containers on hand:them horizontal in the sun. Cover the clean container with some
sand or soil and leave the contaminated container exposed to the stroud’s Tip
Here is a neat trick developed by survival expert Allan
“Bow” Beauchamp, assuming you’re lucky enough to
have two large plastic bottles (like a Pepsi bottle) or similar “Fill one bottle onequarter full with urine. Tape the mouth
of this container to the mouth of the second container. Now laysun. The contaminated container will heat up, causing evaporation.
Moisture will migrate into the previously empty, clean container,
leaving the residual waste behind.”As I mention above, rainwater collected in clean containers or from
nonpoisonous plants is safe for drinking. You should, however, purify water
from all other sources. The quickest and easiest way to do so is with water
purification tablets, iodine, or chlorine. If using iodine, which has been
shown in medical experiments to be more effective than chlorine, mix no
more than five drops per quart (liter) of water. Shake well and let the water
stand for 30 minutes before drinking. Two drops of chlorine bleach is suf
ficient for a quart of water.
Note that these quantities are for relatively clean water. If you’re using
water that you suspect is contaminated, double the amounts suggested here.
You should also increase the amount of time that the water sits before drink
ing, to give the agents time to kill any microorganisms.
Since it’s unlikely that you’ll have any of these items on hand, you’ll
probably have to revert to the old standby: boiling. You should boil water
for five minutes to ensure you kill all possible harmful pathogens. Some
people say you can get away with as little as one minute of boiling at sea
level, adding one minute for each additional 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea
level. Note that boiling will not neutralize chemical pollutants.
In both Africa and Alaska, I was able to bring water to a boil in plastic
and glass bottles. The method is simple and is best accomplished if you
have a rope and some long branches. Follow these steps:
Water (^) | 87