How to make a water filter

Knowing how to make a water filter is important, if the only water you can find is dirty muddy water. There are a number of different ways to make a water filter. One simple way is to use sand and gravel.


Simple water filter

1. To start with, you need a container. If you can find a large, empty can, use it. Punch 5-10 holes in the bottom of the can. A large plastic bottle is also fine. Cut the end of the bottle off evenly. If there is no container available, you have to use what material that nature can provide, or that you brought with you.

If you find a birch tree, make a cone of birch bark. The cone will need to have a fairly small hole in the bottom. Tie the cone with rope to keep it from opening up. Put a few stones in the bottom to help hold the filtering materials in place.

2. Fill your container with layers of sand and gravel from the bottom to the top. For sand and gravel, use both fine and coarse layers. The bigger the filter and the more layers you have in it, the better.

If you use a bottle or cone, you need to stop the sand to get out of the container. Find some filter material you can place at the bottom. For instance:
· a couple of inches (centimeters) of pebbles.
· a grass mesh, make sure it’s nonpoisonous grass.
· or cotton material.

3. Collect some water. Pour your collected water through the filter. Catch it in another container at the bottom. Look at the water that comes out of the filter. It should be clear. If not, you may have to pass the water through the filter more than once.


Safe water

Now you know how to make a water filter, but to get safe water to drink, you also have to purify your water. The water may still contain harmful bacteria that your filter did not remove.

To improve your water filter, replace the sand and gravel with a layer of charcoal. Keep the top layer of sand or gravel. Get charcoal from your fire, crush it, not to powder but just fine gravelsize.