water purication...filter treat or both

[91xlt]

just wanted to get a feel for what others are doing as far as water treatment...
do you filter only?...
treat only?...
or both?

what is YOUR preffered methods?

 

[akennedy73]

I usually filter with an MSR Miniworks

Sometimes I boil - if I have a fire or I'm making tea anyway or I've got enough liquid fuel to burn

I don't treat - but I do carry chlorine dioxide tablets in my PSK for emergencies

 

[jca21]

depends on where i am. in bc and most of canada i can get away with just filtering (my filter is a 0.2 micron Katadyn Pocket Expedition filter). if i'm in places with known water quality issues such as south east asia (which i visit every once in a while) i will use the filter as well as the katadyn micropur mp1 tablets. the reason for this is because there are viruses that are smaller than 0.2 microns which can pass through the filter.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Tube #1 is the filter and on to tube #2 the iodine-resin complex.

 

[saylorbrand]

I have a msr miox water purifier for extremes condition, and a cloth filter and steripen for most other occations. of course boiling water is the long time tried and true way.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

I just use the chlorine dioxide (or what ever it is) tablets. If the water's particularly dingy I'll filter it with my bandanna. Filling up the bottle through the bandanna is pretty slow unless you're just using a cheap disposable water bottle, then you can squeeze the air out in little spurts and it will filter in nice and quick.

I'm sold on the tablets, I've filled up at a beaver pond with no ill effects, and they don't call Guardia "beaver fever" for nothing

 

[ratamahatta]

I just use the chlorine dioxide (or what ever it is) tablets. If the water's particularly dingy I'll filter it with my bandanna. Filling up the bottle through the bandanna is pretty slow unless you're just using a cheap disposable water bottle, then you can squeeze the air out in little spurts and it will filter in nice and quick.

I'm sold on the tablets, I've filled up at a beaver pond with no ill effects, and they don't call Guardia "beaver fever" for nothing

+++ on that, I use tablets, then coffee filter, then bandanna......

 

[stingray4540]

Filter with MSR Miniworks, then "treat" it with a steripen.
I could probably just use the Miniworks, but man I'd hate to get sick in the wilderness, plus, if one breaks, I can use the other one by itself for the duration of the trip.

 

[Bushman5]

in canada my number #1 method is drop in a couple tabs of chlorine dioxide tabs (the MSR or similar ones). I can carry 100 tablets in their waterproof foil seal packs and it weighs nothing, like 4 grams. Secondary choice is boiling, but this involves a stove, and fuel, and WEIGHT for those items...

 

[IUKE12]

I treat first with Micropur tablets, 30 minutes, then run it through the filter, Aquamira Frontier Pro. Boil it If I'm just using it for cooking.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Any decent commercial filter, such as my Kat Hiker will get the large critters that resist sodium hypochlorite ("bleach") and iodine. Thereafter, either chemical will slaughter the smaller badies, mostly viruses.

Filering BEFORE chemicals is suggested because organic load diminishes efficiency of chemicals.

Chlorine dioxide is more effective than "bleach" or iodine.

 

[skammer]

Any decent commercial filter, such as my Kat Hiker will get the large critters that resist sodium hypochlorite ("bleach") and iodine. Thereafter, either chemical will slaughter the smaller badies, mostly viruses.

Filering BEFORE chemicals is suggested because organic load diminishes efficiency of chemicals.

Chlorine dioxide is more effective than "bleach" or iodine.

Out of my mouth.:thumbup:

Skam

 

[Flipincanadian]

Neither or i treat depending on where im going. If im going where we normally go in the rockies i feel safe not doing anything but if im going to be closer to civilization i will definitely treat or filter.

 

[ROCK6]

Once you get a bad case of the "Hershey squirts", you get very anal (pun intended) about water filtration/purification.

I mostly just filter, but if the water is brackish, slow moving or anywhere near agricultural or urban areas, I'll filter and treat with either iodine, a chlorine dioxide tab (such as Micropur tablets) or use my MIOX solution. It's always better to be safe then sorry, especially if you're doing a multi-day backpacking trip.

I've had good success with improvised filtration (grass, sand, charcoal), but I would still prefer to add a drop of two of iodine to be on the safe side.

With a quality filter in the backcountry, you're pretty safe with using that single method. I would caution you to have a backup means (other than boiling) such as Polar Pure, Microtabs, etc. Filter break and it's prudent to have more than one method to obtaining potable water.

ROCK6

 

[mtwarden]

filters tend to clog, tend to be heavy (and get heavier during your outing), tend to be bothersome- I've since switched to Micropur tabs (or equivalent) and haven't looked back- simpler and far lighter

as posted above, if your water source is on thick side- pre-filter first- then treat

a portion of the filter from the permanent coffee filters works great and you can even incorporate into a cap that fits on your water bottle like so:

http://www.freewebs.com/jasonklass/waterbottlefilter.htm

 

[baldtaco-II]

With these -

although there is a mesh pre-screen that covers the intake hole I still often use a bit of stocking and a rubber band over that as a first line against debris.

 

[carrot]

I filter with a Katadyn Hiker. Works great for me.