You've been planning your foray into the wilderness for months, which means you have already made sure that you have all of the necessary supplies to keep you going until you head back to civilization. However, what happens if you become lost or end up in
some kind of emergency situation? If you don't have a plan in place for these scenarios, your relaxing time away from it all can quickly become a disaster - perhaps even a deadly one.
The human body requires clean drinking water, and that means you have to make sure you know exactly where to find sources. If you are planning a trek, you will already have plenty of time to memorize potential water sources in the area in which you are planning to camp. However, if you become lost or are in an emergency situation due to a natural disaster, you may not have the luxury of planning your water sources ahead of time. This means you will need to make sure you understand how water flows and even potential collection sites if it begins to rain. Once you've figured out the source, the information in this eBook will help you purify and store it so that you can increase your chances of survival.
To be clear, you will want to find a water source as soon as you figure out you are in an emergency situation. While your brain may know the dangers of drinking contaminated water, waiting too long to provide it for your body will render that information nearly useless when the possibility of slaking your thirst is right in front of you.
For the purposes of this eBook, we will assume that you have already located a source of water. After you have done so, the following information will help you with purifying and storing the life-giving elixir so that you can increase your chances of survival.
The Importance of Purified Drinking Water Everyone knows that the human body can go long periods without food, but many don't realize that a lack of water can cause death within just a few days. If you are in an environment that is extremely hot or you are expending enough energy to sweat, you can decrease that time to several hours. That is why it is so important to make sure you locate a water source and get started with purification as soon as you realize you are in an emergency situation.
Water Needs No matter how much you prepare for a trek into the backcountry or anywhere else, you need to know a bit about the human body. Generally, an adult requires at least one gallon of water throughout a 36-hour period for survival. If he or she is exerting enough energy to sweat or the environment is very hot, that amount increases drastically.
Your body will realize it needs water well before you do, which will become noticeable through signs like dark urine, decreased sweating and increased thirst. If you wait until these signs are present before even thinking about purifying water, you could already be in trouble - especially when you see those first drops of liquid. You may be unable to stop yourself from gulping down the first water you see, and that can have deadly consequences.
If you reach the point of extreme dehydration, you can start suffering from dizziness and weakness, along with confusion and even fainting. All of these can make youremergency situation even worse, especially if you find it hard to concentrate on the direction in which you need to be moving or avoiding danger.
The Dangers of Unpurified Water Drinking unpurified water can have consequences ranging from the unpleasant to the downright life-threatening. The following are just a few of the potential contaminants that may be in any water source:
* Bacteria - These can include Shigella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella.
* Cryptosporidium
* Giardia Intestinalis
* Viruses - These can include hepatitis A, enterovirus, rotavirus and norovirus.
* Flukes - These are small parasitic worms that thrive in water that is stagnant. Once in the bloodstream the worms travel throughout the body and even into the brain.
Each of these contaminants can cause cramps, diarrhea and vomiting initially, which will only make dehydration worse. Add in the fever that is sure to follow and your chances of survival take another nosedive.
It is also important to understand that nearly all of the contaminants found in potential water sources come from human and animal fecal waste. Even though you may think that mountain stream looks completely clean, these deadly marauders are still hiding and waiting to enter your bloodstream - you just can't see them.
Additional Contaminants If you are in a survival situation closer to civilization, such as after a natural disaster, you will also have to consider the additional contaminants that may be in water sources as well. These can include:
* Lead - Found in water that runs through old pipes and fittings and damages the central nervous system.
* Pesticides - May be found in water that is near farms, golf courses and even treated backyards. If ingested, the pesticides can damage the endocrine and reproductive organs.
* Heavy Metals - Can cause damage to the body's metabolic processes.
* Arsenic - Causes damage to the nervous system, liver, blood vessels and skin.
As you can see, drinking unpurified water can have serious effects on your body and your health. While you may not be able to avoid an emergency situation, making sure you are prepared before you head out the door or at the first indication that a natural disaster may occur will make a significant difference in your overall chances of survival.
Before moving on to the best methods for purifying and storing clean water, you need to make sure you know what you need to have available in order to do so.
Basic Tools for Survival In today's modern world, there are plenty of gadgets and technology that many people use on a daily basis. Most of those gadgets won't be much help at all in a survival situation, but there are others that can be true lifesavers.
Fire While it is always a good idea to make sure you know how to properly start a fire without survival gear just in case it isn't available, you can also make sure your pack contains a torch or micro torch that uses butane (along with extra fuel of course).
While a torch is a far cry from rubbing two sticks together or using a flint, it will still give you the results you need and it will do so quickly.
Other options that you can try to keep in your pack or available include:
* Matches in a waterproof storage container
* Small, dry twigs, branches or pine needles
* Steel wool
* A lens, magnifying glass or similar piece of glass
* A shoelace or other type of strong string in case you need to build a bow and drill to start a fire.
Of course, simply having these items available will not give you the edge or skills you need to actually use them. Take the time to learn how to start a fire without an actual flame. You should also practice those skills occasionally to make sure you remember how to do so when and if the need ever arises. Filtration You will also need something that will allow you to filter water. In a pinch, a shirt or piece of cloth folded several times will provide enough to pre-filter the water that you find. You can also make sure to pack something as simple as a few coffee filters. You should also make sure you have some kind of unbreakable container with you.
If your pack and your budget allow it, there are also plenty of filtration bottles and devices available.
A water filtration bottle, straw or system can be beneficial if you can fit it in your pack or even on a shelf in your home for use in case of an emergency. Just know that these devices can have outrageous costs and typically require additional parts and pieces in order to continue working properly.
If you choose to pack a water filtration unit, make sure you know how to use it. Additionally, you will want to make sure you don't plan to rely on it totally - most of them have an abundance of moving parts that can wear out or break quite easily. This is why it is so important that you make sure you know what you need to do outside of relying on gadgets to get you through a survival situation.
You also need to know that filtration devices will not remove all of the contaminants from the water that they filter. Relying solely on that can result in the same types of illnesses due to chemicals and other issues in the water.
For those who believe that their expensive filtration systems and other newfangled "survival gear" is all you need, you need to keep in mind that that equipment can easily be washed away, lost or even stolen depending on the situation.
If that happens and you don't know how to use your knowledge and the items around you, you can be sure you won't have the water you will so desperately need.
Now that you know what you need to have available, you can start learning how to purify and store water so it is there when you need clean water.
