyday.
Nikola Tesla wanted to give free electricity to the world, but his financial backers didn’t. They wanted to profit off meter and control devices instead.
Even the solar so called free energy is metered and electric bills keep increasing in price. When is enough, enough?
Another State is leftist Law fare of New York. They have gone after ridiculous frivolous lawsuits. In many States we have George Soros and son’s DA’s letting out criminals and jailing the honest taxpayer.
NY criminal justice is going after the Beef industry, it cost money to the taxpayers to pay for the lawyers, judges, jury to prosecute. The justice system, Black Rock, ESG, DEI are bankrupting America spiritually, morally and physically. We cannot keep going down Bidenomics path of least resistance.
Would not put it passed the unions and environmentalist to restrict water usage to the max like they did in California with the Delta Smelt controversy.
Places like NYC they will prosecute or indict a ham sandwich will a liberal jury.
All blue sanctuary states will free a criminal but imprison an honest citizen.
There us no difference in the West coast or the East coast when it comes to bonehead political Law Fare. I agree the Delta Smelt controversy has ruined a lot of California’s farmers and farmland all to save the earth BS!
If the liberals or Marxist environmentalists ever read Revelations of the bible, the earth will be consumed in fire. So what ever gave these useful UN vegan idiots the right to restrict our use of the planet?
Every 100 days American taxpayers have a trillion dollars added each time to our deficit! We got shortages never before happening like president Carter had in his term of office.
When do we close the southern border, deport these welfare slugs, Bidenomics is collapsing our economy, can we stand another Bidenomics 4 years?
Another issue is over the counter birth control by liberals who want to kill off a portion of Americans. To make space for the Americans dead for the illegal replacements to stay in America and maybe your homes too.
Water is a priority in SHTF but not to liberals of blue states nor of the Deep State.
You people, preppers, liberals and conservatives decide in 2024 presidential election if you want to live free or not be free of Bidenomics hell hole.
Negative votes are from the abortion people who think abortion is not murder of a human baby inside the womb. The abortion pill is a convenient legal way to commit murder plain and simple. What does God think of you taking an abortion?
Bidenomics definitely likes abortions and the abortion pill to depopulate the American citizens who patriots that love the freedom this country has to offer.
A tablespoon of alum sprinkled across the surface of a 5 gallon bucket of water acts as a “flocculant”. This causes suspended sediment to combine into larger particles that sink to the bottom of the bucket. The clear water can then be decanted into a clean bucket for purification with clorox, boiling, etc. Rafters use this system as high water conditions usually mean muddy runoff water.
Thank you Bob for your addressing flocculation prior to settling. This is common practice in most water treatment plants because as you state it increases the settling of fine particles by binding them together and they sink faster. I am surprised he didn’t cover it as part of let it set, otherwise this is a very good article and covers a lot of ground with good correct information. The only thing that I feel might have been overstated is the amount of UV you can get into your water by just setting it out in the sun. UV is used (more in Europe than here in USA) but is at levels tens to hundreds of times more than natural sunlight. I would not be comfortable telling someone their water was safe to drink because it had set in the sunlight for a couple of minutes.
Thank you Bob for bringing this back to the subject of water purification, away from political pollution.
I live in Minnesota. Land of the Boundry Waters Canoe Area. Beautiful crystal clear water. We always filter our BWCA water; and even spring water.
I was on a guided tour of a cave in Montana and the roof in one room was covered with thousands of bats. A stream ran through the cavern. The ranger explained the stream emerged from the ground a couple of miles away.
That pure clean spring water was filtered through bat guano. Yummy!
By the way, what removes chemicals and ag run-off?
Alum is an aluminium salt. Aluminium is neurotoxic and suspected to cause Alzheimer’s…
One can no longer drink from clear streams and springs? I have to question that idea.
Cant speak to the facts in other parts of the world but here in Colorado and especially in the hi country, YES, a cold clear fast running stream is most likely contaminated with giardia. The disease can kill you and even if it doesn’t you will have the shits so bad you will wish you were dead.
