Black Scout Quick Tips- Salt Good For Food, Not For Water

In this quick tip we cover the importance of not drinking salt water and some ways to procure safe drinking water in a island or sea survival situation. Please like, share, and subscribe. Thanks for watching!

Black Scout Reviews - Pathfinder School Canteen Cooking Kit

In this episode, we review the Canteen Cooking Kit from the Canteen Shop.  We boil some water with it and show you the details on this great product for the field.  Hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching!

http://www.canteenshop.com/kits.html

Black Scout Quick Tips - Don't Eat the Snow

In this very quick tip, we explain why you should heat snow when trying to get water into your system.  The snow can bring your core temperature down so be careful out there and stay warm!  Thanks for watching!

Go-Berkey Kit Review

Water purification is a serious concern in a Grid Down Scenario. Picking up chatter from others in the community- I tend to hear more about purchasing ammo and firearms than addressing physiological needs. Such as water storage and resupply in terms of purification.

I tend to steer clear of the pump style backpacking filters. Mainly because they require a mechanical action that can potentially break and also tends to take up precious time. For backpacking there great but in a Shelter-in-Place situation I find the Berkey Systems to be some of the best.

Black Scout Reviews - Berkey Water Filters Go Berkey

In this episode, we review the Go Berkey from Berkey Water Filters.  This unit is made for those on the go and provides filtered water immediately and while out in the field.  This makes this unit a great selection for those in survival or bugging out.  Hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching!

Black Scout Survival - Building a Bargain Bugout Bag - Water Purification

In this episode, we break the building of a bargain bugout bag into a specific and very important category - water purification.  We give  a number of examples that will help you build this important part of your bugout bag to ensure you stay hydrated in the field as well as prevent you from drinking bacteria.  Hope you enjoy it and thanks for watching!

DIY: GORUCK Hydration Hose Retainer

We recently did a review of the GORUCK GR1 here on  Black Scout. We were thoroughly pleased with the pack. The only "problem" we had with the GR1 was that it did not have a hydration bladder hose retainer. Since the ruck has a dedicated hydration bladder pocket we felt it should have included a way to secure a floppy hydration hose.

Equipment needed

My dad always told me to not complain about something that I did not have a solution for. So I came up with a simple solution to control that aggravating wandering hose. This is a kinda no-brainer solution, but I haven't seen anyone else doing this so I thought I would share with you guys.

All you will need is a 6-8" piece of 550 cord and a cord lock. You can match the 550 cord and cord lock color to your ruck if you so desire.

Just slide the 550 cord through the MOLLE loops on the ruck strap at the desired height. You will then slide the cord lock on the 550 cord and tie a knot (I suggest this so you don't lose the cord lock). If you wish, you can cut the 550 cord to your desired length.

You could just use 550 cord, however I like the idea of adjusting the cord lock to keep a tighter hold on the hose. The 550 cord also allows for better freedom of movement than those plastic aftermarket retainers I've seen.

This will also work on other pack/rucks that have attachment points on the straps. For those that want to add a multi-purpose system can purchase one of the LED Cord Locks seen below.

Black Scout Reviews- Source Tactical Hydration Bladders

Kupilka Review

I like titanium cups and bowls just as much as the next guy. But there are times when the elegance of something makes it that much sweeter.

Kupilka is a company from Finland and produces some of the most unique campware I've seen. The cups, bowls, and utensils look as though they are carved from wood. Something you bushcrafter's can appreciate.

The word "kupilka" means "little cup"

For this review we tested out the Kupilka 21 (cup),  Kupilka 55 (bowl), and Cutlery Set.

My most favorite item is the Kupilka 21 and resembles a Kuksa. A Kuksa is a hand carved cup usually from the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia. True Kuksa's cost upwards of a $100 and look fantastic. However I can't justify paying that much for a cup. For those of you that want an affordable Kuksa, that's where Kupilka comes in. Kupilka's products are made of a revolutionary material (I'll go into that later), where wood sometimes cracks and is heavier.

