My Water Filtration Kit for Enjoyable Moments and Tough Situations
"Water at the End of the World."
Access to water has always been a concern for those who decide to step out of their routine in their van, something that doesn't happen in Amsterdam, a city blessed with this resource. However, this certainty changed when government ministers began urging citizens to stock up on emergency supplies due to an increase in the risk of armed conflicts and other regional issues. Among the recommendations is to have three liters of water per person each day, which adds up to 15 liters daily for me and my family of five, resulting in a total of 105 liters for a week or 450 liters a month. I don't have space for that, and I doubt anyone does.
So I started to consider expanding my emergency drinking water supply with a filtration and purification kit that could adapt to the water sources available around me. And since I’m a van adventurer, I thought it should also be portable so I can take it anywhere.
My idea was to combine quick-connect water filters like the LifeStraw for $42, along with an 11-liter portable water bottle, the Dometic Go ($69.99), and its rechargeable Go Hydration tap ($99.99). With a double tap on the tap, you can get clean drinking water thanks to the LifeStraw filter attached to the bottle. It even has a light. If Europe heads toward periods of instability, at least I’ll be able to enjoy clean water from this luxurious 21st-century gear, at least until the power goes out. And even if that happens, I already have contingency plans, such as protecting myself from deadly viruses associated with certain extreme situations.
It’s important to clarify that this article is not a review, even though I have tested all the elements of the kit. It is the perspective of a survival novice trying to find solutions that support my van adventures while keeping my family hydrated in tough times.
Filtration versus Purification
The main filter I use is the LifeStraw cartridge, which has a quick-connect adapter that easily fits onto the Go bottle coupler. This filter has two stages of filtration, where the hollow fiber filter removes bacteria, protozoa, dirt, and microplastics, with a capacity of 4,000 liters. On the other hand, the activated carbon filter eliminates strange tastes and odors, but it only lasts for 100 liters.
When testing the water output from the Go bottle through the LifeStraw filter, I managed to extract half a liter in 40 seconds, and in 36 seconds without an intermediate filter. I also have a small MSR filter that needs a bit of 1/4 inch tubing to connect to the bottle. This filter takes 38 seconds for the same amount of water.
The filtration option is ideal for removing common biological pathogens in North America and Europe, but I’m interested in having additional protection against smaller bacteria and waterborne viruses, especially in places with poor drainage systems. For that, I decided to invest $200 in an MSR Guardian water purifier, which has a pore size of 0.02 microns, making it more effective than other filters that range from 0.1 to 0.2 microns. This purifier can treat over 3,000 liters of water, thus generating less waste than if I were to consume 3,000 liters of bottled water.
Contingencies
The MSR Guardian purifier requires an adapter to connect to the Go bottle. However, the Go tap does not generate enough suction to pull water through the Guardian cartridge. But this is not a problem; I can purify water slowly if I turn the bottle upside down and place it on my van to act as a gravity system.
Additionally, I have complemented my setup with the MSR AutoFlow XL 10-liter gravity filter, which allows me to hang the bag from a tree and wait for the dirty water to flow into the Go bottle for purification. This system allows the Go bottle to be dedicated entirely to storing drinking water.
My Clean Water Kit
This set, in total, has a capacity of over 8,500 liters, costing $566.93, compared to the approximately $3,600 I would spend on bottled water before prices skyrocket in a crisis.
The combination of this kit is highly portable and fits any filter that can connect to a CPC coupling. I feel confident that my water filtration and purification system will serve my family, but I still worry that I may have overlooked some detail. This equipment, for example, cannot treat water contaminated with chemicals or toxins. Furthermore, it requires regular maintenance to avoid cross-contamination and the growth of mold and bacteria when not in use. But the questions persist: what else should I consider? As circumstances become uncertain, recommendations are welcome.