RV FEATURE
PURIFYING WATER
FOR DRINKING
You need to ensure you have suitable water to
drink in the event that you run out of stores of
potable water. Here are four easy ways you can
purify water so that it is suitable for consumption.
1. Boil water for a period of at least two minutes
and allowing it to cool is the best way to purify
water in an emergency. It must be a full rolling
boil in order to be effective. You can boil
water in a variety of containers, both metal
and plastic. Yes, you can place a plastic drink
bottle full of water directly onto a smouldering
fire without melting the plastic as long as it
contains water.
2. Water purification tablets are available from
most camping accessories stores. ‘Puritabs'
are the best known but be aware they will
only purify a small amount at a time. Ensure
you follow the directions on the packet to
ensure effective purification.
3. In extreme circumstances, where it may not
be possible to boil water, you can construct
a rudimentary water filter using a plastic
shopping bag. Fill the bottom third of the
bag with cold charcoal from a fire, ensuring
i t i s c r u s h e d i n to p e l l e t s o f a b o u t 1 c m
cubes. Then put an equally-thick layer of
river sand or similar on top of the charcoal.
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Next, put a small hole in the bottom corner
of the bag and pour water into the bag,
allowing sufficient time for the water to filter
through the sand and charcoal. It might not be
completely purified and it will taste like stale
cigarettes, but it will be much better than the
source water for drinking.
4. Place a medium to large black rubbish bag
over the foliage of a nearby tree and tie the
open end of the bag as tightly as possible
around the branch. The more foliage you can
fit into the bag the better. Over the course of
a day, the leaves will ‘respire’ clean drinking
water, which will collect in the bottom of the
bag. It won’t be a lot but it could be enough
to preserve life until help arrives.