Cattail Water Filter

There are a variety of materials that are often recommended to create a makeshift water filter. Typically a funnel of some type may be lined with cloth such as a bandana then layered with charcoal, fine sand, then coarse sand or pebbles.

Charcoal is an excellent element for fine filtering needed for potable water. Short of that element it may suffice to filter out debris or turbidity. That’s where a cattail filter may fill the need.

If a 2 liter soda bottle is available it can be cut about 1/2″ below the cone area creating a funnel that can be Inverted and fit inside the cylindrical body. The flower head of a cattail can be inserted into the bottle neck. Water is poured into the funnel on top and will pass through the flower head and drip below.

It is a slow process and for me took a couple hours to complete. You could plan your activities to coordinate with the filter time. I would suggest that the resulting water to be boiled before consumption.