# water still?



## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

Two years ago, there was a TV show on NatGeo called "Dirty Rotten Survival." 

in episode 6, the stars "survive" on an island off the coast of Florida for 3 days. One uses a shiny reflective sat dish to desalinate water, and another has a custom made still.

I've looked long and hard for a small packable still anything like what was used on the show to no avail. It's either ridiculously huge (gallons), requires electricity (TurboStill style), or horribly inefficient (solar stills).

There are many DIY options that actually make sense for carrying in a BOB, and you can always choose to carry a RO filter that costs several hundred dollars. There doesn't seem to be a small still that someone could carry in a pack.

Is anyone aware of a commercial packable water still?

Would anyone be interested in purchasing such? (assuming a reasonable price of course)


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Could you convert a moonshine still to a water still???
If so the "FOXFIRE" books has a detailed still in it.


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

crabapple said:


> Could you convert a moonshine still to a water still???
> If so the "FOXFIRE" books has a detailed still in it.


A beer keg and 20ft of 1/2 inch soft copper you got yourself a still.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Never heard or seen that program your talking about but Here are some ideas of home made water stills, #7 looks like what your describing.
http://homestead-and-survival.com/14-water-distiller-designs/


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

hashbrown said:


> A beer keg and 20ft of 1/2 inch soft copper you got yourself a still.


I really don't think a beer keg is packable, but thanks for replying...


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

ArizonaJones said:


> I really don't think a beer keg is packable, but thanks for replying...


I wasn't replying to you..... That's how quotes work you know.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

ArizonaJones said:


> Two years ago, there was a TV show on NatGeo called "Dirty Rotten Survival."
> in episode 6, the stars "survive" on an island off the coast of Florida for 3 days. One uses a shiny reflective sat dish to desalinate water, and another has a custom made still.
> I've looked long and hard for a small packable still anything like what was used on the show to no avail. It's either ridiculously huge (gallons), requires electricity (TurboStill style), or horribly inefficient (solar stills).
> There are many DIY options that actually make sense for carrying in a BOB, and you can always choose to carry a RO filter that costs several hundred dollars. There doesn't seem to be a small still that someone could carry in a pack.
> ...


Couple quickies from Mr. Google....is this the kind of think you're looking for?






Apparently this one (below) is out of stock, and when/if it will ever be IN stock again is "iffy."
https://www.amazon.com/Aquamate-Solar-Emergency-Purification-Inflatable/dp/B004TOAELS
Excerpt: *"Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."* No price given, either.
Water Purification from solar energy -- no power required!
Tear open pack for emergencies.
Dimensions: 13 in. X 11 in. X 3.5 in. Weight: 38 oz.
Made to ISO 9002 with NATO stock number 4610-66-144-2646


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Couple quickies from Mr. Google....is this the kind of think you're looking for?


I hadn't seen n8mayfield's video before, but I've seen other youtubers like KennethKramm and OASkills, do similar projects like what he describes in that video. And while packable, I would consider that a DIY type project, and I'm looking for something less DIY and more commercial.

The solar still you linked to is packable, if you call 38 oz. packable, but it is still a solar still. Solar stills are horribly inefficient and slow. One of these is not enough to supply one person with water for a day.


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

crabapple said:


> Could you convert a moonshine still to a water still???
> If so the "FOXFIRE" books has a detailed still in it.


If your still can distill alcohol, it can distill water. There are different kinds of stills, but they are differentiated by how they do what they do rather than what they do.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

ArizonaJones said:


> I hadn't seen n8mayfield's video before, but I've seen other youtubers like KennethKramm and OASkills, do similar projects like what he describes in that video. And while packable, I would consider that a DIY type project, and I'm looking for something less DIY and more commercial.
> The solar still you linked to is packable, if you call 38 oz. packable, but it is still a solar still. Solar stills are horribly inefficient and slow. One of these is not enough to supply one person with water for a day.


