DIY Survival Water Purification Systems

In a survival situation, a pure water source is a chief concern. Ideally, you will be able to collect rainwater in a clean container for drinking. If you procure water from any other natural source, it is a good idea to purify it, either through purification tablets, iodine or by boiling. Those are not always valid options, in which case you will need to make a simple water purification system.

Instructions

    • 1

      Create the container for the system, using a piece of cloth and cord. The bottom of a pant leg or forearm of a shirt sleeve works best, as it has open ends. Alternatively, you can peel a piece of birch bark from a tree and make a cone to hold the contents of the filter, using vine to secure it together.

    • 2

      Tie the bottom of the container shut to allow you to insert the contents of the filter. The water should still be able to seep through the bottom and into your collection container.

    • 3

      Tie a looped cord to the top of the container and hang it from a sturdy tree limb at about chest height.

    • 4

      Put a layer of small rocks in the bottom of the container to hold the rest of the material in.

    • 5

      Put alternating layers of sand, grass and charcoal from a camp fire into the container. Make sure you have at least two layers of each inside the container. Leave enough room at the top to pour in a few liters of water.

    • 6

      Pour the murky or stagnant water into the top of the filter system. It should slowly begin to pass through the filter and drip out the bottom into your collection container. You may need to pass it through more than once, and the entire process should take several hours to purify the water.

    • 7

      Boil the purified water over a fire in order to kill any remaining parasites.