Stealth Survival: DIY Survival Gear - How to Make a Portable SODIS ...

When it comes down to your survival, sometimes you not only have to think outside the box but you may need to use the box itself. There are many critical situations you may find yourself in during a crisis or an emergency. There is one that ranks higher up the list than others. This is the need for safe drinking water. No matter where you are or what your circumstances you will always need a safe and clean source of water for drinking. Unfortunately, you may not always have the ability or means to purify a source of water for drinking. Here is a simple gear set-up that gives you an alternate means to purify your water that doesn?t involve chemicals or fire. SODIS?is the purification of water by Pasteurization using the power of the sun. There is a simple SODIS device that can be easily made, carried in your backpack, requires a minimum of space and weighs next to nothing. Here?s what you will need to make a simple SODIS device for purifying water in an emergency. First we need to think ?flat?. This usually amounts to less room and less weight when it comes to gear. The traditional SODIS method usually involves a round plastic bottle. So to save space because round takes up more room we will use a bag instead. A large bag can be folded and stored flat and will take up a lot less room. For this project and for the sake of simplicity, we will use a plastic freezer bag. This is an everyday item that everyone generally keeps handy in the kitchen. While still thinking ?flat?, the next item you will need is a dark-colored bandanna or a piece of black cloth or material. This dark cloth needs to be at least as large as the plastic bag you will be using. The third item you will need is a piece of cardboard from a box that is just slightly smaller than your bag. This will make storing the pieces of your SODIS device easier. This cardboard will be used to help us make a solar reflector. The last item you will need is a sheet of heavy duty tin foil. This needs to be large enough to cover the entire piece of cardboard. This will be our solar reflector.
To use the device simply put your filtered water in the bag (you can also use the bandanna to filter your water). Fill the bag approximately half full of water and then work to eliminate as much air as possible out of the bag. When laid flat, the bag with the water should be about the thickness of your hand. By doing this there will be better penetration of the sun?s UV rays. Make sure to lay your bag in a bright sun-lit area for at least six hours. It also helps to place your bag of water on a dark surface such as a bandanna or piece of cloth. This will aid in heating the water in your bag and help to protect it from punctures. The cardboard can be covered with tin foil and positioned to reflect additional sunlight on the bag of water to help further increase the water temperature.

SODIS Device Folded
(pocket folder shown for size comparison)

When not needed, this SODIS device can be folded and kept inside the bag. It can then be easily stored in the bottom of your pack, under the seat of your vehicle or you could even make a smaller version that could fit in your pocket. If you don?t have plenty of sunlight, it may require an additional day to treat the water. If?it looks like it might rain, you may want to keep a bucket handy to catch some rainwater.?

Note from RW:?

You might also want to include an extra bag as a container to retrieve water in or if your original bag develops a hole. Otherwise, you're going to need some duct tape to patch the hole.

Special Notes:


1. SODIS is not as reliable as distillation, boiling or chlorination for treating drinking water. 2. Using the SODIS method is better than drinking untreated water. 3. The SODIS method can be relied on to inactivate bacteria only on sunny days. 4. The water being treated must be adequately filtered before treatment to reduce turbidity. One of the best parts of this DIY survival gear is that it can be readily made from simple household items that can be found in almost everyone?s home. Staying above the water line!

Source: http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/08/diy-survival-gear-how-to-make-portable.html

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