How to Use Snow When You Don’t Have Running Water
Right now, many people in Texas have electricity but no water and turn to the melted snow for something to drink or wash up. This method does work – as winter hikers are well aware – but there are some tips to help you deal with it. work efficiently.
Choose a wide pot
While you can melt snow in any pot (even a multicooker), the wider it is, the more snow you can put on the hottest part of the pot.
Find pure snow
Whatever is in the snow you melt will become part of your water, so make sure to find pure snow especially if you drink or cook with it. Boiling kills microorganisms, but doesn’t get rid of dirt or chemicals.
Climber Andy Levicki writes that he avoids snow under the branches of trees and that he likes to avoid snow near the surface. Look for any visible signs of snow contamination, such as mud or the infamous “yellow snow” (urine).
Note that you will need a lot of snow. As you heat up, your stack will barely shrink, so pick up more than you think.
Melt just a small amount to start.
You melt snow by adding snow to the water, so you need to start with water. If you have a cup or so of plain water, pour it into the pot. If not, start with a few handfuls of snow and don’t add more until it melts.
The water in the bottom of the pot conducts heat and protects the pot from fire. If you ignore this advice and fill the pot with snow, it can take a long time to melt and wasted a lot of fuel.
Once you’ve warmed up some water in the bottom of the pot, add a little snow.
Use a cover
As soon as the water starts to heat up, it will begin to turn into warm water vapor. Put the lid on the pot and you will essentially steam the snow and melt it faster.
Do not boil if you are not drinking
What is your goal? If you want to make sure it’s safe to drink, heat it to a boil and let it boil for a full minute. (Melted clean snow is generally considered safe for campers, but the CDC recommends boiling it . Better safe than sorry.)
But if you only need water for washing, or if you have another way to purify the water so you can drink it, save time and fuel. To melt snow, the water must only be warmer than the snow; warm will do.
Consider filtration of finished water
If the snow collected in the yard drives you out, you can filter or treat the water as if you were hiking. (REI has a guide on filters and purifiers .)
If you finish melting the snow and find dirt or pieces of vegetation in it, you can remove them by running the water through a coffee filter.