Where is the water?

[Size 11]

Just wondering if anyone has done any walking in arid regions?
Being from the East coast, the closest i have been, is a short stroll in between Norseman and Kalgoorlie whilst having a breather on the drive too Perth a few years back.
I have also walked in Whiteman Park, whilst looking after my mates house and dog in Ballajura, Nth Perth. (Hardly isolated, but different to the bushland over east.)
Main issue being water. How much can realisticly be carried for a given time, assuming one knows where he or she is going and dose not get lost?
And is desalination an option if one does get lost?

[vagrom]

Not a stampede to respond.
A byline in Tassie, the heaviest thing to carry when you have to. Can't be compressed or dehydrated. The foremost item in a food drop.
Desalination is only ever mentioned in emergency situations; a mainland issue and standard boyscout learning.

Primary concern is potability and whether one carrys fancy gear for dealing with this or risks the "rolling boil" as sufficient.
If it's just a matter of dealing with suspended matter, muddy waters, then carry a few coffee filters with you may help but I don't yet know for sure. We hadn't bargained for no water at all from the top of the Ironbounds till quite someway down. Plenty of rain but all muddy.

One of the joys of the Mawson Plateau is the watertholes, like Rays Waterhole (actually googlable). Courtesy of tropical systems that rarely make it to the Flinders proper. So nothing beats planning in this regard. For-watered is forearmed.
There was an excellent piece in Wild Magazine a couple of years ago by a chap who did a multi-day walk in the Sunset Pink Lakes area, west of the lakes. The Lakes themselves of course, have tanks laid on for you. Doubtless, you'd do well to confirm circumstances with ParksVic.

[John Sheridan]

If you find a dry creek bed or a tree you can always dig down and see if there is any water.

If you have a lifesaver bottle even the muddiest water can be made clean and drinkable.

Or read all this, I found it very useful, shows you how to find water, hell I might even print it out and carry it with me, pretty informative if your even running dry.


http://www.survival.org.au/water.php

Cheers.

[north-north-west]

I've carried three days drinking/cooking water - about 10 litres all up - but it's not fun.

[Size 11]

I've carried three days drinking/cooking water - about 10 litres all up - but it's not fun.

G'Day north north-west
Was 10l enough for 3 days?
Was that in Summer in an arid area where finding water is unlikely?

Cheers Jez

[north-north-west]

Victorian Alps, during the drought, in summer, a ridgetop walk. It was enough but I was very careful with it. No washing of pots or anything like that, just drinking water and enough to make soup and a meal on two nights.

Similar amount for two days in the West MacDonnells - one needed more drinking water on that trip, even with the Staminade.

[Size 11]

Thank you north north-west
That advice, (too me ) is an eye-opener.
I was hoping that this topic would have generated a little more feedback, but for short, day maximum walkers like myself, all info on this subject is the difference between life and death.
Given the opportunity, and /or knowledge, I would like too walk/trek in arid regions further in the near future.

Cheers Jez

[quigs]

Check out the steripen on Google. I just bought one. They use UV light to kill pathogens and bacteria (Giardia) and uses a couple of batteries. So if creek water is available it is less weight than carting "clean" water around. If in arid areas where no water is available you have to carry it with you.

[vagrom]

Wild, Spring 2010-#114. One of the best accounts you'll ever see of a 4 day desert trip. 35 kms north of Cowangie, they carried 13.5 litres each.

They walked non-stop along one of the great 50 meter high dunes that characterize that region, for 13 kms, though the whole trip was a great circle. Page 8 of Durham's Wyperfeld shows a Costermans diagram of the great dune incursions from the Coorong and the west; three great fingers making up the Little, Big and Murray Sunset Desert parks. Agriculture, road and rail, grew up between the fingers.

The author had only just begun to use his first GPS and has given all locations in lat/long. But the account is a model of planning and good advice, e.g recent rains would make it impossible to get in the 35kms in a two wheel drive, to begin the walk.

[mikethepike]

We do so much of our walking in the better watered 15% of Australia that it's nice to read about someone going into the drier country. Water is the main issue and it seems to me that there are 5 possible sources for extended walks in semi arid areas.
1. Reliable natural water points which are known to have water except possibly after prolonged drought. For example Yackie Water Hole has been shown to be the only water source in the Gammons after prolonged drought when all the other holes including Rover have dried up.
2. Man-made water supplies eg station stock water tanks and troughs if you are in station country - cattle and sheep need to be within a days walk of water so the stuff is there somewhere. You have to ask and /or inform the owner when you intend being on his land and you should ask about where such supplies are - and be very thank-full as he is providing it as well as the information you need!
3. Carrying water between water points.

Post by north-north-west » Wed 27 Jul, 2011 7:28 pm
I've carried three days drinking/cooking water - about 10 litres all up - but it's not fun.

On one mid winter trip I made do with 6.75 over 3 full days with care (drinking the washing up water) but the following winter with slightly warmer days and very long walking days I found that 9 litres wasn't enough for 3 days but happily found tank water at the end of (midnight) day 2. On the same afternoon, I collected some dam water the colour of and consistency thicker than milk coffee so I was rather glad not to have needed it. Had I made more enquiries and a bit earlier, I would have known of more of the water points and saved myself a lot of bother and weight.
4. Desalination unit. - Did Jon Muir use one on his Gulf to Gulf walk? I started to look into this before one walk but ran out of time and inspiration. I couldn't find any off the shelf easily portable unit on the internet so it may have to be a matter of DIY.
5. Water drops. Sometimes walking groups do make this arrangement and it can make walks very much easier. For the drier parts of the Heysen Trail, walkers were once advised to plant water drops but in that situation, it just about defeats the purpose of doing the walk in the first place IMO. Fortunately the trail has been greatly improved in this regard.
Where water is a 'problem', I restrict such trips to mid winter so that you'll need less of it. The days are short so I time them for around full moon so that you can walk easily at night if you need to. It can make for long days but a short sleep while waiting for the moon to rise gives gives the body a rest and makes for glorious walking under the moon. Planning to have the moon, you also feel that you will be able to cope better should reaching a water supply become a bit critical.
I suppose that the above is all very obvious. If anyone has experience with a small water desal' unit, it would be good to hear from you.

[Bill P]

Hi Jez,

I've done a bit of desert stuff. I allow ~4l per person/day.

I use 1.25l PET bottles for ease of packing, diversity and they crush when empty.

Depending on the route it may be possible to bury water whilst outbound for use on the return leg. Bill P.

[FootyPrints]

If you find a dry creek bed or a tree you can always dig down and see if there is any water.

If you have a lifesaver bottle even the muddiest water can be made clean and drinkable.

Or read all this, I found it very useful, shows you how to find water, hell I might even print it out and carry it with me, pretty informative if your even running dry.


http://www.survival.org.au/water.php

Cheers.

My sincerest apologies for the somewhat late response, but I've never even heard of the "Lifesaver Bottle." I decided to do some research on the product after reading this post; and from what I've gathered, it's pretty reasonably priced for what it is. However, I do wonder if the purchase is still worth it? What experiences have you had with it, John? I only consider myself a moderate hiker/camper. With that being the case, would it still be a worth-while purchase? I'm just curious to know if it's truly a miracle worker in terms of removing impurities. Is it anything like your average fridge filter? Maybe I can find someone to demonstrate online or in person. Who knows?

O.K. Enough of my crazed rambling. Thanks for allowing me to do so. Hope to meet everyone on here soon. =)