A great water pump for boondocking

[DonTom]

Often, the first thing to get low on when boondocking is water.

I keep my water tank full here from the water in the creek that is at every site here. I never drink RV water, I always have bottled water and countless other drinks. BTW, add one of these packages of 72 packs to a cold bottled water and you have instant nice tasting root beer that is not carbonated but kinda tastes the same. Other flavors available, but I like the AW root beer the most.

Anyway, this pump is what I use to get water from the creek into this RV. I went from 1/3 to totally full in four buckets. It is battery operated and draws a lot of current but it is good for a lot more than four buckets with the 5AH Bauer Battery. It can also run from 120 VAC.

I am going to leave for a hike soon, so I do not have to worry about water when I take a shower when getting back.

It is a fast pump and I also use it to pump water into this RV as it is easier to use and much faster than the RV (has its own pump for adding water to the tank that I do NOT use):

Pumping from creek into bucket:

Pumping from Bucket into RV:

It says 77 watts charging up the HFT PWR STN as I am using 156 watts to recharge the battery and like this the HFT PWR STN will go dead in 11:48 hrs charging the pump battery on the right. But the pump battery will be fully charged well before then so the HFT will be fully charged again when I come back from my hike.

I do not know if the creek runs dry in the late summer. Not much snow in the hills that are closest to here. But I will be back to find out. This is now my new favorite boondocking place.

I will take my Y2K RV here next time which is much more suited for boondocking, as it now has 600 watts of solar and 7KW worth of generator as well as is smaller with better ground clearance, etc. And I do not care if it gets scratched up by hitting on the branches.

But I still have 300 watts worth of solar set up here and the ground clearance has not been an issue here on the unpaved roads to get here.

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Professor David]

Assuming u filter and treat the water before using it to shower?

 

[DonTom]

Assuming u filter and treat the water before using it to shower?

IMO, the water is a lot cleaner than I am right now. I just returned from my hike and about ready to take a shower.

There is a water filter in this RV. The very first thing the water is pumped into.

While I still wouldn't drink it, IMO, it's fine for a shower as is, as long as I keep my mouth shut (for a change!).

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Professor David]

IMO, the water is a lot cleaner than I am right now. I just returned from my hike and about ready to take a shower.

There is a water filter in this RV. The very first thing the water is pumped into.

While I still wouldn't drink it, IMO, it's fine for a shower as is, as long as I keep my mouth shut (for a change!).

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

Microbes can enter your body in a variety of ways besides the mouth.

1. Mouth (ingestion)​

You take microbes in when you eat or drink.

• Contaminated water or food (common with untreated creek water)
• Dirty hands touching food
• Examples: food poisoning, parasites like Giardia

2. Nose & lungs (inhalation)​

Breathing in droplets or particles in the air.

• Coughs, sneezes, dust, mist
• Examples: colds, flu, COVID, some fungal infections

3. Eyes (conjunctiva)​

Less obvious, but very real.

• Touching your eyes with contaminated hands
• Splashing water into eyes
• Can lead to eye infections or allow microbes into the body

4. Broken skin (cuts, scrapes, punctures)​

Your skin is a strong barrier—until it isn’t.

• Even tiny cuts or cracked skin can let microbes in
• Examples: staph infections, tetanus (through deep wounds)

5. Intact skin (limited, but possible)​

Most microbes can’t penetrate healthy skin, but:

• Some can enter through hair follicles or sweat glands
• Prolonged exposure to contaminated water can increase risk

6. Genitourinary tract​

• Through the urethra or genital tissues
• Often from poor hygiene or contaminated water exposure

7. Bites and stings​

• Mosquitoes, ticks, animals inject microbes directly into the bloodstream
• Examples: Lyme disease, West Nile virus

 

[DonTom]

Microbes can enter your body in a variety of ways besides the mouth.

Yeah, I have heard all of that stuff before. But I have swam in rivers/large creeks countless times and I am still alive. Not only that, I never got sick from doing such.

"Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live"
-Henry Van Dyke,

--Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Professor David]

I've seen too many nasty, nasty consequences from drastic infections. Do what you need to do...it's your life. However, I would not recommend bathing in unfiltered/treated creek water, especially on a daily basis.

