Fendhold

STEP 1 OF 4

1Strain cloudy water through a cloth first

Boiling

Survival Manual

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: YES

Kills germs, viruses & parasites

STEPS

1

Strain cloudy water through a cloth first

2

Bring to a full rolling boil

3

Keep boiling 1 min (3 min above 6,500 ft)

4

Cool covered, then store in a clean container

STEP 1 OF 4

1Filter out cloudiness first — it shields germs

Chemical (Bleach / Tablets)

Red Cross

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: YES

Kills germs when dosed right

STEPS

1

Filter out cloudiness first — it shields germs

2

Add 2 drops unscented bleach per quart (8 if cloudy)

3

Or use water-purification tablets per package

4

Wait 30 minutes; a faint chlorine smell means it worked

STEP 1 OF 4

1Pick a pump or gravity filter rated 0.2 microns

Commercial Filter

SAS

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: PARTIAL

Removes most — purifiers kill viruses too

STEPS

1

Pick a pump or gravity filter rated 0.2 microns

2

Backflush / clean the cartridge as directed

3

Use a 'purifier' (not just filter) for virus kill

4

Replace cartridges on schedule — clogged = useless

STEP 1 OF 4

1Dig a pit, set a clean cup in the center

Solar Still

SAS

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: YES

Distilled output — germ-free

STEPS

1

Dig a pit, set a clean cup in the center

2

Cover with a clear plastic sheet, sealed edges

3

Place a pebble above the cup to make a drip point

4

Sun evaporates water; pure drips collect in the cup

STEP 1 OF 4

1Elevate a settler barrel; plumb to a filter barrel

3-Stage Barrel Filter

Red Cross

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: NO

Filters debris — disinfect stored water after

STEPS

1

Elevate a settler barrel; plumb to a filter barrel

2

Pack filter barrel with rock → sand → charcoal

3

Drain filtered water into a clean storage barrel

4

Dose the stored water with bleach before drinking

STEP 1 OF 4

1Stir a pinch of alum per gallon of murky water

Egypt Alum + Sand

Egypt

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: NO

Clarifies water — disinfect after

STEPS

1

Stir a pinch of alum per gallon of murky water

2

Wait ~30 min while particles clump and sink

3

Carefully pour off the clear water on top

4

Run it through sand, then disinfect

STEP 1 OF 4

1Sew cloth into a long sleeve or bag shape

Greece Hippocratic Sleeve

Greece

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: NO

Strains sediment — disinfect after

STEPS

1

Sew cloth into a long sleeve or bag shape

2

Pour water in the top; catch drips below

3

Hippocrates used this to clear bad tastes

4

Still disinfect — cloth can't stop germs

STEP 1 OF 10

1Set the tank level, on a stand high enough to gravity-feed the next stage. Water is 8.3 lb a gallon — build the stand for the full load, not the empty tank.

Rome Settling Basin

Build a piscina — silt drops out overnight

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: NO

Settles silt — disinfect after

MATERIALS

Food-grade tank or barrel, 55 gal or larger — the wider it is, the better it settles
Two bulkhead fittings or uniseals (inlet and draw-off)
Short pipe + elbow for the inlet, turned downward
Draw-off pipe with a valve, set 6–8 in above the floor
Sludge valve at the lowest point
A baffle board — scrap plastic or marine ply
Opaque lid or cover, and screen for any vent

BUILD IT

1

Set the tank level, on a stand high enough to gravity-feed the next stage. Water is 8.3 lb a gallon — build the stand for the full load, not the empty tank.

2

Cut the inlet high on one wall and turn the elbow down, so incoming water dives instead of stirring what has already settled.

3

Fit the baffle a hand's width in front of the inlet, reaching most of the way down. It kills the current and drops the heavy silt at the front of the tank.

4

Put the draw-off on the opposite wall, 6–8 in above the floor. Everything below that line is the sludge zone and you never draw from it.

5

Fit the sludge valve at the lowest point so you can flush the bottom without draining the tank.

6

Cover it. Light grows algae and open water breeds mosquitoes — screen any vent.

7

Fill it and leave it alone for 12–24 hours. Roman piscinae limariae held aqueduct water about a day before it went on.

8

Draw slowly from the valve only. A fast draw pulls silt up off the floor.

9

Flush the sludge valve weekly, and scrub the floor out when the layer gets deep.

10

Disinfect everything you draw. Settling clears water — it does not kill anything.

Settling is free clarity. It costs you a day and a tank, and it means the filter downstream stops clogging every week.

SafetyA full 55-gallon drum weighs over 450 lb. Anchor the stand, and never climb on or reach into a tank that could tip.

Difficulty 4 is the build: bulkheads, a baffle, and a stand that carries 450 lb. Determination 5 is the 12–24 hour wait plus weekly sludge flushing.

STEP 1 OF 4

1Layer: large rock → gravel → coarse sand → fine sand → charcoal

Rock Filtration Layers

Survival Manual

DIFFICULTY

DETERMINATION

KILLS GERMS: NO

Pre-filter — disinfect after

STEPS

1

Layer: large rock → gravel → coarse sand → fine sand → charcoal

2

Pour water in the top and let gravity do the work

3

Backflush layers when flow slows down

4

Always disinfect the filtered water before drinking