Canteens??

Originally Posted by spdowling

Iodine tablets will help water keep longer, but don't expect it to taste good.

Add kool-aid to help mask the taste. <-- What a great use of an icon!


(Also water with iodine will turn powdered potatoes blue, which is pretty neat in it's self.)

in a survival situation, I could care less about taste. I have both tablets in my kit one for iodine and other for taste, but once that runs out, I could be up a creek. I figured I could just reboil and be ok.

Can tell you that Knoxville city water keeps fine for at least a couple of years stored topped off in pretty much anything that doesn't disintegrate. Chlorine, you know. I imagine that most "city water" is about the same.

2 liter soft drink bottles do nicely and I also keep a month's worth of water in the Aquatainers (4x7gal.)

Most "canteens" any more have plastic container as the core, so would be the same. Actual metal canteens are generally aluminum, I guess, so should be fine, too.

16 drops of bleach per gallon kills most bacteria and protozoans, but doesn't get a couple of really nasty ones (that you won't get from city water no matter how long it's stored, anyway).

Have read several studies that claim that if you do boil water, as soon as it boils at all is plenty good enough for every known pathogen, no need to do a "3 minute rolling boil" or whatever.

I'm going to pick up a Katadyn Pocket filter in my next series of purchases...good for around 13,000 gallons! Also gets all biological baddies from bacteria size and larger. Note that it does NOT get virii, though.

Note also, that none of the above makes water safe from many chemical contaminants, either.

- OS

the opening paragraph in OS's post hits the nail on the head.

I have drank stored tap water a year later out of my canteen, ( plastic army surplus) and it tasted fine and there were zero side effects. Chlorine is your friend.

Aside from that I am aware of several springs in my immediate vicinity.

Since the map store went out of business, does anyone know where I can find a hydrology map of East TN? Mike, map your springs. GPS if you have one.

Might check with REI. They have a lot of good stuff for a big box store (albeit customer owned).

Mike, map your springs. GPS if you have one.

I will not share that information, can't have all kinds of people onto my secret places. Most of them are well off the road on private property.

One is well know, Love Spring on Loves Creek Rd over by Easttown Mall.

Originally Posted by Mike.357

I will not share that information, can't have all kinds of people onto my secret places. Most of them are well off the road on private property.

Actually, many springs on private property were mapped many many years ago, and even have names. Is that on US Geological Survey maps or something? I disremember.

One is well know, Love Spring on Loves Creek Rd over by Easttown Mall.

Somehow I had it in back of mind the county nuked that one somehow? I'll have to stop and see next time I go by it...I know I haven't seen anyone there filling up in some time.

- OS

Somehow I had it in back of mind the county nuked that one somehow?

I hope not, I have not been there lately. That spring was used before there were white men around these parts. It is good water too.

Originally Posted by Mike.357

I hope not, I have not been there lately. That spring was used before there were white men around these parts. It is good water too.

Yep, I have quaffed from it in the past, too.

- OS