Finding & Making Drinking Water in the Wild | Marine & Bushcraft Pro Tips | Millbank Bag

How to find, filter and purify water in the wild for safe drinking.
Watch to the end!
You can find some of the kit I use here:
Millbank Bag: geni.us/millbankbag
Nalgene Backpacker Bottle: geni.us/o7LNsOe
Stanley Nesting Cup: geni.us/oapZ5
Pocket Rocket: geni.us/m56oU
Lifestraw: geni.us/b98mB7
Bushcraft essentials, Water sourcing, wild water sourcing, hiking tips, sourcing, millbank bag, how to find water, how to purify water, how to make water safe, drinking water, how to make water drinkable, royal marine commando, sourcing,

[@CristiNeagu]

Off topic, but I don't think anyone, ever, has had a cooler name than Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The man is an absolute legend.

[@soggz4246]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 ‘The Wreckess Engineer’.😉

[@lilithblackwater309]

I totally agree! What an EPIC name. It just sounds awesome 😎

[@biodumb]

It only can be compared to Jethro Tull

[@MokuNui808]

Absolutely cave investigation!! Maybe even an overnighter

[@stevo728822]

Another method for transferring water is through capillary action. So for example, imagine you dug a hole down to the water level. The water is muddy brown. You then take a strip of absorbent material, wet it, dunk one end in the hole and the other into a container. Capillary action will then slowly draw the water up the strip of material into the container. The action will also remove the dirt from the water. True it can be a slow process but I have used it to draw gallons of water overnight from a flat roof on an previous property.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

A roll of lamp wick is great for this method, just don't leave yourself wickless lol.

[@eireannerussell9211]

"More fun than i intended on having!" Spoken like a true soldier

[@davidian7787]

Having lived homeless for around 18 months in the past, in the UK, this was slightly useful. I think?? I just find an unguarded tap and use that. Take a 5ltr container and you are good for a couple of days. I've gone out at 4am just to get as much water as I can carry; a rucksack full of it (In containers, obviously). You don't need to source and process water in places where you are uphill from habitation in remote areas. You make sure there is nothing dead upstream, find a fast flowing part and drink it. Rural... Find a tap. There's always a tap. Even, as a now non homeless person I look for taps I could access. It doesn't leave you. I'll probably do it until I die. There's a tap you could use. I could give you three water points within a 15 minute walk.

[@davidcarothers3311]

Glad you're OK now, Brother!! Jesus Really Does SAVE!! Bye, Friend...

[@xreftx]

The point of boiling water for 5-10 minutes is that some bacteria, Salmonella for example, can resist a brief boil. Also if the toxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum is present, it takes time to be de-natured by heat, even though the bacteria itself gets killed much easier.

[@Matt_Alaric]

Can you provide a source for those claims?

[@xreftx]

@@Matt_Alaric Rather than give a single "source for those claims", which are based on pretty rudimentary school-level biology, search for "denature botulism toxin" and "kill salmonella". You'll get plenty of sources.

[@Matt_Alaric]

@@xreftx So that's a long winded way of saying you don't have a source.

[@xreftx]

@@Matt_Alaric No it' was intended as a polite way of saying "Don't be so lazy, a simple search of the internet will give you multiple sources (not just the ones that I may favour). Don't expect me to do the work for you." If you have evidence that what I said was incorrect, then why don't you offer it up?

[@Matt_Alaric]

@@xreftx The onus is always on the person making the claim. Always. It's called "the burden of proof". Or to put it even more simply - Hitchen's razor: that which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

[@duncys]

Oh yea wouldn’t mind seeing more of that cave or mine entrance could be a silver mine maybe? We’ve quite a lot of those in the ochil hills near us.

[@meisterbisto]

a camp out in the cave would also be good

[@herbalfright1271]

Totally agree

[@TheRanger1uk]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683i know where you can do that

[@TheRanger1uk]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 i up for that

[@janosszentpeteri1922]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Is that cave is in the South, near Bristol?

[@richtunc27]

Yes go explore the cave....my anxiety levels haven't spiked today yet 😳

[@samuelpouyt8926]

The boiling time depends on the altitude. Here in the alps we count 1 min per 1000 meters. That is because water boils at lower temperature the higher you go...

