solar water distiller

[Richard D. Vincent]

I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the salt.
The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am a
kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?

[Mark Wooldridge]

For survival purposes rather than convenience, you could use a home-made
solar still--described at length in Colin Fletcher's "Complete Walker
III(?)". It consists of digging a ~3' diameter hole, putting a
pot/container in the center of the bottom, then covering it with a clear
plastic that is sagged down in the middle. The sun heats up the still,
condensation occurs on the plastic, water droplets run down the plastic
and fall in the pot. Presto--potable water!

You can increase the output by increasing the humidity in the hole--add
vegetation along the sides, pouring or placing some seawater in the hold,
etc. Using a rubber tube to connect your lips to the container helps,
too, because you don't have to lose all of the startup time for the still
in order to get a drink.

Supposedly you can get enough production out of a few of these to
actually survive, vs. slowly dying of thirst! Anyone know of a
commercial source for a similarly based product?

Mark

[Paul Rubin]

In article <5312r1$n...@news.tamu.edu>,

Mark Wooldridge <mwool...@TTIADMIN.tamu.edu> wrote:
>vin...@halcyon.com (Richard D. Vincent) wrote:
>>I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
>>solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the >salt.
>>The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am
>>a kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?
>
>For survival purposes rather than convenience, you could use a home-made
>solar still--described at length in Colin Fletcher's "Complete Walker
>III(?)". It consists of digging a ~3' diameter hole, putting a
>pot/container in the center of the bottom, then covering it with a clear
>plastic that is sagged down in the middle. The sun heats up the still,
>condensation occurs on the plastic, water droplets run down the plastic
>and fall in the pot. Presto--potable water!

I think if you dig a 3 foot diameter hole in the bottom of your
kayak, you will quickly have worse problems than lack of drinking water.

[Kim Heyman]

In article <vincent-03...@blv-pm10-ip9.halcyon.com> vin...@halcyon.com (Richard D. Vincent) writes:
>I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
>solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the salt.
>The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am a
>kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?

Hello! I've been lurking for months, but....I'm also looking for a
distiller, but I need one for backpacking (i.e. very light weight)
Does anyone know of any? And how much they COST?
--
Kimberlee S. Heyman mailto:khe...@bae.bellcore.com
If life deals you lemons, why not go kill someone with the lemons
(maybe by shoving them down their throat)?

[nate]

In article <5312r1$n...@news.tamu.edu>, Mark Wooldridge (mwool...@TTIADMIN.tamu.edu) writes:
>vin...@halcyon.com (Richard D. Vincent) wrote:

>>I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
>>solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the >salt.
>>The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am
>>a kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?
>

>For survival purposes rather than convenience, you could use a home-made
>solar still--described at length in Colin Fletcher's "Complete Walker
>III(?)". It consists of digging a ~3' diameter hole, putting a
>pot/container in the center of the bottom, then covering it with a clear
>plastic that is sagged down in the middle. The sun heats up the still,
>condensation occurs on the plastic, water droplets run down the plastic
>and fall in the pot. Presto--potable water!
>

>You can increase the output by increasing the humidity in the hole--add
>vegetation along the sides, pouring or placing some seawater in the hold,
>etc. Using a rubber tube to connect your lips to the container helps,
>too, because you don't have to lose all of the startup time for the still
>in order to get a drink.
>
>Supposedly you can get enough production out of a few of these to
>actually survive, vs. slowly dying of thirst! Anyone know of a
>commercial source for a similarly based product?
>
>Mark
>

Yet another reason to pack along one of those small, light,
inexpensive *survival blankets*. It doesn't HAVE to be clear
plastic to work. You can cut one blanket into several squares.
Collection can be a pot, cup, baggie or anything to catch the drips.

Prime with sea water, swamp water, dish water, or even urinating in
the hole to increase the humidity and improve clean water
production.

Nate Mann
ASM T40 High Adventure
ACM P40

[Frank Miles]

In article <5...@scouting.win.net>, nate <sco...@scouting.win.net> wrote:
>
>In article <5312r1$n...@news.tamu.edu>, Mark Wooldridge (mwool...@TTIADMIN.tamu.edu) writes:
>>vin...@halcyon.com (Richard D. Vincent) wrote:
>>>I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
>>>solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the >salt.
>>>The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am
>>>a kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?
>>

>>>>>>........

>
>Yet another reason to pack along one of those small, light,
>inexpensive *survival blankets*. It doesn't HAVE to be clear
>plastic to work. You can cut one blanket into several squares.
>Collection can be a pot, cup, baggie or anything to catch the drips.
>
>Prime with sea water, swamp water, dish water, or even urinating in
>the hole to increase the humidity and improve clean water
>production.
>
>Nate Mann
>ASM T40 High Adventure
>ACM P40

Not the best idea, since the incoming heat is needed for the device to
work. The reflective coating will reduce the temperature.

It's also going to be limited in many marine environments -- sunlight
is necessary (to the best of my recollection). Fine in the desert,
as Colin Fletcher was describing, but really bad in cool climates.
Tropical environments would, of course, be different, as long as cloud
cover was minimal.

-frank

[Eugene Miya]

It's like the space blanket thread. The guys who talk about this stuff
rarely use it.

Serious distillers require a serious amount of land.

[Jeannie Williams]

eug...@cse.ucsc.edu (Eugene Miya) wrote:
<snip, sorry am I changing the topic again?>

>Serious distillers require a serious amount of land.

Or at least some of it private so the bootlegging doesn't get found
out...oops wrong ng for that...OTOH, it IS one of those *backcountry*
activities....

[Jeannie Williams]

[Jim Shaw]

In article <vincent-03...@blv-pm10-ip9.halcyon.com>,

vin...@halcyon.com (Richard D. Vincent) wrote:

> I am wondering if there is anyone out there that manufactures a lo-tech
> solar water distiller that can be used to seoarate seawater from the salt.
> The hi-tech models at the boat shows are way too rich for my blood. I am a
> kayaker and might need this little item one of these days. Any ideas?

Yep - they call em life raft stills - all a marine chandlery. Jim

[Eugene Miya]

In article <53buv2$f...@decius.ultra.net>,

Jeannie Williams <jean...@optegen.ultranet.com> wrote:
>Or at least some of it private so the bootlegging doesn't get found

You had me ROTFL!

>out...oops wrong ng for that...OTOH, it IS one of those *backcountry*
>activities....

It's been discussed here before. Go ahead. Nothing to stop you.
A friend actually made a VCR movie entitled Marijuana Moonshine (non-fiction,
the second kind of bootlegging); the FBI bought several copies, too.