the Rule of 3s
|Without Food||Death in 3 weeks|
|Without Water||Death in 3 days|
|Without Air||Death in 3 minutes|
Yo, dude, without water, humans die!
But, if you drink bad water, you may just wish you could die. Water pollution is a major and growing problem everywhere. A crystal clear stream or lake may contain microorganisms that can make you sick - protozoa, bacteria, and viruses (yuch!) can cause serious illness or death.
Affordable, portable drinking water filter systems can make water potable and they've become essential outdoor gear around the world. The contaminants found in water that appears clear and safe can be deadly. Ingest just a tiny bit of tainted water and invisible bacteria or viruses can wreak havoc on your body. Ensuring that your water is clean, safe, and potable is a critical step to take whether you are at home, traveling in populated places, or in the wilderness.
Man, that sucks. So, what can you do? Make your water clean, of course.
Did you know a 150 lb. person needs about 3 quarts of water each day to survive? That's if he's not out in the desert hiking along trying to find rescue - a guy doing that might need up to 2 gallons a day! But, if he were just laying under a tree in the cool shade, he could get by with just 1 quart a day for a long time.
So, the amount of water you need varies a lot depending on what you are doing and the environment you are in.
If you are not consuming enough clean, safe water then you'll become dehydrated. Dehydration is a direct path to death, and it is a darn short path. If you sit in the sun when its about 100 degrees, you lose about 1 quart of sweat each hour. Check out this chart:
.5 to 2.5 qts
|thirsty, lethargic, irritable, weak, lost appetite, higher pulse|
3 to 5 qts
|dizzy, headache, dry mouth, tingle in hands or feet, slurred speech, lack of coordination, trouble breathing, blurry vision|
3.5 to 8 qts
|delirious, tongue swells, convulsions, hearing, vision, and feeling fail, skin shrivels, death|
Did you know that you can drink too much water? Read about Weight of Water and other facts.
Whether you use water filters or a water purifier to provide a clean treatment for your drinking water, you must have H2O to survive. Pollution in the cycle requires a filtration system and possibly other treatment to make your water supply pure again when you start with muddy waters. Use our information to keep safe when camping and be prepared for emergencies at home that require water filter use.