Emmie Makes Water! Blog #3

No, I didn't "make water" as in mixing oxygen and hydrogen and hoping for the best. I'm not a nerd. I used this:

What is this? This is a water purifier and it's probably the most important thing to bring on a wilderness-related trip.

There's a common misconception that when you're in the wilderness the first thing you need to look for is a source of food. That is NOT TRUE!!! The first thing anyone needs is a source of water. Not only is it more necessary in the short term, but animals tend to visit sources of water anyway, so you'll find food soon enough. The rule of three's should remind you of what you should prioritize:

Personally, I don't have to worry about food and shelter. Those will be in my backpack. I also don't have to worry about air; I'l be hiking on a path of average altitude and I won't be falling into any bottomless springs.

Looks like I'm going for a swim

Another common belief is that water is safe to drink if you just boil it. 

Ehhhhhh...

That's only kind of true. It will kill most of the bacteria but it won't do anything about physical debris. It's safer to use a water purifier or bottled water you brought with you.

I'll have water bottles with me when I go hiking, but those are for the journey. Water bottles are very heavy and WILL weigh you down. But don't throw them out when you're done with them! They're still usable containers. When they're empty, refill them with your water purifier. Now, let's talk about the water purification process. 

Water purifiers are very easy to handle! When you take it out of the box, it looks like this:

As you can see, it's just a bag and a nozzle. The first thing you have to do is fill the bag with water.

For the bag to catch it, the water must be running. Running water is also safer to drink than standing water; it has less debris in it and bacteria can't grow in it. The water safety hierarchy looks like this:

Waterfall > Creek/River > Standing Pool

However, if you only have access to standing water, the purifier will still work. You'll just need a cup to pour it into the bag.

This next step is probably the most important and the most forgotten. When the bag is full, wipe down the outside. You don't want the dirty water dripping into your clean water when it comes out. Then you're back to step one and you have to clean it all over again.
When the outside is all dry, screw the nozzle on top of the bag. It'll look like this:
Finally, turn the purifier upside down and pour out your clean water. Like I said, it's very easy!

Next week I'm going to start a fire! Should be dangerous. I can use my clean water to put myself out :D
- Emmie
Sources-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3895610/The-bottomless-jacuzzi-despair-kills-swims-Researchers-reveal-massive-brine-pool-coast-New-Orleans.html
https://www.acampx.com/camping-survival-fundamentals.html