Building a Get Home Bag for my non-prepper spouse. Need water purification for them
Posted by bizconnectadventure@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 92 comments
I’m finally putting together a small Get Home Bag for my spouse's trunk. They are completely on board with having a kit, but they aren't a prepper or a backpacker by any means.
Because of that, I need the gear to have zero learning curve, any recommendations?
Particular-Try5584@reddit
Where’s he storing this bag?
I’d go with a lifestraw that can connect to a disposable water bottle.
Leave a bottle of water in there too (1L is about the right amount, assuming “Get home” is a 2hr walk, he’ll be peeing honey by the end of that, but he can refill and use the straw, put 1L in for every 2hrs of walk, max of 3-4L for weight to carry.).
Get home back should be light enough to move fast, assuming you aren’t covering more than 20km on foot. If you need ot cover more than 1 day’s walk then
Don’t need ration packs, just a couple of protein bars. Just a good pair of walking shoes, a light source, some dry socks, small first aid, some gloves, a Leatherman/similar, a key to open park taps, 3 days of meds, a hat and a poncho. The idea is to be able to walk a long distance in this, not pack for the infiltrating hordes. Include a fold up hiking stick if he’s likely to face security issues and knows how to use a staff.
bustopher_rvs@reddit
What/where are park taps?
Particular-Try5584@reddit
In parks and public spaces there are various water taps for maintenance and garden workers. They use a stilcock key usually, and don’t have a handle.
Feral_668@reddit
Make the get home bag a camel back and put a tray of water bottles in it, replace them every 6 months or so. Or if you want to give her some water purification tablets and a Sawyer mini filter... If she can start a fire get her a camping set up to boil the water. Add cotton balls soaked in Vaseline as fire starters. Also include a atlas (hardcopy, I buy a Rand-McNally every few years) map of your area and teach her to use a compass. If she travels the wrong way, she's liable to starve.
TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit
I'd suggest first getting some water pouches (lifeboat rations) as they're made for extreme temperature conditions. For purification, stick with what is proven to work- don't go with DIY stuff that will "likely" work. That's for experimenting, not for emergencies.
So, I'd suggest a good old fashioned Sawyer Squeeze and then a Lifestraw as a backup. Add in some AquaMira tabs and you've got all the basics covered.
bizconnectadventure@reddit (OP)
Great idea!
buddymoobs@reddit
And a silcock key.
AgeInternal5778@reddit
Hi
buddymoobs@reddit
Hola
everyviIIianislemons@reddit
if you get a filter like that be mindful since you’re going to be storing it in a trunk, i know with lifestraws if they get under a certain temp it pretty much renders them useless (breaks/cracks the filter)
TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit
Very good points! I believe the only issue is if it's saturated with water it can break the filter, but that's the case with a few models- I could be wrong though.
czuinoikc@reddit
if they've been used, they'll be wet for awhile and can freeze. and the membrane filter can degrade if they're fully dried out.
czuinoikc@reddit
I would recommend purification tablets as backup instead. more compact and a more complete purification than two redundant membrane filters.
Dmau27@reddit
I put two life straws in my go bag.
karebear66@reddit
I have much prepped at home. In my car I have a generic pre-made emergency backpack. It is made for 2 people for 3 days. It has food, water, first-aid kit, mylar blanket. You know, the minimum to get home. I added a life straw and a very small solar battery bank.
regjoe13@reddit
Water pouches. I have 4 in car bag. Honestly, the bag in a car has much better chances to be used when you stuck on highway due to some accident, or when you need to take a pill than as an actual GHB.
So far, from my car bag I used: A pill for headache. I had a bottle of water, so water pouch was not needed.
A blanket when changing a tire, it also used constantly to put things on, and if you fold it, it somewhat prevents things from sliding.
Gloves.
Backup glasses.
Folding knife - its not really in a bag, but its in a car and will be a part of GHB if ever needed.
Sh3rlock_Holmes@reddit
I would think a change of comfortable clothes & shoes, hat, Handi wipes, flashlight, some easy dry snack, canned water, med kit.
Tasty_Impress3016@reddit
I gave my wife a get home bag for christmas. She was not overjoyed, but I convinced her to throw it in her trunk and gave her a list of contents.
But it's a get home bag, you don't need water purification, she should be home long before that would become an issue. I keep a couple bottles of water and about 2000 calories worth of snacks.
