Quote:
Originally Posted by dragoon500ly
Those old 2 liter plastic soda bottles would have more use as ad hoc water purifiers, wash thoroughly, filter as much matter out of the water as possible, Camp and place the bottle on a rock/concrete surface in direct sunlight. Over the course of 4-6 hours the water temperature can reach near boiling, killing any germs and leaving the upper two thirds of the water, relatively pure. Works really well in the summer.
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The best bottles to use if you have to "boil" using a plastic bottle are Gatorade G2 bottles. They are tough enough to use as regular water bottles and won't melt even if you hang them only 6" above your fire. They are some of the thickest plastic bottles made today.
The fastest method of purification without boiling would be to use either Tincture of Iodine or ordinary household Bleach. The Iodine will not kill everything and won't remove Radiological or Chemical (both Industrial and Chemical Weapon residue) contamination. Chlorine will kill almost all pathogens but not Radiological or Chemical contamination as well. Chlorine is definitely the better of the two purifiers.
Ironically, BOTH chemicals use a ratio of 2 drops per quart of water. They both require 30 minutes to purify the water as well.
To Purify This Much Water................... This Many Drops of Purifier:
1 Quart of Water.................................... 2 Drops of Purifier
1 Gallon of Water .................................. 8 Drops or 1/8 Teaspoon
5 Gallons of Water ................................. 32 Drops or 1/2 Teaspoon
10 Gallons of Water ................................ 64 Drops or 1 Teaspoon
55 Gallons of Water ................................ 352 Drops or 5 & 1/2 Teaspoons
THESE DROPS MUST BE METERED PRECISELY! Both agents are poisonous to humans in too large a dosage. The water should also be filtered through a cloth to remove particulates as these will slow down the chemical reaction. You can have 4 parts per million of Chlorine. Iodine's safe levels vary from person to person (many people are allergic to Iodine).