SplashMap Survival Filter

Graham Melloy, instructor at Back Country Survival

The SplashMaps Survival filter has been invented by our friends at Back Country Survival (BCS) based in the Cairngorm Mountains.

While we’ve been weaving and printing Graham, from BCS, has been above 1000m with two SplashMaps surviving on 2 stage filtered water using both his personalised SplashMap Pro and his SplashMap Havey Toob of the Ciarngorms.

Here, in his own words and with a few pics, is how SplashMaps help you survive when your water’s run out!

Go Firm

“Say your out in the hills,” begins Graham, “…out running or traveling and you get yourself in to a situation! Let’s just say your up a hill in the woods and it’s got dark sooner than you anticipated so you’ve decided to go firm for the night for safety reasons.

You have minimum equipment with you apart from a cup, bottle, a knife, mobile, lighter, space-blanket and your “splashmaps”!  And you have called someone to let them know your ok and will walk out at first light.

If Plan “Go Home” ain’t working, reach for PLAN-M

“In survival situations at BCS we use the mnemonic ‘PLAN-M’,” continues Graham;

P – Protection; covers the clothes your wearing/have, shelter from the elements etc and fire.

L – Location; really important, but you have your SplashMap and you know where you are so that’s fine.

A – Acquisition for water and food come next.  Says Graham, “Food is not so important but you are really thirsty and you are out of water! No fear using some knowledge and utilising some of your items you know what to do.”

N- Navigation; You’re set up! And even after being used as a filter the SplashMap will be your guide.

M – Medical – Earlier survival experts have demonstrated how SplashMaps make handy tourniquets and bandages.

Acquisition of Water

There’s no shortage of water in Scotland.  But it’s not often drinkable in the mountains.  Here’s a typical scenario from Graham. “You find that close to the area you are in a boggy patch of ground so you dig down until you hit the water table and dig a bit deeper and wider.  Once the water fills up leave it to settle.  Whilst that is happening you cut some branches and make a tripod.”

Use SplashMap to make a 2 stage filter

Filter 1: Toob in a bottle

“You also find a discarded plastic bottle which you cut the base off of.  You take your toob and put it in the bottle which will allow water to be poured through to catch bits so it is acting like a filter!”

At the same time your splashmap is tied to the tripod and the water from the bottle is allowed to flow through the toob and collects in the splashmap which then acts like a second filter and the water is collected in the cup below.”

Second SplashMap acts as a secondary filter

Final Purification

“Now all you have to do is boil it or add water purification tablets and you have yourself a supply of filtered and purified water.”

You can see how much crud is filtered in the Toob

“You can see how much crud was trapped by the toob.”

You survived the night!

With fresh, filtered and purified water you had the essentials to stay-out.

Note that our Pro fabric maps are designed to be water resistant, so the second stage filter may need some encouragement, however the slow ingress should help to keep those impurities out.

Love it Graham!  Just another use for both types of SplashMap!