Now if anyone can tell me how to get her to sit down and learn how to use the tire inflator, and battery/jumper cable gizmo. I'm all ears. She thinks a cellphone is all she needs. She is wrong, but I would like to stay married.
Motorcyclegrrl@reddit
I would say get both the tire inflater and jump starter out and the hood opened up, etc. Don't make her stand there with he eyes rolled back in her head while you open bags, unzip zippers, and open the hood, etc.
Perhaps you can bribe her. Maybe just telling her you have it all ready for a demo, it will take less than 5 minutes, and it would help your anxiety a great deal if you knew she was informed on how to work these items, because she is the most important person in the world to you and you want her to be safe, and not have to rely on drunks or weirdo's to help her.
NewFailureUnlocked@reddit
This.
Also the point that she can use these to help her friends and coworkers as well.
I keep all these items in my car, I am often the hero or the phone call for help, because people know I've pulled them out for others. I love my little jump kit/ battery combo and take it camping all the time (it'll also charge my phone!). I also keep the classic jumper cables in my spare tire well. But I enjoy being self sufficient and was the gal friends would call to change a tire. :D
Ask her if she wants to bring her friends by for the lesson, and their kids. Especially the teens. Teaching a teen how to properly jump their car is just... important.
No one taught me growing up, and once I learned I was the one to show up, hand my friends or their kids the cables, and walk them through it.
NewFailureUnlocked@reddit
Life straw. Easy, lasts a good amount of time, not to expensive.
Add in a water bottle with an opening large enough to drop it through the top/lid.
MydaisyChange@reddit
Water purification tabs are very small. Great addition to everything else said. Some come in pouches the size of condoms and they can fit in any nook and crany in the GHB.
oldgimlet@reddit
When are you going to use water purification tablets in a real emergency? Be real dude. She needs IDs phones SIM cards prepaid credit cards and cash and a weapon
Alienspacedolphin@reddit
And comfortable walking shoes, cold:wet weather gear.
Lillianrik@reddit
Phones and sim cards won't be worth beans when the cell system loses power and the cell grid goes down.
deport_racists_next@reddit
💯 agree...
... but ditch the misogynistic writing style friend... it wears poorly.
Arlieth@reddit
Honestly, I will say this til the cows come home, but for a get home bag just put a few cans of (NON-CARBONATED!) water in there. It will last virtually forever. It will add significant pack weight but the security of having guaranteed potable water on hand in a SHTF situation is worth it.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
There are water bottles that have filters in them. Like life straw. That would be my suggestion.
buchenrad@reddit
You've got good suggestions for products, but first you have to consider strategy. How far is the likely journey? Is it much heavier to just carry all the water she will need rather than having to worry about purification? Are there plentiful water sources along the journey?
Spiley_spile@reddit
This.
I just taught a session on building 3-day evac bags as a local skillshare. A large part of it was a scenario-building exercise. We need to know what the expectations are, in order to build a kit to meet the. Whether that kit is leave home, get home, etc.
Where I live, a lot of people are prepping for a 9.0 megaquake. The roads are going to be trashed. Travel will be on foot. And a lot of people will be injured. So one consideration was the weight.
pianoboy777@reddit
I built something for exactly this. Zero learning curve, no tablets, no boiling, no bad taste. Drop and wait.
The Jones Puck
Copper wool and zinc wool twisted together around a chunk of activated charcoal. Wrap in a little mesh to hold it together. Costs maybe $1-2 at the hardware store.
Why it works:
· Copper + zinc + water = a tiny electric current (voltaic cell). That current kills bacteria. · The metals release trace ions that punch holes in bacteria cell walls (oligodynamic effect, documented for over a century). · Activated charcoal adsorbs chemicals, heavy metals, and bad tastes.
How your spouse uses it:
That's it. Can't overdose. Can't underdose. No measuring. No timing beyond "wait a bit." If they can drop a tea bag in water, they can use this. Puck lasts years. Charcoal can be swapped out eventually if it saturates.
Materials:
· Fine copper wool (hardware store, cleaning aisle or plumbing section) · Zinc wool or a couple zinc-plated washers · Activated charcoal chunk (pet store, aquarium section, $5 for a carton that'll make a dozen pucks) · Optional: a few wraps of silver wire (jewelry section, boosts bacteria kill) · Mesh bag, cheesecloth, or just wire to bind it
Twist the copper and zinc around the charcoal so they make contact with each other. Bind it tight. Drop in water. It starts working immediately.
