Gear Must Haves- Water Purification

Water is your life

     This may seem like an extreme statement, but its the truth. Your water supply should be near the top of your prepping list.   Having hoards of fresh clean water stocked in your home is the ideal way to manage needs, but what happens when that supply runs out?
     Beginner preppers will always want to start with a healthy supply of bottled water, both for drinking and bathing. Storing drinking water long term is a tricky business. Bottled waters may seem convenient, but beware of what you buy. Some bottled waters are nothing more than tap water, and tap water can and will become unsafe to drink after long periods. Distilled water is what your going to need. Also be careful of eco-friendly bottles, as these tend to have a shorter shelf life. But what happens when your supplies run out?

Renewable Water

     Rather than trying to stockpile a lifetime supply of water, learning a way to gather water from nature safely is key. Rainwater is an excellent source, but should be treated carefully. Ive but together a simple guide to building a starting system.
 
Filtering and Purifying Rainwater

You will need:
1) Two five-gallon buckets
2) 15-20 pounds granulated activated charcoal.
3) A large package of 100% polyester quilt batting. Do NOT use cotton batting.
4) 12 inches of 1/2inch tubing(make sure its non-toxic)
5) A tube of waterproof sealant

     Start by drilling several 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of the first bucket. This is where your activated charcoal will go. Once your holes are drilled, fill the bucket 1/2 full of activated charcoal. Flush with water until it runs clear and all the dust has been removed.

     Next your going to want to cut a hole in the bottom of the second bucket. Fit your tubing snugly into the hole and seal it to prevent leaks. Next fill this bucket with your polyester batting, making sure there is enough to support the first bucket. 6 inches of batting should remain after you place the charcoal bucket on top.

     Next assemble the complete system by placing the bucket containing the charcoal inside the second. Next your going to need a space to utilize your system. I use a small card table with a 1/2 hole in the middle to place the tubing through. All that's left is placing a container under your system to store your filtered water.

     All gathered rain water must also be treated for pathogens, and those techniques are covered below. Note that your also going to need system to speed up your collection process. Rain gutters can easily be modified to run water through your system. This system isn't only for rainwater, though. It can easily be used to filter water from any source.

Purification
 
      Boiling water gathered from unknown sources is wilderness survival 101. This is the only way to ensure all harmful pathogens have been removed. Another common way of purifying water is with Iodine. You want Iodine Tincture with 2% Iodine and about 47% alcohol. Bottles of this solution should be available at your local drugstore and a 2 oz. bottle is usually $3 or less. More on purifying water with Iodine here. Anyone that's every used iodine knows that the resulting taste can be a little potent. A good trick to help this  is adding vitamin c to your water after its been purified. This will eliminate any taste of color from the iodine.

     Chlorine is also an option, and there are many verities of tablets on the market. Chlorine bleach can also be used as long as its free of any additives or fragrances. When going the route of bleach 1/4 teaspoon per gallon will give the best results. .