Best Ways to Purify Water Without Electricity?

[ChrysanthiDream]

When the grid goes down, what methods have folks here found most reliable for purifying water without any electricity? I know boiling works if you can make a fire, but I'm curious about tried-and-true options like gravity filters, solar stills, or maybe even old-school methods using charcoal and sand. Has anyone used these in a real situation, not just in theory? Any tips or pitfalls to watch out for?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Gravity filters are my go-to—used a Berkey during a weeklong outage and it did great, even with pretty cloudy rainwater. They take longer than you’d think, so patience is key. Tried making a sand/charcoal filter in a pinch, but it’s really just for pre-filtering; still need to disinfect after. Anyone had luck with a solar still in damp climates

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Solar stills are super slow, especially if it’s cloudy or humid—barely got a cup a day. Have you ever tried purifying stream water with iodine tabs instead?

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Gravity filters really do a good job, especially the stainless types with solid carbon blocks. Used mine during a flood when our well got contaminated—tasted fine and no tummy trouble, but like Marigold said, it does take a while to process murky water. For real emergencies, I also keep a stash of calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) since it stores better than liquid bleach; you