Snow and Ice, to drink

[Scythe13]

(24 May 2013, 00:09)Timelord Wrote: Would it be feasible to compress snow into more of an ice ball and then use that to put in a container for melting? This way you can be selective of where you get the snow from and you would be removing some of the air mass first. I do not think it will achieve the same density as ice but it might be a practical compromise.

Nice idea.

I'm of the group that says, use ice, but also use purifying techniques. Boil it if you can. Bleach it if you can. Water purification tablet it if you can, etc. But it's a hell of a lot easier to grab ice and throw it in than anything else.

As for compressing it, you'd have to do a hell of a lot of compressing. Imagine packing 9 handfuls of snow into 1 handful of space! Damn that'll be hard work. It's a great idea if you don't have any other purification system. But even with snow, you'll pick up airborne particles that could pollute the water. But you're right, it's best to have a little pure water, than a load of infected water. Just means it'll be extra work, time, and cold hands, to get enough to drink. Better that than an infection though!