Left to Right: Kupilka 21, Kupilka 55, and Kupilka Cutlery set

The bowl is known as the Kupilka 55. It can hold just at 19 ounces, with a weight of 7 ounces. I like that the handle resembles the Kupilka 21 handle. It's pretty much a multi-purpose item and can be used as a mess dish, soup bowl, or larger water container in a survival situation.

The Culinary Set comes with a fork, spoon, knife, and small tea spoon. They are made from the same composite material as the bowl and cup. The set has lanyard holes to keep them from straying away from one another. I will also mention that the bowl and cup has lanyard holes also.

(on the material) From the Kupilka website:

"KUPILKA products are made of a Biomaterial. The Biomaterial used for KUPILKA products is a Thermoplastic Natural Fiber Composites material. It is made up of 50% pine fiber (wood) and 50% plastic.

If you compare it to plastic, the benefits of Natural Fiber Composites are a better heat endurance and a higher durability thanks to the stiff structure. Another advantage when comparing the material to plastic is that it enables the use of engraving techniques. If you compare it to wood, the benefits of Natural Fiber Composites are that it doesn't require maintenance, doesn't "absorb" smells and is insensitive to humidity.
All KUPILKA products are dishwasher safe. 

KUPILKA products are also recyclable. At the end of its life-span the product can be grinded and casted again into new products. All KUPILKA packages & Label cards are made from recycled cardboard. The leather strap of KUPILKA 5 is made from Reindeer leather.

The material was developed by Puugia, the Centre for Wood Technology in Joensuu. The material is manufactured by Kareline® in the same region of North Karelia."

In use I did notice a slight transfer of heat, however not as much so as stainless steel or titanium camp ware. The paddle style handles are comfortable with no heat transfer. The set is easily cleanable and is dishwasher safe, once you get back home of course.

Overall I like the look of the Kupilka gear. It will definitely set the tone for your outings. I've even started using it at home, a sweet reminder of the outdoors.

Check out Kupilka: www.kupilka.fi/en/home/#

Source Hydration: WXP 3L & WLPS 3L Review

Left: WLPS 3L OD Green
Right: WXP 3L Coyote

If you reading this article, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much of an impact hydration bladders have made on our lives. We were limited to canteens and water bottles. This limited the amount of water we carried and how we carried it. Hydration bladders are capable of holding large volumes of water, easy to carry, and makes water more accessible when on the move. No matter if your a mountain biker in Utah or Special Forces Soldier operating abroad- they make life much easier for all of us.

Source Hydration didn't invent the hydration bladder but I will say I believe they perfected it. I used Camelback bladders while forward deployed in the Marines. I grew rather unhappy with Camelbacks and pretty much discounted hydration bladders altogether. Until I found Source Tactical.

The two models we reviewed come from their tactical line up. The WXP 3L and the WLPS 3L to be precise. Both models feature the 3 layer coextruded polyethylene construction with "Glass-Like" liner and "Grunge Gaurd" anti-microbial properties. Both reservoirs has a 3 liter capacity.

Speaking of its anti-microbial properties- during my use I noticed no foul or plastic taste. Even for water that has sat in the bladder for a few days.

Being that they are from the tactical lineup, both bladders come in an OD Green color. You can choose what color hose and mouth gaurd (cap on the WXP model). The color options come in Coyote, Foilage, and Black. A definite plus for a tactical environment.

WXP 3L in Coyote

The WXP 3L ($36.00) model is similar to your standard hydration bladder in form. It has a filling cap that un-screws to fill the bladder up. Around the cap is a lanyard hole that can be used to attach the reservoir to the outside of a pack or however you decide.

All bladders come with a tube cover and as I stated above the color is optional. The hose cover helps insulate and blocks UV light to further protect your water. The Coyote and Foilage come with IRR technology.

Adding to it's awesomeness is the "QMT" (Quick Mate Technology) fittings. This allows the hose and mouth piece to be connected or disconnected with the push of a button. This allows the hose to be disconnected from the bladder even when full of water and still maintaining the integrity of the bladder as a water container.

