WATER?!

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:50 pm

epic_elite wrote:
TomServo wrote: what was the general rule of thumb? something like 1 sq foot of space can evap 1 gallon in 1 day as long as the water isn't deeper than 1 inch???

I'm not sure about ponds, but I was using a big bath towel as an evaporator. I had a tarp on top of my truck, and put the towel on top of that. I'd pour approx 1 gallon on it and it'd be dry in a couple of hours.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:21 pm

I hate outdoor showers.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:49 pm

mudpuppy000 wrote:
epic_elite wrote:
TomServo wrote: what was the general rule of thumb? something like 1 sq foot of space can evap 1 gallon in 1 day as long as the water isn't deeper than 1 inch???
I'm not sure about ponds, but I was using a big bath towel as an evaporator. I had a tarp on top of my truck, and put the towel on top of that. I'd pour approx 1 gallon on it and it'd be dry in a couple of hours.

Hopefully its not used so much it becomes a pond. I've thought of trying those grey aborbant sheets over plastic.

epic_elite · Post by **epic_elite** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:56 pm

TomServo wrote:
mudpuppy000 wrote:
epic_elite wrote: I'm not sure about ponds, but I was using a big bath towel as an evaporator. I had a tarp on top of my truck, and put the towel on top of that. I'd pour approx 1 gallon on it and it'd be dry in a couple of hours.
Hopefully its not used so much it becomes a pond. I've thought of trying those grey aborbant sheets over plastic.

i think ours was about 5 feet by 15 -ish?

it was big enough to accomodate the 4 of us plus the 2 person camp and the 6 person camp to the side. the 4 of us took a shower and the runoff still wasn't enough to touch all of the walls.

we just set some 2 by 4s on end and stapled the sheet down around it and lined the inside with spare rebar for weight. the only problem we faced was in the windstorm that kicked dust into the grey water. although our dirty water got contaminated with playa. the playa still did not get contaminated with gray water. and all the dust dried up whatever water there was n e ways... like kitty litter over oil.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:02 pm

CapSmashy wrote:Don'y know if we'll get to it, but one of our ideas last year was to make a burn barrel with copper line wrapped around it and feed grey water into it and cap it off with a steam whistle.

style points winner.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:03 pm

And this is better than just carting it out again because...?

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:27 pm

Bling wrote:And this is better than just carting it out again because...?

Dude, what? Its a fucking steam whistle grey water evaporator!

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:34 pm

Should have used the quote function, Capn. I was replying to the message before yours. A steam whistle is cool, whether or not it gets rid of grey water.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:43 pm

Hook one of these up to a kiddie pool, problem solved!

http://www.americanpressureinc.com/images/alkotaev.jpg

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:45 pm

CapSmashy wrote:
Bling wrote:And this is better than just carting it out again because...?
Dude, what? Its a fucking steam whistle grey water evaporator! :lol:

Does it work like a thermosyphon?

epic_elite · Post by **epic_elite** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:45 pm

i'd say between the three neighbor camps. we evaporated about 3 gallons per day.

this is to accomodate the girls that wanted to shave on day 3. showers for 4 on day 4. dirty dishes from our camp as we cooked atleast 1 full meal every day and sometimes inviting the neighbors over. and whatever the neighbors did with thier water was thier business. Driving down from Canada, the camp of 6 behind us, was less prepared then we where. thier little blue tarp didn't take care of thier needs. the camp of two from wisconsin beside us were unfamiliar with the term 'gray water'.

the amount of water that we would be towning back would be fairly substantial, although less than we brought in. then we would still have to dump it somewhere.

Victorian · Post by **Victorian** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 7:53 pm

CapSmashy wrote:Don'y know if we'll get to it, but one of our ideas last year was to make a burn barrel with copper line wrapped around it and feed grey water into it and cap it off with a steam whistle.

Coolest idea I've heard yet...

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:16 am

3 gallons a day is nothing! I average about 10 gallons a day... but the haul-out is no more than the haul-in was. Dumping is zero issue, any RV park and many rest stops have dump stations. The Chevron in Alturas, CA (if you're headed north from the playa) has a dump station around the side of the building.

However... having said everything I have about the ease and simplicity of packing out what you packed in... the grey-water boiler with steam whistle idea is REALLY tempting! I love that!

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:05 am

We have a black plastic cement mixing tub for evaporation. We don't generate much greywater, so it works. We do keep a couple jugs on hand in case we have extra liquid. We do have to stash it under the trailer at night, it seems to acquire more liquid under cover of darkness. This is in crowded Hushville, and someone has availed themselves of our evap tray a few times.

We carry the 2.5 gal suitcases for the most part, two fit into a milk crate perfectly. We also have the five gallon garden misters, and a 15 gallon barrel (back up water). We bring a few gallon jugs for convenience.

Bathing and cooking styles are such personal preferences, that having a myriad ways of dealing with leftover water is a good thing.

Mostly we do with very little water because we can and find it simpler.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:12 am

black plastic cement mixing tubs RULE !!! it's really all one or two people need.

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:16 am

ping clean and not make any grey water. The spray bottles. One of Dr. Bronners in a solution in one and one bottle of clear. Just spray with the soap bottle, wash with a cloth or wipe and spray clear and towel off. Umm, minty fresh.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:47 am

Or not--if they just pack it back out again and dump it elsewhere...

I thought that for low-tech, it was hard to beat the bath-towel-on-top-of-car idea.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:21 pm

CapSmashy wrote:Don'y know if we'll get to it, but one of our ideas last year was to make a burn barrel with copper line wrapped around it and feed grey water into it and cap it off with a steam whistle.

That would be an intriguing way to get rid of the water, especially if you use different whistles.

http://www.youtube.com/CampWhistleworks

dinks · Post by **dinks** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:33 pm

I've never done the shower thing, our entire camp only used baby wipes.

I'm actually liking the beach towel on the bottom of a kiddie pool idea. I may try that and just do the mister or watering can shower. One of those plastic storage totes to stand in might even work well and be less of a pain than the kiddie pool.

Then again, 4 day old playa dust is a badge of honor.

britzbitz · Post by **britzbitz** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:30 pm

love this thread...so helpful!

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:12 pm

Stay wet, inside and out.