Food Prep for the Lazy, Late & Cheap 14 Field Expedient Water Filter on the Cheap

[moonchildani]

Question ~ could you use the charcol leftovers from your campfire (wood burned) to filter if you needed?

[cfarkas76]

great video bud. i have seen a lot of yours and they have been very useful. however, my activated carbon says on the container "known to cause cancer by the state of california". should i be concerned about this? i ASSUME this means not to breath in the dust, but i was hoping for some insight. also, do the pebbles have any filtering properties, or is it more of a mechanical layer of the filter? i put a small kit like this in my BOB so i want to make sure it is right. thanks for your time.

[ZombieTactics]

@cfarkas76 Just about EVERYTHING causes cancer, so that warning appears on on so many things its ridiculous. The pebbles are mostly as a diffusion layer to keep the water from eroding little channels and pockets. They provide SOME mechanical filtering, but not enough to be of much benefit.

[cseverhart]

I was watching a show called The Colony and they made a water filter similar to this using busted up charcoal briquettes ( I assume without lighter fluid added). Have you heard of anything like this working as well as what you have shown?

[ZombieTactics]

@cseverhart I'm not a fan of using charcoal briquettes, as many use binding agents and other chemicals which are toxic. If I you confirm that they are PURE charcoal briquettes ... then you are good to go.

[millster101]

Cool video , thanks for sharing it.

[crowe9107]

Thank you so much for this video and all the others in the series ZT, well thought out and informative as always.

[lostburro]

Very patient kitty you've got there.

Interesting video, TNX! I knew there was a reason I bought that charcoal a couple of years ago. NOW I remember.

[asimov13647]

When I was a youth in the wilds of Arkansas (almost 50 years ago) I lived in a tin-roofed house whose water supply was a cistern. Rain falling on the roof would run through troughs to a box filter and into the cistern. The filter had a layer of fine sand at the bottom, a layer of coarse sand above that and a layer of gravel topmost. The gravel, being the coarsest, would stop gross objects such as grass, leaves, and bugs. We replaced the gravel with creek gravel periodically.

[istarianjinsama]

Rock. That's what I was hoping to find.

[Littlejon126]

Cool video ZT! I live in the desert now and potable water is a real concern for me now.

I learned to do this but using a slightly different method - gravel on top, charcoal powder in the middle, sand on the bottom, using old denim between each layer as it's free flowing, and a tighter weave cotton sheet or two for the final layer.

Also, running boiling water through the filter a few times before using it for cool drinking water helps sterilize the whole unit and clears out all the carbon dust.

[tk4227]

awesome vid! thanks

[HeidenBump]

My grandfather, which was a real son of nature and a military man tought me a similar method of filtering water. He used a plastic bottle which he cut the top off. He then put in moss, then charcoal and then again moss. Works great, at least in places where you can get your hands on some nice moss =)

[BR98133]

I have looking forward to this video. thanks. Good job on the instruction. Does the carbon filter out heavy metals and or chemicals coming off roof shingles? (i.e.rain water capture off tar shingle roof).

[UberLapis]

activated charcoal/carbon is charcoal that was exposed to oxygen wile at temperature. this lets the carbon burn on the surface some, and wile burning the oxygen bonds to the carbon and makes co2 leaving pits on a molecular level down to the atom, giving it an insane amount of surface area. This gives chemicals a good easy way to bond to the carbon and a lot of surface to do it on.

[EnduringEagle]

This actually is very interesting. I just read that one gram of activated carbon can have the surface area equal to 1/2 a football field to 1.5 football fields depending on how it is treated. Additionally, there is evidence that this technique goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Interesting don't you think?

[ZombieTactics]

@EnduringEagle It's not by any means a perfect solution, but it does the job decently. It has teh plus side of being very low-tech, well-established and able to be implemented with minimal resources.

[THESOVIETCRIMSON]

Excellent Video, Done this many times in the Australian Defence Force Cadets but not as good as this. "Sootch, watch this video."

[glockman1727ak47]

"needs ice" LOL great upload very good stuff keep them coming love these types of videos.

[uncleben03]

Nice REM reference.

[chopperboi89]

I've heard the sand could be replaced with dirt, what do you think? Also, does it matter what order you put them in? Great vid, keep up the great work!

[ZombieTactics]

@chopperboi89 I wouldn't trust "dirt" per se, unless I knew its exact composition. The order of ingredients - contrary to what some have suggested - is correct in this demonstration, and IMPORTANT. A followup video is in the works. 

[EnduringEagle]

how much water can you run through it before it needs to be changed and how would you know when to change out the components?

[ZombieTactics]

@EnduringEagle That would depend upon the size of the filter and quality of the materials. I would trust the filter I made in this video for no more than 100 gallons, and only about 20 if I were using charcoal instead of activated carbon.

[futuresonex]

One of those combined with a Steripen, or even with putting the water in a clear container & leaving it in the sun for a few hours--the 'sodis' methor--would take care of pretty much everything in the water including viruses. Very good video, thanks!!!

[WurledPeas]

I see your cat has it's Halloween costume on.

[jplerwill]

@agun17 Before watching a video like this and thus making coments about the video, I always look to his sources first...where, what and why he made the video. Read the reference he gives...he follows that example perfectly. It sounds like your an expert of some sort on water filtration, so I hope that you choose to help the rest of us by making a video that shows us a better expedient version.