The reservoir cap is dummy corded to the pack so that it's not lost when refilling.

Widepac opening

Something revolutionary at least to me, is the Widepac design. Both reservoirs have a top opening option. This is good for a few reason: filling, placing ice in the bladder, draining, and cleaning. Also in the case this is your only water container in a survival situation. By allowing you to scoop water to be purified from holes or shallow streams.

To save on precious pack space, Source Tactical developed the WLPS or Widepac Low Profile System ($36.00). It has many of the same features as the WXP but in a slimmer profile. It has a wider footprint but doesn't take up as much room in a rucksack. The split bodied design reduces the depth of the bladder making it more low-profile. It was primary designed to be used with ballistic vest. I carried the WLPS in my GORUCK GR1 and didn't notice any difference in the frame pad. I would definitely recommend the WLPS if you need a hydration bladder and don't want to compromise any space.

Left: Helix Valve
Right: Storm Valve

Another design feature that was simple but made a world of difference, was angling the bite valve at a 90 degree angle with the capability of rotating without adjusting the tube. The Storm Valve comes standard and has a twist and lock mechanism that's quick and easy to use. The Storm Valve will allow water to leak out if not in the locked position. Source developed the Helix Valve to remedy that problem. The Helix Valve ($6) has the same twist and lock design but has a "bite" release function. So no water will leak out unless the valve is bitten. Both valves come with a tethered dust cover.

One item I will cover in a later review is the UTA or Universal Tube Adapter. It's an ingenious design and I felt it needed its own article for that.

I can honestly say Source Tactical has produced the best hydration systems that I've used to date. I'd encourage any of you to check out source-military.com if your on the market for a hydration bladder.

Stay tuned for a video review of these products.

SteriPEN Traveler

Clean drinking water is one of the most critical survival necessities only second to shelter in a cold climate. There are a plethora of methods to purify water such as chemically, filtration, boiling, and UV light. Chemicals tend to taste bad and take's precious time to treat. Filtration generally requires pumping energy and extra weight in the pack. Boiling requires a fire, boiling cup, and time. SteriPEN has tapped into the UV light method in a small package. Basically it's the SODIS method that doesn't require hours and hours to treat.

The SteriPEN Traveler is the lowest priced model offered, coming in at $49.95. The Traveler comes in at a convenient 5.7 ounces with batteries. It's a tad longer than some of the other models at 7.6 inches in length, however SteriPEN has a smaller Mini Traveler model.

All of SteriPEN's models require batteries and Lithium batteries specifically for optimum performance. Being that it is a electronic device does have some drawbacks, such as if the batteries run out (carry extra batteries to combat this) or damage to the light or system. There is a protective cap that covers the bulb for protection. With that always carry two methods of water purification in the field.

The thing that I like most about the SteriPEN Traveler is that it works with a standard water bottle. It can be used with any standard water bottle and those can be scavenged about anywhere due to people littering. It can also be used with standard Nalgene canteens and other water containers.

The Traveler is capable of purifying 200 half liter treatments on the same set of Lithium AA batteries. The bulb life is capable of 3000 treatments. For one person this model will last for months if used every day.


The system is extremely easy to use. Grab some water from a water source. Here I grabbed some from a stream. You may want to use a cloth or handkerchief to filter out small particles. Always submerge your bottle away from the current so "floaties" don't wind up in your bottle. This system will not help with the taste of the water.

Then press the button once for a full liter purification or twice for a half liter treatment. The light will begin to flash green when the system is ready. Then insert the Traveler into the bottle and flip upside down. The Traveler has a rubber gasket to ensure no leakage when flipped upside down. Once the to conductor post hit the water the Traveler will start the treatment process, once the UV light has cut off its ready (taking about a minute). If the system did not treat properly the light will flash red and you will need to do the process over. This could be due to the turbidity of the water or the individual not waiting long enough.

