pumping creek water

I agree on the above post. Although I wouldn't intentionally pump it into the RV. Everything else is just as posted.

cjoseph wrote:
I can save you a lot of trouble. Don't bother pumping the water, just bathe in the creek. Use a biodegradable soap. It is "camping" right? Why not rough it? You can get a good shower when you get home.

As a kid I swam in the Ohio River, Wheeling Creek, Fish Creek and numerous local lakes and strip ponds. I can rattle off names of a hand-full of buddies who were right there beside me and are still alive today. I don't remember any of us ever getting sick?

As an adult, I still wade in streams while fishing, water ski lakes and paddle many creeks and rivers. During warm weather, most of these trips include a dunk or two, whether intentional or not. Thousands of rafters hit our white water annually.

For goodness sake, use the water. It wouldn't hurt to take a few precautions because it's going into your camper's water system.

I would pump to a primary tank. Maybe get a plastic barrel and cut it in half. Disinfect this water with bleach, iodine or some other water treatment chemical. Then pump that to your fresh tank. When done, the hose and pump go right into the barrel for storage. Disinfect barrel prior to each use.

My MH has the tank and pump just inside a storage bay. I have a "T" there that is used for winterizing. I place a 5-gallon water jug on the ground and use my system to pump that to my fresh water tank. It is the same as pumping antifreeze except I turn the lever to "tank fill" and wallah, the water goes into my tank.

If you have a similar set up, use a pump as already noted here from the creek and pump to the barrel. Use your onboard pump or a second one to pump to your system.

They make pumps that are run by a drill. You could use that to pump up to your fresh water fill tube. Generator could be used for a 110V drill or to recharge one.

When I tie a lure on my fishing line, I sometimes use my teeth! I know, GASP!

Years ago in Guatemala, about 20 Soldiers (me included) got deathly ill with an intestinal disease. Turns out, they pumped the porta-jons out onto a soccer field to make the grass grow real green. Yuck. You want to talk about sick. Many of us needed medical treatment. I knew I was in for it when I noticed our tennis shoes were turning bright blue.

That hasn't changed the way I enjoy our wonderful waterways here. You all are missing out if you're afraid to get in the water.

Us hillbilly's must be special. Great minds think alike.

I can save you a lot of trouble. Don't bother pumping the water, just bathe in the creek. Use a biodegradable soap. It is "camping" right? Why not rough it? You can get a good shower when you get home.

As a kid I swam in the Ohio River, Wheeling Creek, Fish Creek and numerous local lakes and strip ponds. I can rattle off names of a hand-full of buddies who were right there beside me and are still alive today. I don't remember any of us ever getting sick?

As an adult, I still wade in streams while fishing, water ski lakes and paddle many creeks and rivers. During warm weather, most of these trips include a dunk or two, whether intentional or not. Thousands of rafters hit our white water annually.

For goodness sake, use the water. It wouldn't hurt to take a few precautions because it's going into your camper's water system.

I would pump to a primary tank. Maybe get a plastic barrel and cut it in half. Disinfect this water with bleach, iodine or some other water treatment chemical. Then pump that to your fresh tank. When done, the hose and pump go right into the barrel for storage. Disinfect barrel prior to each use.

My MH has the tank and pump just inside a storage bay. I have a "T" there that is used for winterizing. I place a 5-gallon water jug on the ground and use my system to pump that to my fresh water tank. It is the same as pumping antifreeze except I turn the lever to "tank fill" and wallah, the water goes into my tank.

If you have a similar set up, use a pump as already noted here from the creek and pump to the barrel. Use your onboard pump or a second one to pump to your system.

They make pumps that are run by a drill. You could use that to pump up to your fresh water fill tube. Generator could be used for a 110V drill or to recharge one.

When I tie a lure on my fishing line, I sometimes use my teeth! I know, GASP!

Years ago in Guatemala, about 20 Soldiers (me included) got deathly ill with an intestinal disease. Turns out, they pumped the porta-jons out onto a soccer field to make the grass grow real green. Yuck. You want to talk about sick. Many of us needed medical treatment. I knew I was in for it when I noticed our tennis shoes were turning bright blue.

That hasn't changed the way I enjoy our wonderful waterways here. You all are missing out if you're afraid to get in the water.

Caveman:

Why is it so many of my countrymen who get published have such wonderful names as Gideon Lack... What was wrong with good old John Smith? ;-)

There has been some reports on the radio lately that say a recent study found the best way to keep your child from getting peanut allergies was to give it a peanut product, like peanut butter, in the first year of it's life.

To me it seems that avoiding bacterial infections is similar. The best way to keep your kids healthy in adult life is to give them some time outside to coexist with the bacteria so their bodies can get used to it.

If you see what I mean, I don't explain myself very well.

I'm not suggesting you let them swim in the septic tank or anything like that.

Factory:

That is because we are faced with so many mutant strains of infectants. Just because one country treats infections differently than we do does not put both on even ground. Trying to make us more immune by degrading our personal hygiene is not the answer, nor is it a good practice. I'm sure that's not what you would be suggesting.

I'm afraid your logic is faulty. The mutations aren't occurring so rapidly by themselves. The "attacks" we make on them with antibiotics, disinfectants etc. causes them to "defend" themselves by adapting to the new environment just like every other living organism.

Belize isn't "treating infections differently". These people live days by Landrover into the jungle, weeks on foot. But it is a demonstration of how quickly and easily bacteria and viruses can adapt. Depending on which "history" you believe either Fleming discovered penicillin less than 100 years ago or just over 100 years ago if you believe the French doctor was first. So, infections that had remained essentially in stasis for thousands of years, have remained relatively unaltered deep in the jungle yet have ceased to exist in their original form in the modern world. We have superbugs that are immune to the effects of penicillin but the bacteria in the jungle, (that have never been exposed to it), have no defense.

Personal hygiene has little to do with your immune system and less to do with causing the mutation of infection agents. I shower religiously, and like to keep a relatively "clean" household. My intent isn't to kill bacteria but rather to remove the obvious breeding grounds and attractions for their vectors such as mice, rats or cockroaches. Notice that tiny difference? I don't try to kill the infectious entities, I merely don't provide them with somewhere to thrive in my environment.

I agree that we are consuming a lot of antibiotics. That is because we are faced with so many mutant strains of infectants. Just because one country treats infections differently than we do does not put both on even ground. Trying to make us more immune by degrading our personal hygiene is not the answer, nor is it a good practice. I'm sure that's not what you would be suggesting.

No bubble for me thank you. I'll venture outside and enjoy life. If the water looks bad it probably is. If I'd swim in it I'd bath in it.

oh brother

I'm guessing that is your version of a well thought out retort...

It sort of proves my point really, doesn't it...

Charlie:

Congratulate your friends on an logical, reasoned approach to their child's health...