Water purification systems

[Bob White]

I'm considering adding a water purification system to my camping arsenal. I would like some suggestions of ones that you have used, do you recommend them? Why or why not. Share their specs too please.

Thanks

Bob White

[NWScouter]

Over the last twenty years I have used many different water purification systems and have a few general tips. To use them as much as you should they must be easy to use. The pumping action should be easy and smooth, the handle must be conformable and the hoses must be long enough to enable you to be comfortable sitting by the stream with one in the water and the other in the bottle. Easy cleaning is plus nothing is worse than plugging the filter, once it was taking me it seemed like a five minutes per ounce.

Here is REIs website for helping picking water filtration system: http://www.rei.com/online/store/LearnShareDetailArticlesList?categoryId=Camping&url=rei/learn/camp/filter3f.jsp

Im going to buy a new one shortly and I think I will get a MSR Sweetwater Guardian Filter. Just because my leg is not allowing me to hike much right now so I wont be getting a lot of use.

 

[buffalo2]

Whatever you should decide on, retrofit the MSR(?) in-line prefilter and try to use a coffee filter around the inlet to postpone the inevitable filter core blockage. I'd like a longer inlet hose than most come with as well. In use, one has to be alomst religious about keeping the dirty inlet plumbing separate from the clean outlet pieces - or you're wasting your time and bad things can occur

[VentureScoutNY]

 

If your backpacking, I would depend on the iodine tablets. They aren't the best tasteing, but it works. If you add flavoring to it, that helps. Also if you bring a tight material, to strain out particles before you add the iodine tablets, that does a good job sifting the yuck out.

[fotoscout]

There are a number of questions that youll need to answer before selecting a filter or purifier. Duration of trip, type of water you expect to encounter, volume of water youll need/throughput of the filter, are you packing for just yourself or more than one person, will the boys be using this filter, how much are you willing to carry, is there a possibility that he filter will freeze with water in it, level of purification you're comfortable with, and there are more.

 

For starters, if the boys are going to be using the filter I would stay away from the ceramics, they can be fragile. I use a PUR Hiker; its served me well and is adequate for what I do. Although its advertised as a personal filter, I would not hesitate to provide two or even three people off of it. Katadyn had recently purchased PUR, and is now the largest producer of filtration equipment. Here is their web address; the site has a lot of information in it.

 

http://www.katadyn.ch/site/ch_en/home/

 

It just so happens that Campmor has the Katadyn Hiker on sale this week.

 

If you're going to follow the BSA guidelines to the letter, you'll need a second method of purification. Katadyn also makes purifcation tables that I'm told do not leave a 'taste' in the water.

 

[BobM]

Our troop uses MSR MiniWorks. They are fairly easy to clean and the pump outlet screws directly to a Nalgene bottle, no hose. There is no need to "guess" which hose goes in the stream and which one in the bottle. It also reduces the chance of the outlet end being dropped in the stream. Below is info from the REI site.

 

Weight: 14.6 ounces

Removes: Bacteria, protozoa

Filter medium: Ceramic with carbon core

Field cleanable: Yes

Dimensions: 7.8 x 3.8 inches

Pump force: 10.4 pounds

Output: 0.83 liters per minute

Pump strokes per liter: 72

 

[NWScouter]

I carry iodine tablets in addition to any filter as a back up.

[buffalo2]

Seem to recall that Vitamin C tablets (abscorbic acid?) in infant dosages are whats included to remove the taste of the iodine???