Gadzooki

3 Ways Technology Has Made Clean Drinking Water More Accessible

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One of the basic necessities for human life is water. But sadly, there are people the world over that don’t have immediate or even easy access to the type of clean water they need in order to stay hydrated or maintain a safe level of hygiene. 

To address these issues, many people and companies are looking to technology in order to find ways to make clean drinking water something that people don’t have to live without. To show you just how many strides have been made in this area, here are three ways technology has made clean drinking water more accessible to people the world over. 

A Water Filtration Book

In some areas of the world, people are so used to not have enough clean drinking water that they don’t really understand the importance of it. In places like this, knowledge and education must take place alongside assistance to getting clean drinking water.

To address both of these issues, Rosie Spinks, a contributor to The Guardian, shares that a non-profit and a university have created a book that gives basic information about the importance of having access to clean water for all areas of your life. In addition to giving out this valuable information, the pages of the book can also be used to filter water, cleaning it of 99.9 percent of bacteria.

Desalination Of Ocean Water

Another way we can gain access to more clean, fresh water is through a process called desalination. As part of this process, ocean water or other salt water is removed of its salt and other minerals that make it unsafe to drink. 

According to Lyndsey Gilpin, a contributor to TechRepublic.com, the process of desalination usually takes place in arid areas that have access to salt water but not many fresh water reserves. And while this process has been very expensive in the past, advances in technology are making it more and more affordable for more and more communities around the world. 

Using Tech To Find Water

Not only can technology be used to make water fresh and clean so it can be consumed, but it can also make it easier for people in drier areas to find where their water sources are.

Maciej Kranz, a contributor to Forbes.com, shares that UNICEF and Oxford University has created handpumps for extracting water from the ground. These smart pumps allow users to use sensors and transmitters to see where groundwater levels are and then find the best place to try pumping for fresh water. 

While technology has made parts of modern life easier, it’s also serving those who’ve had a hard time simply surviving in the past. Thanks to these advances, gaining access to fresh water has now become easier than ever.

Five Essential Gadgets For The Modern Outdoorsman

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Stepping into the great outdoors has changed pretty dramatically in the last few decades. A bevy of electronic devices is available to make your great adventure into the darkest forests a little bit safer. Major developments in battery life, smaller components, and higher powered processors have allowed big operation in small, lightweight packages. What are 5 newly essential devices you need in the wild with you?

GPS

Of all the areas of outdoor electronics, the GPS has had the most considerable impact on backcountry travel. Magellan offered the first handheld GPS device in 1989, and since then the race has been on. Current versions of the handheld GPS provide present location, directions, tracking, waypoints, and mapping. Look for durability, battery life, coverage, and additional features that can from weather to altimeters. A good GPS can save your life in case of an emergency. Backcountry hiking and skiing have been made much safer and more available to many because of the security and accuracy of GPS location.

Water Filtration

Though not an electronic device, not having clean water will definitely make any other device not matter. Modern water filtration has made pulling water out of the worst standing water situations pretty viable for getting clean, safe water. Ranging from large Gravity filtration for handling large amounts to small highly portable mine filtration systems clean water is a drip away. No longer do you have to worry about intestinal disorders making your backwoods adventures real adventures.

Rangefinder

Range finders are being used in a number of areas, and they offer great benefits in archery, golf, shooting, and hiking. Rangefinders allow you to very accurately gauge distances to specific objects. Look for ease of use, rugged durability, low light capabilities, and optical quality. Whether your target is a bull elk or the tee on the fifth hole, your odds will increase dramatically when you know accurate distances.

Binoculars

If you have any thoughts of seeing wildlife, having a good set of binoculars will be important to you. Binocular manufacturers offer a myriad of options for the buyer. Choose the style that most suits you intended to use. Other considerations to look at are price, binocular size, magnification power, objective lens diameter, brightness, relative brightness, eye relief, the field of view, focus ability, lens coatings, weather, fog, and water resistance. Electronics have even combined the binocular with the rangefinder. Great optics are worth the money, as going cheap in this area most always leads to disappointment.

Trail Camera

This may seem to be an odd addition, but one of the joys of exploring the outdoors is hearing critters as they move about or around your campsite. Learning who has been checking you out can be a fascinating and sometimes frightening affair. Good trail cameras will take a multitude of pictures, store them on SD card, date, and time stamp, be very durable and easy to use.  

Take advantage of these most modern additions to your pack. Not only will they potentially save your life but some of these will definitely enhance your outdoor experience.