Avoiding Contaminated Food and Water for Outdoor
Given the link between contaminated food and a number of diseases, you should keep an eye on your food and drink. In practice, you'll have to compromise between what is desirable and what is possible. Especially in outdoor fishing with reels and other hunting animals should be in good condition before eating.
Well! This is not all.
The risk of food contamination is much higher if you stray from well-cooked and freshly served food. Beware of raw vegetables, peeled fruit, salads, fish (especially shellfish), and meat (unless well cooked and served to pipe hot); food left lying around or reheated.
Also, dishes or ingredients populated by flies; and open table condiments, sauces, and relishes. Some travelers dodge possible hygiene problems with local food implements by using their own chopsticks or cutlery.
AVOIDING CONTAMINATED FOOD AND DRINK
If you are in any doubt about the quality of the water you encounter on your travels, be sure to treat it most of the illness experienced during foreign travel is related to contaminated water. Consume treated water within 24 hours unless it is in a properly sterilized and sealed container.
This advice extends to water used for local ice cubes or ice cream, washing vegetables or fruits, and brushing your teeth. If you are buying bottled water or bottled carbonated drinks, take a look at any sell-by date and check that the seal is intact-in some countries locals have found a lucrative income by refilling bottles from the tap. Cups or glasses washed in contaminated water should also be avoided (some traveling folks carry their own mug).
Basic Methods of Decontaminated Water
There are three basic methods for decontamination of water: boiling, filtration, and disinfection. It may seem obvious, but you can greatly improve the purity of your water if you head up and away as close as possible to its source; as far as possible from human habitation, pasturing animals, stagnant or discolored pools, and industrial pollution.
Boiling
At sea level, bringing water to a full boil for at least 2 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) will kill most major microorganisms, especially Giardia. If ingested, this nasty cyst lurks in your intestines for a few days before unleashing a noxious bout of explosive diarrhea lasting many weeks. Like in the same way you need to boil or heat the fish after catching like you will pure water with heat.
As you gain in altitude, remember to allow at least 1 extra minute for every 1,000 feet (300 meters) above sea level. Boiling doesn't remove debris, and it necessitates the use of fuel and requires a subsequent wait for the liquid to cool.
Filtration
Filtration devices are available in various designs to pump water through a filter with pores small enough to block organisms. The standard used to measure these tiny critters is 1 micron, equivalent to 1 millionth of a meter. Filters should be able to block organisms larger than 0.5 microns (including Giardia) and ultrafine models are also available to a specification of 0.2 microns, enough to knock back yet more micro beings, including some viruses.
With pore sizes as small as this, clogging is to be expected, and filters should normally be self-cleaning or provided with a cleaning device. A simple preliminary method to remove coarse impurities before proceeding with full filtration is to use a coffee filter.
Filters vary considerably in price. Points to consider are your intended use; the rate of flow and, hence, amount of water; weight; the cost of internal elements and spares; robustness; portability; and reliability.
Disinfection
There are several chemicals used for the treatment of water, the most common being iodine and chlorine. Iodine preparations (liquid, tablets, or crystals) are faster acting around 20 minutes) and more effective against the odds in the outdoor.
Source:
Safariors - Blog of Outdoor Adventurers
