Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: huntertrapper on March 10, 2010, 10:47:31 pm
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I'm going out west in 3 months to try to live and run around the rockies for a bit/ roadtrip. If im back in a couple miles or somethin is it okay to drink rain water straight from a cup or should it be boilded or filtered? thanks fellas
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Rain water is fine, just a little industrial pollutants, no bugs. But the main question is where in the Rockies, and are you just relying on rain water? Cause it doesn't rain a whole lot out there. ;)
If you are able to boil rain water, just boil the stream water. Take some tea bags, masks any strange tastes, or gator ade, or some other flavoring, maybe some pure food grade peppermint oil, which is also an antibacterial.......but not enough to purify water, and it would be too strong. You just want a drop or too to flavor it. I wouldn't rely on rain water. If it rains, and you have some plastic garbage bags, to catch and run it into a pot, fine.
Wayne
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I dont just rely on the rain but its there if needed when it comes if my canteens arent full. Ill collect it and drink. But thanks for the info. i mite buy some water purification tablets or something. And im definitely goin to boil the creek water. I dont want beaver fever.
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you can also build a drip system out of the ground by making a deep hole then placing a cup or bowl in the bottom then lay a thin small cloth over the hole made kinda tight and after place a rock in the center and the heavy dew will collect on the cloth and also the moister from the ground will also collect and drip in the cup/bowl it wont make you alot of water but u can get some that way also. butt if you make alot of holes then you will be surprised on how much water you can make and another way of getting drinking water if you are by a lake,pond or river/creek dig a hole about 20feet from the side that is deep enough to let the water seep into it. one cool thing is that since its 20fet or over away it is naturally filtered thats all it take is 20 feet to filter out the bad stuff if you do it this way you will have to wait for the sediment to settle in the bottom of your hole because it will be muddy at first i would still boil it to be on the safe side it mite take a little longer but its cheaper then buying a filter that will wear out GL and be safe :)
sterling
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thanks man i read that one time yeah its a good idea im gonna take banadanas with me and theyll work perfect.
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Make sure you take a couple of large, industrial strength garbage bags. Lots of uses, and they make excellent condensation gathers, and also perfect for the pit condensation drips. Also for shelter water proofing, rain gear, gear protection, etc. , lots, and lots of uses for them. Also go to your local feed store, or agricultural supply, tractor supply, etc. and get a couple of leg wraps. They are just longer versions of Co Ban, or Co Flex. And a whole lot more economical ! About two something, vs. four or more for the smaller size you get in the drug store. You can cut them to the size roll you want. You can use them for multiple purposes. In an emergency, you can use them for splinting bones, ribs, and for cuts, and gashes. You can clean the wound, wrap a strip of plastic on the bleeding wound, and then wrap the co ban/co flex around that. Not too tight, but snug. Wallah......a pressure bandage. I would take a medium size first aid kit also. It has other uses also, since it sticks to itself, you can use it to bind clothing, like pants legs, to keep critters out, head wrap with your bandanna, if you don't have a hat, etc. Also a roll of good ol all American multiple use Duct tape, for much of the same, plus for shelter making. But the Co ban/co flex is somewhat elastic, and is better for bandages, and splints, and such, but in a pinch, and no co ban/co flex handy, Duct tape will fill the bill. Where are you going exactly? You might want to consider, Bears, Wolves, and Mountain Lions. So you might want to consider, a side arm, or long gun. And food storage, and such. Bears, have a nose that will make a Blood Hound's seem like it has a cold. Wolves are a problem, in Montana, with documented cases of attacks, and stalking of kids at a school bus stop. I will see if I can post a little Kitty, that a Friend of mine in Montana shot.
Wayne
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thanks for the suggestions. i plan to go somewhat traditional though. but waht you suggested is defeinitely going with me in my truck out west before i hit the highcountry
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Purification tab's make the water taste like metal. Spend the money and buy a good personnel filter. It's better than taking something home with you after a fun trip. Kinda, like Safe Sex. I have a water bottle from Walmart that you can dip out of a mud hole and drink. It get's rid of 99.98% of the living critters in it. I wish I had brought it down here with me. It cost me $14 on a closeout sale and is good for 1000 Qts.
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That is a great item to include. The prices on those filters have gone down from what they used to be, so they are more affordable, and they have various styles. ;)
Wayne
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that sounds real cool. mite have to check that out
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You can make your own filter. There might be a build along in the "How To" section. A guy posted it last year. He made them for he and a bunch of scouts. I took a pump water filter to Colorado in 2006 on an elk hunt with Kenneth(little John). Each day I would pump enough water for the two of us for drinking and cooking in about 10 minutes. If nothing else the purification tablets will get you by. Contaminated water is everywhere these days and it ain't worth chancing it.
ps. the homemade filter was made with a Britta type water filter.
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Pat not sure about the filter but anything that can't filter viruses is unsafe, consider that E.Coli is about 2 micrometers and a rhinovirus is 20 nanometers
nanometer = 0.000000001 meters
The only sure way to purify your water is boiling it, and it only has to come to a boil for a matter of seconds to kill or inactivate any pathogens present.
