Just a little test

[Netaris]

I simply want to test the average modern guy's knowledge about an essential subject :

Let's say one day there is no more drinkable water in your house and no way to get any from modern means. Are you able to tell, with no tools, if a water source in nature is drinkable or not ? And how will you do it ?

[Morkonan]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Netaris:

..Are you able to tell, with no tools, if a water source in nature is drinkable or not ?

Not likely. At least, not definitively.

And how will you do it ?

You won't. You will treat all naturally occurring water as potentially contaminated. At least, when possible - In a life or death situation with no way to even attempt to purify it, you don't have a choice.

People drank water from all sorts of sources before the development of modern water-treatment. It's not a death sentence to drink unprocessed water. But, now that our knowledge is a bit better, we know we "should" make some attempts to purify it if at all possible. In a survival situation, if you can't do that... you can't do it and will have to drink it in order to survive.

With the ability to make a fire and have wood, one can create a filter system with appropriate media. It's not foolproof, but it could help. (Charcoal can be made with essentially twice-burned wood, which develops microscopic pores that radically increase its surface area and that are capable of capturing many contaminants.)

[Netaris]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Shiro♌:

Hmm..

All I know is that boiling the water shall clear it off most of the potentially harmful microorganisms;
Other than this basic knowledge, I do recall hearing that there should be some tablets to sterilize the water inside the bottle or wherever it is, except of the natural sources to which it won't do anything. That said, those are apparently difficult to obtain, as well as quite expensive.

Regarding the water being safe to drink..
Trying to sniff it a bit and just to be safe boil it is my best guess on what to do.. Boiling is about the only truly necessary process.


Buut, you are mentioning no tools, right?
Welp, then it's a risk that's to be taken.
I mean, even a bottle or something to pour in the water is a tool, removing the possiblity of boiling it.
Guess that's a gamble.

No fancy tools at least, some basic ones like a knife or a cooking pot, the kind of things everyone can find almost everywhere I'll autorise here. But nothing like dedicated water filters for outdoorsmen or stuff like that.

Well, if you know what you're doing you can even purify your water with bleach. You just have to know the doses and abilities of such products. It's a well-knowed hiker's habit.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Xero_Daxter:

Everything is a risk. Humans have made it this far by drinking muddy water. Heck… you have more of a chance of getting killed by a tiger or any large animal back in the days.

Still, I really discourage anyone to try drinking such water. There is some nasty parasites and diseases in those and some can actually kill you or leave you with life-long disabilities. Don't drink water in the wild lightly, learn how to do it correctly before, really.

Opprinnelig skrevet av RyukoiMatoi:

Boil it, but if you live doenstream from indudtry cities um ya good luck better to find a lake and boil that

Nope, lakes are worst, if I have a choice between a river and a lake, I'll take the river, no hesitation. But I guess I'll have to go upstream enough to avoid the contaminated area if there is one.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Dusk of Oolacile:

I'm evil, so I'd just find the nearest animal, like a deer, and drink its blood.

How do you catch this deer with no hunting equipement ?

Opprinnelig skrevet av Delta:

I don't drink water.

I drink beer.

Based ^^

Opprinnelig skrevet av HermitTheToad:

it depends. Clear running water is usually safe to drink.
You always want to stay away from stagnant water.
Still If you find clear running water, you should either filter it or boil it.

The other thing you can do is distil water. You can distil water from a lot of liquid you may have around your house like anitfreeze, or you can distil clean water from unclean water, or even salt water.

Indeed. just a little warning about distiled water : you need to have a good diet to consume it, as you'll need other sources of minerals as you basically drink demineralised water. Especially calcium and magnesium. I don't recommend it in a situation where you don't have access to that kind of diet. It's good to drink if you have nothing better. Also, distiling water from dirty water doesn't remove everything, some harmfull chemicals can evaporate with water and still be in it after distilation.

[Mr. Wombat]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ghost:

I drink it, and if I die afterwards it was not drinkable.

You got a 50/50 chance, I say that's good enough to risk it

[Goldias]

That's depend on the definition of 'modern means'.

Because water filter is...stone age knowledge, and fortunately I know how to make one without modern day tools.
So instead of taking a chance I can just make it safe.

If that is not allowed, any water sources that wild animals can drink, I can.

[Pronnu]

I go looking for OP and take HIS water.

[MinionJoe]

I keep a supply of clear plastic bottles for a reason: To make solar stills.

[Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...]

i use a sawyer mini until it stops working or i lose it, then i kill myself.

[Xero_Daxter]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ghost:

I drink it, and if I die afterwards it was not drinkable.

Makes me wonder why people still eat pufferfish when they know it’s poisonous.

[Lemur]

I'd either heat up my water before drinking it, or if I can't heat it, I'd get water from a moving water source or a well. I know a public well not far from me, never drank out of it but I always see people getting water from there.

[Lemur]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Meove:

you mean 'modern' is like water filter, right?

then i just go to river, fill the water, and boil it. Or i just wait for the rain (if i still not dehydrated yet lol)

Eh. There's acid rain, better than getting it from still water (those who know).

[HypersleepyNaputunia]

Literal answer is find fast moving stream waterfall. If u can make a fire boil it. If not try to find enough clean dirt put in large bottle and filter it as best u can

[Netaris]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Pronnu:

I go looking for OP and take HIS water.

Dumb idea, it's easy to poison some water to trap robbers. Never mess with peoples with some knowledge about chemicals and plants. :)

Opprinnelig skrevet av Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...:

i use a sawyer mini until it stops working or i lose it, then i kill myself.

The sawyer filters can be cleaned, those can last a lifetime if correctly maintained. In case of clogging you need to put it in a white vinegar + hot water solution, leave it for several hours and then reserve use it with hot water to purge it. It should work like a new one again. Want you really want to avoid in freezing the filter as ice will destroy the filter.

For those interested about the actual recommanded method, it was in the two first pages here. ^^