While spending time outdoors can be a lot of fun, if you ever run out of water while you’re spending time outside, you can quickly find yourself in a lot of trouble. Without water, you can quickly become dehydrated and put your body at extreme risk. However, if you happen to find water outside, you won’t just want to drink it straight from the source. There could be untold amounts of bacteria and other germs that could be very harmful to your body. Knowing this, you’ve also got to know how to make water safe for drinking.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to make fresh water safe for drinking when spending time outdoors.
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Boil It
One of the most basic ways you can make fresh water safe for drinking is to boil it. So if you have access to a heat source and something that can hold water while standing a lot of heat, this might be the option you’ll want to go with.
Generally, you’ll want to strain any fresh water before you boil it so that you can get rid of any debris from the water. And once you’re ready to start boiling it, you’ll want to keep it at a boil for about one minute to ensure that you kill any and all viruses or bacteria that may have been in the water. Then, once the water is cool enough for you to drink, you can start sipping away.
Use UV Light
Another way you can make fresh water safe for drinking is by using a UV light.
With certain UV water purifiers, you can use the light to kill off bacteria from the water. If you do choose to go with this form of purification, you’ll just want to make sure that you’re using the filter exactly as directed. Different UV filters will need to be in contact with the water for different periods of time in order to properly disinfect it, so make sure you follow their guidelines exactly.
Employ The Right Chemicals
You can also use certain chemicals to help with purifying water so that it’s safe to drink. However, you’ll need to be very careful with using chemicals for purification, as the wrong ratios could be harmful to you when drinking.
Some of the chemicals you might want to use could include bleach, carbon, or iodine. Each chemical will require a different form of usage, so make sure you know exactly how to use the one you have with you before you start with the purification process.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors and want to always have a way to safely drink any water you might find, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you become a water purification pro.
