Tag Archives: Water

contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds, essential for life as we know it, including you.

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Posted by on January 12, 2012 Comments Off

There’s a new portable electric charger out on the market that you can use to charge your phone, iPod, or GPS device.  It simply requires the addition of a little water, even urine or muddy water will suffice.  Yes, it sounds gross., but it works and could be very useful in a wilderness setting.  The device is called the PowerTrekk Fuel Cell Charger, developed by the company SiGNa Chemistry.  It even fits in your pocket.  The device won’t go on sale until May of 2012.

The device does require refills of powdered sodium silicide, but if you are out somewhere in the middle of nowhere with a dead GPS device and no electric outlet in site, this could be a very handy device. The device won’t be terribly cheap, somewhere around $200 to $220 for a unit, though I expect the price will go down if the technology proves to be practical.  The US military is interested in it, after all.

Check out the SiGNna Chemistry homepage for more information. Read more »

First Aid: Dehydration

Posted by on November 10, 2011 Comments Off
water bottles

Water escapes through the human body via normal processes like urinating, sweating, defecating, and even through breathing every day. The average daily exertion of water when the atmospheric temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (C) (68 degrees Fahrenheit), the average grown person loses about 2 or 3 liters of water, which must be replaced every day.

There are other conditions, like exposure to cold or heat, intense physical activity, being at a high altitude, illness, or burn injuries, which will cause the body to lose even more water.  It is important to stay hydrated to stay healthy.  Dehydration will results from insufficient replacement of this lost water.  A loss more than 15 percent of a persons body fluids can result in his or her death.

The most frequent indicators of dehydration are:

  • Dark, brownish-yellow urine with a potent, unpleasant odor
  • Generally little urine output
  • Dark and sunken eyes.
  • Saggy/tired-looking skin.
  • Mood instability, irritability
  • Feelings of fatigue
  • Thirst (duh)

When subjected to physical/mental stress or severe climate conditions, you should up your water intake. Drink enough liquids to maintain a urine output of at least 0.5 liter every 24 hours.  When in extreme climate conditions, especially arid ones, people can lose 2.5 to 3.5 liters of water every hour. When in such conditions, you should drink 15 to 30 liters of water per day.

Note that thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much water your body needs.  Try to replace water as your body loses it and not all at once, as the majority of people cannot (and should not) drink more than a liter of water at a time.  This means that you should try to drink small amounts of water regularly throughout the day, even if not thirsty.

Here are some preventative guidelines to follow in order to prevent dehydration:

  • Conserve your sweat and energy.  Limit activities that produce sweat, keep drinking water.
  • Drink water while eating food, as your body uses up water in the digestion process.
  • Ration your water reasonably until you gain access to a source of drinkable water.  If you make an effort to minimize your physical activities and body heat changes, then a daily intake of .5 liters of a sugar water mix (with two teaspoons of sugar per liter of water) can prevent you from experiencing extreme dehydration.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, emergency treatment or formal first-aid training. If you find yourself in a life-threatening/emergency medical situation, you should seek medical attention immediately. Read more »

Survival Gear: Aquamira Frontier Filter Emergency Straw Filter

Posted by on November 4, 2011 Comments Off
water filter straw

The Aquamira Frontier Water Filter is an emergency water filter that’s compact and small enough to fit in your pocket, weighs less than an ounce, can filter up to twenty gallons (seventy five liters), and is 99.9% effective in protecting you against waterborne pathogens/contaminants as tiny as 2 microns, such as Giardia.

It’s useful for hiking and emergency preparedness and is a good item to throw in your bug-out bag.  It’s fairly easy to use – attach and expand the straw, submerge the filter end into the intended water source, drink through the straw end.

For more information on the Aquamira Frontier Filter Emergency Straw Filter, check out the company site at http://www.aquamira.com/military/aquamira-frontier-filter

Read more »

Outdoor Gear: The Portable Camping Sink

Posted by on September 16, 2011 Comments Off
tub

I recently stumbled upon this cool piece of camping equipment, a portable camping sink made by the company Sea To Summit.  When not in use,  this liquid holding device can be folded down and stored in a small pouch that comes with the sink.  There are various sizes available, the smallest holds about 5 liters of water while the largest holds about 20 liters.  Hot water and soap are okay to use with this camping sink, allowing you to wash dishes or clothing without fear of causing damage to the sink.  The sink is flexible and can adjust to a non-level surface, always a plus.  Finally, handles are included on the sink, making it a little easier to move around. Read more »

Survival Gear: Water Desalination

Posted by on September 16, 2011 Comments Off
ocean

If you are going to be traveling at sea, it might be a good idea to bring some tools for the desalination of sea water just in case there are any problems with your drinking water supplies.  Your cheaper option is to stock up on some emergency desalination pouches.  Each one can only be used once, but no electricity is required and each pouch adds calories to the desalinized water, turning it into a sort of sports drink-like beverage. If you don’t have any food, this could be a life-saver.

