Columbia Canada I knew I would need a method of disinfecting water in the field . This was a long trip and since I love my hot water showers every evening from my Four WheelCamper , I realized I ’ d be repetitively draining and filling my camper ’ s 26 gallon receptacle . However , I knew I would not be near townships to source clean , local municipal water .
During backcountry adventures like my Alaska trip , I never put non-potable water in my camper ’ s water
receptacle . I like relaxing in the camper , turning on the sink ’ s tap and being assured that I ’ m drawing potable water - each time , every time . I don ’ t want bio-cultures of protozoa , bacteria , viruses , or algae growing in my camper ’ s water containers ( yuck ). This means you have to start your journey with a disinfected / clean receptacle ( chlorine shock treated ; another topic ) AND only add potable water during the journey .
So , how does one quickly add 26 gallons of potable water from a river , stream , or pond beside a trail ? Well , “ quickly ” is the key word . There are plenty of ways to laboriously or slowly add potable water from natural sources , but I wanted a way to stop beside a natural water source and in just a few minutes , fill up my camper with potable water . For example , I didn ’ t want to do any manual labor ( like a hand-pump water filter ) to fill the camper . This would take forever !
THE GUZZLEH2O
“ Stream ” is a multifilter and ultraviolet ( UV ) radiation water disinfection powerhouse . The “ Stream ’ s ” box size is roughly 12x12 inches in size ( very small ) and contains a powerful and rechargeable lithium ferrite ( LiFePO4 ) battery , FloJet water pump , GAC ( granular activated carbon ) 0.5 micron filter , AND an LED UV-C radiation chamber for complete water disinfection - even destroying viruses ! As a point of clarification ... UV radiation does not actually kill any microbes found in a natural water source . Rather , UV radiation destroys the nucleic acids in waterborne microorganisms . This render them unable to reproduce and cause illnesses . The advantages of UV radiation disinfection is that your don ’ t have undesirable color , odor , or tastes from chemicals , AND no wait time for complete disinfection . The “ Stream ” provides a pre-filter that covers the water intake . As the pump sucks in water , the pre-filter keeps sediment and particulate matter from entering the filter box and thus your water receptacle .
In Alaska , there always seemed to be quite a distance between the pond , river , or stream and my camper .
As you can see in the earlier photo , there often was an uphill slope to get the water into the camper . The “ Stream ’ s ” battery and water pump were always up to the task of pushing water uphill and into my camper . During one refill stop , my water receptacle completely empty . That 26 gallon refill process took about 30 minutes . All that was required of me was to push to “ ON ” button on the GuzzleH2O “ Stream ’ s ” box and fish the river while filling the camper . A 30 minute fill time is very impressive for such a small unit . Typically however , I was never completely out of water so my refill times were often around 10 to 15 minutes . I ’ m personally giving the GuzzleH2O “ Stream ” a big thumbs up . Since I own multiple 4WD overlanding vehicles , I prefer the “ Stream ’ s ” portability . However , if you only use your camper or trailer in the backcountry , you might consider getting GuzzleH2O ’ s “ Spigot Stealth ” model and permanently mounting it between your water receptacle and water outlets .
For more on in-field water disinfection and MORE , get my book , “ Live Long to Wander – Basic Survival for Vehicle Supported Adventures ,” on Amazon . Link here .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob is first and foremost an outdoor adventurer . As the owner of Off-Road Safety Academy , Bob teaches recreational , corporate , and government off-road courses . He is the author of two other unique books for vehicle-supported adventurers : 1 ) Raising your 4WD Vehicle Off Road & In-Field Tire Repair , and his newest book , and 2 ) The Total Approach to Getting Unstuck Off-Road – 4WD Self- Recovery & Vehicle-Assisted Recovery . These books are all available on Amazon .
To sign up for Bob ’ s newsletters , visit his website here . All newsletter content is copyrighted , 2020 . All Rights Reserved . Off-Road Safety Academy , Blue Sky Adventures , Inc .
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