• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

Water? Life Saver water bottle

A "water filter" is not (by EPA standards) a "water purifier".

Small bacteria and all viruses get throught a water filter.

I carry a Steripen Adventurer ultra violet light water PURIFIER -> Does the job on a liter of clear H2O in 90 seconds, cloudy H2O in twice that.


Katadyn Micropur chlorine dioxide tablets -> (1 per liter) These tabs are tasteless and FAR better than iodone tabs B/C, unlike iodine, they kill all bacteria and viruses. I use 3 tabs in my 3 liter hydration bladder at night. By morning teh water is purified as well as the drinking hose and mouthpiece.


If the Steripen ***** the bed I always have the Micropur tablets as backup.
"Belt-and-suspenders" is my motto.
 
But if this system filters down to 15 nanometers and the smallest know virus Polio is 25 nanometers. And it states it filters all bacteria, cyst, waterborne pathogens and viruses.
 
DZ,

Let's say this filter does filter bugs that small.

1. It's STILL heavy and bulky compared to a Steripen and Katadyn chlorine dioxide tablets.

2. Filters almost ALWAYS get plugged up and filters this fine will be more prone to plugging.

3. This very fine filter will not be easy to pump.

4. ALL filters can freeze, thus will break and become non-functional in the cold.
 
A little Clorox does just fine too. Keeps your undies white as well.:D

If you only knew what was in your municipal water supply.........

Sometimes I think there is too much 'to do' about water. back when I was an Eagle Scout we just boiled water if we thought it might cause the poops or worse. I drank out of many streams when on outings and never got ill...and we used compasses not GPS and carried everything in rigid framed backpacks (I still have my Kelty btw). Back then, we didn't know about cysts or microorganisims but I'm sure they were there. Probably been there for a thousand years. We used sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and I still do.

IMO, nothing beats a cold drink from a mountainside stream or spring.

I tend to pay attention to locals when it comes to water. Last fall in NM, our guide told us not to drink the water (not that there was much anywhere). I had no issue heeding that. I figured he knew. What there was, was nasty stuff anyway.
 
DZ,

Let's say this filter does filter bugs that small.

1. It's STILL heavy and bulky compared to a Steripen and Katadyn chlorine dioxide tablets.

2. Filters almost ALWAYS get plugged up and filters this fine will be more prone to plugging.

3. This very fine filter will not be easy to pump.

4. ALL filters can freeze, thus will break and become non-functional in the cold.

Not if you put some propolyene glycol in it.
 
"Polyporpolene glycol" in the filter - hee, hee Once had a pet duck that drank the anti-freeze drained from our tractor. He was truly a "dead duck".

My anti-freeze of choice is Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey.
 
"Polyporpolene glycol" in the filter - hee, hee Once had a pet duck that drank the anti-freeze drained from our tractor. He was truly a "dead duck".

My anti-freeze of choice is Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey.

Your duck drank ethylene glycol which causes immediate liver failure in anything that has a blood flow including humans...........:D

Propolyene Glycol is non toxic to animals or humans. It's used by bakries as a dough extender, also known as RV Antifreeze. Can be red or clear. Usually dyed red for identification. FD&C red to be exact. Ethylene Glycol is dyed green. Big difference.

I don't consume alcohol so JD or WT isn't my chboice.
 
A little Clorox does just fine too. Keeps your undies white as well.:D

If you only knew what was in your municipal water supply.........

Sometimes I think there is too much 'to do' about water. back when I was an Eagle Scout we just boiled water if we thought it might cause the poops or worse. I drank out of many streams when on outings and never got ill...and we used compasses not GPS and carried everything in rigid framed backpacks (I still have my Kelty btw). Back then, we didn't know about cysts or microorganisims but I'm sure they were there. Probably been there for a thousand years. We used sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and I still do.

IMO, nothing beats a cold drink from a mountainside stream or spring.

I tend to pay attention to locals when it comes to water. Last fall in NM, our guide told us not to drink the water (not that there was much anywhere). I had no issue heeding that. I figured he knew. What there was, was nasty stuff anyway.

All it takes is one instance of contracting giardia, and being able to blow poo through a screen door 10' away and not touching a wire, and you might be inclined to change your mind!
 
Not trying to hijack the thread and this may help with your question if others can chime in on this. I was told by a rep at a major outdoors retailer that in North America you DO NOT need a water purifier. All that is required is to boil the water prior to drinking it. I have not tried it for obvious reasons. Does anyone know if this is true?
 
Not trying to hijack the thread and this may help with your question if others can chime in on this. I was told by a rep at a major outdoors retailer that in North America you DO NOT need a water purifier. All that is required is to boil the water prior to drinking it. I have not tried it for obvious reasons. Does anyone know if this is true?

Boiling is my backup method, but the things I've been reading say once you bring water to a boil (even at altitude) it has reached a temperature high enough to kill all pathogens. No boil times required, just up to a rolling boil.

Just remember boiling won't get rid of chemical impurities.
 
I stand corrected on ethelene glycol... but I still would not drink it.

As for boiling, when backpacking I don't treat cooking water, I judt bring it to a rolling boil and put in my food to cook. Boiling it kills ALL the nasty microscopic beasties, be it viruses or hard shelled cryptosporidium or giardia.

But for regular drinking water I carry a Steripen Adventurer UV light treatment and backup Katadyn chlorine dioxide tablets. Both methods are EPA approved for water purification and thus both will kill all pathogens.

Water filters do NOT purify water they just filter out most of the pathogens and no viruses.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 11 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Recent Posts

Top