Drinkable water

[Jimmayo]

Re: Drinkable water

In one shipment of canteens the spouts came seperately from the canteen. Don't know if all came like that. If they were easy to put in they were probably easy to fall out.

[Marine Mike]

Re: Drinkable water

To an extent, folks of that time had some immunity. A hand dug well and hand dug toilet are as deep as the first water table. Water purity was judged simply by its clarity. The only sure regular source of potable water would be on a blue water steam driven ship or an artesian well. An army on the march could easily have been its own source of water pollution.

[Secesh]

Re: Drinkable water

Germs, bacteria, etc. were unknown until a much later time period...I read an account where a soldier stated that, before filling canteens, they would slap the water to drive the tadpoles and some of the muck down...

[tenfed1861]

Re: Drinkable water

If not mistaken the water at Doctor's Creek was one of the few water sources in the area that had not dried up and because of that the Confederate Army was hesitant to leave it.

Louis,to further that point of thirst over all,one soldier in the 33rd IN said that if he was at home,he wouldn't let his dog drink from Doctor's Creek.In the regimental history of the 15th KY,one soldier was to have reported that the creek was smelling like livestock.So with it being the only water source,animals from all around would be drinking.Today,many doctors would advise not drinking that water.But when it comes to dehydration,you'll do what you got to to survive.

[Spinster]

Re: Drinkable water

Let me add a modern safety tip here:

If you are using those iodine pills to make creek water safe, make sure they don't interact with your meds first. We watched a fellow get carried out of the piney woods on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance because the iodine interacted with one of the handful of prescription pills he was taking.

I'm going to underline this one as its a reason I'm staying the heck home from some really good events these days.

Iodine in volume conflicts for some common medications for Type II diabetes.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Drinkable water

I'm going to underline this one as its a reason I'm staying the heck home from some really good events these days.

Iodine in volume conflicts for some common medications for Type II diabetes.

Chlorine dioxide. I've used it for years and don't know why more people don't choose it. Fewer side effects, little change in flavor. I used it at Marmaduke's Raid, and the treated water from Goose Creek tasted better than the well water at the fort.

Some charts say it requires four hours, but that's the longest treatment time, for cold cloudy water. Find one of the charts that shows various temperatures and one can see that for clear, summer-temperature water, the times are much shorter.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[JustRob]

Re: Drinkable water

I recall a statement that an officer saw his men drink water from a puddle that was "as thick as cream".

Ick.

[Spinster]

Re: Drinkable water

Thank you Hank.

That solves a little week long walk in the woods with friends next year rather nicely

[Tom Craig]

Re: Drinkable water

Not a period solution (but neither are purification tablets), but there are several purification systems being sold today that use UV light to kill bacteria. They are sold for back packers, so they are small, generally about the size and shape of a marker, and use no chemicals so there is no medical reaction. They retail for around $100, and work pretty instantaneously without any taste etc.

Take care,
Tom Craig
1st Maine Cavalry

[Spinster]

Re: Drinkable water

Those UV set ups tend not to fit into canteens. Now if we could just document a Camelback to 1860. ;)


Seriously, they do tend to be ineffective in cloudy water and the one I have would be intrusive in a period setting.

[Tom Craig]

Re: Drinkable water

Those UV set ups tend not to fit into canteens. Now if we could just document a Camelback to 1860. ;)


Seriously, they do tend to be ineffective in cloudy water and the one I have would be intrusive in a period setting.

I've never used one, so I don't have any first hand experience with them, but the current generation of them is supposed to deal well with anything that isn't visible particulate type stuff...the tablets won't clean up physically dirty water either, it will still be cloudy with the tablets.

I not a huge germaphobe or anything, but in thinking about your comment about canteens a concern came to mind. When you use the tablets in modern containers, like Nalgene bottles for example, you are supposed to let the water sit for a half and hour, and you are also supposed to treat the cap of the bottle. If you're using the tablets with a canteen, wouldn't it be possible for bacteria to get into the cork and or a beeswax liner, and negate the treatment? I don't have the answer, and I'm not personally concerned about it because I have a high risk tolerance, but it is something to think on for safety sake.

Take care,
Tom Craig
1st Maine Cavalry

[Spinster]

Re: Drinkable water

Tom, nothing processes cloudy water except a filter pump. Bacteria can 'hide' within the particles by being out of the reach of the UV light. The UV works well with the right containers its made to work with, but it's glaring in a period setting. Iodine tablets have been well proven in canteens, and Hank's had good results with these others he mentions.

Some areas can't be helped by tablets or light or boiling---we had to truck in water for man and beast for an event on reclaimed strip mine land, due to heavy metal contamination.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Drinkable water

When you use the tablets in modern containers, like Nalgene bottles for example, you are supposed to let the water sit for a half and hour, and you are also supposed to treat the cap of the bottle. If you're using the tablets with a canteen, wouldn't it be possible for bacteria to get into the cork and or a beeswax liner, and negate the treatment?

Can't speak about a beeswax liner, but the usual recommendation I've seen is to let some of the treated water spill over the threads of the cap and inside of the cap, similar to the exchange at the very bottom of the page here: http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpa...ter-treatment/

Linedawg
Don't you worry about the untreated water on the rim of your water bottle? This water is potentialy contaminated and can inadvertantly be consumed while drinking from the water bottle. I may be over cautious, but thought I would ask. Thanks, Linedawg

Wild Backpacker
Yes - to be cautious you are supposed to drop in the tablet, let it do its thing, and then tip the bottle upside down with the cap partially screwed on to let some of the newly treated water to trickle through the threads.

Period canteens might actually have an advantage, in that the cork is absorbant and the seal somewhat looser, so the natural splashing will bring some of the treated water up around the cork area, but the above advice works also, loosening the cork rather than partially unscrewing, just to wash off the rim.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[adamandnicole]

Re: Drinkable water

I think that there is some truth to the idea that our forefathers had hardier gut flora than most of us do, but at the same time, how many soldiers made it through their entire enlistment without having the "quickstep". Granted, it came about from many different sources, but I'd be wiling to bet that the vast majority of GI issues were waterborne. I have worked with private water systems (wells,springs,artesian wells) for 15 years in the public health sector and can attest to the fact that some people can have a spring that has "great water that we have drank for 50 years",only to test it and it comes back positive for E Coli. While they are unaffected, it would probably make you and I quite sick.
I also seem to recall some guys drinking from the stream at McDowell a few years back and getting pretty sick. Does anyone remember that?

Regards,

Adam Dickerson

[Marine Mike]

Re: Drinkable water

Had an office friend doing an elk hunt. Thought he was remote enough to drink the pure unadulterated. Got beaver fever or scientifically known as Giardiasis and took several weeks to get over it. Take the subject seriously. In some things you don't need to repeat history.