Well, after roughly a half hour on Google and DuckDuckGo, I am rather disappointed in the results. Either there ARE NO "commercial systems" for hikers/backpackers, or I am failing miserably at searching. The only thing I found that MIGHT fit the bill is from Recovery Engineering, and their video is labeled "3 Recovery Engineering, Inc.," not "Recovery Engineering, Inc., which is not very informative, to say the least. Trying to follow up on "Recovery Engineering, Inc.," is like chasing a needle in a haystack even though they apparently manufacture PUR Water Filters.....lots of company financial data, but doodly-squat about it's products for hikers/backpackers.

Here is the search page from Google for Recovery Engineering, Inc., which is the ONLY company that came up for my <commercial packable water still> search term. Actually, two companies..."Recovery Engineering, Inc.," and then "3 Recovery Engineering, Inc.," and I'm not sure if these are the same companies or not. (There are over 50 "water purifiers" on the market, but I take it that's not what you're looking for...you want an actual "still," from what I understand.)

https://www.google.com/search?clien...&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=recovery+engineering+inc

Video...




Here is one of the results from "3 Recovery Engineering, Inc.," which MAY be a different company,and is apparently undergoing government liquidation.....same video shows up here!

http://machines-at-work.com/3-recov...d-operated-water-maker-on-govliquidation.html

Excerpt: "http://www.GovLiquidation.com - You're looking at a lot of 3 Recovery Engineering Inc Survivor 35 Hand Operated Water Makers. They are available for bidding from May 16-20. The water makers are located in Oklahoma City, OK and can be found on our website here: http://bit.ly/1nkzTkH. Hand operated water maker. To view a current list of available Medical and Dental Equipment visit http://bit.ly/w9ZuMR today! And follow us on social media too! Facebook http://bit.ly/GLonFacebook Twitter http://bit.ly/GLtweets LinkedIn http://bit.ly/GLonLinkedIn Pinterest http://bit.ly/GLPin Google+ http://bit.ly/GLPlus


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Well, after roughly a half hour on Google and DuckDuckGo, I am rather disappointed in the results. Either there ARE NO "commercial systems" for hikers/backpackers, or I am failing miserably at searching. The only thing I found that MIGHT fit the bill is from Recovery Engineering, and their video is labeled "3 Recovery Engineering, Inc.," not "Recovery Engineering, Inc., which is not very informative, to say the least. Trying to follow up on "Recovery Engineering, Inc.," is like chasing a needle in a haystack even though they apparently manufacture PUR Water Filters.....lots of company financial data, but doodly-squat about it's products for hikers/backpackers.


Now you start to see my frustration. 

The product you found seems to be the official government model of the Katadyn Survivor 35 Desalinator. 
https://smile.amazon.com/Katadyn-80...=1498778760&sr=8-5&keywords=water+desalinator
Good product, but at $550, a very expensive product.

There's the "SurvivalStill" that is ALMOST packable, until you realize that you need to take 2 steel pots with you, pots that obviously do not come with the still, and it costs $280, again, an expensive product, and it's not even a complete product as you need two pots to go with it, and of course something to catch your distillate in...
https://smile.amazon.com/Survival-S...rd_wg=O9JQu&psc=1&refRID=PBW8DXY7MXQ3QGZZ24PQ
Also, Not what I would consider packable a 12" diameter and at least 6" tall without taking into account the two pots that they sell that go with it for an extra $120 that take up an additional 16" tall with a 12" diameter. The still weights 5.5 lbs and the two pots weigh an additional 5 lbs, so maybe it would be useful in a bug out car or trailer...

If you're going to dedicate that much space and weight to a still, get a real still... 
https://www.clawhammersupply.com/pr...6QJOuLCjFJxUqFii0nkiw0DsWz3bAreWB1hoCRozw_wcB

That's ALMOST packable at 2' tall and 6" diameter. As it's copper, it's not going to be horribly heavy either... you'll get a lot more efficiency out of it, but it still seems like one should be able to get a smaller still, something more pack-friendly...