"He who will not be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock." — Cornish Proverb

 

[DonTom]

I've seen too many nasty, nasty consequences from drastic infections.

Where have you seen them?

And what were some of the more common infections?

The one I used to hear about the most is giardia. ~25 microns in size, IIRC.

I used to do a lot of backpacking. I always filtered the water with one of these thingies. I still have it, filters to a fraction of a micron, IIRC, and it can be field cleaned in dirty unfiltered water.

--Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Professor David]

Where have you seen them?

And what were some of the more common infections?

The one I used to hear about the most is giardia. ~25 microns in size, IIRC.

I used to do a lot of backpacking. I always filtered the water with one of these thingies. I still have it, filters to a fraction of a micron, IIRC, and it can be field cleaned in dirty unfiltered water.

--Don- Kingston Campground, NV

Faculty at medical schools. Serious staph infections are some of the worse...once the surface dermis layer is broken by cracked skin, a small cut, insect bite, etc...(which you might not even be aware of), the bacteria can get in deep, eating away tissue...resulting in amputation, vast tissue loss, sepsis, bone infection, death. Viral meningitis is especially bad, which can enter through respiration/breathing and a small skin cut, cracked skin, insect bites, etc... Hard to impossible to fight off, very, very painful... possibly ending in permanent neurological damage to death. Of course, these risks increase dramatically as we age. We might have been able to fight these off as younger people...not even knowing we where exposed to some very nasty bugs. Not so much now at our age. I suggest you at least filter your water and add a small dose of bleach (1/8 teaspoon per gallon. let sit for at least 30 min.) Why take the chance Tom?

 

[DonTom]

Faculty at medical schools.

I assumed something like that. You're seeing the few out of thousands of people who did the same things with no problem.

BTW, at higher elevations there is usually less garbage in the creek water. The odds get worse the farther down. Here it is 7,100', quite high.

But I will take your advice for the next time I come here, I will bring some bleach. I don't have such with me here now.

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You could get the same or worse infections in any number of ways while hiking, or maybe wading in the deliciously cool creek. Or maybe just handling stuff around the campsite. I once got a nasty skin infection just from kneeling in some gravel along side by RV basement doors. It happens... Be aware that microbes are everywhere, but [my opinion] don't live in terror of them. I also believe excessive caution leaves your body's defenses in a weak state. Mine no doubt gets plenty of exercise.

 

[DonTom]

I am a bit curious to know if any others here have pumped untreated water into their RV tank while boondocking next to a creek.

Sure is handy, no way could I stay here this long without the creek right next to my motorhome.

I enjoy this place very much.

It's nice to have the battery operated water pump.

I have many Bauer tools from HFT that all run on the same 20VDC battery. I have several of the batteries with me. here. With me here now, I also have the Bauer portable fan, flashlight, drill & M/C tire pump. At home, I have the Bauer weed eater, and many saws, tools and other stuff that run from the same type of battery. All my batteries are the 5AH. Smaller and larger batteries are available from HFT for this same stuff.

And they even have a power station for this battery (but has been out of stock everywhere lately):

 

[DonTom]

I also believe excessive caution leaves your body's defenses in a weak state.

Yes, and I have noticed those who are most afraid of getting sick are the ones who get sick the most.

-Don- at: N39.22492474933965, W117.13951636346933

 

[Professor David]

Of course, building immunity is known to be beneficial. That’s another interesting topic. Do what you wish regarding bathing in creek water pumped into ur RV tank. You might be ok, but then again, you might not. However, having studied and taught microbiology for over 40 plus years…pumping untreated creek water (at any elevation) into an RV tank is a breeding ground for potentially nasty microbes for a variety of well known reasons (which I won’t bore you with here) and then showering w it is not a great idea. Nasty microbes may be at a low concentration in the creek but multiply dramatically in an enclosed RV tank. Swimming and fishing in natural water sources is something I do (and would encourage) all the time…depending on the water source. With that said, Having lived in Detroit, I wouldn’t recommend jumping into the Rouge river. Though I’ve heard it is much better than when I lived there many years ago.

Again, at an older age and ur health status, one is much more susceptible to life threatening infections regardless of ur immunity exposure rate during earlier times. What I did at a younger age, isn’t necessarily what I do today.