I'd pack two so they can refill their bottle while the second puck purifies the next round.
Good luck with the bag build.
throwawaybsme@reddit
Do you have a source for your "Jones Puck"?
pianoboy777@reddit
Yes I'm the source and you can be too . I invented it . I just want people to try it . Science and physics says it should work
TheMrsH1124@reddit
"should" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there
pianoboy777@reddit
Yeah, "should" carries the weight until someone builds it and films the test. I can't fund the builds myself right now, so the recipes are public. If the physics is wrong, the test flops and we all learn something. If the physics is right, a $1 puck replaces a $40 Sawyer for backup use. Either way, knowledge advances. Someone give it a shot and tag me.
stream_inspector@reddit
It's not the puck cost - it's doing full bacteria, etc testing on both the before and after samples for multiple water sources.
pianoboy777@reddit
The oligodynamic effect isn't debated. Hospitals install copper surfaces because copper ions kill bacteria on contact. That's standard infection control. As for current killing bacteria, electrochlorination and electrocoagulation are used in water treatment. They pass current through water to generate disinfectants or clump contaminants. Not the most common method at municipal scale because chlorine is cheaper, but the principle is sound. My puck combines both copper and zinc in water create a weak voltaic current, and the metal ions released are antimicrobial. Activated charcoal handles chemicals and particulates. You've got 18 years in the field, you'd be the perfect person to test it. Build one, run it against a bacteria sample, show me where it fails. I'd genuinely welcome the data.
stream_inspector@reddit
I'm not wasting hundreds of my dollars on your idea. Samples aren't cheap.
pianoboy777@reddit
That's what I mean bro lol you guys prove my points everyday. It would be funny if I didn't have to see it lol but here are
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Prove what point? That the inventor should be the one shelling out to test his invention?
If you're so certain it will work, get investors and sign a contract to return every penny if it doesn't work. Easy. I'll pay up.
pianoboy777@reddit
I'm not selling anything lolol where do you rocks get this shit at ? You try it or don't , fucks sake lol
TheMrsH1124@reddit
And the resounding response is, your science is wrong, no, lol
pianoboy777@reddit
Where is your science bro ? I haven't seen anything from you but complaining lol . You don't even care your just another rock . It's alright though , many many more like you.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
I'm sorry that stating scientific facts is complaining lmao
pianoboy777@reddit
You haven't stated a single scientific fact. Not one. You said "no lol" and called it science. Where's your citation? Where's your mechanism? Show me the paper that says copper ions don't kill bacteria. Show me the study that says galvanic couples don't release ions into water. Show me anything other than your opinion. I'll wait.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Absolutely!
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100238
"However, the concentration of copper ions released from copper pots into water at room temperature is quite low, only ∼2 mg/L, which is insufficient for achieving the effective antibacterial activity on common bacteria in water, e.g., E. coli and S. aureus (Carlo et al., 2013)."
Two citations in one! You're welcome!
And, your proposed mechanism does not function. First, a galvanic cell requires an ionic metal AND the other metal in elemental form. Not two elemental metals. Second, due to the activity of copper, even if you put it in zinc solution, nothing would occur. You could release zinc ions by putting zinc in a copper solution, but that would be irrelevant to your argument.
pianoboy777@reddit
Thanks for the source. It confirms copper ions are released into water from metallic copper—2 mg/L from a passive pot alone. My puck uses a galvanic couple (copper + zinc in contact), which accelerates that release. More ions, faster. Add the weak current, zinc's own antimicrobial effect, and charcoal adsorption, and you've got a multi-mechanism system, not just a copper pot. As for the cell: a galvanic couple requires two dissimilar metals and an electrolyte. The water is the electrolyte. The metals are in contact. It produces a current. This is the same principle as a lemon battery. You don't need ionic solutions—you need two metals and a conductive medium. The puck provides all three.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
You keep using the term galvanic couple. You don't know what that means.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/galvanic-couple
What you are describing is not a galvanic couple. It's just metal in water.
pianoboy777@reddit
Your own source defines a galvanic couple as "two dissimilar metals electrically connected while both are immersed in an electrolyte solution." That's copper and zinc, twisted together, in water. Water with any dissolved minerals—tap water, stream water—is an electrolyte. It doesn't need to be seawater to work. The reaction is slower in low-conductivity water, but slower is fine. The puck has 30 minutes, not 30 seconds. Thanks for confirming the mechanism.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Twisting the two together is NOT "electrically connecting" but let's skip over that.