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

That's what I was taught, too, and I'm in the States lol.

[@mungo75]

I have to admit I'd like to see more of the cave too. It's pretty curious.

[@mungo75]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 it's a sign! 😄

[@je710817]

Boiling is the way my father thought my ...he was s POW at the Birma railway and that's the way he purified their water ...he lived till Nov 2011 🤗

[@robman247]

Nice show and tell there Nick if you do go look 👀 see in the cave use and bring a battle buddy be safe 👍👌✌️🇺🇸

[@robman247]

There you go 👍😀will keep and 👁 for the 🎥

[@daviddirom7429]

These days I usually carry one 1 litre stainless steel and one 1 litre Nalgene wide mouth plastic bottle (old school 58 pattern guy lol) when I go out. The Nalgene is my collector bottle, (yes I mixed up my water bottles in the past) makes it easier to be picking up water on the move for filtering later. I do have a mill bank bag (3-4 years ago) but I’m glad I never got around to using it yet because the how to book (idiot guide) did not say about 2-3 filters, NO squeezing, OUR pull inside out for UVA drying. Love your videos, I’m trying to pass them around to a small group of like minded folks in my part of the world into the same things. I do give them a caviate about some of the things you say that I understand (Scottish & ex-military) that they as civilians might not understand and that might require me verbally interacting with them prior to them using the information.

[@davidgregory4335]

I spent around 6 weeks back in the 80's utilising a cave, a folly built castle and old stone built structures in north wales. I set 30 foot long lines on the beach, hunted small game such as rabbit and squirrel, utilised local flora and every by catch I sold to local chefs.

[@alanwright4120]

Could just imagine a life like that 👍

[@cripplers8]

Keeping it real even after the accidental spill. That’s what makes your videos really good learning tools. You’re not doing textbook situations and continue on when something goes fubar moving forward…..

[@Whiteowl116]

As someone from North-Norway I am so used to just drink the water straight out of the source. I guess this good knowledge to have now that i have moved..

[@Funkteon]

I'm from Australia (Tasmania) and it's the same for me. I've never boiled water before drinking it straight from the river, however, I understand that human activity in much of the northern hemisphere (except Scandinavia) has completely ruined the quality/safety of the water...

[@alexchichigin]

Thanks for very insightful video! One thing though. I wouldn't dismiss "5 min or more of boiling" advice right away. Some bacteria or viruses indeed take that long of boiling at 100 deg to be destroyed (and some survive even that). Thus for suspicious water sources I'd really boil for as long as realistically possible. Besides, you don't loose that much water if you have a lead. Be safe and please keep up spreading your wisdom! :D

[@alexchichigin]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 sorry for repeating a common adage -- I couldn't make myself read through the whole hundred of comments! 😅

[@waynepugh7844]

HI Nick, I thoroughly enjoyed this video, as I have done with your whole series, you have a great presentation style, relaxed and down to earth. As ex British Army, I not so fondly remember the poison tabs too! Collecting water on the go, water recce patrols, reading the ground, the good old days! keep up the good work!

[@mangakatanaka3067]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 you have worked in the army come on you should know the earth is flat and there never was an ice age. water always finds it's way flat and level. i'm sure when you are in the army all the instructions they give you are about aiming straight never do they start asking you to take into account the bullet going over curvature. or any of that other sudo science stuff about curvature and the globe. even when people plan out military strategies or play military board games they take place on a FLAT surface or table, nobody is doing military strategies taking into account of curvature.

[@marclacey2263]

Good simple to grasp informative stuff! Thanks! Here's an extra option available - If you want to cool your water quicker, and you have the time, you can put the container in the stream for a while (providing it isn't a vac flask).

[@Nick-be5hh]

Omg I'm so happy you made this video and that I found it lol I've been debating what to get for my water system and I can't believe these bags aren't common knowledge (to me anyway)

[@davidmadisontheguardian]

Enjoyed the video so much that I shared it on Facebook. Subscribed, liked and of course, left a comment. I'm transitioning from being dependent on artificial constructs in society, to being able to survive on my own if need be. I feel this is another good video for that.

