Purifying Your Water
Gaurdia and many other organic contaminents are rife in what we call the "wilderness." As man has expanded his domain into the most remote parts of the planet, he has left contamination in his wake, and what may seem to be "mountain pure" water is probably not. And remember, this doesn't apply just to water you take directly from a river or stream - the water coming from that spigot, well or pump in the outback may be contaminated also. Today, however, there are a number of good and fairly easy options for purifying your drinking water. 
Additives
There are chemical additives on the market which kill the most common organic pollutants. Katadyn Micropur, for example, contains chlorine dioxide and will eliminate viruses, bacteria, Guardia and cryptosporidium by just dropping a tablet into one quart of water. On the up side, there is no aftertaste. On the down side, it takes four hours for the product to be completely effective, which is extremely inconvenient if you're thirsty now.
Iodine is effective against all of the above except viruses and cryptosporidium, but leaves a considerable aftertaste. Potable Aqua sells Iodine tablets with companion tablets to help neutralize the taste. Packets of tablets run from $7 to $15.
Filters
Filters screen out all the above organic contaminents plus inorganic particles.
Pumps
Pumps with filters allow you to pump as much water as you need from any source into any container - the water is filtered as it passes through the pump. On the up side, the water is drinkable immediately and filters remove lots of grit which additives don't touch. On the down side, pumping can get progressively more difficult as the filter fills up with that grit; you may need to field clean the filter, which can be a tricky process. Some filters can't be field cleaned - you have to replace the filter. Most pumps are near $100 in price.
Gravity Feed Filters These systems use two bladders with a filter between. Simply hang them up with the top bladder full and it will trickle down through the filter to the second "clean" bladder. The up side is that you can be setting up camp while your water purifies itself. The down side is that they are bulky and slow. The filter can also get clogged and need to be cleaned. Gravity feed systems are mostly larger systems which can handle as much as eight liters of 
water at a time. Depending on capacity, a gravity filter will run from $90 to $190.
Water Bottle Filters Small filters are available to fit into your water bottle (either as cylinders which fit into the body of the bottle or modules which attach to the top), or you can buy water bottles with a built-in filter. You sip through a straw to pull the water through the filter. The up side is that they are light, relatively inexpensive and easy to use. The down side is that it doesn't help if you need water for cooking, as the water left in the bottle is not purified. In addition, your bottle below the filter is contaminated for the duration of the trip. A bottle adpter will cost about $20, while a new bottle with filter will be about $50.
Ultraviolet Light Pen
The newest gizmo in this arena is the ultraviolet light pen, which is battery powered. Just dip it in the water, push a button, stir and watch the readout as it reads the progress of the treatment. Up side is its speed, ease of use and light weight. Early reports told of unreliability on the trail, but a new battery system seems to have eliminated previous problems with the power supply. This convenient item will set you back around $100.
There are quite a few variations on water purification systems, so look around for the one which suits you best. Just be sure you use one when you take water from the wild, because the results of getting infected run from the extremely miserable to the truly serious.
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 © 2010 | 2011 Bob Beach |
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