Oakley sunglasses bag - survival water filter?

[Skrapmetal]

I was washing the bag from a pair of Oakleys and noticed just how slowly water seemed to seep through the bag, and got to thinking that it might be good for filtering out silt and crap from river water before boiling it in a survival situation. It definitely seems like it would filter better than using a handkerchief or your shirt, and it's something that I tend to have on me when I'm out in the woods.

Obviously it wont get rid of the really small nasties, but it seems like it would be a great first step before boiling to make the water much more palatable. And if for some reason you couldn't boil or treat, it would certainly be better than drinking the water straight from the source.

Any of you ever tried or thought of this? Or is there something that I'm not considering that makes this a silly idea?

 

[Erasmus]

It has to filter down to 1 or 2 microns, or it's scarcely worth it.

 

[Guyon]

I'd go with one of these instead. It knocks out 99.9% of the bad stuff...

 

[Old CW4]

How about transparent plastic soft drink bottles filled with the unknown water and left in the sun for several hours? I've read this is supposed to kill virtually all micro organisms that inhabit water. I understand this would do nothing to abate dissolved chemical/mineral contaminants. Would someone with some knowledge in this area please comment? I would appreciate it.

 

[Iboschi]

I was washing the bag from a pair of Oakleys and noticed just how slowly water seemed to seep through the bag, and got to thinking that it might be good for filtering out silt and crap from river water before boiling it in a survival situation. It definitely seems like it would filter better than using a handkerchief or your shirt, and it's something that I tend to have on me when I'm out in the woods.

Obviously it wont get rid of the really small nasties, but it seems like it would be a great first step before boiling to make the water much more palatable. And if for some reason you couldn't boil or treat, it would certainly be better than drinking the water straight from the source.

Any of you ever tried or thought of this? Or is there something that I'm not considering that makes this a silly idea?

You're talking about a "pre-filter" and it surely sounds like you could use it for that if you boil or filter after you pre-filter. I think people are interpreting that you want to use it as a "real" water filter, and for that it wouldn't work. However, I'm all about re-using and recycling, and multi use items. Some people use a bandanna or coffee filters. Would this serve any other purposes (like a bandanna does) or would it be a dedicated pre-filter. Perhaps you could store iodine tablets or a dedicated water filter INSIDE it, and it would serve as a pouch for the primary filter. Anyway, if this does the trick for ya, I say go for it, and way to go with innovation. THAT is the real key to survival!

 

[tabeeb762]

For a dedicated "pre-filter" I recommend you get a Millbank bag.

 

[Skrapmetal]

You're talking about a "pre-filter" and it surely sounds like you could use it for that if you boil or filter after you pre-filter. I think people are interpreting that you want to use it as a "real" water filter, and for that it wouldn't work. However, I'm all about re-using and recycling, and multi use items. Some people use a bandanna or coffee filters. Would this serve any other purposes (like a bandanna does) or would it be a dedicated pre-filter. Perhaps you could store iodine tablets or a dedicated water filter INSIDE it, and it would serve as a pouch for the primary filter. Anyway, if this does the trick for ya, I say go for it, and way to go with innovation. THAT is the real key to survival!

Yeah, that's what I was getting at...

I'm looking at options for water purifying/filtering when I don't have a filter with me. Days when I don't expect to NEED to filter water.

I have the non-"pro" version of that Frontier filter that was posted earlier for emergencies, but I'm trying to cut down on the amount of stuff I'm carrying.

I'm thinking the bag plus some katadyn water purifying tabs should do the trick.

 

[Guyon]

If you have to give thought to carrying a pre-filter, why not just always carry a small filter? That was my thinking and why I picked up the Aquamira above. It takes up little space but does a fair amount of heavy lifting when it comes to filtration. I have one tucked into each of my day packs (Maxpedition Falcon Pygmy II & Camelbak Cloud Walker), and both simply live in their respective packs.

For a really low load package, however, I can see going with something simple that strains before you boil or pop in a purifying tab. One issue I see, however, with the sunglasses case is that it no longer becomes a multi-function item once you strain water. You're probably going to leave sand, dirt, or residue behind, and who wants to scratch up a $100+ pair of Oakleys at that point by putting them back in the bag? I would not re-use as a sunglasses case until I'd washed the thing in the laundry at home.

 

[Skrapmetal]

If you have to give thought to carrying a pre-filter, why not just always carry a small filter? That was my thinking and why I picked up the Aquamira above. It takes up little space but does a fair amount of heavy lifting when it comes to filtration. I have one tucked into each of my day packs (Maxpedition Falcon Pygmy II & Camelbak Cloud Walker), and both simply live in their respective packs.

For a really low load package, however, I can see going with something simple that strains before you boil or pop in a purifying tab. One issue I see, however, with the sunglasses case is that it no longer becomes a multi-function item once you strain water. You're probably going to leave sand, dirt, or residue behind, and who wants to scratch up a $100+ pair of Oakleys at that point by putting them back in the bag? I would not re-use as a sunglasses case until I'd washed the thing in the laundry at home.

I'm definitely keeping my little filter like yours in my daypack, but I'm talking about using what you've got with you in a bad situation. I've got purifying tabs in my altoids tin, but nothing to filter out the grit and crap. Since I wear Oakley's for my daily prescription glasses, I've got one of those little bags with me most of the time (I've got about six of the bags total, I think).

And you'd certainly need to wash the bag after, but if I'm in a situation where I'm drinking bad water and I'm not prepared with a real filter, I'm not worried about how much my glasses cost.