Best one for travel BOB (bug out bag) that they make is the Moutain safety research (waterworks) thats what some of our troops carry , and what I carry personally .01 micron filtration actually filters out most radiation fallout according to my reading on this unit , however in My opinion I think it would be better to wait a few half lifes and just be thirst for a while, improving your chances ...
however for the cost difference Youmight just carry a less expensive like the kat which is about 1 micron, ...whatever you choose go the extra money and get an extra filter or two, one being carbon for chemical issues....

Whitewolf

Thanks Whitewolf! Was thinking (at LG's insistence) that we need one of those in addition to the Berkey for traveling times since they are so compact.

We have had Katydin filters in the past but only hand held for backpack trips into the Allhegehnnies their performance was wonderful and would basically rival that of the British filters (same principal ceramic 1 micron technollogy for bacteria, and carbon filtration 1 micron for chemical absorbtion).

Whitewolf

Is anyone using a Katydin? How do they compare to a Berkey?

Just weighing in to say that we have used the Big Berkey for 15 years and we love it
( THESE ARE WORLD CLASS WATER FILTERS )
we had one filter that lasted about 7 years, and we only changed out of worry that it had done its job so long some of the filters are called STERITE filters, (silver impregnated , self sterilizing ) these are the filters missionaries use in India to drink out of puddles, filter down to about 1 micron and can be hand cleaned with a little piece of scotch brite.

We bought 2 of these 15 years ago and this year when we went to LEHMANS hardware we found 8 boxes of used parts in their clearance, upstairs and offered a rediculous amount to the young manager during a Saturday sale which they talked over and thought about for 15 minutes or so, I was able to assemble 7 Big Berkeys with one filter each out of the parts reboxed them and sold them to all our friends and loved ones that arent sure the S is going to hit the F....

Whitewolf

badwuf: On several health sites, some natural and some big medicine, I have read studies to NOT use distilled water for drinking purposes, only as a temporary measure when making tinctures, tonics, and other non-permanent uses. One of the most prominent is Mercola.com, an MD who also uses alternative and natural healing techniques. I've thought about a distiller for years but have been hesitant because of the warnings about long-term use of distilled water.

Have you tried looking at vet supply stores for the Iodine? I think that I just saw some on the shelf
of our local farm supply store the other day. Also will betadine do the smae thing? it looks and smells the same
and it seems to work the same on wounds and such. As far as emergency water I would also recomend the big
berky we used one exclusivly for about 7 years, but was talked into changing to a distiller. The berky worked
great so does distilling. If you need to make an emergency distiller, a pressure canner with a soft copper tubing
put at the pressure relief valve and coiled as a cooling tube works well.

LiveOak, whats this about the DEA outlawing iodine Is this why I can't find any iodine in drug stores?? This item was at one time a common everyday commodity. What excuse or justification did the DEA use to prevent the population from getting it?

I'm all for learning about everything - but what to do in an emergency situation without power? I know it is not the most perfect system in the world, but we use a Big Berkey and have been for about 4 years. Every couple of months (in fact, just this very day, a few moments ago) I take ours completely apart and wash all the parts except the ceramic filters. Those I go aboard with a plastic scrubber and you would not believe all the goop it takes off the surface. Yellow goop, which I assume is chlorine from the city water. The filters are solid, about two inches thick and I imagine if I could cut one cross-wise it would show the yellow into the depth of the filter. They are near ready for a permanent change. At any rate, scrubbing the filter makes them white again. We save all glass bottles from sodas and tea (don't drink the crap though - daughter gave them to us) and fill them - there are probably 70 bottles of filtered water in the fridge at any one time. Wife came back from Salt Lake last week and the first thing she reached for was a 'bottle of real water". We actually can tell the difference in taste. I've tried this sight unseen on visitors and an often-said comments is 'damn, that's good water'. A friend of mine says she took theirs out and scooped it full from an irrigation ditch - not saying I would do that. Berkey has a good reputation and needs no power and is long-lasting. My second choice would be a burner-top distiller.

