Water containers

[arizau]

Ever wonder what to use to hand carry or back pack 5 or more gallons of water to your remote areas to run recirculating devices? I have/had that problem for a site about a mile or so from where I park my truck. I shopped around and the best and most suitable one for back packing I could find at the time was this one so I found a local store that stocks them and just got home from buying one. http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-BPA-2dFree-Gallon-Storage-Container/dp/B00COE8H3C. After I got home I did some more online research and stumbled on this one that never showed up in my original searches. https://www.google.com/webhp?source...2&ie=UTF-8#q=scepter military water container. This one is military grade and made by the same company that supplies them to our troops. Maybe durability is the reason for it being over twice the price of the Rhino Pak though it too got mostly good reviews. If my new one cracks or whatever the military grade Scepter will be on my shopping list.

Heavy pans.

 

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[mytimetoshine]

Your not hiking very far carrying 5g of water plus your prospecting gear no matter what you put it in. I would drywash if no water at site.

 

[arizau]

Dry washing not possible at this time of year and my hand operated one, while light, is too small for a production run. 40 pounds of water, 4 pound container, 5 pound frame pack, small pick, scoop, pan and black panning tub equal about 55 or so pounds. Mile or less hike that is all gentle down hill to a known spot for some production panning and will dump water before hiking out. I'm pretty sure it is doable even for an old man like me since I have been hiking out 40 pound or so samples in the past. I guess I will find out. I would rather try hiking the water down, run a bunch of material and hike concentrates out than hike dead weight dirt out.

 

[rodoconnor]

AZ don't twist an ankle or knee . You might try stashing your water there for next time rather than dumping it. G/L

 

[goldenIrishman]

Water has been the problem out here for many years. Lots of good deposits but no water to work them. Keith (AzViper) gets 15 gallon "hogs head" barrels from some of the hotels in his area that have their own laundry departments. He gave me some of them and they work great as long as you can drive right up to the work area. At approx 120 pounds each, packing them in isn't really an option unless you have a good trail and a heavy duty wagon that can handle the terrain. A game cart will also work, but they're a lot harder to manage on a trail in my opinion.

Jan and I have been discussing what to do about a water supply for our re-circ system. I been going through about 60 gallons a week with it but once I start really moving materials I can easily see that more than doubling with ease. Since water delivery is not uncommon here, if the road in allows for it....... Couple of 275 gallon totes would last me for a while.

 

[Alex Burke]

I hauled a bunch of water in my car in 5 gallon containers to use a GoldCube one time on a dry bench. I found I needed a lot of water just to get the machine full and running, (maybe 20gallons?) Then using a two bucket system to allow the silt to settle I still ended up having to change the water after about 10 buckets as it was too silty and not pumping water right.

My try was kind of a failure but I think it could work if you had a pickup truck with a huge container for water and you could get the truck close enough to the site. I was using a Honda Civic so I had trouble getting enough water in there

Water weighs about 8lbs a gallon so even 20 gallons would be 160+lbs so just getting the machine running depending on setup could be a lot of water to haul. I like the way you think though and I think this is a cool idea in premise.

 

[mytimetoshine]

Dry washing not possible at this time of year and my hand operated one, while light, is too small for a production run. 40 pounds of water, 4 pound container, 5 pound frame pack, small pick, scoop, pan and black panning tub equal about 55 or so pounds. Mile or less hike that is all gentle down hill to a known spot for some production panning and will dump water before hiking out. I'm pretty sure it is doable even for an old man like me since I have been hiking out 40 pound or so samples in the past. I guess I will find out. I would rather try hiking the water down, run a bunch of material and hike concentrates out than hike dead weight dirt out.

If the trail is so gentle then why dont you just put in something with wheels? Why would you carry it?

 

[Goldwasher]

thats 40 pounds of water screw that

 

[meMiner]

If it is your claim, there are some ways of collecting water from rain or condensation that will fill containers for you over time. I agree with the others, I would never carry it.

 

[goldenIrishman]

If it is your claim, there are some ways of collecting water from rain or condensation that will fill containers for you over time. I agree with the others, I would never carry it.

This IS a desert location we're talking about placergold. When we get rain it's usually during the monsoon season and even though it can come down like someone is dumping a bucket it's usually spotty and localized. One section can get washed out while only a 1/4 mile away stays dry as a bone. Hauling water in is the only way to be sure of a good supply. That's why I'm going to testing with a drywasher when possible and only then hauling water into the site after it's been proven to be worth the effort.

 

[arizau]

In this area rain can only screw up the process. It hardly runs off when it does rain but it does soak in and make the ground too wet to drywash for weeks or months. When it does run off it is usually flash flooding so it's a no go then too and in a few minutes, or hours depending on the storm, the flooding stops and so does all water flow and there are hardly any places for the water to pool. Drywash or recirculate transported water are our only viable options here in the desert.

 

[Hamfist]

You can take two five gallon containers a gentle downhill mile in a wheelbarrow fairly easily if the trail is free of obstacles. Use water clarifier and stash your water in tubs on-site, if possible. You'll have clear water every day.

I have the same water issues in my favorite spot. It only flows during storms and is currently too damp to drywash.

 

[johnedoe]

I don't know what your trail is like but I would be all for some kind of wheeled conveyance.
Maybe something like one of these.... http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678162/the-waterwheel-makes-clean-water-cheaper-easier-to-carry

Hell I don't even haul my own butt a mile let alone packing 5 gallons of water that far.........

Also might try the production panning technique rather than a recirculating system with high banker or whatever.

 

[arizau]

I don't know what your trail is like but I would be all for some kind of wheeled conveyance.
Hell I don't even haul my own butt a mile let alone packing 5 gallons of water that far.........

Also might try the production panning technique rather than a recirculating system with high banker or whatever.

It would be hard enough to push a bike through this area let alone use a loaded transporter of some type. Production panning with EZ pan is my plan. Super dirty water* but no filters to plug or pumps to ruin. If the oldtimers that worked this area with pans, rockers and transported water could do it, so can I.

*Yeah, I know soupy water hinders settling but......

 

[johnedoe]

That's the spirit.....
I look forward to your results.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I don't know what your trail is like but I would be all for some kind of wheeled conveyance.
Maybe something like one of these.... http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678162/the-waterwheel-makes-clean-water-cheaper-easier-to-carry

Hell I don't even haul my own butt a mile let alone packing 5 gallons of water that far.........

Also might try the production panning technique rather than a recirculating system with high banker or whatever.

Buy here: http://wellowater.org/order.html ...seems cool!

 

[arizau]

Buy here: Wello Water ...seems cool!

Agreed! I can picture some desert prospectors trailing a larger version behind their pickups.

 

[arizau]

Agreed! I can picture some desert prospectors trailing a larger version behind their pickups.

Or 4 wheelers. I would need a burro hooked up travois style.

 

[Alex Burke]

Buy here: http://wellowater.org/order.html ...seems cool!

It looks like a wheel strap a chassis on four of those

 

[russau]

I have 4 of the 25 gallon plastic barrels that I use for water NOT meant for human consumption.