As you can see it is a very easy system to use and pretty much effortless. The Traveler also takes the guesswork away; you will know if your water has been treated. As I said above the SteriPEN is much lighter (and cheaper) than conventional system, great for ultralight backpackers or on your next trip out of the country.

Check them out at http://www.steripen.com/traveler

Don't drink from the bowl

So most emphasis of finding potable water in survival situations are based around wilderness discovery. What about for you all that may live in a city or suburban area.

What do you do to prepare when a disaster is headed your way? You may be without a potable water supply for days or weeks, what do you do?

• Fill up bathtub, sinks, washing machine, and any other water containers

The average human consumes and uses up to 3 gallons a day drinking, cooking, and sanitation (washing themselves and plates, cups etc..).  A good way to really see how much water we consume is by turning off your water for a day and see how quick it goes when you only have 3 gallons to accommodate these task.

Did you know that your water heater holds 40 gallons of potable water? This is easily accessible and it's there when you need it. There is also a few gallons of potable water in the toilet tank. This is the upper section of your toilet. NEVER DRINK WATER FROM THE TOILET BOWL.

Water Storage
If you are storing water in your garage, make sure that you do not sit the containers directly on the concrete. The concrete will react with the plastic and contaminate the water.

I've also seen some people attaching cisterns/rain catchment tanks to the gutters to their house. If you would like to explore this option here is a link to Carolina Water Tanks.

NDūR 38oz Pull Top Water Filtration Canteen

If you frequent our website or have basic survival knowledge; you know how important clean drinking water is. If you don't know how important it is--spend a week in Mexico, drink from the tap, and you will soon find out. There are many ways to purify water such as boiling, but that takes precious time and can give away your presence in hot zones. Water purification tabs take awhile to treat your water and they taste bad. Hand pump type filtering systems require you to sit there and pump until your water containers are filled, again taking up precious time. This is the NDūR  38oz Pull top water filtration canteen sold by ProForce Equipment. This canteen allows the user just to scoop and go. Why would this be important? Here are just a few reasons:

1. It's easy
2. Very portable with few components, no need to carry multiple items.
3. Your in a tactical situation
4. Your very thirsty and need water immediately 

That's just a few reasons. I see the convenience alone as being the major plus. You will already be carrying a water container if your in the wilderness or tactical situation. So the having this canteen on you with a built in filtration system takes up no more space than you would already be carrying.

The Advanced In-line Filter screws into the pull-top cap. The filters can be purchased separately and can be replaced. The filter is a somewhat larger than a standard film container. Each filter will process and purify up to 100 gallons of water. If you have used Iodine purification tablets you know that it takes 2 tablets to purify 1 liter of water. One standard Iodine vial contains 50 tablets, in turn producing 25 liters of clean water. Each vial of Iodine tablets cost around $8 a vial. There are 3.8 liters in a gallon, so you would need around $70 dollars worth of Iodine tablets to produce the same result as the NDūR  38oz Pull top water filtration canteen. With the NDūR  38oz Pull top water filtration canteen coming in at $55.00 (MSRP) this is a true value. 

The Advanced In-line Filter it protects you against 99.9999% of viruses and bacteria. It also removes 99.99% of chemical contaminants, including toxic chemicals from agricultural and industrial pollution. The filter can also be re-used over and over again. The water did not have a bad taste like most purification products.

Collecting water from a shallow pool of water, thanks to the
wide mouth design

Another feature we like is the wide mouth, flat back, and pliability of the canteen. This allows the user to collect water from the smallest pools. The canteen is lightweight and is BPA free.

The Canteen can also be used with standard USGI
canteen cover

If your looking for a water filtration system, stop here. During our testing we really couldn't find any fault in this system. It's extremely portable and light--no need to carry numerous containers and components. If your into light backpacking, visiting a foreign country, or hunting down tango's this is the most durable and lightweight filtration system we've come across.

