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Healthy Eating & Drinking

Cookers, Utensils, Water Carriers and Water Purification

Expeditions l Overland l City l Jungle l Desert l Trekking

Expeditions

Cooker & utensils On most expeditions you will be expected to supply your own cup and eating utensils. Even if you are using supplied equipment, it is imperative that you only use your own equipment or the same equipment each time as 'sharing' is one of the surest ways of passing on stomach bugs. You probably won't need a cooker as most expeditions cook over fires but there is no harm in carrying a small solid-fuel cooker as a back up.
Water carriers You will be expected to carry enough water to last you through the day, approximately 6-10 litres. To carry this amount of water you can either break it up into 1-2 litre units or carry a larger bladder and carry a 1 litre bottle which you keep topping up.
Water purification Some expeditions will organise mass water sterilisation each day but in most circumstances you will be expected to sterilise your own water. Sterilising up to 10 litres with a hand pump is very time consuming and exhausting. By far the simplest method is to strain the water through a filter bag straight into your water containers and then add iodine. Sterilised water should only be kept for 24 hours. It is worth at least one member of the expedition carrying a pump water-purifier for emergencies.

Overland

Cooker & utensils To be as self-sufficient as possible, take your own cooker or solid fuel cooker. Either will entail carrying cooking pots - mess tins are great as you can eat out of them and use them to store other bits and pieces. We would strongly recommend carrying your own cup, plate and cutlery - this could save you a nasty tummy upset.
Water carriers You should carry at least two litres of water at all times. We like the US Army bladder bottle because it compresses down when not in use and is excellent for trekking. Otherwise take two 1 litre bottles, one with an insulating cover.
Water purification You will probably end up using a combination of bottled, tap and, if trekking, natural sources. If you are carrying your own cooker you have the best method of sterilising - boiling. Otherwise use a filter bag and iodine backed up with a small water purifier. (Also remember that the plastic bottles in which water is sold are a big problem in terms of disposal for developing countries, seriously polluting the environment.)

City

Cooker & utensils You won't really need a cooker, but carrying your own eating and drinking utensils is still a good idea, particularly for city budget travelling. Don't get complacent if you are staying top end, you can't see what's going on in the kitchens and many diseases are spread by kitchen/waiting staff's lack of hygiene.
Water carriers It's usually easy enough to buy bottled in cities, but it's worth having at least a 1 litre bottle for day trips or weekends out of the city.
Water purification We would recommend everybody travelling to take a bottle of iodine because it's so cheap and effective. If you're dying to drink the table water in a café or restaurant, check it's clear, add iodine and it will be drinkable in 20-30 minutes. Alternatively use the Aquapure system, a sports sipper type bottle with a built in filter.

Jungle

It takes about three weeks for your body to fully acclimatise to this climate. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the most common illnesses created by not drinking sufficient quantities of water and can lead rapidly to serious problems. The best way to avoid this is to drink small amounts frequently, certainly whilst on the move, and stay out of direct sunshine i.e keep as cool as possible. It is therefore, important that you have the facilities to carry and sterilise your water supply and add extra salt to your food. See ‘Trekking' for hints on food.

Desert

Unlike tropical climates it is not so obvious how much body fluid you are sweating in the desert or on safari as it dries immediately in hot dry air. The rules are the same though. Drink, drink, drink - even if not thirsty. Water is usually stored in large quantities for days in the desert. The best method is to treat the water once it has been decanted into your personal bottles.

Trekking

Trekking uses up a lot of energy and fluid and you will be sweating even in cold environments. Even if you are not in the sun or heat, it is still very easy to dehydrate to a dangerous level - once again, as for tropical conditions, keep drinking, drinking, drinking. You should get through at least six litres a day in cooler climates and up to ten litres in hot climates. Make sure you eat high carbohydrate foods such as pasta, porridge, and rice. During the day nibble regularly on biscuits, dried fruits and flapjack style bars for more instant energy lifts. These foods will help you avoid exhaustion which very easily leads to carelessness, lack of concentration and accidents.

Cookers & Eating Accessories

Diseases & parasites spread by ingestion (Food & Drink)

We all have to eat and drink and by taking a few simple precautions we can avoid most diseases and parasites spread by food and drink such as:

- Travellers Diarrhoea
- Typhoid
- Cholera
- E. Coli (40%)
- Intestinal parasites
- Bacillary dysentry
- Worms
- Salmonellas
- Hepatitis A
- Giardia
- Polio
- Amoebic dysentery
- Guinea worm
- Viruses & Others

Clean Water

Your choices for ensuring clean water are:

- Bottled water - Always check the sell-by date, the seal and that there is no algae growing inside the bottle
- Boiled water (best method) - Remove any organic matter, bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 5 minutes
- Chemically sterilised water (iodine, chlorine, silver) - Always remove organic matter and cloudiness prior to treatment as it will prevent the chemical sterilising the water
- Water purifiers - Be careful not to block the purifier with sediment and always carry a spare filter

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Safe Food

You can still partake of the most exotic foods if the following simple precautions are taken:

Good
- Freshly cooked dishes which are piping hot.
- Peelable fruits and vegetables.
- Can/packet food.
- Local dishes are usually safer than ‘westernised' ones
Bad
- Salads/buffets.
- Seafood.
- Unwashed fruit and vegetables.
- Dairy products which are unpasteurised.
- Sauces.
- Dirty cutlery or plates (clean with wet wipes before use or carry your own)
- Do not be tempted to have ice in drinks and avoid ice cream made from an unsure water supply or with unpasteurised milk.
- Always clean your teeth in ‘clean' water.

Food prepared by yourself or your group is the safest of all. Wash fruit and vegetables in clean (boiled or treated) water. Do not allow persons with gut problems to prepare food. Always maintain a good standard of hygiene in food preparation.