Your argument is that copper will be released by the galvanic connection in water as an electrolytic solution.
Setting aside allllll the problems with this thesis, in galvanic corrosion with copper and zinc, the zinc will corrode, leaving the copper intact.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/galvanic-series
TheMrsH1124@reddit
You're being unusually silent. Chemistry finally got you?
stream_inspector@reddit
No idea what you just said
pianoboy777@reddit
It's not for you lol
TheMrsH1124@reddit
As a chemistry teacher, the amount of current that actually passes through water from this type of reaction is disappointingly small AND the water needs to be pretty ionic.
pianoboy777@reddit
Your right about the current being small, especially in pure water. The current is a bonus, not the main mechanism. The primary kill method is oligodynamic metal ion release. Copper and zinc in contact form a galvanic couple, which accelerates copper ion release into the water. Those ions are what punch holes in bacteria. The tiny current helps, but the ions do the heavy lifting. That's the same oligodynamic effect that makes copper surfaces kill pathogens in hospitals. No current needed there either—just the metal touching the microbe. The charcoal handles chemicals and particulates. The current is just the cherry on top.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
This mechanism would not work in water or for a large quantity of bacteria. Nor does it sterilize the surfaces even in the best circumstances.
pianoboy777@reddit
Copper-silver ionization is currently used to control Legionella in hospital water systems. The EPA registers copper surfaces as antimicrobial and hospitals install them to kill MRSA. This isn't theoretical. It's deployed and working. If the mechanism "wouldn't work in water" and "doesn't sterilize surfaces," someone should tell the hospitals and the EPA. They seem to think otherwise.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
. . . Surely you recognize that zinc and silver are NOT the same substance?
pianoboy777@reddit
They're not the same. Zinc is the sacrificial anode in the galvanic couple. Silver adds extra antimicrobial ions. Copper does the main bacteria kill. Charcoal handles chemicals. Four materials, four jobs. Nobody said they were interchangeable.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Charcoal doesn't "handle" chemicals. For example, it won't remove cyanide, or toxic alcohols. Among many others.
pianoboy777@reddit
Never said charcoal removes everything. It adsorbs many organic chemicals, chlorine, and improves taste. That's why Brita uses it. If your water has cyanide, you've got bigger problems than which purifier to pack in your spouse's glove box. The puck isn't for chemical warfare. It's for making stream water safe to drink.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Buddy - you realize that the charcoal in a Brita filter works because it FILTERS the water. Not because it acts like a super magnet. Right?
pianoboy777@reddit
Charcoal doesn't filter like a strainer. It adsorbs. Molecules bind to the carbon surface at the molecular level. That's why gas masks use charcoal—no liquid to "filter," just air passing through, and the toxins stick. Same principle in the puck. Water flows around the charcoal, chemicals bond to it, water comes out cleaner. Not a magnet. Chemistry.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Sorry, which one of us here has a career in organic chemistry? Oh yes, it's me.
THE WATER HAS TO GO THROUGH THE FILTER TO ADSORB.
You can't just chuck some charcoal in and hope that the LDFs do the heavy lifting for you 😂
pianoboy777@reddit
You're right that water needs to contact the charcoal. That's why the puck sits for 30 minutes. Diffusion and convection move water molecules across the charcoal surface continuously during that time. No pressure needed—just contact time. Gas masks don't force air through under pressure either. The air passes over the charcoal and toxins stick. The puck works the same way. Water in contact with carbon for 30 minutes = adsorption happens. It's slower than a pressurized column, but it's not zero. And for a glove box emergency purifier, slow and passive is the whole point.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
Buddy. Your LUNGS are the pressurizer for a gas mask. You can't put a gas mask in the open air and have it clean it. That's not how it works.
And no. You won't get full diffusion in 30 minutes. Run a test. Put several different colored Skittles in the bottom of a water bottle. How long does it take for the water to become a uniform color?
pianoboy777@reddit
Great example. Skittles in still water fully dissolve and diffuse within about 15-30 minutes. The dye reaches every part of the water without stirring. That's exactly my point—molecules move through water on their own via diffusion. If dye can spread uniformly in 30 minutes, water molecules can contact a charcoal surface in the same container in the same timeframe. You don't need pressure. You just need time. Thanks for the perfect demonstration of why the puck works.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
You're gonna get a Darwin Award for this one!
stream_inspector@reddit
The mechanism working and your puck working are two vastly different things
throwawaybsme@reddit
You can't find the builds? Didn't you just say it cost $1?
