Recommended water filter

Pricy but a good investment. Also, Berkey water filters are amazing but the holding tank for the travel size may be awkward to mount in a truck. Thinking about using that one in a camper.

https://www.berkeyfilters.com

 

I'm just offering you suggestions. I know how much water a shower can consume. I said nothing about your shower routine.

If you want to haul 110 lbs of water, that is your choice. There are other options available which maybe more efficient. But this all depends on your individual habits, wants and needs.

I will respectfully withdraw any additional suggestions regarding hauling water.

Have a day.

 

Don't overthink it, potable water is easy to get in plenty of places. I've lived out of my truck for up to a month at a time on multiple occasions as well as the VW Westy I used to have. In the truck I carry and use one or two of the five gallon Jerry can style water containers (the military Scepter cans are gtg) and secure it to the inside of the bed. It's easy (and cheaper) to refill at water jug filling stations or just buy a couple of larger, 2.5 gal, water containers at whatever grocery you're near and refill from those (the grocery store water jugs are designed to sit on a counter or in a fridge and don't tend to ride well as the faucet part can get jostled open and drip and you need to poke a vent hole in them so plan on dumping them in your larger tank). Buy extra water and leave it in those containers until you need it. When your main container is almost empty, put a little Dr. Bronner's or whatever soap you like in it, shake it up well then rinse it out and refill- easy peasy and only takes a couple of minutes tops. I have never had an issue with this and I've been doing essentially the same thing since the '80s but you could always add a touch of bleach if you were worried for some reason.* I usually add a little bleach to the soapy water mix when I get home and clean them out and let them air dry before storing.

If you're not keen on disposable water containers, grab a couple of those collapsible water cubes and use them when needed.

If you're planning to fill up from random taps on the side of gas stations then yeah, I'd buy one of those in-line hose filters and your own water hose. Run the water, rinse the hose bib with it then attache your hose, flush out your hose then fill your tank. I would not put caps on the hose though because you aren't going to get all of the water out of it or the filter and that moisture may lead to growth. Swing the hose to sling out as much water as you can then hang it vertically to dry when you get to your camp (for the Westy I just draped the hose over the roof rack and let it hang to dry).

For showering, I like the Simple Shower and a 1L bottle or I use a 1gal pump sprayer- again, simple, cheap and easy and they save water.


*
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

Ugh, I keep hitting thumbnail and it attaches the whole image. I've tried changing it multiple times- I give up.

 

Really appreciate the input!

 

It's easy to go down the rabbit hole of exploring all sorts of options (and admittedly it can be fun and it gives you something to do) but I've got a lot of half finished projects that ended up being "proof of concept" type things- yeah, I proved to myself it would work but once I got to a certain stage I figured it wasn't worth the effort or it gave me an idea for something else. I really need to quit wasting money and clean all of the extra crap out the storage room.

An example, I've built water shower tube things, I've got an old Coleman battery powered shower pump that you can drop in a bucket or attach to a water jug, I've got a Shurflo pump with alligator clips for the battery, I've got a Solar Shower bag, I've got a three gallon sprayer, I've got a one gallon sprayer and the Simple Shower. I use the $8 one gallon sprayer on trips and the $10 Simple Shower lives in the truck since I've always got water bottles in there.

 

If you run with the sceptre or LCI water jerry cans pick one of these up

http://lexingtoncontainercompanyson...nsing-nozzle-for-use-with-scepter-water-cans/

makes dispensing water so much easier.

Also with your big tank of water I don't see why you cant use it and if you want to be extra sure its going to be safe to drink utilize one of those hanging life straw filter bags and refill a scepter container

 

I use 3x 20L LCI jerry cans for water storage. I'll bring 0-3 cans with me depending on the trip. I also always keep 1 gallon of store bought water in the truck as a reserve or give away. We have a family of 3 and I like to bring a little water home with me. I've been able to provide water to very sad looking folks on several occasions. I added a

LifeStraw Flex Advanced Water Filter with Gravity Bag - Removes Lead, Bacteria, Parasites and Chemicals Blue, 1 gal

lifestraw gravity bag for refilling the containers. It isn't a quick process but on later days of camp it doesn't take much effort to fill the bag from a clear stream and let it drip into a can.

I built a little camp battery box with a little rv/boat pump in it. I just mounted the pump inside the box with the battery and cut holes for the switch and inflow and outflow tubes. The battery runs some rope lights, a USB charger, and the pump. I keep a little solar panel to help offset the drain. Honestly the pump has been pretty underwhelming. I need to work out some quick connects for the water hose (I just used brass fittings and they either require a wrench to snug up or leak a bit). I have a showerhead and kitchen sprayer attachment for the hose. I clean the hoses and cans with line cleaner (like they use at bars) after every couple trips. Other than my poor plumbing skills it's been a pretty slick system.

In short, I try to keep all water potable. Water gets added from known safe sources or slowly added using the filter with carbon capsule. Water gets drawn down using the pump or just manually poured out for drinking and dishes. With frigid water nobody ever wants to shower very long or often, but it can be done.

 

I feel like I'm missing something here. The OPs got a storage tank and the concern is keeping water potable? How is this different from what RVers of all types and sizes have managed successfully for many, many years?

 

Big Katydyn fan here

 

That's a pretty cool setup!

 

I feel like I've been overthinking it. I'll just get a hose filter and fill up at gas stations or wherever and try and rinse out my water tank with soap a couple times during the trip. If for some reason it starts getting scummy Ill just switch to using store bought water. I'm only going to be out and about for a month so not insanely long term.

 

I'm not sure what direction were going here.

But the Berkey filter is amazing. Well worth it.

I have power pumped water in my truck. I can tap into anything which is nice.
I'm using a Waterport for storage but would like to carry 6-8 gallons. I have two daughters and we go to remote beaches and hike during the weekend. It's great being able to clean hands and feet and gear.

 

Hearing a lot of love for Berkey and Katydyn filters out there!