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

ArizonaJones........."Now you start to see my frustration."

Yup! There just doesn't seem to BE ANY "packable still" available, commercially. Which I find amazing, really.....in, what, 50 years of the "survivalist" movement, NO ONE has come up with a "packable still???" Everything is geared to water "purification," Lifestraw, the pills, the filters, etc., nearly all of which ARE "packable" very easily. But no "still!!" Guess the only solution here is DIY, scale down a large still to "mini" size. I spent maybe another half hour last night looking, and NOTHING! Usually, if I screw up, I'll not go "far enough," to get results, but in this case, I just plain don't think there IS anything there to find!!


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Water-Still





Is this what you're looking for?


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

backlash said:


> Is this what you're looking for?


Well, there ya go...a DIY project that certainly looks "packable!" :2thumb:


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

What would the need for a backpackable water still in Arizona be? Are you thinking for by the ocean? Just to purify water? The problem I see is not making a backpackable still but the heat control. When I distill alcohol I have to be very careful about the temp. Water not so much but it would still be a pain. Much easier to go with a good filter if salt isnt a concern.


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

backlash said:


> Is this what you're looking for?


KennethKramm has a couple different generations of DIY still that all look usable and packable. Some of them look better than others, but those are still DIY Stills.


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

So you just want to buy one off the shelf?


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## Justaguy987 (Mar 2, 2013)

backlash said:


> So you just want to buy one off the shelf?


I'm not sure if I'm being pessimistic or if my tin foil hat is on too tight, but I keep waiting for this guy to post a link to one he just happens to "find."


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> What would the need for a backpackable water still in Arizona be? Are you thinking for by the ocean? Just to purify water? The problem I see is not making a backpackable still but the heat control. When I distill alcohol I have to be very careful about the temp. Water not so much but it would still be a pain. Much easier to go with a good filter if salt isnt a concern.


Why would you need a still in Arizona? Most of the worlds rivers and streams these days are polluted with agricultural run off. While simply boiling your water will kill off the bacteria, it won't remove pesticides. Got mines in the area, like we do here in Arizona? (We are called the copper state for a really good reason.) Boiling your water also won't remove those heavy metals.

It's going to be quite a few years before the rivers and streams of the world will no longer be contaminated from agricultural pollution.

That's just assuming you don't have any industry in your area. Industrial pollution is just as much of a concern of a concern, depending on where you are of course. As big as those molecules are, they are still much smaller than bacteria, so filters don't filter them out.

These problems are really all that big a deal if you're just going out for a 3-day weekend. Heavy metals are only a problem once they get above a certain concentration in your body, and that's not going to happen in a week. Essentially it's the same problem with agricultural and industrial pollution, but they build up quicker and take longer to filter out.

As for heat control, you have plenty of heat control with wood fires, it just takes practice, as with most things in life...


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Justaguy987 said:


> I'm not sure if I'm being pessimistic or if my tin foil hat is on too tight, but I keep waiting for this guy to post a link to one he just happens to "find."


Well, if he happens to "find" a commercial, off-the-shelf model, he's doing better than ArizonaJones and I have been able to do, and we've been looking for days! Wish him luck.....'cause WE sure ain't found one!! :scratch


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

backlash said:


> So you just want to buy one off the shelf?


Well, not everyone knows how to braze copper and brass plumbing supplies together and come up with a small packable still.

I might be able to knock one together, I might be able to do a good job of it, I might even be able to do it for pretty damn cheap. There's a certain something to being able to make it yourself, because once it breaks, you can either fix it or replace it. But there's also something to be said for knowing that the thing was properly made, and there aren't going to be any leaks under high temps, etc.