@William Bell: clear water does NOT indicate CLEAN, pure water! Pathogens are not cloudy, neither is bacteria, watered down animal/human urine or feces! All of which could be in that “clear” water. Humans and animals are everywhere and they bring bacteria and germs. Birds pooping mid-flight, etc. Again, just because the water is clear does NOT mean it is safe to drink, but yeah, go ahead and drink that water! I’m sure you and your family will be ok.
Have you ever opened a lifestraw and a sawyer? they have mini straws in them and NO FILTERS- I do not think drinking water thru them is safe- it still needs to be filtered and purified. If you have a microbe infectous that is smaller than the tubes which is very possible you are screwed- and what about a parasite.
I bought the sawyer and when I found a video of them inside both of them are just mini straws inside the plastic housing without a filter at all- I was disappointed and rethought my water cleaning in the wild and suggest you do as well.
The life-straws and sawyers are based off of the filters/membranes that are used in dialysis. The filter is the tiny, invisible pores in the tubular membranes you are calling mini straws. If you honestly believe that they won’t work, talk to a hundred people who have had dialysis and ask them if they felt better at all after being dialyzed. The ones who just have kidney failure will always reply that yes, they felt better. Passing blood through the filter with blood on one side and dialysate on the other, waste products and excess fluid get removed from the blood.
By using a similar filter to filter impure water, only pure water comes through the membrane. Most bacteria and viruses are too big to pass through the membrane, so they stay on the other side.
The holes in the membrane are small, about 3.4 nanometers. By comparison, a small virus is 20 nanometers and a small bacterium is 200 nanometers. A water molecule is 0.27 nanometers across.
There are plenty of other ways to filter water, without using the life-straw or sawyer filters – so if you aren’t comfortable with it there are many options.
microbes are about 500 nanometers, parasites 2 million nanometers, and amoebas 2300 nanometers, to add to my earlier reply – all, filtered out by a life-straw or sawyer water filter.
However, the sawyer filter will filter to 0.1 micron, which is 200 nanometers. I was incorrect (!) about just 3.4 nanometers (WHOOPS!)
They say that it will filter out E. coli, typhoid, cholera, and giardia.
The life straw will filter to 0.2 micron, which is 400 nanometers, and is alleged to filter out giardia, cryptosporidium plus bacteria and protozoa, but will not remove viruses.
If I have no choice, whatever I have will have to do. Given the choice, I’ll prefilter whatever water I want to use as finely as I possibly can, and only then use a sawyer filter. Fine filters tend to plug up faster.
The last method I used was with water from the Big South Fork River in KY, and was to prefilter with a coffee filter, then treat with iodine drops. I forget the ratio of iodine to water but it’s got to be on the internet. Water treated with iodine is contraindicated for women who are pregnant, and others allergic to iodine or with thyroid issues/have been advised to avoid iodized salt/have dermatitis herpetiformis.
I have also used others: purification tablets, boiling, bleach, First Need filter, MSR Waterworks filter – to get potable water.
Colloidal Silver is used all over the world to purify water. You can make your own and it will kill Bacteria in the water. Check online all the innformation is there.
The Romans used silver coins in their water containers also.
The State Gov Of Wisconsin can scramble your out side trail cameras.
That is what they been doing to me here in Kendall , Wisconsin,
And violating my no trespassing sign on my grudge,
and looking over my house.
and riding my bumper going down the road,.
So I just put on the signal and pull over .
And those Axxx Hxxxxx Drive like hell,
My sister and I have put up with this for the last 30 years besides having
our homes broke in to,
Trying to find any thing they can to see how much we know about who we really are.
And they can even pick your door locks
Beside people they my employ that are not GOV employees .
That’s what happens when you would inhairte A great deal of money,
Witch we have never got, Only the WILL is the only thing we got,
Many people in Richland county Wisconsin are still after it,
But Billon airs did not want the common people to be as wealthy as they are,
So the had to be a lot of crooked banks behind all that has been going on .