I've been thinking on the issue of water collection and storage. Here in the northwest, access to water is, for most of the year, not an issue. Getting quality water may be an entirely different matter. As such, I was doing a bit of reading and thinking on simple ways someone could construct a homemade system which was both inexpensive and efficient. Here are a few of my rambling thoughts:

Tips and Tricks for Water Purification


One may be able to build a water filter using five gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottoms and stacking them. The reason for using more than one bucket is to allow segregation of the different filtering media.

Sand is an excellent source of filtering agent and can be easily replaced. Used in a filtering system, it should be replaced often. In a pinch, dirt can be used, but sand remains preferable.

Activated charcoal can be purchased in quantities, such as from a swimming pool supply house. The difference between regular and activated charcoal is the surface area in a given quantity available to trap contaminates. The extra surface is the result of fracturing the charcoal, such as by heating it, to create additional surface area. A spoonful can have as much area as a football field.

Another possibly valuable filtering agent is zeolite. It can be bought for about ninety to one hundred twenty dollars a ton (or you can pay sixty dollars a bottle for capsules at a health food store (ouch)). Zeolite is known to trap heavy metals, such as fluoride, arsenic, mercury, lead and so forth. It was even used to clean up Chernobyl, so may have some value in treating fallout contaminated water, but that is a question best answered by someone more familiar with its properties.

Of course, your final collection bucket would be at the bottom. On top of that I would probably place the bucket containing charcoal. Since it is the most expensive to replace, I would want the other filter media to remove as much contaminates at possible before getting to the charcoal. Next, I would place the bucket with zeolite. On top would be my sand bucket. This, obviously, requires four buckets, plus a container to bring water in.

Leave room in each bucket to accommodate water from the upper bucket without overflowing.

It might be advantageous to consider building a rack to hold the buckets, since the lightest are on the bottom and the project could easily tip. Simply putting wood handles on the sides would allow you to hang the buckets on a rack, which would be just wide enough to accept the bucket. Removal would be a simple matter of turning the bucket sideways.


Variations of this could be made using large plastic pipe with caps, or some other configuration, to make it more practical to use. Also, one could incorporate ozone and ultraviolet treatments into their plans for increased effectiveness against bacteria. I’ve picked up three ozone machines at garage sales for around five dollars each. All but one worked and it just needed new emitter plates. The ultraviolet lights are easy to come by. Just be careful with them because they can burn you and damage your eyes, so should be shielded during use.

Storing or finding water is one thing, making it potable is another. City water is treated with all manner of chemicals, including fluoride (for "teeth care:), chlorine (for "purification"), sodium hydroxide and so forth (for ph balancing). Otherwise high quality well water can contain lead, arsenic, other chemicals and parasites. What's a person to do?

There is an array of filter systems out there. Some filter, some distill and so forth. Cost of a system is a concern for many of us and, of course, the effectiveness of a system in reducing pollutants in your water is of primary concern.

Reverse osmosis type systems have a good reputation for producing quality drinking water. However, to work they constantly dump water down the drain, so may put a drain on a well, or pocket book. Too, this system is said to remove minerals, which might be undesirable to some.

Distilling is slow and, like water purified by reverse osmosis, removes minerals that might be desirable.

Boiling water is difficult, expensive and does not remove sediments or toxin contaminates.

Cartridge filter systems are many and varied in what all they will address. The one I bought initially ran $400.00, but refill cartridges are only about fifty. The sheets from tests on it rated it among the top for removing impurities, including fluoride and arsenic, which many do not address. It is designed to be installed in an existing cold water line and has a separate water valve for which you have to drill a hole in your sink. We loved being able to get drinking water at the same time you were using the faucet for other things. Take the time to review opinion pages and you can find some good comparison reviews on different makers, systems.

Rummer has it the water from a well built septic system is drinkable at the output (sorry, I'm not testing that assertion). Systems that run water through gravel and sand do get many positive reviews about their effects on the environment. We are contemplating using a twelve inch pipe with compartments, separated by screens, that would be packed with gravel, sand, charcoal and zeolite. The different materials are inexpensive and easily replaced. The gravel and sand filtering media would condition the water. The zeolite would draw heavy metals, like lead, mercury, fluoride and so forth. Then activated charcoal would absorb all manner of contaminates. If you wanted, you could incorporate ultraviolet light to further address bacteria and such. Or, you could incorporate ozone, which also removed threat form bacteria. The advantage of this type of filter is it could be used as a whole house filter.