I think the right answer to water depends on context. You need to answer questions about your specific situation like how far you are from a reliable source, how often it usually rains, how much you use, and many other questions.
That said, I like rain collection as a starting point. First reason why is because it's passive. You don't need to expend much energy at all to harvest it. The larger your roof or collection surface is, the quicker it works. Second reason is because it's a much purer source than a stream. Depending on how well you maintain your system, you could probably drink for a few days without further treating it. I'd probably still filter it and boil (especially if it's sat for an extended period of time). Finally it's cheap and you cans scale it up or down as needed. You can start small with a tarp and a couple 5 gallon buckets and build your system up as your can more closely analyze how much you consume.
Wells are expensive. My father put one in at his cabin. I forget what the price was, but I know if they had to go much deeper, it would have exceeded his budget. The water can also contain mineral content that discolors your clothes or appliances. We constantly battle stains in our sinks and other surfaces. I know you can drink our well water, but we don't trust it yet until we get our filter system dialed in.
Above ground sources are great, but you'd consume valuable time and resources to get the water you need. I'd rather spend muscle, fuel, or both on other preps if possible.
The well clearly wins the convenience award though... and that says something too I guess.
That said, I like rain collection as a starting point. First reason why is because it's passive. You don't need to expend much energy at all to harvest it. The larger your roof or collection surface is, the quicker it works. Second reason is because it's a much purer source than a stream. Depending on how well you maintain your system, you could probably drink for a few days without further treating it. I'd probably still filter it and boil (especially if it's sat for an extended period of time). Finally it's cheap and you cans scale it up or down as needed. You can start small with a tarp and a couple 5 gallon buckets and build your system up as your can more closely analyze how much you consume.
Wells are expensive. My father put one in at his cabin. I forget what the price was, but I know if they had to go much deeper, it would have exceeded his budget. The water can also contain mineral content that discolors your clothes or appliances. We constantly battle stains in our sinks and other surfaces. I know you can drink our well water, but we don't trust it yet until we get our filter system dialed in.
Above ground sources are great, but you'd consume valuable time and resources to get the water you need. I'd rather spend muscle, fuel, or both on other preps if possible.
The well clearly wins the convenience award though... and that says something too I guess.