Your other option is a significantly more expensive, electric device that can perform desalination.  This sort of technology is pretty new to consumers, and I was only able to find one company that makes these sort of devices, Katadyn.  One of their models, the Survivor 06 Desalinator, can produce 1.2 gallons of drinking water in 1 hour.  As an added bonus, it can also remove harmful bacteria, viruses and other contaminants.  The Survivor 06 Desalinator will probably run you about $800 to $900. Read more »

Survival Gear: Entrenching Tool/The Folding Shovel

Posted by on September 15, 2011 Comments Off
shovel

Also called an entrenching tool or E-tool by military forces, a folding shovel (or spade) is a great survival tool to have in certain situations, especially in those that involve survival in the wilderness.  A folding shovel is designed to fold into a shape that takes up significantly less space, making it less of a hassle to transport.  It may still be a little too big for your bug-out bag, but you might want to throw it into your vehicle.  You can pick one up at a hardware store or online.  A shovel can be used for digging holes, very useful when setting pit traps to catch prey.

In an emergency, it can be used as a weapon to defend yourself if built sturdy enough.  Some can be sharpened on one side of the scoop blade, making them more dangerous.

The Glock brand model number ET17070 is a popular folding shovel and will probably run in the neighborhood of $40 or so.  It weighs about 2 pounds, which isn’t the lightest model out there but not the heaviest either. Read more »

Survival Gear: Water and Water Purification Tools

Posted by on June 21, 2011 Comments Off
bottled-water

Your bug-out bag should be equipped to keep you alive if you find yourself in a tricky situation.  Your goal will be to get yourself out of that situation as quickly as you can.  A bug-out bag is generally meant to meet your survival needs for a 72 hour period, while a more long term survival kit will have different tools to match your drawn-out predicament.

So what are the most important items in your zombie bug-out bag?  Water is a good place to start.  2.5 – 3 gallons per person per day is a good amount.  Chances are, you are only packing for yourself.  Remember, you will need water for drinking but also to help clean any wounds you might sustain or possibly for food preparation.

If you have a larger budget to work with, you might consider a device like the Adventurer Opti Handheld UV Water Purifier by SteriPEN, which uses UV radiation to kill 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa, including giaridia and cryptosporidium.  It works quickly, sterilizing 16 oz. of water in just about 50 seconds.  The device comes with a pair of batteries (CR123 batteries to be exact), but you might want to buy an extra pack.

A handy and cheap solution (which also requires little storage space) is water sterilization tabs.  Currently, the US Military uses Chlor-Floc tablets, but there are many brands to choose from.  Chlor-Floc will provide flocculation (that is, removing the debris) the water source and then sterilize it of any harmful bacteria/zombie pathogens.  Each tablet is good for use on about 1 liter of water treatment.  Also, water purification tabs will take up very little room in your bug-out bag.

Note:  It is very important that you make sure the tablet has dissolved completely during treatment and to let it set for at least 10 minutes.  You will still need to filter the treated water to remove any leftover bits of the tab or debris that’s collected due to the flocculation part of the process.  Discard sediment between uses. Rinse your straining cloth thoroughly with treated water before re-use. Always use the same side of cloth for straining.  At temperatures cooler than 41 degrees F (5 C), you should use 2 tablets and let the water set for at least 15 minutes.

Also, there are two DIY methods you should be aware of just in case none of this fancy camping equipment is available to you when you need to get the hell out of Dodge and escape to the forest -

Household bleach method – Add two drops per quart of water (assuming the bleach has a solution of about 6% hypochlorite, the current EPA standard).  You might want to double the dose for cloudy/dirty water.  The shelf life of the hypochlorite (the ingredient which makes dirty water safe for drinking) naturally degrades over time and bleach usually expires after 6 months once opened.

