Purified Water

Have you purified your water lately? By Carolyn Laursen
It’s easy to take water for granted, as we are surrounded by it in our everyday lives. With a simple turn of a faucet, seemingly unlimited water comes gushing out to meet our demands, and even assumes your desired temperature!Before embarking on your wilderness adventure, it is necessary to plan out not only what your water sources will be, but how you will purify the water you obtain.	Failing to purify your water is a mistake that has the potential to make you uncomfortable at the very least, and at its worst can be fatal. Giardia lamblia, commonly referred to as Giardia, is a fairly common protozoan (single-celled organism) in the US, particularly in well-traveled areas. Those who have had it can attest that it is an experience they would not care to repeat. G. lamblia lives in the intestines of infected hosts (which can be both animal and human) and is passed through feces. One can become infected by ingesting said feces, which can be accomplished by drinking unpurified infected water, or coming in contact with the parasite in any other way. Consider that you can get it simply by swallowing a mouthful of lake water while swimming! Symptoms of giardiasis, which include diarrhea, gas, floating and greasy poo, and an upset, crampy stomach, do not begin to occur for 1-2 weeks. Once they begin, they can last for 2-6 weeks in a healthy adult. That is one long bout of diarrhea. Cryptosporidium, a protozoan similar to Giardia, also enters water through fecal matter. It causes symptoms similar to those of Giardia.
Seemingly innocuous flowing stream
	Before you come to the problem of purifying your water, you will need to find it. When planning your route, it is vital that you ensure frequent access to water sources. Add an extra quarter mile onto your trip to ensure that you pass by that lake. Yes, it’s that important. Of course, you should carry water with you. But the fact of the matter is, as humans we require approximately 4 quarts of water per day, and up to a quart per hour when exerted on a hot day. Unless you are planning to cart along gallons upon gallons of water, you will need to obtain your own drinkable water on any extended trip.
	You can collect water from either still or moving sources, but still water is recommended because the moving water tends to churn up particles from the bottom. This is also true for lake water lapping on shore. I recall tying a rope around my Nalgene and flinging it far out into the lake repeatedly to avoid the particle-filled water close to shore. Not very efficient, but hey, I had nothing but time! So what do you do if you’re not near a water source? Collect dew or rain using a tarp Dig a hole 1-2 feet deep in a muddy area and watch water fill in the hole Wrap your tarp around a leafy plant and dig a hole next to the plant, allowing the tarp to dip into the hole to collect water. “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria.” David Auerbach (2002)
Once you have obtained your water, you will still need to go through the trouble of purifying it. This can be done several ways. Boiling water kills bacteria and parasites, but any particles or chemicals that were in the water will remain. A coffee filter can be used to strain out the particles. The major disadvantage of boiling water is that it can take a lot of time and fuel. Treatment solutions, such as iodine or chlorine, kill viruses and bacteria. This still leaves particles and possibly protozoa (remember our little buddies Giardia and Cryptosporidium?), not to mention a nasty taste. Water filters are able to remove most bacteria and chemicals, but viruses can still make it through the filter due to their small size. A combination of a treatment solution and filtration is recommended.

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