What do you use for water treatment?
 

Howdy,

What do you use for water purification/treatment for drinking/cooking? The most convenient/lightweight seems to be the Platypus Gravity filter - however, it doesn't filter viruses out? The other thing I was looking at was the Steripen but seems to be a bit unreliable and I think it's need of batteries is neither convenient or environmentally friendly...

Any experiences?

MSR Hyperflow and if necessary water sterilisation tablets

I once brought a water MSR miniworks half way through Africa and didn't use it once. I guess it is easier to find bottled water than puddles to treat most places... Now I leave it at home and stock up on bottled water and bring tablets in case of emergencies. Also, cooking water works well also.

I would only consider bringing it on a trip if I frequently was to stay away from hotels, restaurants, shops, fuel stations, etc, or clean tap water, for more than four days in a row. Any shorter and I would bring water in bottles/cans/bags.

along the westcoast there are many waterpumps from colunial times along the east coast camping places and shops so i hardly used my chlor tablets:

Diavortrag: Die Welt da draussen ist auch HD

I use the Platypus gravity filter these days. No, it doesn't filter viruses, but I'm not convinced that water-borne virus diseases are very common (although there's no question they exist).

I don't like leaving a trail of non-recyclable plastic bottles behind me wherever I go. I'll buy them where I need to, but usually just filter tap water. It's easy, and the Platypus does three liters at once without any effort.

I used to have a pump filter with a bacterial filter, a charcoal stage and an iodine stage. It was rumored to take care of everything under the sun....but then it broke internally and I got amoebas before I figured out something wasn't right. There's no perfect solution.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks - that was the one I was going to buy.

Ta-Rider - I'll be in S.America - how did you find the availability of tap water there?

Thanks,

7055.

Check out MSR MIOX, it is tiny, weighs less than 100g, and to my understanding, is the most effective solution that kills just about everything, It works by ionizing salt and water. It can effortlessly clean up to four liters/1gallon in a go... but you have to wait a long time before you can drink it.

MSR MIOX Purifier Pen Mixed oxidants, On site Hypochlorite generation, Biofilm, Chlorination, Municipal Water disinfection treatment reuse

Drawbacks is that it is slow and doesn't remove impurities - only sterilizes the water.

http://www.miox.com/Images/solutions/purify-pen.jpg

http://www.miox.com/Images/solutions...ison-water.jpg

Hi in southamerica it was no problem at all to get tap water all the way round so i never had to buy it. Also good food and fruits are available everywhere for allmoast free. Southamerica is a very easy place to travel with lots of friendly people :)

Motorbike trip around Southamerica: Chile and Argentina part 1

I use the Steripen Classic with rechargeable batteries. Its been fantastic, but after 15 months of travel it has gotten a little bit flaky. But I would still get it again. I have a USB charger for the AA batteries and use Eneloop batteries so that they don't loose a charge when I'm not using it.

We use a Katadyn with ceramic filter and coal. Fits nicely in a tool tube, easy to handle and very reliable. I´m not into drinking dead bacteriae, viruses or whatever it is by using a steripen, I don´t want them in my water at all.
Cheers
Chris

Which model keks?

I use a webtex bottle canteen. It fits into my mug perfectly. Much longer life than the bottles they sell on the travel websites.

Web-tex SURVIVA-PURE SYSTEM, water purification system, safe drinking water from Surplus and Adventure secure online Army & Navy store

It works fine.

We use MSR Miniworks and also have the Steripen Classic.

Cycling in SE Asia at the moment. Haven't bought any water to date (or any of our other trips). Use the MSR to filter tap water or any other water for that matter. Also use the Steripen on its own sometimes. We filter about 8 liters of water per day.

You have to clean the MSR frequently (about once a week), but it takes 2 minutes. Just a good scrub to get the dirt off the filter.

The Steripen and MSR must've paid for themselves about 100 times over in our travels...makes you think how many plastic bottles that would be.

Solarbag
 

I've just bought a Solarbag and only tested it in my backyard but it looks very promising. It removes all bacteria, vira etc. including pesticides and metals.

They specify 3 hours in full sun and 6 hours in overcast. Mine did it in 2 and 4 hours.

