subject: Portable Water Filtration [print this page] As simple as a pot of water boiling over an open fire or as chemically complicated as iodine tabs, portable water filtration solutions can be a life saver in certain situations, especially those involving camping. With the increase of pollution in our world, no doubt contaminants have trickled into the ground water and thusly into the streams and lakes where we, as humans, make our nature destinations. With our society geared towards disinfecting nearly everything, portable water filtration is a must for camping.
Water filtration is the process of purifying water in order to remove unwanted solids, microorganisms, gases and chemical substances. The water is passed through a medium which retains the solids and allows only water to pass through. It is important that one gets clean, purified water to avoid waterborne diseases. There are limitations when it comes to portable water filtration. For instance, on a campout you cannot bring with you huge, complicated filtration systems. In dire circumstances you might have to rely on your shirt to be a filter for the larger particles, then boil the water to kill the bacteria and organisms that reside in the water.
Another tip for the survivalist camper is if you have a top for your pot of water, let the water boil with the top on the pot, then when water has collected on the pot lid, you can drain the water off into a cup or some other container. This water has gone through what is called distillation and is quite possibly the cleanest it can get having killed any microorganisms as well as leaving any particles in the water below and not in the evaporated portion.