Tincture of iodine method -  Add about five drops per quart you wish to make potable (assuming a 2% iodine solution), though again you may want to double the dose for cloudy/dirty water. Read more »

Find Drinking Water in the Wilderness

Posted by on June 4, 2011 Comments Off

Perhaps you’ve fled the city you reside in for God knows what reason and you have to survive out in glorious, untamed nature.  As always, getting water to drink is a top priority unless you’re a fan of dying.  Here are some tips for finding water out in the wilderness -

  • Listen for the sound of running water, such as a stream or river that could be nearby.
  • Rainwater is clean to drink (at least according to this study), though not always a reliable source of drinking water, depending on the climate you find yourself in and the time of year or whether you have something to catch it with or not.
  • Many insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, or bees live close to a water source, usually within 300 to 500 feet, so pay attention to the little buggers to hep find water.
  • If you are in a region with sycamore trees, keep an eye out for them because they are often found along the banks of rivers and streams. They grow to large size and can be seen from far away, partially due to the pronounced thickness of their trunks.  Walnut and maple trees also love moisture and are prone to grow in areas with water.
  • You can find a water source by getting yourself to an elevated spot and and looking for indentations in the earth.  The indentations will show where there’s a low area or gap from surface to surface.  This will show the path of a water-way or past water-way.
  • If you are in a spot with hot days and cool evenings, you can easily collect dew in the morning.  Take a piece of dry clothing and tie it around one of your legs.  Walk in the grass for long enough to collect moisture on the piece of clothing, then squeeze the water contents into your cup/canteen.
  • You can also try to dig for water.  Look for a dry pond or creek bed or a ravine, they might have some water below the surface.  Dig a hole until water begins to seep into it, sometimes this can take a little while.  In the desert, you might have luck digging up a dried out creek bed.
  • Grazing animals tend to head towards water at dawn and dusk, so following them at these times of day can lead you to water.

Please note: It is always important to sterilize whatever water you manage to find before drinking it or using it for hygienic purposes.  Keep your eyes out for an upcoming post on various water purification methods.

Featured Photo by M Francis McCarthy Read more »

Procure Water in the Urban Jungle

Posted by on June 4, 2011 Comments Off

The trusty water heater

Should some disaster occur while you’re in an urban environment (like a bustling city), it’s possible you’ll lose access to running water and you may not be able to rely on nature to provide much water for you in the form of rain or a convenient nearby river.  However, there may be some sources water around you that you can take advantage of in the short term -

  • Residual water can be drained from a plumbing system that recently had running water,  simply shut off the main valve to seal the water currently in the system and then open all the faucets in the upper part of your building.  This second step allows air to enter the pipes, letting the remaining water drain to lowest faucet in your building, where you will collect it.
  • Some water can often be found in your office or home in the hot water tank. There will usually be a plug at the bottom of the tank. Very important: Make sure you turn off the gas or electricity to the unit first, and do not turn it back on again with out any water in it

If you have any doubts regarding the cleanliness of the water you find, do not hesitate to sterilize it.

Featured Photo by www.homejobsbymom.com

Read more »

How to Procure Water: Making a Solar Still

Posted by on May 31, 2011 Comments Off

The procurement of water during any apocalyptic/disaster event will be one of your top tasks.  As with many of the creature comforts civilization affords us, you may be in a situation where clean, running water is simply not available.  In this situation, a solar still is a smart choice.

Side note: Given how many situations it comes in handy, adding a sheet or two of strong, transparent plastic tarp material to your emergency kit or bug-out bag is usually a good idea.

For making a solar still, you will need -

1.  A pot or cup device for water collection

2.  A sheet of clear plastic or a semi-transparent plastic bag

3.  A rock

You will need to dig a hole in the ground, 12-24 inches deep and a few feet around.  You will put the pot in the hole face up so that it can collect water.  Place the sheet of plastic over the top of the hole and anchor it in place. Put a rock or other small, heavy object on top of the plastic, above the cup in the center of the pit.

As water evaporates, it will collect on the top.  Putting a rock in the center of the tarp weights it down, making a “V” shape.  This causes the condensed water on the tarp to collect and drip down into the pot.

If you are unable to dig a hole or are otherwise unable to build a solar cell, all is not lost.  If there is vegetation in the area and you have some plastic bags, you can tie these around a tree branch and collect small amounts of water.  However, it will probably be even less water than a solar still could provide and take longer as well.

This method of water collection often works better at night.  Make the solar still as large as is practical in order to collect more water.  Plastic must be steep enough to run into the collection cup (and not drop), and the plastic must not touch the pit soil in order to maintain sanitation.

Pro: You can also put unclean sources of water (such as urine, salt water, contaminated/stagnant water) into the pit (not the drop-collecting pot!) and use the solar still to purify it.  Any water that results from the solar still process is going to be purified via the evaporation process.  Also, you can set up as many solar stills as your resources allow for increased water production.

Con: The downside of this contraption is that it can be slow and ineffective when employed in a dry climate.  It can supplement your water intake, but may not be enough on its own to meet your daily water requirements. Read more »