Sea water to fresh - Filters won't work, what would you do? IDEAS.

[Wise Old Owl]

I am planning a Kayak trip amongst some islands on the coast, looks like I will have to pack a few gallons... a typical water filter will die when used with sea water. Apparently I am looking for a camping double boiler. Has anyone seen anything new? I have seen how Bear does it.... forget that,

[rocketsocks]

:-?I seem to remember a filter here last year that changed salt water to fresh,but it was like thousands $$$,I'd rather drink my own urine....but not really.:rolleyes:

[bfayer]

The only other option to distilling your own drinking water from sea water is portable reverse osmosis. Very expensive and a whole lot of work to get a little water. In my opinion packing all your water in is the best option.

http://www.katadynwatermakers.co.uk/Katadyn%2035.htm

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea thats 2000 dollars....

[rocketsocks]

Now I'm thinking along the lines of solar distilation.:-?

[Hikerhead]

You're in a kayak, not carrying it, so there's no room for a few gallons of water? There's no towns or creeks along these islands/coast? Catch rain water with your poncho if you carry one, or tarp or rainfly.

[Velvet Gooch]

Drink the blood of sharks; it's the only way

[kayak karl]

don't know of any UL retorts. glass ones are very fragile. used to distill sulfuric acid with one.

[rocketsocks]

Now I'm thinking along the lines of solar distillation.:-?Something like using the forward motion of the boat to force sea water into a funnel,and through a series of hoses,the cool sea water flows through the hot hull of the boat and collects on the underside of the hull,and then drips into a drip pan,which is then piped along the boats gunnel's right to within arms reach of a cool drink of water Eureka!, Pure Genus!..... just typing aloud here Woo,dunno really

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea there's room for 2 gallons.... high heat and humidity, no trees no shade .... Surf and back bay... if I spend a night or two... that water will be precious. And this is a very dry year. We are going 7days + with no rain... just thinking.....

Think Everglades National Park...

[bfayer]

There is one other option that I have not actually seen used, but I have seen it demonstrated. The draw back is you don't end up with water, you end up with essentially Gatorade. Good for drinking not so good for cooking.

Initial cost is low, but long term cost per gallon is high because you need to keep buying the syrup packets.

http://www.htiwater.com/

[rocketsocks]

water water everywhere,and not a drop to drink. who said it?

[Pedaling Fool]

Take a lot of beer.

[Danl]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=203206117&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=203206117&cm_mmc=shopping%2d%5f%2dgooglebase%2d%5f%2dD26X%2d %5f%2d203206117

Check this out. I was looking at it because of the heavy metals in the Missouri River

[grayfox]

There is a small kit that uses osmosis and costs about $70 per gallon. HTI SeaPack Personal Desalination Kit takes a long time and gives you a sugar water solution that would be great for survival needs and cheap if you would die without it but is not really a good option here.

I have a GSI pressure cooker that would make an excellent still. You would just need a rubber gromit to replace the pressure release plug and a length of copper tubing to run from the gromit through some cool water and empty the condensed steam into a container. I cook rice in mine and it takes very little fuel to keep the pressure up once the water boils. If you think your islands would have firewood then this might be an option.

Maybe someone with a motor could resupply you or you could drop a few glass jugs off befor your trip--glass is good to keep critters out of your water as long as it doesn't freeze.

[Velvet Gooch]

People greatly underestimate the effort required in using the "cheaper" hand-operated desalinators. Think 2400+ squeezes for a little less than two pints

[Wise Old Owl]

There is one other option that I have not actually seen used, but I have seen it demonstrated. The draw back is you don't end up with water, you end up with essentially Gatorade. Good for drinking not so good for cooking.

Initial cost is low, but long term cost per gallon is high because you need to keep buying the syrup packets.



http://www.htiwater.com/

Hey that's a great idea... the 10 hour wait part - well its like sitting on a Pickett fence. Honest I like it... would make a good backup.

[Wise Old Owl]

There is a small kit that uses osmosis and costs about $70 per gallon. HTI SeaPack Personal Desalination Kit takes a long time and gives you a sugar water solution that would be great for survival needs and cheap if you would die without it but is not really a good option here.

I have a GSI pressure cooker that would make an excellent still. You would just need a rubber gromit to replace the pressure release plug and a length of copper tubing to run from the gromit through some cool water and empty the condensed steam into a container. I cook rice in mine and it takes very little fuel to keep the pressure up once the water boils. If you think your islands would have firewood then this might be an option.

Maybe someone with a motor could resupply you or you could drop a few glass jugs off befor your trip--glass is good to keep critters out of your water as long as it doesn't freeze.


I have explored this -- and it has merit...copper is not important but a "thump tank" with a coil tube in sea water is the modification.

[Tinker]

water water everywhere,and not a drop to drink. who said it?

It's in a poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - forgot the author's name.

[rocketsocks]

It's in a poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - forgot the author's name.Thanks Tinker

[Kerosene]

It's in a poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - forgot the author's name.Per Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner):

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (originally The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) is the longest major poem (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Poetry) by the English (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/England) poet (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Poet) Samuel Taylor Coleridge (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge), written in 1797–98 and published in 1798 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/1798_in_poetry) in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Lyrical_Ballads). Modern editions use a later revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Gloss). Along with other poems in Lyrical Ballads, it was a signal shift to modern poetry and the beginning of British Romantic literature (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Romantic_literature).

[Feral Bill]

It's in a poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - forgot the author's name. Coleridge, I believe.

[Feral Bill]

See The Complete Walker for a simple solar still. I'd try it at home first. Or get a bigger boat (use a double as a solo boat) and fill 'er up.

[jakedatc]

See The Complete Walker for a simple solar still. I'd try it at home first. Or get a bigger boat (use a double as a solo boat) and fill 'er up.

Martin Brody approves of this method ;)
http://www.mibba.com/data/images/content/articles/da/b530c2ad.jpg

[Dances with Mice]

Inflatable raft filled with water jugs towed behind the kayak.

[RLC_FLA]

Try this, we had a similar one in our "toss bag" on our 40' sailboat years ago.
http://campingsurvival.com/kahaemdewama.html

[Feral Bill]

Martin Brody approves of this method ;)
http://www.mibba.com/data/images/content/articles/da/b530c2ad.jpgAnd bring a canister stove, just in case.

[Pedaling Fool]

Inflatable raft filled with water jugs towed behind the kayak.
...And the water jugs filled with beer :)

[generoll]

Coleridge?

[Wise Old Owl]

OK I have to "rethink this" and get someone with a welding degree.

[rocketsocks]

Woo,I can weld a broken heart,and the crack of dawn.;)what do you want to know?

[Wise Old Owl]

uhh ouch - The solution is much easier than you think... I have posted this a few years back to see if there is anything out there. I just have to patent it. I can do it for $300 retail and make lots of water.

[chiefiepoo]

Think Everglades National Park...

If it is Everglades NP and the Wilderness waterway, water security is important. One guide book I have seen advises that raccoons and rats will chew through lightweight plastic containers to get at fresh water. Have not experienced this myself. Some friends did the WW in canoes years ago and carried the large 5 gal carboys of water and slept with the water close at hand in case anything came lurking in the night. Brutal hot there in Spring and summer, why not Maine and the Maine coastal canoe trail instead?

[Wise Old Owl]

Cus I did that two vacations and 16 + miles at Arcadia and I have never been to that part of Florida.