OldSchoolPrepper@reddit
"it SHOULD work" not good enough for an emergency. call me crazy but i'd suggest knowing that it works ahead of time is the way to go
throwawaybsme@reddit
You have to provide more than "trust me, bro". The burden of proof is on you to show it works and have peer review to confirm it.
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Thank you for your post. However, it has been removed because it breaks our rules on Post Quality.
Recommending a DIY project with certainty, that has no official testing for water purification is not appropriate for this subreddit.
If you have questions on this, or any other removal, please contact the moderators using Modmail
buckGR@reddit
Uh…. Ok
Key-Ad1506@reddit
I carry a Grayl Geopress bottle with mine. Pretty straight forward, bull the bottom off, fill it with water, and then press the top back on filtering the wayer.
Radtoo@reddit
Katadyn / Sawyer / Lifestraw are good. If you already want water in the car, probably just keep it in the store bought PET bottle(s).
Ubockinme@reddit
It’s called a purse and pink 32 oz Stanley mug.
TraditionalBasis4518@reddit
The middle of a crisis is not a good learning moment. Give her supplies that she knows how to use now, not something that she will Need to Learn how to use after the emergency happens. Stored water rather than filters. First aid supplies consistent with her skills, not tourniquets and chest seals. Familiar snacks thst she enjoys, not MREs and lifeboat rations. In a crisis, she will revert to her level of training, not yours.
grislyfind@reddit
Some kind of bottled beverage that keeps indefinitely? Wine?
throwawaybsme@reddit
Lifestraw, and then add some shelf stable electrolytes pouches like LiquidIV for taste and cuz electrolytes.
Also, begin encouraging your spouse to just always fill up their water bottle before leaving work. That habit can really extend the ability of a GHB.
Sel_drawme@reddit
Love that last bit!!
bizconnectadventure@reddit (OP)
love that habit!
WishIWasThatClever@reddit
Some inspiration for taking water with you in addition to what’s stored in the car:
https://patch.com/florida/stpete/man-thrown-motorcycle-fatal-skyway-bridge-crash-fl-troopers
Since this happened and these folks were trapped for five hours, I always take my 24oz water container. I also added a bathroom solution to my vehicle.
buttchugreferee@reddit
how far is the distance that they need to "get home"?
IncredibleVelocity4@reddit
2 bottles of water and a lifestraw.
MerelyMortalModeling@reddit
How far are they traveling from home that you expect them to need stuff like water?
I'd focus on the basics like a 1st aid kit and a wool blanket. Blankets are seriously underrated. Get the right one and it can provide warmth, help keep the sun off you in summer and provide a spot to sleep if you need rest.
Water wise id aim for maybe a liter and a filter star a liter is enough to keep you going for a few days even in the heat and a filter star allows you the potential to get more if you need it.
It may be a me thing but I like to keep an extendable cane handy to use as a walking stick. Not one of those goofy things you see advertised on social media but a basic alpine style collapseble stick.
Own_Exit2162@reddit
First of all, what is the water source and potential contaminants? That will tell you what kind of treatment you need.
If you don't need to be concerned about viruses in your water source, most hiking filters will do just fine. A squeeze filter is maybe $20 and packs pretty small. You can also use water treatment tablets, which will also kill viruses but won't filter gunk out of your water and require a waiting period.
But taking a step back, do you really need a water treatment? How far is your spouse's commute? A couple of liters of water in bottles in a cooler is probably a more practical solution. I have a filter and bottled water in my car - never needed to use the filter, but I use the water regularly.
HazMatsMan@reddit
MSR or Katadyn. Have heard good things about Grayl, but have never used them.
DeFiClark@reddit
Grayl is a good option for questionable tap water or stream water. Basically works like a French press coffee maker. Can be hard to push for some folks but if you put body weight over it anyone can work it.
Paired with a 2L platypus folding bottle it’s a great option.
silasmoeckel@reddit
Never rely on finding water. Life boat water rations are the thing for something stored in a car.
Backup is some chemical water sterilization or just make sure they have a means of boiling water.
Brave_Quality_4135@reddit
Lifestraw seems like the obvious lightweight easy to use solution for a car. You could get the water bottle kind which are even more intuitive because it’s just a water bottle.
PreviousArugula8895@reddit
Katadyn BeFree just needs the outside to be kept clean to make a bottle of drinkable water