Make Distilled Water at Home or While Camping

Distillation is a process of filtering and purifying water, resulting in pure, pH-balanced h2o water. The process consists of the following:

  • Boiling/evaporating the water,
  • Collecting the water vapor,
  • Cooling it to allow it to condense back into liquid, and then
  • Collecting the liquid.

The boiling causes the pure water molecules to evaporate, leaving all impurities behind in the boiling pot. Impurities that distilling will remove include bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, salts, chemicals, and particulates. In short, it is a very effective method of creating safe drinking water.

How Can I Make Distillation At Home?

You can distill water at home. On the Stove, You’ll need the following:

  • A stove
  • Ideally, a large pot (5+ gallons) with a convex (curving out) lid.
  • A smaller bowl that fits into the pot

Make distilled water with a kettle by filling the pot halfway with the water you’d like to distill. Place the pot on a stove element and turn it to a temperature that will slowly boil the water. Place your bowl in the center of the pot so it’s floating on the water. Place the lid of the pot upside down so it is curved inwards; place ice cubes on top of it.

The water will turn into steam and collect on the lid. Because the lid is cold, the steam will condense, and because the lid curves inward, it will run down to the lowest point and drip into your bowl. Keep the process going until your bowl fills or gets too close to the bottom of the pan that your collected water begins to boil.

Another adaptation you can make is using glass bottles instead of a bowl to collect your water. In this instance, fill one bottle with the water you wish to distill. Connect the two bottles at the top, and place the bottle with water into the water-filled pot.

Place the second bottle in ice to cool the steam down and convert it into liquid. The water in the bottle will evaporate and flow into the other bottle. Ensure the second bottle is at an angle where the water will collect and not flow back into the first bottle.

Atmospheric Water Generators:

The Atmospheric Water Generator extracts humidity from the air and converts it into potable water. The process is similar to how a humidifier works, except that they also supply clean drinking water.

How Do You Distill Water In The Wild?

Using Bottles to Distill Water

You can distill water if you have two bottles available and in warm sunny weather. Fill the bottle with the water you wish to distill, then connect the two bottles at their openings. Place the bottle filled with water in the sun and the second bottle in a cooler space.

Over time, the water will evaporate from the first bottle and collect in the second. Again, ensure the second bottle is angled to collect and doesn’t flow back into the first.

Use Solar to Distill Water

A solar still collects water from an area that contains moisture, such as soil or plants. A large plastic sheet collects evaporated moisture and channels it into a collection tub.

Use Distilled Rain Water

Mother Nature naturally distills water. When water evaporates from the earth, it leaves its impurities behind. It then condenses in the clouds and falls back to earth. Rainwater is perfectly distilled; if you collect it, it can be used for drinking.

Have a large, clean container to collect rainwater. When the rain stops, cover the top and let it sit for 2 days to allow the minerals to settle. It can then be used for drinking.

Is Distilled Water Safe to Drink Everyday?

It is water in its purest form. Distilled water is safe in the short term, as it has removed all of its impurities. Over the long term, however, there are some concerns with it.

The problem is that it’s missing a lot of natural minerals in water sources, and it’s not clear what effect this will have in a person-term term. So don’t rely on distilled water as your only water source unless you also take a mineral supplement.

Sources:

https://sympathink.com/how-to-filter-purify-distill-water-in-the-wild/

https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-drink-distilled-water

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Home_Health_Club/0DxFAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Distilled+Water+at+Home&pg=PA45&printsec=frontcover

Macallister Anderson

I am by no means an expert in every aspect of this stuff. I plan to learn, and when possible, enlist the help of experts in various fields to come together and offer their knowledge. In a few years, I dream that this site will be a virtual survival encyclopedia and allow a total novice to come on here and be supplied with everything they need to prepare for anything.

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