this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2025
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A Brita filter =/= a survival straw. There ARE filters you can use to drink directly from water sources in nature that will filter out all contaminants but a Brita ain't one.
Exactly, there are filters for tap water and there are backpacking or survival filters for filtering dirty water. I use both regularly, but wouldn't ever take my filter pitcher hiking.
Imagine using the right product for the right job
You must be new here?
Do those straws also take out pathogens? I thought you’d still need to boil the water pre filtering.
Yes
At least bacteria. Viruses are a whole different beast but usually viruses are also not the problem in natural watersources.
Be free comes to mind, very popular in europe. Sawyer filters are very popular in the US
There are also combo filters that filter sediment and bacteria and pass the water through a charcoal filter to remove taste and organics.
From Lifestraw website:
The majority of LifeStraw products for individual use are microfilters with an absolute pore size of 0.2 microns which remove bacteria, parasites, microplastics, and dirt/silt.
LifeStraw also manufactures ultrafilters/purifiers that, in addition to the above contaminants, also remove viruses. The absolute pore size on these purifiers is 0.02 micron.
Said a moment ago, one saved my ass. Cut the top off a beer can and sucked river water out of it kayaking. Tasted like nothing, like tap water that's been in the sun for a while.
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I feel like boiling PLUS the Brita would be a pretty solid combo. Boil to kill everything then Brita to remove the remaining inert sediment. I can't think of any metals or anything that there would be enough of in river water to hurt you after you've killed anything that was alive.
I can't think of any metals or anything that there would be enough of in river water to hurt you
We're talking about rivers like the one in Cleveland that they caught on fire?
Twice?!
IDK what's in that but I'll leave my cup for you haha
It happened 13 times. But not since 1969. The Cuyahoga is now a shining example of environmental restoration with even the most polluted sections meeting the standards of the water quality act.
"we must make america great again. The woke mob has stolen our beautiful burning rivers. We aim to bring them back bigger and better!"
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Yes, this is what I was told in a survival course (as a company team building). You have to filter out large particles, even a few layers of cloths is enough. Then you boil it to get rid of bacteria or other problematic stuff.
Wouldn't boiling first be better so you don't end up with a bacteria colony in your filter?
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Boil your water, then after it cools run it through a charcoal and/or osmosis filter. Even then, it's still not great. Commercial/community water treatment isn't some silly little optional process.
Get a water filter that’s designed for camping. The two varieties I’ve seen are either a hand pump or using gravity to force the water through a ceramic filter. Try to pick water that is relatively clean looking (not obviously murky, and it helps to pick flowing water).
Best tasting water I’ve ever had and you won’t get giardia (the most common cause of diarrhea symptoms described above).
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The biggest risk out in the woods is microorganisms. If you boil it or use a well designed filter you are likely going to be fine if you're drinking otherwise clear water.
I wouldn't just filter the water from the Hudson river and go to town, but if it's 10 miles to the nearest road I think you're probably doing better than your tap
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I had a similar experience at a pseudo pagan ritual/drum thing/moonlit naked dance thing. They'd stocked the sweat lodge with several bottles of water. Some for drinking and others full of river water for tossing on the stones. I failed to correctly identify them in the dark and was very sick as a result.
Editted for spelling
$ sudo pagan ritual
sudo: pagan: command not found
PS: I am appropriately sad that I am a person that knows linux and not a person that visits moonlit naked dancing rituals. Meh, you can't have it all.
You forgot the path "ritual/drum thing/moonlit".
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Since people are just going to make command line jokes and leave you confused, the spelling is "pseudo".
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The missed pro tip: don't believe everything you see on tv
Are you saying the media would LIE??? On TELEVISION??? Are you sure about this?
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Welcome to giardia or whatever other parasites and bacteria are in natural water sources.
Pretty much all natural surface water, no matter the source, is gonna have stuff in it that can make you sick. Maybe some cramps and diarrhea, some potentially lethal. Any time you drink untreated water it’s a risk no matter the “bro science” about how some is “safe”. Even glacial water has bacteria in it. Just some sources the concentration of bad stuff is going to be low enough that your body can hopefully deal with it without you becoming symptomatic.
Use proper filters and treatments designed for biologically contaminated water, or filter and boil your water before consuming. Stay safe out there!
IDK why, but your comment made me think of a really awful business idea... Immunity building microdose water. Basically you sell and advertise water that has a few parts per billion bacteria to build your immune system.
Will you get sick, maybe? Do we accept any liability... no it says so right on the bottle.
2% milk
Drink of that with a few bites of Crunchy Frog candy.
Delectable.
How come animals are fine drinking it? And what about pre industrial people? Was everyone just always sick?
Plenty of animals are riddled with parasites, and early humans absolutely got sick. Think of all the cholera epidemics even in recent history. I’m sure some animals get sick but I’d bet their stomachs are a far harsher environment for bacteria and parasites to survive so it’s less likely for them to be ill.
Honesty didn't expect the answer to be "yeah they are just sick all the time lmao"
If parasites weren't an effective life strategy, there wouldn't be parasites in the world
If you're going anywhere in the wilderness for an extended amount of time, it's best to have the person driving to bring a case of water in the trunk for this situation (and also first aid)
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We went on a vacay when I was maybe twelve. Canada and Montana, saw a moose, hiked in the forest. My dad told me to drink from a stream. The water seemed super fresh and clean.
I puked my guts out at the airport and on the flight home. Other people were donating their barf bags on the plane because I was so sick. My mom was really pissed at my dad.
I grew up in Canada and regularly drank from the streams. Bad luck
I regularly drank from a stream in Canada as well haha. There was a stream fed by a spring near where we lived that we tested and was clean. We'd then fill up jugs right from the spring to drink at home.
It can be hit or moose
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Some filters can do that, not all. Gotta check what your filter is rated for!
The Brita would (should) pull out various carcinogens from the water since they will stick to the filter rather than the water. But it won't do anything for bacteria, viruses, amoeba or any other protists. Which would make you acutely sick.
Well yeah, next time wait for the water to trickle through the filter instead of gulping from the loading compartment
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