new kit item

[smokelessfire]

i don't know if anyone has already thought of this, but i am adding a maple tap to my kit. with it i can get good fresh clean safe drinking water, with a little nutrition thrown in, like those vitamin water bottle drinks. any thoughts?

[Rick]

I can use my filter to get clean fresh drinking water without damaging a tree. Given the ongoing change in the climate, insects are being seen farther and farther north each year. That means insects are finding trees that they traditionally have not attacked in the past. A damaged area on a tree is usually a good place for an insect to start to work on a tree.

[smokelessfire]

ok, i will ban maple syrup from my home if you will.

[Rick]

Big difference between the manufacture of maple syrup and using a spigot in the wilderness to get water. In the manufacture of syrup a set number of trees are used repeatedly. How many trees would be damaged if we used a tap while out in the wilderness? See my point? A new tree every few miles multiplied by the number of folks using the spigot. You asked for thoughts and those are my thoughts. If you don't want the input, don't ask for it.

[catfish10101]

In a life threatening situation, if it's me or the tree, it aint gonna be me. If you feel bad about it, carry something to fix the hole with when you are done, or go back and plant another tree. I would not use it for a camping trip or where there are other options, but for survival, it's actually a good idea. Just don't use it unless you have to.

[Rick]

No argument with that, catfish. All bets are off when it comes to survival. Perhaps the term "kit" is a mis-communication here. I interpreted that to be hiking and/or backpacking. Not survival. If it was meant as a survival kit then, yea, any tool at your disposal.

[smokelessfire]

yep, miscommunicaba-whatever you said. i did mean just for survival. sorry for that.

[Gray Wolf]

Instead of adding a maple tap to your kit, you might want to try your hand at practicing Transpiration bags (trash bags) for collecting water from those trees or near by bushes. They do work, and you don't harm the trees.

[Teacher]

I have found that transpiration bags work better than other forms of water distilling ideas. Plus the bags have so many ther uses.