Beside just my sister and I.
This money was coming from other countries in 2001 ,Just before 911.
Even the family they placed us in flew to Norway to try to claim it,
We knew nothing a bout it till 2003 when my sister got the WILL,
And we have still not been able to get our money,
And how many others in Richland County Wisconsin.
They have been making our lives a living hell ,
Trying to get there fingers on it after 22 years.
Have you ever heard of such as humanity as we have dealt with .
Low life Gutter trash.
Thank you
What are the black boxes covering the thumbs down box…
Please move them to another location, so we can use the thumbs down botton…
Many of my well-water neighbors use commercial water treatment systems.
After independent testing several years ago, I do not feel the need to treat mine.
Home water treatment testers are trying to sell a product.
Question…with the weather manipulation being ramped up over the last few years, does UV light purification still work if there is the “cloud cover” in the sky? The sun is magnificent for so many things hence the reason they are trying their best to keep it covered.
Good question AJ, a quick check of a Wikipedia article suggested this: 6hr in full sun will give some pasteurization where as 2 days may be required for a partly cloudy situation. Note that they are only discussing a reduction in bacteria and that more will start to grow as soon as the water is stored out of the light.
Saw a video where they took cattail fluff and stuffed it tight in a funnel. They ran water through it and it came out really clear. Not sure how drinkable it would be at this point.
Actually, I believe that both boiling and distillation CAN cause MORE bacteria to be ingested. Boiling water reduces the water, via steam release, increasing the water/pathogens ratio. Same with distillation. I know if you don’t cover the water when boiling some of the nasties may steam out, but not all… so it should still be filtered after….
after boiling the water at 212 deg the nasties may still be in there but they will be dead as yesterdays fried chicken, they won’t harm you. chemical pollutants are another mater all together.
to all,
how did the comment section go from clean water to politics in just 2 comments? please stay on the subject at hand. others wish to learn.
It went from water to politics because both are connected!The huge influx of illegal undesirables is going to create Mayhem…where people may be forced to live off the land and protect themselves.Wake up, Scout.The future world wide is NOT good.
BIDEN HAS TO GO!
Using UV in a clear 1 liter bottle is called the SODIS method of sterilization of water. It is taught and practiced in Africa where pure water is at a premium and most children die from drinking contaminated water. Look up SODIS on the internet and make note of how to use it to sterilize water.
For clearing cloudy water I like coffee filters. They are designed to do just that. In the West you can buy large packs of coffee filters at a chain called Smart & Final. They are fairly light weight and easy to use. Carry a funnel and place the coffee filter in the funnel to strain your water.
Using alcohol to kill germs is fine but remember that to act as a bactericide, alcohol must be 60% alcohol or more. that means the alcohol you are using must be at a minimum 120 proof. I prefer to err on the side of safety and bought Everclear which is 180 proof. Once opened, alcohol absorbs moisture from the air. That is because alcohol is known in the chemistry world as hydrophilic, meaning “loves water”. It is called a wetting agent. So that 120 proof vodka that has been sitting open on the shelf for convenience is no longer 120 proof but something less than that.
The reason alcoholic drinks were used in older days for cleaning wounds was because beer and whisky both used heat to make and thus was at least clean and reasonably sterile as opposed to water from the waterhole where 1,000 bison had just voided. Or using river water, Remember some years back when a river in Ohio actually caught fire? How’s that for pollution?
Many of the methods taught by “survivalists” for obtaining clean water are pure fiction. Using clear plastic and a hole in the ground on a bright sunny day with damp earth will net you about a pint of water. Considering that your minimum daily requirements for a fairly sedentary way of life is over a quart, that leave you a bit short. All the other methods, plastic over leave, etc yield similar minuscule amounts. This is especially critical as one does not want to waste time and energy for minimal results. In an ETOW situation you will need more water than you presently consume unless you are engaged in heavy labor outdoors or in a hot unACd building.