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Well, if he happens to "find" a commercial, off-the-shelf model, he's doing better than ArizonaJones and I have been able to do, and we've been looking for days! Wish him luck.....'cause WE sure ain't found one!! :scratch


You may have been looking for a couple of days, but I've been looking since 2015 when I first saw episode 6 of Dirty Rotten Survival. 

I even sent a message to Dave Canterbury asking where he got the still or if he made it himself, only to sadly get no reply. Every time I ask about these small stills on different forums and such, I usually find someone who calls them a slightly different thing, so I add that slightly different thing to the search terms, and go hit up google again. I still haven't found a manufactured still that I would include in a bug out bag smaller than a car kit...


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

If youve been looking that long and that hard maybe it doesnt exist in an off the shelf form. Start with the diy, perfect it, figure out the manufacturing process and try and market it. Then change your screen name to stilljones and do some awesome youtube videos that makes everyone within 100 miles of the ocean want one for their bob. Problem I see with that is the use is pretty narrow. Anytime youre on shore its easier and quicker to use a good purifier/filter like the firstneedxle on non salt water sources. On a boat fuel for the distilling process is hard to come by. Really is only good for a "stranded on a desert island that has no water" scenario. Maybe you could make a point otherwise while marketing but I think the need and your target market will be narrow. Just my 2 cents. Id love to see what you come up with. I would use a 32 ounce non insulated steel/aluminum growler with a wide mouth. Need to be able to get down in there to clean out the salt after the distillation process.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

ArizonaJones said:


> You may have been looking for a couple of days, but I've been looking since 2015 when I first saw episode 6 of Dirty Rotten Survival.  I even sent a message to Dave Canterbury asking where he got the still or if he made it himself, only to sadly get no reply. Every time I ask about these small stills on different forums and such, I usually find someone who calls them a slightly different thing, so I add that slightly different thing to the search terms, and go hit up google again. I still haven't found a manufactured still that I would include in a bug out bag smaller than a car kit...


That long? Well, I'd have to say there is nothing "commercially available" then. Looks like DIY time, for sure!


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

ArizonaJones said:


> You may have been looking for a couple of days, but I've been looking since 2015 when I first saw episode 6 of Dirty Rotten Survival.
> 
> I even sent a message to Dave Canterbury asking where he got the still or if he made it himself, only to sadly get no reply. Every time I ask about these small stills on different forums and such, I usually find someone who calls them a slightly different thing, so I add that slightly different thing to the search terms, and go hit up google again. I still haven't found a manufactured still that I would include in a bug out bag smaller than a car kit...


I would bet that Canterbury either made the Still himself, since he is a DIY kind of Guy, or he had someone make it for him. I would suggest that since you have gone to so much trouble in trying to find a Commercial Model, with no success, your only option is to design and construct one yourself. Test it under controlled conditions, work out the Bugs, and test again until you get it right. If it works well it might even be Marketable.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

If you don't have the skills I would recommend you acquire them, then you can make all you want. If you don't want to acquire them perhaps you should just go find someone who already has them and have them make one for you. Then for you it's no longer a DIY project but an off the shelf still. Easy peasy.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

A stainless water bottle, a cork stopper with a hole the size of your potable copper line. bend the copper around a 3 inch pipe , drill a tiny gas off hole in the copper about 2 turns from the stopper at the highest point, fit a pvc pipe around the last few turns so that you fill it with water to cool the steam and avoid vapour loss.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Tirediron said:


> A stainless water bottle, a cork stopper with a hole the size of your potable copper line. bend the copper around a 3 inch pipe , drill a tiny gas off hole in the copper about 2 turns from the stopper at the highest point, fit a pvc pipe around the last few turns so that you fill it with water to cool the steam and avoid vapour loss.