I would let it come to a full rolling boil for 1 minute then let it cool. By all means bring a filter but only to remove suspended particles why drink crud eh :)
HT you ever see that show I think its called The Monster Within Us or something like that, anyway its all about people picking up paristites and such
there are lots of nasty little creatures out there that will make you wish that you had only contracted Giardia(beaver fever). Better do your research HT
don't romanticize a undertaking such as this, do your research and practice the necessary skills before heading out. Good luck and have fun eh :)
BTW I carry the highest certification in Water Treatment that Michigan has ;)
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thaks fellas. yeah i believe ill keep it modern at this point for the water a small water purification will be good and hopefully keep me in the mountains for a longer time. and naw i never saw that show, only have 13 channels, but i know how bad those little 'sites are man. not fun at all. i plan to live off the land or with the land. not die from it. ;D
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Trapper: Dana gave you some good advice. BOIL THE WATER!! I live in the mountains and I carry a canteen. Drank out of the streams for many years at Cow camp and was lucky never to get sick. Mike Hawk Huston got really ill on one of his trips. We eat and boil the snow if its clean. Lots of times you can find a spring in a bank and with some digging and allowing time for it to wash clean you can drink that! Forget the rain---thats a desert trick for lost pilgrams! We have so many grizzlies now that there can be a dead critter some where up stream and the water looks good. Even the old mountain men trappers carried a pan to boil water in. Good luck ijn the mountains! Joe
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thanks wolf. ive heard hawk say about getting beaver fever. i dont want that. im definitely gonna boil my water, mite take more time, but where do i gotta be when living off the land? nowhere ;D thanks. ive always thought of that; water may look clean miles down from a beaver dam or a bear kill.
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Trapper: Do you mind if I ask what mountains you are headed for? The ability to make fire is more important on a long stay than you will ever imagine. Take a pocket fire starter with with a magnisium bar for emergencies. Take a sling shot and some materials for a snare and some line and hooks. Also take some basic knapping tools! Good Luck! Joe
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good ole rockies. thanks wolf you pulled them words right out of my head. ;D i got a magnesium starter already, line and hooks are also on my list for survival i remember fishin them mountain streams last year with hawk and tyler and my dad along with stacy and josiah. pulled a few small trout out of there. theyd keep me goin a few days hopefully. for snares like ya said is a great idea but since ill be out there in summer till i dont know when i prob. wont be able to trap legally.
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good ole rockies. thanks wolf you pulled them words right out of my head. i got a magnesium starter already, line and hooks are also on my list for survival i remember fishin them mountain streams last year with hawk and tyler and my dad along with stacy and josiah. pulled a few small trout out of there. theyd keep me goin a few days hopefully. for snares like ya said is a great idea but since ill be out there in summer till i dont know when i prob. wont be able to trap legally.
Posted on: March 15, 2010, 09:24:10 AM
Eat the evidence...... >:D ;D
Wayne
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;)
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I don,t recommend this for every body, but out here in California I have and continue to drink out of streams and springs where there is very little human activity. I have been good so far nock on wood. Once you taste good clean water from those high mountain streams its hard to drink anything else. I always make sure that is no livestock around and I drink from where the water is moving fast and not standing still. Depending where you are there still should be snow on the ground at least in the high country. Careful bad water could ruin your trip. I am not sure how the water quality is in colorado. good luck.
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Ht, the suggestion for a sling shot is a very good one. Are you going to Colorado, or Montana? I don't know about the grouse in Colorado, but the ones in Montana are about as sharp as the lead edge on a bowling ball! ;) They will be running down the road, then fly up into a tree, or a small bush, and when you throw a rock at them, they just look at you, like .....Did you just throw that at me? That almost hit me! :o So if you have a good sling shot with extra rubbers, with is always a good idea...... ;D One little, two, little, three little Indians....oh, sorry, the limericks are over. Anyway, take a couple extra "Bands", and some marbles. Go to the dollar type store, and load up on them. Excellent sling shot, ammo. You can get pretty close to the ruffed grouse, and the blue grouse, are real knot heads...... ::) Be sure to take some heavy duty plastic garbage bags with you. There are a multitude of uses for them, from water proofing a shelter, to a rain coat, to carrying berries, use them for a wash basin, to a sleeping bag stuffed with dry leaves, spruce boughs, pine duff, under the trees, etc. You can use the stuffed bag for your lower extremeties, and your jacket, and or sweater for your upper. You can put your feet in them for wading, and keeping your socks dry. Oh, be sure to take extra socks, and foot wear. Take a small spoon, or spinner, with your fishing gear. ;) When are you going out there? The huckle berries should be ripe around June, or July or so. If you find some Coyote scat (poop)or wolf scat, don't disturb it, especially if it is old and dry. They carry tape worm eggs, and they are microscopic, and will float in the air, and if you breathe them in they can hatch in your lungs, and migrate to other organs, including your brain. They can be fatal. If you find a spring, coming out of the ground in the mountains, it should be safe to drink at the source. There is one way up in the mountains, in Montana, that my buddy found, and it is just bubbling out of the ground, and has a little stream, running away from it. He drank from it, and said it was just cold and wet. Cut yourself a good walking stick. If you can find some mountain maple it makes a good bow also. It will help you in going up a steep side, and crossing a stream. Also good for whacking ol Jed no shoulders. (snake)...... ;D They are few and far between in the mountains, but don't discount there being one around. Have fun, and let us know how it went, and take lots of pictures. Oh, and cell phones don't work too well up high in the mountains. Oh, and even in the summer it gets a might COOL, so to speak, at the higher elevations, so plan for that also. Again, good luck, and have fun. 8)
Wayne
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boil the water brother... nothing worse than getting really ill in the high country.. stay safe and i will see you on the trail.. Hawk