Nomads harvesting rainwater?

[SheketEchad]

I was just wondering if any nomads practice rainwater cachement while they are out and about?

For most of the last 2 years, I've lived in a sticksnbricks with no running water and get my water by rainwater harvesting into a marine cooler. I suspect this would be difficult for those in the desert SW, but how about other areas? I'm trying to decide whether or not to bring my marine cooler when I hit the road, so that I can continue to supplement any water that I might need to buy.  All I'd need is a tarp and my cooler. I haven't figured out how much water I'll need on the road yet, so just looking for ideas that anyone else might have utilized.

Thanks.

 

[MrNoodly]

Try these threads:

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=21035&highlight=rainwater

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=36124&highlight=rainwater

 

[SheketEchad]

Try these threads:

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=21035&highlight=rainwater

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=36124&highlight=rainwater

Thank you very much.  I guess I need to learn to use the 'search' feature more appropriately!  Since I suspect the majority of my travel time will be on the East coast (maybe one day I'll make it to an RTR), looks like I'll be trying to find a space for that marine cooler.  I wonder what I'll have to toss out in order to include it...lol.

 

[SheketEchad]

Are you drinking that water? If so how are you treating it? How much water do you use a day?

Guy

Yes, I drink that water, use it for bathing and dish washing, toilet flushing as well as laundry.  The only other water I harvest is from my one window a/c, via a bucket underneath, and I use that in addition for flushing the toilet.

I use the family sized filter by Lifestraw for my drinking water that I don't boil. (Family 1.0)   I have a non aluminum window screen covering the marine cooler at intake to keep out debris.  Because of the location of the cooler drain and our rainfall (currently 37" for the year), I rarely hit the bottom layer of water (about 2") For cold water kept in the fridge, I also run the Lifestraw  filtered water through a Brita filter. 

As for usage, I usually keep 20-30 gallons raw water on hand inside and process 1-2 gallons a day via the filter. Depending on dish load, whether I need to shower or shower and wash my hair, I use as little as three gallons in a day up to five gallons. When I have known rain coming I might splurge and take a 7 gallon shower with the camp shower pump as I did this week in advance of the hurricane   For laundry, that day might hit 7 gallons, again which is recaptured post laundry for toilet flush use as I use a manual washer and drain the water into a bucket after each 'cycle'.   All water pretty much gets recycled - showering water is re-captured to be used post bathing as toilet flush water.  I use a spray bottle with water, Mrs Myers and vinegar to wash my daily dishes as far as utensils/plates etc., and sometimes also the cooking containers.  I save up my big dish items usually for twice a week wash if I don't do them at time of use because I need to heat up the water due to grease or other things.

It's just me now, although for a while I managed same with a child and a dog as well. So my usage is pretty small compared to then.  We averaged probably 10 gallons a day then.  We did use the YMCA for showers regularly, as the lack of hot water in winter is a bit more than I really wanted him to endure, although I have managed bathing myself with water heated on the wood stove and a small heater in the bathroom.  It makes for a very, very quick bath, lol.   Now that I am back by myself, I will probably bathe in the living room by the wood stove in winter   When I am working out regularly, I usually shower at the Y before returning home.

I will say that living without water automatically coming from a tap will make you VERY aware of what you use, what you waste, and how to reuse what normally just heads down a drain.  In my time here I have only needed to have assistance from a neighbor once or twice in the winter for about 20 gallons from his hose.  

If you have any additional questions, just let me know.

 

[1shemp]

Our only source of water is rainwater at home.We have 1500 gallon capacity and never run out.Of course,we average 45 inches of rain a year.I don't see any reason that collecting rainwater on the road would not be feasible.