Thats it exactly. I made my first stove top still. Didnt use cork, it was bigger, and for a different purpose but thats the general idea. Would cork handle the pressure? I guess it would swell with the steam but Id be nervous it would fly through the air halfway through the process. Was thinking more like a 32 ounce growler with a jerry rigged pressure cooker style lid.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Thats it exactly. I made my first stove top still. Didnt use cork, it was bigger, and for a different purpose but thats the general idea. Would cork handle the pressure? I guess it would swell with the steam but Id be nervous it would fly through the air halfway through the process. Was thinking more like a 32 ounce growler with a jerry rigged pressure cooker style lid.


Cool, a steam powered cork gun


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Thats it exactly. I made my first stove top still. Didnt use cork, it was bigger, and for a different purpose but thats the general idea. Would cork handle the pressure? I guess it would swell with the steam but Id be nervous it would fly through the air halfway through the process. Was thinking more like a 32 ounce growler with a jerry rigged pressure cooker style lid.


the steam pressure never gets that high, because it is vented out the cooling coil, maybe a few inches of water unless the water is full of really volatile gasses.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Ok now the market is full of them from solar to using some kind of heat source ,the problem is how pure is the end result ,I learn to purified and finish with the addition of some chemical ,it insures me of a water free of bacteria ,heat alone will not do it.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...qpvt=water+stills&qpvt=water+stills&FORM=IGRE
Another issue is ,how much water do you really need to purified?


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm no expert but it doesn't seem like it would be hard to make, it's catching steam, and giving it a place to condense. Shouldn't be pressure as previously stated.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0...ade+tubing&dpPl=1&dpID=31dVuNLWCLL&ref=plSrch

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0...ck+stopper&dpPl=1&dpID=31XmSyUSYaL&ref=plSrch

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0...40_QL65&keywords=stainless+steel+water+bottle

Not sure if the bottle mouth is the same size as the stopper but with one that worked you have nearly no extra material, the hose could be used for other things in an emergency including as a straw.


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

sgtusmc98 said:


> I'm no expert but it doesn't seem like it would be hard to make, it's catching steam, and giving it a place to condense. Shouldn't be pressure as previously stated.
> 
> Not sure if the bottle mouth is the same size as the stopper but with one that worked you have nearly no extra material, the hose could be used for other things in an emergency including as a straw.


No, you're right, they really aren't all that hard to make a DIY still, depending on how much effort you want to put into it, what your skills are like, etc. Silicon tubing would be a good way to get the steam from the boil chamber to the condenser coil, but not so much for the coil itself, too insulating. Copper has long been the favored coil material for very good reasons. (just make sure you don't get copper tube with any lead in it...)

The efficiency of the still depends on how well it's made (no leaks?), how much you loose (did you keep the condenser coil cold enough, or did you leak steam out the end?), and the type of still you're using. IF you were to distill alcohol, a pot or Alembic style of still would get you an alcohol concentration of about 40%. Column stills will get you about 80% and Fractionating still will get you all the way to 95%. Applying that to water purification, as in desalination or removing heavy metals or things like glyphosate (which doesn't boil until 187C), these things generally have very different boiling points than water (fortunately), so discarding you head and tails, and you're a lot better off than you were before.

That wasn't the question asked though.


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## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

I don't have an answer as of yet, but I'm tickled pink to find a post on this site that isn't political.
Honestly, I think if a person is preparing for SHTF, it doesn't matter who's blowing whom in DC.


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## Justaguy987 (Mar 2, 2013)

Look what I just came across.







https://www.wish.com/m/c/587c79506de77f4fdc449ca6


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Justaguy987 said:


> Look what I just came across.
> View attachment 18824
> 
> https://www.wish.com/m/c/587c79506de77f4fdc449ca6


Very nice. Good price


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## ArizonaJones (Jun 27, 2017)

Justaguy987 said:


> Look what I just came across.
> View attachment 18824
> 
> https://www.wish.com/m/c/587c79506de77f4fdc449ca6


Yeah, you can also find those on Amazon, but for a bit more money. Down side is that they are quite large, not packable, unless you're packing a car or trailer that is. It does look very nice though.


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