Emergency Supplies in Car: what about water in winter?

[Luigi]

Bacteria treatment for water that has been stored for a long time:
Filter the water. Coffee filters work well. This removes some of the material causing cloudiness. It does not purify the water.
Mix unsented bleach (5-8% strength) with the water. 5 drops for every liter.

It is best to use a new clean container to purify the water. Sterilize the old container for future storage.

As stated before, turn over the water supply.

If you are using lifeboat water, keep in mind that the water and the containers are sterilized as they are packaged. They do not build up bacteria if they remain sealed.

[Lamewolf]

Bacteria treatment for water that has been stored for a long time:
Filter the water. Coffee filters work well. This removes some of the material causing cloudiness. It does not purify the water.
Mix unsented bleach (5-8% strength) with the water. 5 drops for every liter.

It is best to use a new clean container to purify the water. Sterilize the old container for future storage.

As stated before, turn over the water supply.

If you are using lifeboat water, keep in mind that the water and the containers are sterilized as they are packaged. They do not build up bacteria if they remain sealed.

Even if they do, I guess its better to be hydrated and sick, than to be dehydrated and dead !  :)

[KK0G]

Expiration dates on water sounds to me like typical government trying to protect me from myself, it's gonna take a miracle to convince me that pure, clean water in a sealed container can ever go bad so long as it's not exposed to contaminants. Water stored in underground aquifers for millennia is safely consumed everyday by millions of people. That the FDA requires expiration dates on bottled water doesn't surprise me, hell MSDS (material safety data sheets) have also been submitted to appease OSHA...... what would we ever do without the federal governments alphabet agencies to protect us from the evils of water?


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[gil]

I wouls assume the water is sterilized after packaging, not before...

Gil.

[Lamewolf]

I wouls assume the water is sterilized after packaging, not before...

Gil.

Hmmm ? How would that work ?  The lifeboat water is packed in wax coated paper boxes, so I would think that heating would not be used.  Chemicals ?

[cockpitbob]

Hmmm ? How would that work ?  The lifeboat water is packed in wax coated paper boxes, so I would think that heating would not be used.  Chemicals ?

Irradiation.  ?

[Quietguy]

I believe most sterilization of that nature is done by very high radiation levels.  Apparently that is how bandages and medical equipment are sterilized after packaging.

Wally

[NCGunDude]

Bacteria treatment for water that has been stored for a long time:
Filter the water. Coffee filters work well. This removes some of the material causing cloudiness. It does not purify the water.
Mix unsented bleach (5-8% strength) with the water. 5 drops for every liter.

It is best to use a new clean container to purify the water. Sterilize the old container for future storage.

As stated before, turn over the water supply.

If you are using lifeboat water, keep in mind that the water and the containers are sterilized as they are packaged. They do not build up bacteria if they remain sealed.

Even if they do, I guess its better to be hydrated and sick, than to be dehydrated and dead !  :)

Not exactly. Drinking contaminated water will cause gastrointestinal illness and diarrhea, which can kill you.

A great movie I saw recently was "All is Lost" starring Robert Redford. He was stranded on a disabled sail boat, and went to extraordinary lengths to distill water using evaporation. There is also some good radio in the movie. A great story of survival and if you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing.

I don't know a lot about water storage, but we've got a couple of liters in our car kits. If they froze, I expect the caps would split and wet everything down when it thaws. Maybe I'll pour a little out so there's more room to expand. I've been following this thread as more people have commented, and hadn't given it a lot of thought since we don't get too many hard freezes. But, it does happen, and I would just as soon not have to deal with a wet or mildewed kit.

[gil]

A great movie I saw recently was "All is Lost" starring Robert Redford. He was stranded on a disabled sail boat, and went to extraordinary lengths to distill water using evaporation. There is also some good radio in the movie. A great story of survival and if you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing.

It is a good movie. The sailor however does make a series of blatant errors, even though he also makes some good decisions...

Gil.

[Lamewolf]

A great movie I saw recently was "All is Lost" starring Robert Redford. He was stranded on a disabled sail boat, and went to extraordinary lengths to distill water using evaporation. There is also some good radio in the movie. A great story of survival and if you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing.

It is a good movie. The sailor however does make a series of blatant errors, even though he also makes some good decisions...

Gil.

Well, even experts make some mistakes !  On Dual Survival with Cody Lundin and Dave Canterburry, I saw them in the Florida Everglades and they heated water in a snake skin to purify it.  They had a 1 gallon metal can but it would only hold about an inch of water because it had holes poked in the sides.  I would have carved wooden plugs to seal the holes in the can and then boil water a gallon at a time !

[Luigi]

All Is Lost was a wonderful movie. Not much dialogue. :)

[whoppo]

Mix a little single malt scotch with that winter water... no more freezing ;)

[ciphercomms]

The 'lifeboat' water available from EBay/Amazon is mostly sealed in Mylar/foil laminated packets. I believe the 5 year shelf life rating is related to how long the packaging is likely to last under the canvas cover of a life boat on the deck of a freighter that transits from Arctic to Equator several times a year. Under less demanding conditions it will last much longer. Most sea-going emergency gear is certified by international SOLAS organization -- Safety of Life at Sea. They are sailors and scientists, not Commies or Nazis.