www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE
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WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT
Water is key to survival and without it you can dehydrate. In sunny weather or hot climates, you need on average 7
litres of water a day. Without water you succumb to heat stroke and die within 24-48 hours. When you perspire (sweat),
your body is trying to cool you down. However that is water you need to replace quickly.
ON FINDING WATER
Once you have found a source of water, you need to determine if
it is drinkable.
Is it flowing or stagnant?
Are you in the open country or near a road, a farm, a industrial
or urban area?
Unless you are 100% certain that the water is safe to drink, you
will have to treat it. It may look clean, but you have no way of knowing.
NASTY THINGS IN WATER
Water can contain many impurities (toxins, chemicals, human waste and
even rubbish).
Even in the open country, animal waste can get into water and contami-
nate it. Cryptosporidium is found worldwide and causes over 50% of
water-borne diseases that are attributed to parasites. It is very common
in the local inhabitants, hikers and travellers who drink unfiltered water
causing cramps, diarrhoea and sickness.
PURIFYING WATER
Water can be purified easily by filtration, using purification tablets or by
boiling it. However, you may be in an escape and evasion scenario and
lighting a fire may not be an option. In certain cases purifying tablets
may not kill Cryptosporidium – boiling will. If there are chemicals in the
water, only charcoal will take it out. So you will need to light a fire.
FILTER TECHNIQUE ONE - THE SHIRT ON YOUR BACK
Your DPM shirt or dryflo top will filter out most big particles -
use both if you can.
Simply elevate your shirt or dryflo above your container so you can pour
the water in. You may have
to repeat the process again
and again until the water
is clear.
FILTER TECHNIQUE TWO – PLASTIC BOTTLE AND SOCK
You need to put a bit of cloth at the neck of your bottle to stop the rest of
your filter (sand, small stones and charcoal) from blocking the hole. With
the sock you do not need to do this.
Clean the filter out first by running water through it several times and
then throw that water away.