[agun17]

@jplerwill

I basically took the water bottle filter example found in the "Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marine Commandos".

The SAS Survival Handbook also states that sand should go on the bottom of the filter.

Ending the filter with gravel is like sanding something down and ending with the coarser sandpaper.

The rest is plain old common sense.

[jplerwill]

@agun17 Still apparent that you didnt read his reference information. The sand amount and location are justified by math and science. Im glad those books have helped you. I will read and learn from them as well. My point was, you degraded him, but didnt bother to check his source first. His quick example isnt perfect, but its based upon a greater function system. You learned from those great books, you seem smart, cocky, but smart. I emplore you read his source and learn from there as well.

[agun17]

@jplerwill looked at the PDF, here is what it says:

"The purpose of the gravel layer is to prevent clogging of the perforated pipe by carbon granules" The type of filters we are discusing does not have a perforated pipe that could be clogged by sand or carbon granules.

It also says: "A diffuser plate is placed over the sand to reduce the turbulence of the influent and prevent channels forming through the sand"

This is one of the purposes of putting the gravel ontop.

[Mrbullydog66]

How many litres do you think this type of system would be efficient to process?

[blkwulff]

I'd stick with katadyne pocket sorry I would not trust this with my life I like the cheap part but good idea wouldn't put my life on the line

[ZombieTactics]

@blkwulff That's an excellent choice, but - at $250 or more - not really "cheap" ... this is the "Lazy, Late and CHEAP" series ;-) Similar thoughts about the Berkey stuff ... it's excellent and well worth the money ... but not cheap. This kind of information is also useful if you find yourself in without all your excellent gear ... which is kind of the point.

[cmobley69]

How many times can you use this filtration system before you need to change out the goods. And when do you know it's time to change it.

[drzmanproject]

interesting - I would have thought you'd start with the largest media first (gravel) to filter the largest particulates (e.g., those blades of grass) and work to increasingly finer filters. Thoughts on the sequence? Thanks for such great videos!

[ZombieTactics]

@drzmanproject There is nothing to be gained by placing the gravel first, as it provide nothing in the way of filtration. The bulk of the work in filtering particulate matter is done by the sand, and the bulk of chemical decontamination is done by the charcoal. The gravel is just there to keep the outlet hole from becoming clogged. There are lots of little things you can do to improve upon this design, but it's a time-tested design which has been proven effective.

[brotherscoobs]

one of the most useful "prepping" videos i have seen on yt to date

[jakedakac]

can you just used the partially burned wood or do you have to actually restrict oxygen flow and make it proper charcoal?

[ZombieTactics]

@jakedakac If the wood is well seasoned, it shouldn't be problematic to get "real" charcoal. Pine is recommended,as it will require the least amount of fuel to process. Check the links in the video notes for further background and information.

[stymiesam]

Nice filter system. I think if I was worried about virus and had a .02 micron hollow fiber filter I would use it after using the filter in your demonstration as the water would be less likely to clog up the .02 filter. Of course boiling is an option to the .02 filter. Knowledge of your water source is critical and maybe a good topic for discussion. Activated charcoal is good stuff to have on hand. Good video as always. Thanks for sharing with us.

[i500x]

great video. how can you tell when the filter needs to be changed? If I use this filter in conjunction with boiling the water, what do I still need to be concerned with?

[ZombieTactics]

@i500x I actually have used this filter design extensively while traveling, and it seems to do an excellent job if combined with chemical purification or boiling. I've been in more than one case where people using other systems are puking their guts out and begging to use my "piece of crap homebuilt", lol. I tend to stick with my Katadyn Vario now, but mostly out of convenience. My biggest concern would be water badly contaminated with chemical run-off.

[snoozymoo]

u are awesome, nice video! really helpful

[ElDub50]

I was looking for a list of contaminates that vaporize and remain in the water during distillation. Any resources for that info?

[AlanMRedman]

Great video, I learned a lot and it gave me something new to do some research on. Thanks.

[aaronzack14]

try to use 3-5 smaller wholes for better flow...maybe..

[LeonRFpoa]

@aaronzack14 it's spelled 'holes'

[aaronzack14]

@LeonRFpoa i know, i was typing fast i had already pressed "post"

[LeonRFpoa]

@aaronzack14 hahaha

[everydaypreparedness]

A good thing to mention is that the top of the sand eventually builds a layer of beneficial bacteria that will actually help kill other nastiness. Very similar to the filtration on a constant flow aquaponics unit.

[sonnysand]

Great tip. Thanks

[1IdeaAhead]

does kingsford (or other) charcoal WITHOUT fire starting chemical aids work, just the plain stuff?  And do you need the rock base, what does it filter or do? Cool vid. How long before the sand needs to be sun sanitized?

[ZombieTactics]

@1IdeaAhead I would not use any commercially produced briquets, as they often use all sorts of chemical binders to help hold their shape. Straight charcoal works (it's used to remove impurities from whiskey), but has a smaller surface area and is less efficient.

[toddweller]

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you used dirty water for the demo. It really showed how effective this simple filter can be!

[Duane77able]

Good info. Especially the cheaper source of carbon for my Katadyn filter. I think I'll make one out of PVC pipe...and your cat wants in.

[2ndefender]

Very informative video. I'll put this method in my toolbox if my Berkey ever breaks down.

[darkdwarf2005]

Thanks, for the vid. some good information there.