Hunting Ants and Drinking Muddy Water (episode 14)

Obtaining clean and safe drinking water is a high priority in any survival situation. It is a good idea to carry a filter when spending time in the wilderness but in the case that a filter is not available, what primitive techniques can be used to filter natural water as a first step in the disinfection process? In this video I explore one very simple filtration technique and then weather conditions interrupt my efforts. Nonetheless, I collected the muddy river water and did my best to make it safe. According to the research I’ve done and personal experience, boiling natural water will make it safe to drink, however, the potential presence of heavy metals or chemicals, which are not neutralized by boiling alone, may be present in the water and make it unsafe if consumed during a long period of time. In this video I also snacked on raw ants as a nutritious snack. This series will be ongoing so be sure to stay tuned for the next video.

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My equipment:

Camera: Nikon D7500 and GoPro Hero7 Black
Sound: Zoom H4N
Editing: Final Cut Pro X on MacBook Air
Location: Parts Unknown

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):

Who films you?
Me. I travel alone, shoot, edit, upload, everything, all alone. On a few occasions I may be accompanied by a friend.

How many cameras do you use?
Usually I use just one camera. When I have underwater scenes then I also use a GoPro camera. I get different angles by moving the camera around and repeating the action to create a more cinematic viewing experience for the audience.

Where is this place?
In order to protect the integrity of the natural landscape I prefer to be very vague about the locations I use. There are places that I used to visit that were so beautiful and untouched but the consequences of social media brought all kinds of people to visit and sadly some people do not respect nature and have badly damaged these places. Therefore I do not share locations.

Where did you get your sandals?
I first started wearing sandals on outdoor adventures in February 2014. I’m so glad that I did because wearing these Luna Sandals has really helped strengthen my feet. You can see their selection of adventure and running sandals at this link: https://www.lunasandals.com/?rfsn=102280.45562&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=102280.45562
(Note: I receive an affiliate commission from any sales derived from clicking on the link above)

Do you workout?
Yes, I workout, but not in a gym. I have some weights that I use and also do a lot of bodyweight exercises. I also run and sometimes swim. I hike frequently to collect wild foods and to shoot these videos so I’m very active all the time.

Are you vegan or vegetarian?
I wish I could maintain my health on a primal diet that does not include animals but unfortunately that did not work well and I ended up with health problems as a result of those attempts. From my studies, observations of nature, and personal experience I have come to believe that the best diet for optimal human health is a primal diet (paleo).

Do you get lonely when you’re alone?
No, I don’t get lonely. I’m actually so busy shooting video, taking photos and doing so many other things like making cordage, cooking, weaving, etc. that I really don’t have time to think about my lonely condition. Sometimes when something profound happens on an adventure I can’t wait to share it with people, but other than that I do not get lonely.

How many languages do you speak?
My first language is English but I also speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese. I also speak very little Russian. I may soon begin learning more languages.

How old are you?
I was born in 1972. At the time of this video I was 48.

Where did you get the music in your videos?
This series is the first one that I am making all the music myself. I recently made a drum and maracas (rumba shaker). I am now using them to create the intro and ending music in my videos, but before in the past I have used royalty free music from several sources including YouTube. Sometimes I bought the music but usually it was free.