Home Made Water Filter

ON CHANGING THE FILTER MATERIALS - Please see the full answer below.

This filter MUST be used with some chemical means or boiling to make the water safe. This filter is only the first step, a pre-filter, before chemical

I get this question often, "How many liters/gallons before you have to change the filter elements?" The answer is not so simple, it all depends on what you pour into the top of the filter. If you are putting fairly decent, clear running stream water into the filter the activated carbon will last a long time. If you are filtering stagnant pond water not as long.

The synthetic fiber wad in the top will get dirty looking after a few days and if there is a high quantity of algae in the water will slow the filter down. I carry extra fiber to replace that in the field. You can also remove the fiber wad and wash it out in clear water if it has large debris in it.

I don't normally carry extra carbon pellets to replace them in the bush. They are very low cost, one carton of pellets will last for years. The bottom line, if in doubt change the pellets, we're talking about 5 cents worth of charcoal here.

My general rule, if I have been using the filter often I change the pellets before I head out. This filter often gets used by groups of survival students and will easily filter enough water for five people over the course of four days. I don't always change the carbon after trips like that, again, it depends on what we had to filter.

This filter MUST be used with some chemical means of purification or boiling to make the water safe.

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[blueshoestoo]

The LifeStraw water filter only costs $20, weighs 2 oz, filters 1000 liters, and meets EPA requirements for removal of Bacteria and Protozao (99.9999% and 99.9% respectively). North American sales go through greenbeetlegear on the web.

[Colhane]

@blueshoestoo The Lifestraw is a good product. Here in Brazil if you can find it, it is considerably more expensive. I developed this filter about ten years ago at a time that there was no such device available here. This is basically a modernized version of a field expedient bamboo filter.

[NibiruLives]

How many drops of iodine do you use to disinfect a canteen of water? - I suppose you have the standard military size...

[Colhane]

@NibiruLives 5 drops 2% Iodine solution per quart/liter, wait 30 minutes. The dose can be doubled to 10 drops and an hour wait for really suspect or cold water. Do not use for pregnant women or people with thyroid conditions.

[imautuber444]

After you've used he filter, do you have to disassemble and dry the content before its packed away or does the prolong dampness of the fibre and carbon not produce bacteria?

[Colhane]

@imautuber444 I've never had a problem with it getting moldy. It seems to dry out on it's own quick enough. The worst I ever had was it got invaded by about a thousand tiny red ants when I left it out in a desert-like area. It was still wet and they were attracted to the moisture.

[theduke460]

One thing to highlight is that the activated carbon DOES remove many harmful chemicals (e.g. chlorine, pesticides, etc). I'm building my own PVC-pipe filter today based on this idea. And, of course as you mentioned it's critical to boil or chemically treat the filtered water. Perfect for treating water from my rain barrel...THANKS for the inspiration!

[Colhane]

@Fresprt I used a piece of plastic from an ice cream container and punched a series of 2mm holes in it with a punch.

[MarcosRonald1]

Aguardo a versão brasileira, irmão. Aproveite e mostre até onde você coloca a fibra e o carvão, dando um "close" na boca dos tubos já com os materiais no interior. Feliz Ano-Novo e volte logo.

[woody000555]

PLEASE ANSWER!!!!

1. can i use sand instead of carbon pellets?

2. can i grind up charcoal sticks instead of the pellets?

[CloudTheStrong]

@ROTTIMAN31 might be quite awhile later but there are parts of Canada that get just as warm as Illinois and some that get warmer. Maybe where you live but Canada is the second LARGEST country in the world. I mean its like a third of North America.

[serger2010]

greenbeetlegear LifeStraw water filter filters 1000 liters, and meets EPA requirements for removal of Bacteria and Protozao (99.9999% and 99.9% BUT IF YOU STORE IT FOR MORE THEN TWO WEEKS IT DEVELOPS BACTERIA IN IT AND YOU WILL GET SICK , IT ONLY WORKS IF IN CONTINUOUS ENVIRONMENT this guys can be renewed and cleaned. just FYI not kicking you .

[blueshoestoo]

@Colhane I should add that the efficacy of the LifeStraw in reducing bacterial and protozoan organisms in the water, is according to the manufacturer. Surely someone has tested it independently?

[gabriel44513]

senhor nao intendo ingles fias um video em portugues por favor

[lisandrobenegas]

Hi, im from Argentina. I bought a water filter. Made of:

CAG (activated granular carbon)

CAG with SILVER

KDF (copper and cinc alloy)

Mineral resin.

Does this sound ok? As far as i understood, with activated carbon, you filter small sediments/deposits quite well. The other components, i dont know what they filter..

Is there something i could add to my home made filter, to eliminate other components as virus, or chemicals...

Thanks!

[2536b]

@Lynnc83 Congrats! You can read a bottle.