Somewhat related to the above conversation, In the early 1960s ( a very different time…ex., we never wore helmets when riding our bikes and every swimming pool had a diving board and even a high diving board), I often went fishing w my Dad at high elevation in CO. At the time, we drank directing from springs and fast moving streams. Never got sick and the water tasted incredibly delicious. Once, after just drinking directly from the same stream throughout the day, we walked down stream back to our camp and saw a huge dead buck that was completely submerged in a deep portion of the stream with rapids cascading over the body. It was somewhat hard to see in the water, but the buck looked completely intact and fresh, like it had just died. Its eyes were not cloudy and it had a huge rack. It was a very spooky and odd site. It must have fallen in and broken a limb on the rocks and been unable to get out the water. Regardless of this event, I continued to drink directly from streams at high elevation during fishing and mountaineering trips in CO and WY. Drinking from mountain stream stopped for me once I moved to CA during fishing and climbing trips in Yosemite and other sections of CA ranges in the later 70s.

 

[DonTom]

is a breeding ground for potentially nasty microbes for a variety of well known reasons

The input for all water in this motorhome first goes to a water filter. So it was filtered to at least some degree.

AI says:

"RV water filters work effectively to improve taste and odor by removing chlorine, protect plumbing from sediment buildup, and reduce health risks by filtering out bacteria and cysts, depending on the filter type and micron rating."

The water filter in this motorhome is this one, which is what I pumped the water into as the water hose goes to this first for filling the RV tank or for RV Park water. There is no way to NOT use it in this motorhome to get water into it for either the fresh water tank or from direct tap water.

"The Camco TastePURE RV & Marine Water Filter filters down to 20 microns or 150 microns, depending on the specific model variant.

• The standard model (Part Number 40645) filters down to 20 microns, removing sediment and particles larger than 20 microns to improve taste and odor."

So that will take of most of the larger bugs such as giardia, which are ~25 microns in size. But these filters are nothing like backpacking filters which filter down to 0.2 microns.

-Don- Kingston Campground, NV

 

[Professor David]

I use that same filter. But as u write, not same enough for smaller bugs.

 

[DonTom]

1/8 teaspoon per gallon.

A standard bucket like mine shown or a HFT bucket is five gallons. So that will be 5/8 teaspoon or .625 teaspoon or 3 ml of bleach.

I figure it will not hurt to be extra careful and I will keep a bottle of bleach in each of my RVs from now on, along with a way to measure the 3 ml of bleach per bucketful.

Thanks for the advice. It could be unnecessary, but it is easy enough to do and waiting a half hour per bucket is not a big issue out here.

-Don- Kingston Camp, NV

 

[Wasillaguy]

Chlorine dioxide is a better option, none of the chemical byproducts that regular bleach can produce.

 

[Professor David]

A standard bucket like mine shown or a HFT bucket is five gallons. So that will be 5/8 teaspoon or .625 teaspoon or 3 ml of bleach.

I figure it will not hurt to be extra careful and I will keep a bottle of bleach in each of my RVs from now on, along with a way to measure the 3 ml of bleach per bucketful.

Thanks for the advice. It could be unnecessary, but it is easy enough to do and waiting a half hour per bucket is not a big issue out here.

-Don- Kingston Camp, NV

We need u around so you can bring us up to speed on the wonderful world of EVs.

 

[DonTom]

Chlorine dioxide

Such as this stuff?

AI says:

"For filling the RV tank from a creek, use a pump filter with virus protection or filter the water first and then treat it with chlorine dioxide drops to ensure all pathogens are eliminated. Avoid drinking directly from the creek without treatment, as even clear, flowing water carries significant risk."

-Don- Kingston Camp, NV

 

[Wasillaguy]

Such as this stuff?

AI says:

"For filling the RV tank from a creek, use a pump filter with virus protection or filter the water first and then treat it with chlorine dioxide drops to ensure all pathogens are eliminated. Avoid drinking directly from the creek without treatment, as even clear, flowing water carries significant risk."

-Don- Kingston Camp, NV

Yep. It's sold in dropper size for the backwoods hiker crowd to sanitize their canteens. Woild cost a fortune to sanitize a whole tank.
They make tablets but still spendy compared to Clorox. They put other things like fragrances and stabilizers in bleach though.