[@ultimatehandyman]

I remember Puritabs from when I used to go camping about 40 years ago (when I wanted to be Rambo) 😂

[@brandyhouston2105]

Being Rambo is a commentary on our current lives As you know,. the movie an script where written to reflect society. For example , when sheriff Teasle said ' people start fucking around with the law and all hell breaks loose"...Alot of guys wanna be Rambo 😎🇺🇸

[@eireanneruss2311]

Still watching and learning. Hope you are doing well, Nick

[@lastspud7030]

... This is more fun than I intended lol 😆 🤣

[@rockandrollfezz]

What a proper chilled and decent video pal ! You should definitely explore that cave that you found that would be epic 🤘🏻 me and the Mrs are going to be tapping some silver birch soon and getting some of that sweet juice 🥤 🥤

[@cjssurf]

The Decent and Decent 2 are must watch before going into the cave. Told some caver from a students union club to watch the film as it had some much great caving in it, left out the occupants

[@robthompson1399]

@@cjssurf lol

[@andreikossatkine8725]

Yes! All important for any survival or backcountry excursions. Thank you Nick. Keep these edu-tainment videos coming, mate. I truly appreciate your service, experience and your knowledge. If ever I get over to the UK, I promise to look you up.

[@unwin42]

Thanks for the video, really enjoyed it. As a followup for anyone wanting to go down the water rabbit hole, the channel Gear Skeptic has an extensive, really good, series on backcountry water disinfection/purification options. One of my favorite tips was to use a WAPI device to tell you when the water you're heating has been purified, saving time and fuel.

[@AScotsmanOutdoors]

That's the Millbank bag and a Stanley Adventure mug on the ever growing Santa's list 😂 A big part of my outdoors enjoyment is the reduced pace at which things are done and looking around in wonder about who was here, what did they do and the such. So it's great to see someone else doing the same and getting as much enjoyment. Thanks again for superb, well explained, outdoors tips. Keep up the great work.

[@johnmudd6453]

I agree , I can never understand you tube presenters timing how long various stoves boil a cup of water the quickest , I will stick with my slow boil Trangia and enjoy the moment!

[@E-Kat]

We have water spouts in our town. The water comes from our hills but it's often contaminated and the spouts are closed.

[@Boo.....]

Thanks for the info mate. I've recently discovered your channel and have very much been enjoying your well made and informative videos. 👍🏻 Good work.

[@poisonousbadge126]

Ive learnt so much from you and i thank you for making AMAZING content

[@just_joc]

Thanks Nick, I've learned so much from watching your videos! ❤️

[@MasterTSayge]

I love this video sooo much!!! I learned a lot!!!

[@rachaelwyatt754]

Loved this one. Brought back some happier memories :)

[@Johny40Se7en]

Lovely video. Brilliant tips and demonstrations, cheers bud 👍

[@josephchivers8637]

I would love to see more of that cave.

[@TheAmputeeSwimmerUK]

Another great video mate, my kids are loving this channel.

[@paulaborn5905]

Love the details explained thank you great tips

[@GunnerGibbons]

Thank you for a very interesting and informative video. I was feeling your pain when the can went over . Great to see the humble Millbank getting airtime. Keep up the great work your doing and hope to see more like this.

[@leightoncooke]

When I’m out in the wild I like to make a brew with black tea and chai spices, which I add to cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.

[@peteturner3267]

Absolutely love his vids...

[@romeos.6530]

Awesome advice and tips thank you! 😊

[@jays4780]

As always I really enjoyed your video and the quality of the knowledge you share with us. Also I would most definitely like to see the cave exploration in more detail as well.

[@silvRsmeden]

Nice info about water clearification

[@Daymanoahha]

Found it! Very helpful thanks!

[@mgtabc7367]

Hi Nick, thanks fur takin' yir time tae make yir video's, always good tae keep up on outdoor skills. Take care Tam

[@StockyLocky123]

Nice one, thanks again Nick 👍🏼👌🏼

[@ianstewart2335]

Brilliantly done! 🙏

[@simonarundell5093]

Great video. I was always taught big bubbles no troubles with boiling water.

[@etee777]

loving the videos. 💪🏽

[@irampotter]

Thanks, this is just the Lo Tech advice I was looking for.