It's also OD green--our favorite color.
Check this out as well as other survival gear at
ProForce Equipment.

http://www.proforceequipment.com/product-details.php?id=258&catid=45

Water:Transpiration

I prefer this method over the solar still. They will work anywhere that there is green vegetation. By wrapping a clear or opaque plastic bag around a green leafy bush or limb, The sunlight will draw water from the plant into the bag. This water is also readily drinkable. 


Place a small stone in the bottom of the bag. Ensure that you tie or wrap the opening of the bag to the limb so that no condensation escapes. Also this wont work if you have holes in the bag. 


The brighter the sunlight, the more water it produces. It's a good idea to carry a few bags on you to be able to use this method if needed. 


Don't use this method on poisonous plants

Water: SODIS

Today I'm going to go over SODIS (solar water disinfection) method. It’s a very easy way to purify drinking water by exposing water in a clear plastic container for a period of time by UV radiation. The UV rays kill germs and bacteria. This technique is used around the world mainly in 3^rd world countries to provide safe drinking water. Now I will explain the method.

1. You will need PET clear plastic bottle….these are usually what bottled water and soda come in. (Can also use some clear bags)
2. These bottles need to be free of labels with minimal scratches.
3. Fill the bottles about ¾ with clear water(filter water as I described under water filtration blog if dirty).
4. Cap bottle and shake for 20 seconds then fill rest of the way with water.
5. Lay bottle in sun for a period of 6(sunny) hours…if possible on some type of metal (aluminum).
6. If cloudy outside 2 days dwell time will be needed.
7. If raining…collect rainwater instead

Side note: once you have removed the bottle from sunlight, overtime the microbes or bacteria will start reproducing if left idle for a long period of time.

As long as there is a sun, and with the littering epidemic. You can find a plastic bottle almost anywhere on the planet. This is a very cheap way to purify water, and can be used in a survival situation.

Water: Solar still

Hey guys, after doing water procurement and treatment articles I felt like I couldn't leave out the solar still...Even though I'm not a real fan of them. If your in an environment and you absolutely can't find any water (like desert environments). Then this will be somewhat useful. It produces very little water, about a cup a day.

1. Dig a hole
2. Sit a container in middle of hole (can also add a drinking tube here, as pictured above)
3. You can lay any vegetation in hole, anything damp, or urinate in hole. This process will purify any water
4. Lay plastic or tarp covering hole
5. Place rock anchors around hole and seal around hole with sand or dirt
6. place a small rock in center of plastic to make a cone shape

The sun will draw water from the ground. The evaporation will be caught on the plastic tarp and will drip into cup. This water needs no filtration or purification

Water treatment: Chemical

Household Bleach and Iodine are effective water purifiers, as a matter of fact most all of our city water systems are purified by Chlorine. These items are fairly cheap and you can purchase in bulk. You can also buy water purification tablets in Chlorine and Iodine to take out the guesswork, but are pretty expensive.

Household Bleach 
Use two drops of household bleach for each quart of water treated. Use an extra drop if extremely cold.


Iodine
Use 5 drops of iodine per quart of water.


After mixing allow water to sit for 45 mins-1 hour. The longer you allow to sit the more micros it will kill...if your able to allow to sit overnight do so.


This is by far the easiest method to purify water. Especially in a combat environment or in a survival situation where you may not have enough fuel to boil water. 

Water Filtration

Marines collects water from field expedient water filtering system during a
Jungle Survival Course.

Water filtering is the process of removing some of a waters impurities, usually solids(making the water clear) and also makes the water more palatable. It won't however kill bacteria or other micro-organisms. So if you have NO other way to purify water then this would be better than drinking straight from your water source.

I suggest that you filter any water you drink whether purifying it or not. It not only makes it taste better, also it makes it clear and easier to drink mentally...

Packing coffee filters, handkerchiefs, or clothing can be used to make basic filters.

One easy way is:

• taking either a plastic water/soda bottle or sock
• if using a bottle cut off the base, making a funnel 
• filling the sock or bottle with alternating layers of crushed charcoal from your fire, small rocks, and sand
• place a container under to catch water
• pour water through filter several time to clean out impurities