Water purification?

C

CaptInsano

Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
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What is your preferred method for overnighters/backpacking? How effective are the iodine tablets? Personally, I'd rather not lug a filtration system around, but I want to be safe. I don't mind taste, as I have plenty of powders to handle that.
 
iodine does the trick! We have to worry about both bacteria and viruses here in our tropical waters and I haven't been sick yet.

Anybody know how much iodine your body can tolerate? Can you drink iodine'd water for a week straight?
 
Milbank Bag, then boil - you were making coffee anyway!
Fold the bag up when finished, reuse when required,
no cost other than initial purchase.
 
Just for one day into the next I'll carry water. I don't need loads of it and I take whole foods. Worst case scenario – running out of coffee. Longer trips with the dried foods and all that and I still use these
 
Overnite,I'll have enough water with me.

In an emergency I'll boil as I carry a surplus aluminum canteen with cup.
 
I use a Katadyn pocket filter but have just ordered the MSR MIOX yesterday. If the MIOX is good enough for the fragile first world constitutions, it should work great on our uneducated bugs in Africa ;-)

I'll pots a review when tested.
 
Guys, depending on activity levels down here, I can drain a 100oz camelback in less than 5 hours. That's not even taking water for any kind of cooking into account.
 
Hmmm, it looks to me like a Milbank bag + Iodine or aquamira might be my best bet for practicality and efficiency. After all, I'd hate to site around preparing 100oz of water 1 canteen cup at a time. :)
 
It really depends on your activities and location...you're right, in the south you can easily go thru a gallon or two before noon:eek:

The fastest method of getting potable water is going to be a quality filter. If you carry a couple of containers, you can be using one while the other is waiting the specified times for iodine or chlorine-based purification. Also, your local water may need to be pre-filtered if there's a lot of silt or other detritus. I've often used both a filter and followed up with a shot of iodine, MIOX solution or Micropur tablets...especially in areas that are suspect or I'm new to.

I used the Aquamira Pro Filter my last trip out. We used regular filters, but I wanted to try it out and it worked pretty good. I need to get a pre filter screen for the intake hose and I don't care to use my Platypus bottle with contaminated water (you can always boil water and pour it in to kill nasties if needed), but it's a compact and effective little backup filter.

My daughter has hypothalroid and I avoid any iodine around her. I personally don't mind the taste...or at least I can tolerate it, but it's another consideration for some.

ROCK6
 
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