[@duncys]

Thanks again Nick. Clear and to the point (pardon the pun)

[@josephhackett3618]

Excellent Nick....you’ve a new subscriber here fella👍

[@batzpfsaddict2806]

Very good video. Good to see someone using a stanley cup and nalgene bottle they are my go to choice. Also i have bought a milbank bag and didnt realise you need to wet them first so very useful tip thanks

[@seasoldier3902]

Ace to base Nick! Good sound advice; as usual.

[@storytellershane7210]

What a great down to earth vid. I have now subscribed.

[@survivescotland844]

Thanks for the videos best survival videos I have seen 💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✌️

[@SERENASOPHIE]

Just brought my millbank bag 👍 could really come in useful soon.

[@leemcilhatton4167]

The cave looks good I am from Belfast and I took into buchcraft and I like watching you as you learn something new and I am going on my frist camp at the weekend as I brought a new hot stove tent with woodburning stove

[@krishoogstraat6866]

Great information. Thank you for sharing.

[@Cobwobbler]

Excellent informative stuff. You should be on the proper Telly. Never heard of a mill bank bag but it’s now on my shopping list. That mini stove was neat.

[@Alan-cy1zh]

Another awesome video, not only great content and instruction but extra tip with the hot water bottle 👍 cant wait for when joe public can join you on one of your courses next year, fingers crossed 🤞 Thanks guysl

[@jean-frustre8594]

Hi ! Thank you so much for this super video! I bought a life straw bottle and i think its a great idea after i saw your video to get a millbank bag in case of failure of my bottle I dont wanna get stuck haha Yess the cave video plz 😊

[@joshb9657]

Subscribed, looking forward too watch some more of your content when it's not so late 👍

[@peterfiteni4981]

Starting to really enjoy these vids 👏👏👍

[@outdoormph7636]

Thanks for informative video.. be safe always, God bless..

[@MrSlinksville]

Great info , thanks.

[@Snootyboss]

I lived the next village along, in East Harptree. The hazard out walking was the swallet holes though. I'm very fond of the mendips and have many fond memories from my time there

[@anndebaldo7381]

Excellent training video! ATB!

[@cantthinkof123]

Get in those caves big man. I love exploring caves myself

[@daveedwards6567]

Good job nick thanks p

[@fl686]

Nice video. And with actual info regarding the purification👍🏻 The cave? Yes please. (Only if it's safe though)

[@legobrickabrac]

I have drank from streams with no problems just as is.

[@mrdhughes4635]

I will be buying a filter bag. Yet again you have taken the confusion out of what is needed and what is just a convienient gizmo. Thanks nick.

[@welshwarrior797]

amazing.love the videos mate.explore the cave 100%

[@DarrenStarr]

Yes I wouldlike to see the cave adventure

[@UDR-Channel]

Superb Video. When I end up running 100 mile Ultra Marathons in the Mountains of the world, the lessons you taught me in this video will prove to be priceless. thank you Soooo much for sharing this and explaining everything in such a methodical way. I'll check out the life straw too

[@gerryedwards9738]

Cave. Defo! Good vid, once again.

[@peterlowe2277]

Yep I want to see the cave now.

[@thomaslyons1161]

Very informative, Cheers!

[@joerileijs9970]

Yes, Nick we would love to see you explore that cave! Realy nice video. I'm in the Netherlands, where I live land is realy flat. We have loads of almost or fully stegnant water in drainage ditches and fens. Even if we have flowing water there is a lot of intensive farming around with all the pestisides and other chemicals. Do you have any tips for such environments? Ps. Not moving yet, so I mean other options ;) Thanks!

[@Lily-Bravo]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 I'm bothered by the idea of using more chemicals to render chemically polluted water potable. I'm not army trained, and did a chemistry 'A' level many moons ago, and probably not up to date with stuff, but adding a chemical tablet would have to react to the chemicals in the water and maybe that would produce other chemicals which aren't necessarily less harmful. It just seems chancy to me. I once drove to Australia from the UK and we had a small pump made by Safari which rendered the most stagnant water delicious and safe, although it couldn't do salt water. We used it a lot and the worst water was a swamp in Southern Iran.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 puritabs won’t help. They’re chlorine or iodine and just kill microorganisms. If there’s a risk of chemical contamination really the only option (in the absence of industrial equipment) is probably reverse osmosis or - preferably - distillation. Similarly (I’m sure you know this but for your other viewers) the Millbank bag won’t filter out microorganisms. They get rid of particulate matter like faeces. As you say, purify after filtration. Personally I find the Millbank bags a bit bulky - I carry the ends of a pair of heavy Nora Batty stockings* as they work well and are much lighter. * Fishnets don’t work though :)

[@metalgearsolidsnake6978]

who knows what lied in this forest 20 years ago?

