How do I turn salty water into drinking water?

[cluckmecoop7]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering - incase of an emergency - how do I turn salty river/ocean water into clean drinking water? (Of course, the way can't include electricity in this case. )

Thanks!

- Clucky

 

[baymule]

Good question. Maybe pour through layers of sand and charcoal? Make your own boiling pot and distill it?

 

[Mini Horses]

Boil the water and as the steam is caught and condenses, it will be desalinated. The trick is to catch the steam, so the condensation then collects, not drip back into the boiling pot. You can -- in survival situation -- use a clean rag and wring the water from the steam out. Make a coil at top -- think still. Steam rises, goes into coil, condenses and runs out at end...clean water.

 

[Britesea]

an old pressure cooker makes a dandy still-- just needs a tube that fits tightly over the release, than coil the tube through some cold water (or ice if you have it) and then into the capturing vessel. Works dandy to make alcohol, I imagine it would work for water desalinization too.

 

[Hinotori]

Yup, got to distill it. Not too hard to set up. An actual still makes it more efficient

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Ok, thanks everyone. I might even try it to make sure I can do it before something really occurs!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Set it up with a plastic cover over it, such that the night time temp difference causes condensation on the underside of the plastic. Slope the plastic so that the condensation will run down into a collection container.

you can also make a similar set up to collect dew that settles on top of the plastic laid out on a sloped lawn, or lay the plastic over a trench. The moist soil should give off some moisture that will then condense on the plastic, and can run down into your collection container.

You can make a bucket water purifier with layers of sharp sand in ever finer textures, straw, charcoal. Any water collected from this system should be boiled, just to be on the safe side. But, a well aged system with an active nitrification cycle should render the water safe for consumption.

 

[CrealCritter]

an old pressure cooker makes a dandy still-- just needs a tube that fits tightly over the release, than coil the tube through some cold water (or ice if you have it) and then into the capturing vessel. Works dandy to make alcohol, I imagine it would work for water desalinization too.

I don't advocate the use of such things, made of stainless and copper and I especially do not advocate the same with inclusion of a thumper.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You're speaking a different language, lol.

 

[Britesea]

My DH just explained what a thumper is (probably not needed for desaliniaztion though). That's a really cool setup there... what kind of proof would you get from that?
This is, of course (cough cough) for making truck fuel, right?