by Peter Jewicz

Created on: July 22, 2009

Water, the most basic ingredient needed for life and something someone one can not simply do without, but when camping how safe is to actually drink water you find in a river, well, lake, or stream. I wouldn't recommend it. Even if the water appears clean the danger lurks in the bacteria that are in the water. Drinking this water contaminated with bacteria can get you very sick and cause bad stomach pains, diarrhea or worse. It's best not to drink water but to clean it first (which is very easy should you have the right tools). There are a lot of nasty bacteria that dwell lakes, rivers, streams. Even If the water looks clean i wouldn't risk drinking it if it's not a life or death emergency.

Two of the most common illness people drinking contaminated water are Giardia and Cryptosporidium. These usually set in a few days after drinking the water and can cause diarrhea and an unpleasant, bloated feeling. for days on end.

The easiest and most effective way to kill bacteria in your water is to simply bring a purifier. Water purifiers are cheap and light and eliminate the threat of contaminated water.

But what if you didn't bring one, or yours is broken/lost? Well the other method of killing the bacteria is simply to built a fire a fire and bring the water to a boil for a full minute. This will kill the bacteria and make your water safe to drink.

Water is the most important element in human life, but drinking water found from a river or stream is still not a very smart idea. However, if you are lost in the wilderness and need something to drink and no way to quickly start a fire it would be okay to drink it. Drinking contaminated water is not good for you and will get you sick, but dehydration can (and will) kill you. It's better to get sick for a few days than die.

If you are an avid outdoors men i would suggest picking up a water purifier as they are cheap and easy to carry. However, boiling the water for one full minute is just as effective. Drinking water out in the wilderness will get you sick and you will not feel good. I would not suggest doing it in anything other than a life or death situation.You should always clean it. Play it safe and clean it before you drink.

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