MATERIALS

2 containers, such as pitchers, buckets, or glasses

Cotton rope, cotton bandanna, or paper towel

#1Place the two containers side by side. Pour the dirty water into one container. Put one end of the cotton rope into the water and run the rope to the other container. The free end of the rope should dangle into the second container but not rest on the bottom.

#2If you don’t have cotton rope, a cotton bandanna or even a paper towel will do. To make things easier, I roll the bandanna up into a rope and use a few rubber bands spaced along the length to keep it in place. Here, I’ve done the quick and dirty version by rolling up a paper towel.

#3It takes a while but water will gradually be soaked up into the rope or bandanna and make its way to the other end, dripping into the other container. The sediment and such will be left behind.

#4I cannot stress enough, though, that the filtered water will still need to be purified in some way. Boiling is best, as that will kill pretty much anything in the water that could hurt you. All this filtration system does is remove the larger impurities, allowing your purification method to work that much more efficiently.

LAYERED FILTER

This project results in a quick and easy way to filter sediment and such out of water you’ve obtained from a pond, stream, or even a mud puddle. It does not, however, disinfect the water. You’ll still need to boil it or use some other means to kill any parasites and other nasty stuff. Even though the parasites may be so small you can’t see them, they will still ruin your day.

MATERIALS

2-liter bottle

Razor knife

Hole puncher (optional)

Cotton bandanna or 1 to 2 coffee filters

Old sock or rag

Rock or rubber mallet

2 handfuls each of charcoal, sand, and gravel

#1The 2-liter bottle should be empty and clean. It doesn’t matter if the plastic is clear or green. Using the razor knife, cut off the bottom of the bottle. Once the filter is complete, it will be rather heavy, so you might also wish to punch two holes near the now-open bottom so you’ll be able to hang the filter using cord or wire. As you’ll see in the following photos, I’ve balanced my filter on top of a small glass jar.

#2Take the cotton bandanna and stuff it down inside the bottle, pushing it into the neck a bit. Alternatively, you could use one or two coffee filters in place of the bandanna.

#3The next layer is charcoal. You can use any burnt wood from your wood stove, fireplace, or campfire, as long as that wood wasn’t pressure treated, such as lumber used for outdoor projects. Do not use charcoal briquettes, either, as they likely have been treated with chemicals to make them easy to light. Rather, just grab a few large chunks of charcoal from your campfire, place them in an old sock or rag, then smash them into small pieces with a rock or rubber mallet. You want your charcoal layer to be about 2 inches thick, and by breaking the chunks into smaller pieces, you prevent gaps where water could pour through without running through the charcoal.

#4Next comes the sand layer. You can use regular sandbox sand for this, but the smaller the grains of sand, the better. So, if you have an opportunity to use something finer or softer than sandbox sand, go for it. As with the charcoal, this layer should be about 2 inches thick.

#5Finally, add a layer of gravel. This layer should also be roughly 2 inches thick. Nothing fancy is needed, no special kind of gravel, but smaller stones are better than larger ones. Just collect a couple of handfuls from the ground, rinse them off, and toss them into the bottle.

#6Some people like to repeat the sand and gravel layers. I’ve even seen a layered filter where a coffee filter was used between each of the layers. Honestly, all of that’s probably overkill, but if you have the resources available and are so inclined, have at it.

#7To use, hang the filter above a clean container. Slowly pour water into the filter and let gravity do the rest. You’ll probably notice that this isn’t a fast filtration process. It is best to pour some water in, then go off and do something else for a bit.

#8Again, the filtered water still needs to be boiled or treated in some way before consumption. Filtering the water in this way helps to lengthen the life of your purchased water disinfection gear, as that equipment won’t need to work quite as hard to make the water potable.

FOOD ACQUISITION

In this section, I’m going to talk about a few different projects that will help you grow or otherwise obtain food. Most of these projects aren’t suited for last-minute solutions when you’re starving, but instead are things you can implement today so you’re ahead of the game later. I firmly believe you can grow at least some amount of food, no matter where you live. It is just a matter of trying different approaches until you find one that works for you. Many urban dwellers have very successful patio gardens, using various containers to house their veggies and fruits.

For the meat-eaters, we have a couple of projects for fish and game acquisition. Please note, there are laws on the books that govern when you can and cannot harvest wild critters. While these laws might be rather low priority in the aftermath of a major disaster, they are still laws and there are potential penalties for breaking them. Use common sense and remember any legal issues that arise are yours and yours alone to sort out.

I’m also going to talk about food you can store for later use, such as DIY Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) for your bug out bag. Using a DIY approach ensures you’ll not only save money, but that you’ll actually want to eat what you have packed away.

Our bodies use calories as fuel. While many of us have an excess of fuel around our middles and thus are in little danger of starving to death in just a couple of days, tummy rumbles tend to be a distraction. We need to be able to focus on more important matters in the aftermath of a disaster. Planning ahead for food needs is a great help in that regard.

POCKET FISHING KIT

You’d have to search long and hard to find a fishing kit that is smaller than this one. When you’re done, you’ll have a tiny container holding sinkers, hooks, line, and even a couple of small, artificial lures if that strikes your fancy.

MATERIALS

Razor knife or hacksaw

2 plastic soda bottles with caps, any size

Fine-grit sandpaper

Hot glue gun or epoxy

Old gift card or credit card

Marker

Scissors

Braided fishing line

Split shot sinkers

Hooks and/or lures

#1Start by cutting the tops off of each of the soda bottles. A hacksaw works best, though you might be able to make do with a razor knife. Cut just behind the plastic lip or ridge and try to make the cut as straight as possible.

#2Next, sand down the cut sides of the bottle tops. They don’t need to be perfect, but the smoother, the better.