Folks,

I am not for one minute suggesting we give up on commercial water filters, purifiers or sterilisers, just that it was such a simple process, that it might be worth remembering...

Even if the process was only 75% effective, it might be an alternative to drinking completely untreated water in some sort of emergency.

Regards,

Peter

Perhaps it would indeed work, even though I know that the high-end filter setups do as well, but frankly, tea or coffee tastes better anyway. BTW, I like Danny's idea of he coffee filters. I will have my wife, the microbiologist, take a look at the posted data (if I remember to) and get her professional opinion for posting.

Having never hunted in Africa I can't really offer an opinion with regards to water quality, but I normally just use a few water purification tablets and coffee filters when I need to refill up here. Chemical contamination isn't a major concern, but the major lakes and rivers around my hinting area are quite fast/turbulent and they are silt bottomed, coffee filters make a very effective strainer in a pinch!

Folks,

I came across this process for water purification which may be of some interest to people here.

Its called Solar Water Disinfaction or Sodis. It is being touted as a water treatment in poorer areas of the world where the climate is suitable.

The process is very simple in that it consists of filling a clean, clear 2L pop bottle with the water to be treated, shaking it vigiously for 20 seconds and then setting it in the sun for 6 hours. A combination of UV and heat treats the water. The water does need to be relatively clear for this to work and it does not remove chemical contamination.

For further info on the science behind the process see:

http://www.sodis.ch/index.html

From a hunters persective, it may have an application in the more remote parts of Africa where clean water is not always available.

Regards,

Pete

Hi Pete
i am sorry .because i don't beleive this method would remove all kind of bacterial or parasite contamiation away and it takes plenty of time. when i was young and walked around on remote areas. i carried a water can made of aluminum in my back pack and first i filtered the water by a papper coffee filter than put the water can over the fire and let it boil at least 10 minutes the let it cool down in the same can. i used this method and never caught a disease even when there was epidemic illness around. i think this method is much safer . papaper filter may remove parasite eggs and boiling the bacterials . some of bacteries can survive the temprature over 70 grade c att a long period of time, but they die att boiling temp at 10 minutes and water which is not filtered may carry plenty of parasite eggs which can even witstand higher temprature than germs.
hundreds of papper filter will weight barley hundred grams and an one liter aluminum water can about the same.
cheers
danny
ps- you are english you may bring some tea with you and cook a good tea. one of the best ways to keep yourself free from germs

Danny,

Those were my intial thoughts too but take a look around the site I linked to and look at who did the testing of the water samples..Their credentials seem pretty good to me..

Also take a look at the BBC link below. It seems this system is being used and is working: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4048719.stm

Regards,

Pete