Drinking dam water
- Thread starter LC76
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Not sure if you bothered to read the OP or not.
But when asking about what is safe to drink or how to filter it...the last thing we want to hear is "carry MORE water" bloody hell if i could i would.
But i dont have the luxury of my owning my own vehicle,I get dropped off at near to where i want to be and hike the rest of the way carrying everything i need including what is roughly enough water for 8 hours.
The reason i wanted to know about dam water in particular is because that is about the only source of water in the bush where i prospect(if lucky).
I appreciate all the responses but get real fed up with advice i didn't ask for over and over again.
But when asking about what is safe to drink or how to filter it...the last thing we want to hear is "carry MORE water" bloody hell if i could i would.
But i dont have the luxury of my owning my own vehicle,I get dropped off at near to where i want to be and hike the rest of the way carrying everything i need including what is roughly enough water for 8 hours.
The reason i wanted to know about dam water in particular is because that is about the only source of water in the bush where i prospect(if lucky).
I appreciate all the responses but get real fed up with advice i didn't ask for over and over again.
Mostly around Bendigo ....Kamarooka..Whipstick occasionally do overnighters in other areas.
Very little water where i go and would take more water if i could carry it......sometimes if im sure it wont be tampered with i'll drop a 10 litre bottle in some bushes where i get dropped of.
Very little water where i go and would take more water if i could carry it......sometimes if im sure it wont be tampered with i'll drop a 10 litre bottle in some bushes where i get dropped of.
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in a nut shell, dam water is fine, just drop a puritab into it, use some sort of filter, and maybe some powdered gatorade to take the muddy taste out of it.
The other thing I use is an army water bottle with a cups canteen, an ally cup, you can boil water in that, and bottle sits in the cup.
Ive drank dam water heaps of time, sometimes with no filter etc, used to swim in dams all the time, and accidently get a moth full every now and then.
The other thing I use is an army water bottle with a cups canteen, an ally cup, you can boil water in that, and bottle sits in the cup.
Ive drank dam water heaps of time, sometimes with no filter etc, used to swim in dams all the time, and accidently get a moth full every now and then.
Careful drinking any water near old mine sites, some may have mercury and a lot of others may even be full of arsenic or other noxious chemicals. I've seen some creeks and big dams with clean looking water around the Sunny Corner area that have toxic water signs all along the creeks and around the dams. You look into some of these dams as you can see a fair way into them and there is not a single living thing in them.....
Heatho said:
Yes be very careful drinking any water if you are unsure of its source or history. There ar ealso the issues of parisites living in some water catchments.
Boil or purify to be safe. Its not worth the long term effects. Having said all this if you have no choice even the water washer in a car looks good.
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Things to look for are dead birds, fish etc. The dams where I go, are full of fish, frogs and weeds. Animal tracks lead to the banks,band birds regularly dive bomb and drink from them. I reckon the water is good,veven though the dam is a former open cut mine, and there are barrels on the edge. Seems like a healthy system, but I needed to drink from it every day, I'd do some testing.
I havnt individually looked up each one of these plants yet, but some are a great source or indiater to water for drastic measures / survival LC . Like the silver wattle. There has to be a water bearing root out there too. Could always accidently drop or step on a lifestraw! Carrying lots of water isnt much of an option for me either on big hikes. Was thinking of getting one of them camel things
edit - it helps when i leave the URL : http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~stocky/whipstick_plants.html
edit - it helps when i leave the URL : http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~stocky/whipstick_plants.html
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If your going out for a couple of days, the old garbage bag on the tree works really well.
You can also purify water with a bit of clear plastic, a hole in the ground a cup and a small rock. I'm sure there is a youtube video out there that shows how.
Best thing in my opinion is to bring as much as you need an secure it somewhere that you can get to, if your worried about someone tampering with it, chain it to a tree, use a metal container so they can't get in.
You can also purify water with a bit of clear plastic, a hole in the ground a cup and a small rock. I'm sure there is a youtube video out there that shows how.
Best thing in my opinion is to bring as much as you need an secure it somewhere that you can get to, if your worried about someone tampering with it, chain it to a tree, use a metal container so they can't get in.
Have you had a look at this sort of thing http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews#bicreview
Marauder said:
I reckon the plastic bag trick is one of the very best survival options, providing there are green trees with leaves around of course.
HarryHoudini said:
Yep lots of nasty parasites around. Such as Naegleria fowleri being just one of them.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-...k-of-parasite-thriving-in-fresh-water/6922432
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Had a quick read over the thread and dont think the SteriPen has been mentioned. I carry this in my pack - just need a water bottle with a broad rim to fit the pen in / or water bladder. Used it a few times and most recently to purify about 20L over 3 days on the shoalhaven river. Can recommend. http://www.urbanoutback.com.au/ster...eRAzVd1G9ZbDG73vpCyVZif9E5K6NpgczMhoCLBPw_wcB
The main concern with dam water is does it have any Algal toxins in it . Genually if u boil dam water it kills most things but it wont help get rid of the Algal toxins . You need a carbon filter to do that which is not practical if on foot and lugging everything . I dont know if a minie solar still would do the job as the plastic ones are small and light but very slow to get a glass off water . Maybe u best bet would be biol then add purifiers the wii kill algal fungus .
A good look at the edges of the damm genually tells u if u have green algy growing in it
A good look at the edges of the damm genually tells u if u have green algy growing in it
[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/An8lQxjcG0I[/video]
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I always have my camel back on when out in the scrub, not a lot of space but enough for some spare batteries a few musley bars, gps, comprsssion bandage, 3l in the bladder and i carry the life straw bottle in it. It is a watter bottle with a life straw built in
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Nvm...been covered.
Cheers
Cheers
dont eat them they are sogy.Ramjet said:Dead animals in dams. YUK
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