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> I think I'd prioritize bleach over water after the first four liters or so of water ("a gallon" in medieval units), but maybe in a desert you'd be better off

> I think I'd prioritize bleach over water after the first four liters or so of water ("a gallon" in medieval units), but maybe in a desert you'd be better off with the water. A ceramic micron water filter, i.e. this one[1] is a better choice IMO if you can afford it. It's expensive, but it's practically unlimited, and lighter than a gallon of bleach. And the water it produces tastes better than bleach water. It can also deal with water sources with a lot of particulate matter. I'll also caution that if you're not accustomed to the "cap-full of bleach per gallon of water" method of creating potable water, the first few days of drinking bleach water is going to involve some intestinal issues while your body adjusts to the alkalinity. > I think a much more expensive, but also much more fun, preparation measure is to go to Burning Man. Basically, Burning Man is a highly innovative, well-supplied refugee camp, just without some of the shitty power dynamics that happen in regular refugee camps, and in a particularly hostile climate. So you can learn about things like walkie-talkies, dust storms, ad-hoc informal exchange networks, emergency medical care, dehydration, safe water storage, sunscreen, the importance of treating minor injuries, how to deal with people who are freaking the fuck out, and so on, in a very low-risk environment. For a few years after Hurricane Katrina, there was Burners Without Borders, which did a bunch of disaster relief projects; mysteriously it seems to have ended a couple of years ago. Yes! I hadn't considered that, but BM is pretty perfect for testing out your prep systems. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Pocket-Microfilter/dp/B01EOMMEBC https://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Pocket-Microfilter/dp/B01EOMM...

kragen 7y ago
You're supposed to get the bleach out of the water before you drink it, although I guess that may be tricky if you're short on supplies! Also, if you're using massive quantities like capfuls, it might take too long; normally you only need a few drops, less than a milliliter ("a quarter teaspoon", in medieval units), which will outgas from the water in a few hours if you leave it standing. Hydrogen peroxide will neutralize (normal hypochlorite) bleach in water, but you have to be careful not to add it in excess, because drinking hydrogen peroxide is just as bad as drinking bleach. I agree, filters are great for water. But bleach is also useful for sterilizing laundry, cleaning floors, sterilizing cloth to be used for wound dressing, deodorizing garbage cans, killing mildew, and so on. Its use in making contaminated water potable is the most important for human survival in emergencies, but its variety of other uses were the reason I suggested bleach specifically.

kragen 7y ago

You're supposed to get the bleach out of the water before you drink it, although I guess that may be tricky if you're short on supplies! Also, if you're using massive quantities like capfuls, it might take too long; normally you only need a few drops, less than a milliliter ("a quarter teaspoon", in medieval units), which will outgas from the water in a few hours if you leave it standing. Hydrogen peroxide will neutralize (normal hypochlorite) bleach in water, but you have to be careful not to add it in excess, because drinking hydrogen peroxide is just as bad as drinking bleach. I agree, filters are great for water. But bleach is also useful for sterilizing laundry, cleaning floors, sterilizing cloth to be used for wound dressing, deodorizing garbage cans, killing mildew, and so on. Its use in making contaminated water potable is the most important for human survival in emergencies, but its variety of other uses were the reason I suggested bleach specifically.