An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 Here we will look at some of the practical aspects of military training and show you how the Defence Forces prepares soldiers for service, at home and abroad. Though informative, these tac-aides are not designed to replace the military instructor. 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 deter- mine if it is safe to drink. Is it flowing or stagnant? Are you in the open country or near a road, a farm, a indus- trial 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 (tox- ins, chemicals, human waste and even rubbish). Even in the open country, animal waste can get into water and contaminate it. Cryptosporidium is found worldwide and causes over 50% of water-borne diseases that are at- tributed to parasites. It is very common in hikers and travel- lers who drink unfiltered water to cause 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 op- tion. In certain cases purifying tablets may not kill Crypto- sporidium – boiling will. If there are chemicals in the water, charcoal will take some of it out, but to be sure boil it. 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 place a 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.

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