Water and Self Sufficiency

Asterix said:
I recall seeing a charity sending plastic "rolla barrells" to Africa,they filtered the water as they were rolled back to the village,don't know the name of them but I'm sure they'd be ideal in your situation.
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We could tow one like huge aquaroll
 
GWAYGWAY said:
Does the roof water count as GREY if so what is the difference, Just thought I would throw that in to liven up the thread,
Rainwater collection is the big points gainer for new house builds along with solar power so where the difference?
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I would define GREY as water that has had contaminants added to it,detergents etc,I certainly wouldn't put rainwater in that class.
 
when i was travelling with my family ,everybody had a bucket under each corner,where the gutters empty,good enough water for washing bodies and clothes,easy enough to rough filter through a grass,sand and charcoal filter,but we never bothered. as for worrying about bird poo or algae-we didn't .
thing to remember,and any traveller will tell you the same -water is the most important thing . cooking can be done without gas,nobody needsa fridge, if you're cold ,put a coat on or get into bed,or sit by the fire you're cooking on !but you do need drinking water.
when you get water from a tap or spring-that's for drinking,not washing or flushing toilets !any water for washing you take from rivers or rain
 
Asterix said:
I recall seeing a charity sending plastic "rolla barrells" to Africa,they filtered the water as they were rolled back to the village,don't know the name of them but I'm sure they'd be ideal in your situation.
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i can say we find having water not a problem . there are water holes marked on maps of the desert . you soon learn how they cover them . also leave some palm leaves to dry so they can have a fire . etc .
our collecting rain is more fun than important . but does allow stops longer than no rain . mind we dont want rain . we go for the sun . and dry warmth.
many places in africa there is so much rain you cant believe you are in africa . you just have to sit it out you cant drive anywhere.
mind i have given up that sort of travel now . but it was fun .
there was a time i carried a alum mix to add to water same as water companies use . but then you need to watch the ph . balance . too technical for every day on the road .
 
vwalan said:
i can say we find having water not a problem . there are water holes marked on maps of the desert . you soon learn how they cover them . also leave some palm leaves to dry so they can have a fire . etc .
our collecting rain is more fun than important . but does allow stops longer than no rain . mind we dont want rain . we go for the sun . and dry warmth.
many places in africa there is so much rain you cant believe you are in africa . you just have to sit it out you cant drive anywhere.
mind i have given up that sort of travel now . but it was fun .
there was a time i carried a alum mix to add to water same as water companies use . but then you need to watch the ph . balance . too technical for every day on the road .
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It sounds like a great lifestyle choice,and dry heat works for me,part of the reason I never stayed in Australia was the oppressive humidity,too much for me,altho I did love the huge thunderstorms/lightning that often preceded it.
 
life is what you make it . i traveled as a kid . i suppose it just becomes a natural thing to do. stopped for a few years to bring up my kids . mind they traveled as well. but when the kids got older it was time to get off again . in the last twenty years i have only spent two in the uk.
 
Hi vwalan do you not miss the UK and do you just travel all the time when you say you have not been back in the UK for such a long time?
 
Great thread. It has got me thinking about water conservation & recycling whereas I have just taken it for granted till now. If the grey waste was filtered to take any debris out, can anyone suggest a use for the water or would it just be too contaminated for any practical use? I was thinking maybe washing the MH with it or some such?
 
izwozral said:
Great thread. It has got me thinking about water conservation & recycling whereas I have just taken it for granted till now. If the grey waste was filtered to take any debris out, can anyone suggest a use for the water or would it just be too contaminated for any practical use? I was thinking maybe washing the MH with it or some such?
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If it only has soap/detergents in it then it would be great for the garden,detergents are a good natural way of keeping many garden pests off plants,gotta be better than using insecticides.
 
Asterix said:
If it only has soap/detergents in it then it would be great for the garden,detergents are a good natural way of keeping many garden pests off plants,gotta be better than using insecticides.
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I was thinking more of when we are full timing.
 
I regularly top up my tank with rain water; I use my awning to catch it.

Obviously, it's not worth trying when it's windy, but if it's having a good downpour I take advantage of the effortless collection. I let it rain for an hour or so before I start in order to wash away all the dust and dirt etc.

I then angle the awning down at one end and allow the flow to run into a large plastic filter funnel, which is in the top of a 25L plastic container. When it's full, I use a submersible pump to lift it into my tank. This is very quick and has the added bonus of filtering out any smaller particles that got past the filter in the funnel.

I don't drink my tank water unless it's boiled for tea and coffee etc. anyway and in the four years I've been doing this I've never had a problem.

I buy bottled water for drinking as I think most people do now. I'd rather drink rain water than what comes out of a mains tap anyway. IMO the petrol-chemical industry use our water system for dumping all their waste fluoride and aluminium by-products anyway. ;)
 
What an interesting thread. I love these discussions & reading everyone's ideas & tips.

I'm still looking for the post for turning rainwater into wine. Anyone?
 
Sharon the Cat said:
What an interesting thread. I love these discussions & reading everyone's ideas & tips.

I'm still looking for the post for turning rainwater into wine. Anyone?
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Start with rainwater, take a swig of vodka, add grapes, take swig of vodka, add sugar, take a swig of vodka, add yeast, take a swig of vodka, mix it all up, take a swig of vidka, bottle it, take a shwig of vodka, cork it, take a shwog of vidka, uncork it immediately, take a shwyge of vuddywiddy & hey presto - you have wine.
 
Sharon the Cat said:
What an interesting thread. I love these discussions & reading everyone's ideas & tips.

I'm still looking for the post for turning rainwater into wine. Anyone?
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im sure that could be done the problem would be you would never be able to make it as fast as you can drink it.
 
molly 2 said:
im sure that could be done the problem would be you would never be able to make it as fast as you can drink it.
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we sometimes travel with a mate from Bavaria, he can make a very palatable beer in three days from start to finish. he likes to use rain water.
its a recipe from where he lives . you have to heat up then cool down the water at special temperatures etc . he carries all the ingredients . even has made a special xmas brew for us when in morocco. its a cloudy beer but goes down well.
keep your eyes open for an old setra bus . might be Uve .
 
jeanette said:
Hi vwalan do you not miss the UK and do you just travel all the time when you say you have not been back in the UK for such a long time?
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i usually have just under 6 months every winter traveling . . have done for the last twenty years .
as a kid travelled about 6 weeks most winters all over europe inc greece / turkey .
later through buying vw spares i got into east germany and poland ,cz. i found them not at all like the news etc told us it was like .
i love cornwall return every suimmer . well almost. and yes at times i can and do miss uk. but not for long . just come home again .
remember its not what you earn but what you spend allows you to do things .
 
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