Having just returned from 4 days of primitive camping and paddling off the South Carolina coast, wondered if anyone has had any experience with solar stills? Which have proven useful 1) when camping at a new location every night, 2) when camping in one location for several days and paddling from there. Has anyone tried to jerry rig one for stationary camp sites?
still to desalinate?
Amazon of course! http://www.amazon.com/Aquamate-Solar-Emergency-Purification-Inflatable/dp/B004TOAELS
Try this discussion
I have not tried distilling water in the backcountry, but when I read about people who tried, I get the impression that the output tends to be much lower than expected or desired. An average adult needs about 2L a fluid per day, more when exercising/sweating etc. I also read about someone from Australia who made a still that he would use over burning driftwood.
Here is a nice discussion about distilling sea water for kayakers:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5149
KP
Mark 2 D-SAL construct it yourself unit
This sounds like it has possibilities – now to find someone who is less mechanically challenged than me. The units which seem to work and produce sufficient (3% or less salt) seem pricey. I’ve printed the information and will look for someone who might be interested in tinkering with it. Oh, that my dad were alive – it would have been just the kind of challenge he loved! Not solar, but if one can recover 1.5 litre in 50 minutes, that should be something a twig burning camp stove could handle.
Wonder how he removes that salt which is concentrating in the bottom of his boil pan? Well, alumninum saucepans can be easily gotten from thrift shops if needed. When we get ready to get one built will try to contact Dave Winkworth, the inventor.
Thanks to both of you.
For Mr. Winkworth
try http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/ New South Wales Sea Kayak Club. Very clever and kind gent.