Hiking and camping in the wilderness is a great way to enjoy a vacation in the outdoors, and many people pack everything from sleeping bags to mosquito spray as they head out to enjoy a weekend or so at the river, bass fishing at a lake deep in the mountains or when hunting. Unfortunately, many people forget to bring water-purification tablets or bottled water to drink, and must rely on natural methods to decontaminate lake water for cooking or drinking.
Boiling
Boil lake water in a metal pot or container to sterilize and purify. Never drink any water from lakes, streams or rivers, no matter how remote. Today, pollutants and other organisms and chemicals have managed to find their way into even the most secluded areas, leaving water unsafe for drinking and cooking without risk of bacteria. Bring water to a full boil, and let it boil for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If water is especially cloudy or muddy, increase boiling time to about 30 minutes. Strain or allow sediment to settle to the bottom of the pan or pot before pouring.
Filtering
Filter water as well as boiling it to purify. To filter water, pour the liquid through an article of clothing such as a backpack or thickly woven shirt to help remove mud and particles of silt from the water. One woodsman trick is to create a makeshift filtering bag by using a pair of jeans or other heavyweight material. Tie the bottom end of a pant leg with a leather cord, string or shoelace. Place a few inches of clean, white sand from the lake shore into the bottom of the pant leg. This will act like a filter through which the lake water will flow, filtering out silt, pebbles and small bits of sand. Place a pot or metal container beneath the pant leg to catch the filtered water to be purified.
Build a Solar Still
Create a solar still with a few handy items found at most campsites. All you need is a container and a small sheet of plastic. A shovel or digging tool and a plastic piece of tubing, such as a large straw, will complete the tools necessary. A piece of plastic can be brought with you or torn from a sleeping bag or tent or the drop cloth beneath your tent. Try to make the piece of plastic at least a 12 x 12 inch square, larger if possible. Your container can be anything clean.
Dig a small hole, preferably in sandy soil, which isn't hard to find around a lake. Dig a smaller hole for your water-catching container inside the larger hole and place the container in the hole. Put the tubing or straw in the container, reaching to the outside of the hole if possible. A piece of tubing can also be fastened from hooking straws together, using a small tube from your car engine or even from food wrappers rolled into tubes and placed one inside the other.
Place the plastic sheet inside the larger hole over the water container and place a small rock over the plastic over the water container to keep it from blowing away. Place rocks around the edge of plastic. No moisture should be able to escape from the water container. Place a kink or knot at the end of the tubing. Depending on the weather, humidity and climate, moisture will begin to accumulate under the sheet of plastic within a few hours. Check the container after several hours for a source of naturally purified water in any environment.
Tags: water container, bottom pant, from sleeping, from water, inside larger