[@danielunderwood4634]

unfortunately I usually end up carrying my inflatable roll mat (inside rucksack) and my girlfriends foam roll matt on the outside, though I carry the mat and tent outside of my bag I usually only see a difference in high winds generally, but also, as you do, I try to mount and keep weight around my lumbar area, as I have fallen forwards in the dark quite badly before with a large pack with weight at top and it just pushed my face into the ground which wasn't very nice. Love the channel, good energy and expertise!!!! keep em coming!!!

[@cedarcreekbushcraft6942]

Just found your channel and really enjoy the videos...

[@matthewmclaughlin7472]

Fantastic video

[@asmith7876]

I really like your videos. I do find it odd how many people are in the camp of "well I'd just drink it straightaway, the water around me is all clean and fresh, etc." Polluted water has been a scourge since the dawn of civilization, and pollution is everywhere. I guess I'm wimpy because unless it was truly life and death with absolutely no way to treat water I'd never just drink from the ground without proof first. I carry a pump style filter. Will purify any water source that isn't Chernobyl and is super fast. It's also expensive and heavy....trade offs, always!

[@ColinNew-pf5ix]

All my life I've been drinking directly from springs, never a problem. I think the filtering and boiling in OTT myself

[@evolutionmonkey3146]

Great content as always! Interested to see in that cave.

[@maryhairy1]

Yes please

[@iankilroy]

Great work as usual, Nick. You're a natural teacher. One question: if you collect AND filter AND boil in a steel Nalgene bottle, do you consider the boiling to have cleaned the bottle ok to drink straight from? That's one vessel doing it all. I imagine the boiling water would kill everything and make it clean as a drinking vessel. Maybe I'm not seeing something ...? Keep up the great work! Ian (Dublin, Ireland)

[@londoncrew8860]

Brilliant video 👍 and a very interesting channel.

[@chrisbird4913]

Like the hot water bottle trick and i have a large thermis only £12 from BnM that keeps hot for 4 hr, warm for 2 more and the pressure button style seal is great for releasing gass pressure from hot liqids without loosing liqid or spraying hot liqid in your face.

[@roosterneck2158]

Nice surroundings you have around you, where i am its agricultural land mostly and full of chems. how do you deal with more nefarious water sources? still ponds and the like? be interesting to know.

[@Gaude47]

Probably an old Roman mine. Might be worth checking out !!

[@Npgtv-sn2dc]

Hello new viewer and yes would like to see cave btw keep up this type of content 👍

[@Alan-cy1zh]

Have just purchased my millbank bag, ready for my 2021 days out in the Gloucestershire countryside 👍

[@jean-frustre8594]

@koshi where did you buy it plz 😊?

[@Alan-cy1zh]

@@jean-frustre8594 sorry for delay, I purchased it from ebay, a chap who makes various bushcraft items (chelmerbushcraft) £7.95 with free p&p. It is really well made 👍😊 hope that helps

[@jean-frustre8594]

@@Alan-cy1zh np thank you sooo much 😃 Iam gonna check this out for sure 🙂

[@ccmogs5757]

Definitely check out that cave :)

[@eireannerussell9211]

Definitely want to see you go into the cave.

[@shastaham7630]

Please give us a tour of the cave. Thank you.

[@janosszentpeteri1922]

Hi Nick, I believe this was the very first video I've seen from you in the last year, and so I subscribed to your channel. I really appreciate your wisdom, your knowledge and techniques I learn from all of your videos. I would also like to know if you wrote a book and how or where can I purchase it? Please let me know. And one last thing is, I appologize if you have already did it ( to be honest I didn't find it yet), if you have a link to it, how to desalinize the water.

[@shiehbill7989]

Thanks for sharing the nice video, can I ask if you are wearing 3-layer HARDSHELL JACKET?

[@kev5046]

well another great video man thanks oh yeah please explore the cave 😌