Australia has no shortage of remote locations. You could throw darts at a map of Australia and never hit a major town if you tried. Whether you call the east coast or west coast your home. Whether you spend your weekends out in the local track, or spend your time a million miles from anywhere in the red centre, it’s not hard to find yourself a day or two hike from help on any given day. Yep, we live in inhospitable country alright. But are you actually, truly, prepared for things not going to plan? Sure, there’s the old sat phones and first aid kits (which you definitely have, right? But when push comes to shove, the average human is in dire straits without drinking water after just a few days. Even less if it’s hot.
When we were preparing to take on the Canning this played heavily on our minds. We had the benefit of water being spread between three vehicles. But what would we do if we ran dry, found our tanks contaminated, or had a tank failure? We needed a backup.
Do You Need To Filter In An Emergency?
Traveling through remote areas like the Canning Stock Route presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to accessing potable water. Consuming untreated water can lead to serious health risks, including bacterial infections, viruses, and exposure to harmful contaminants. In such harsh environments, finding reliable water sources is difficult and can even be dangerous. That puddle or well you find might give temporary reprieve from thirst but end up putting you and your guts in another type of strife.
Water filtration involves removing contaminants from water to make it safe for consumption. Several methods can be employed, such as activated carbon filtration, UV purification, and mechanical filtration. Each offering varying degrees of effectiveness and convenience. In remote areas, filtration is vital because water sources may contain pollutants, microorganisms, and natural impurities that make them unsuitable for direct consumption.
How We Solved The Problem
To address the challenges of water filtration on our trip we got to work researching portable water filtration systems. We couldn’t feasibly stay parked in the one spot for days on end so needed a solution that could re-fill a water tank and keep us moving. After looking at a few different options we ultimately landed on a little unit called the Guzzle H20 Stream from Off Grid Adventure Co. Designed for filtering and purifying water on the go, the Stream is a compact little number with a rechargeable battery that promises to be able to fill a jerry can with safe drinking water while you peg out your swag.
The Specs
Effective Filtration – The Stream pumps through a 0.5 micron Activated Carbon Block which is perfect for reducing sediment, VOCs, lead, mercury, and NSF 41 emerging contaminants
Latest Tech – For those who like numbers, the Streams LED UV-C setup has been tested by a 3rd party to make safe 99.99% of bacteria, protozoa and viruses
Easy To Use – The Guzzle H20 Stream comes with a rechargeable battery that’ll see the unit pump up to 120L if you’re drafting from a static water supply. If you’ve got a pressurised supply that can bump out to 340L on a charge. Unless you’re Bear Grylls, one charge should get you out of strife for any remote trip.
Decent Flow Rate – It’ll pump, filter, and purify around 3L per minute. So even a 5-minute stop by an old well could fill a jerry can with reasonably safe drinking water.
Tips for Travellers
Find the cleanest water you can. Water that looks and smells clean isn’t a guarantee. But is a better start than cloudy, smelly water with visible contaminants.
Ensure the system is fully charged before setting out and keep the pre-filter clean to maintain optimal performance.
Familiarise yourself with the setup and operation of the unit. It’ll ensure if you ever need to use the unit in an emergency you’ll have the know how.
Conclusion
As 4X4ers we like to be prepared for the situations we’re likely to find ourselves in. We don’t head to the beach only to be surprised the sun is hot. And we don’t start thinking about winches when we’re bogged up to the chassis. Having a back up plan for ourselves should be no different. If you’re heading remote, a reliable water filtration system like the Guzzle H20 Stream is hopefully something that’ll sit in a drawer and never get used. But if you need it, you’ll wish you had it. With a safe and reliable source of emergency water you can sleep a little easier at night knowing that if the worst was to happen, you’ll be prepared.