Puralytics :: SolarBag

Here's the European distributor, mail addr. at the bottom, their page is not yet set up for the Solarbag:
Doe-Het-Zelf zonnepanelen bij zonnepanelen123zonnepanelen123

http://www.puralytics.com/images/solarBagSidebar.jpg

Water treatment
 

All the above are valid water treatment systems.
The one I would recommend for travel is Lifesaver Bottle - Water Purification Systems
Get extra charcoal filters as they only work for about 250 to 400 litres depending on purity of the water put throught them. It is compact and effective. The main filter will do about 60,000 liters, yes, 2 years approx.
I have carried all of the water systems at some time or another, but in my opinion the Lifesaver with a Miox kit is probably the best combination. The British army now use it.
Consider tap water unsafe, as most municipal (not all) water treatment plants in South America are at least 20 years old and exceed their design throughput by 50%. Most water treatment plants in South America either over clorinate, or do not chlorinate at all.

Be aware that toxins such as PCB's, and arsenic, can enter throught the skin when you are dehydrated and shower. Riding long distance on a motorcycle will dehydrate you even in cold weather, especially at high altitude. Carry rehydration salts with you, available at most farmacia. Drink 1 litre water and wait 20 minutes before showering. This also applies to swimming in the sea or surfing. If you are drinking lots of water and are thirsty, you are dehydrated, use the salts to balance the body's electrolytes.

You are most likely asking, who the heck is this guy?
My business is water treatment and I have worked in Africa, Asia, Arabia, Europe, north and south America.
I am currently on a survey in South America, on the specific toxicity of the water. I have just spent 3 months in The Atacama, Northern Chile and Argentina, testing water supplies. No, results are not yet released.
Drink bottled water as a safety measure when available.
No I don't own shares in Lifesaver, and am not associated with the company.

Where are you going ?? There are very few places left in the world where it is a real problem.

I use Lifesystems tablets. I stash enough for about 20 litres. That would cover almost any eventuality between shops, petrol stations, hostels etc.

A rolling boil for two minutes will kill any bugs and parasites too.

It's only in contaminated water supplies that you really need to filter as there could be heavy metals in the water etc.

I used one of these last year and it was excellent. When the filters full, it doesnt flow, so you know ! Very handy whilst on the move with dubious water.

Pure Hydration Aquapure Traveller Bottle

The filters mentioed above are all excellent, but I'd ensure you clean everything out of the water if living "rough" and drawing from streams etc.

Iain

As far as I know you have to achieve a reasonable level of water clarity before chemical or light treatments will work effectively. Any small bits of crud will safely harbour the stuff you're trying to get rid of.

So its funny to me to see in the Miox chart on the previous page listing the fact it won't clog as a positive compared to filters.

The Miox won't work unless you either have clear water, or you use a seperate pre-filter to achieve that IMHO. I tried to find out the level of filtration required before they say it will work effectively, but I can't. Anyone got one, what do the instructions say?

What their website does show for a permanent installation under "periperal equipment" (!) is rather a lot of pre-treatment :)

Peripheral Equipment Mixed oxidants, On site Hypochlorite generation, Biofilm, Chlorination, Municipal Water disinfection treatment reuse

Water purification
 

Check this out too:

Water Purification - Fit For Travel

Water Treatment
 

I bought a LifeSaver 0,75 l. filter/bottle this summer for a backpacking trip to Rwanda and Ethiopia. Works perfectly. Used mostly tap water. Bottle water is available nearly everywhere, and you see the discarded plastic all over the place. Not good. How pukka the water you buy is an unknown, there have been organised swindels, but their profit margin must be tiny.
Downside, very risky trying to take it through airport security as handluggage, almost certain to be confiscated. We usually travel with only handluggage, except on return trip when my wife pulls out her "presents list" and loots the nearest market, everybody smiles at us for some reason.
Another downside, LifeSaver use TNT or DHL or whatever, and the bill they sent me for forewarding, customs processing, and lending me the VAT charge was nearly the same as the bottle.

Lifesaver Bottle - Water Purification Systems

I had a parasite infestation 40 years ago, and still live with the after effects. Never again, LifeSaver, or similar, is worth every penny for me.

Safe travels,

Peter, in Oslo

Lifesaver bottles can be had relatively cheaply on UK Ebay.

:)

I consider "First Need" as a top water purifier, it's not a water filer but a purifier. EPA approved!
It's never let me down and cleans very easy. Some people comment that it doesn't flow well and that is usually because the water bottle is sealed when in place and this does not allow the air to escape. Simply twist the bottle and allow the air to escape now and again while pumping. I would feel fine pumping from a green icky pond with no worry's.

First Need XL Portable Water Purifier - Water Purifiers and Water Micro Filters - General Ecology

It's an old thread but still relevant.

I was asking the question about water filtration on a Bushcraft forum recently, when I came across the Water2go bottle. I bought one to try out before my trip as at £25 it seemed worth a go.

I've not come across anyone else using them and think they might be quite new on the market. All the testing credentials seem good, and it filters out everything you'd want to get rid of too.

Official testing results for Water-to-Go filtration

As well as that I'm considering taking some purification tablets with me. Can anyone recommend some?

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned that Lifesaver bottles were available cheap on ebay. I did a search and in deed they are. What's the deal with that? They are like a 1/3 of the price.

Finally on the subject of water filtration/purification, I'm wondering how safe it is when you see all these people in ride reports bathing in lakes, rivers, streams. seems like a good way to pick up something nasty.

Drops of iodine bought at a pharmacy for tap water/river water I do not trust. So far works well though takes some time.

2 hours per liter in cold water, 10 drops.

Alex

Funny that this old thread pops up, the same day I learned something new (to me)
According to an old Cottees chemist (cordial manufacturers in Aust) diet red cordial, kills water borne contaminents instantly, whereas iodine takes some time. Supposedly only needs one teaspoon per army issue water hip flask.
Reportedly, the Australian Army discontinued the iodine & handed out cordial instead.
This is a 2nd hand story & I am not aware of how much truth is in it, but let google be your friend !:thumbup1:

Doesn't do much for the taste of coffee though

I guess I'm desperate i can buy a coke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Fd8i3F0xY

Ah, but did it filter out all the harmful sugar from the coke?

Don't know, will try it mine before I replace the filter.

To answer my own question;

In the end I went for MSR MiniWorks. Amazing piece of equipment really, true a bit bulky but light enough and very, very reliable. I spent eighteen months in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, drinking from all sorts of water sources from hostel taps to stagnant pools of water and I never, ever got sick. I'll be buying another filter for it and out it'll go for another year with me! MSR make absolutely fantastic gear. Highly recommended.

used to filter, but cant' be bothered, and they're way to fragile and cumbersome.

I'm using Sawyer mini water filers now. You can drink straight through it. Doesn't do viruses though.

https://sawyer.com/products/sawyer-mini-filter/

Don't be fooled by marketing - Size matters!
 

MSR miniworks 0.2 microns (viruses get through)
Sawyer mini filter 0.1 microns (viruses get through)
Lifesaversystems 0.015 microns (nothing known to man to date gets through)

It is also worth considering the added benefit of high specification activated carbon filters which reduces a broad spectrum of chemical residues including pesticides, endocrine, disrupting compounds, medical residues and heavy metals such as lead and copper. It also eliminates bad tastes and odours from contaminates such as chlorine and sulphur.
I do not work for Lifesaversystems but highly rate their products. Stay safe out there.

The sawyer mini would be great on my hydration pack if only it filtered out chemicals and metals.

The water2go bottle filters out bactiera, viruses, chemicals, and heavy metals.

Geigerig do a filter for their packs, but they won't show me any specs of what it filters.

The good thing is that there are now a lot more options than there used to be. On trips I tend to buy water because I don't look around for taps. A filter would be more of a backup item in places where river water or tap water (hotel late at night) is the only thing available.

Form factor is a priority for me, and carrying a bottle or filter around that only gets use occasionally isn't practical.

Filters are getting much better with each generation. But the micron requirement should be taken with a grain of reality. I've never gotten severely sick from water with old pump filtration and being careful. Several times on food poisoning though.

In one statement, you just successfully shot down most men in their tracks :rofl::innocent:

Ive used the MSR miniworks and lately been using the Hyperflow - not bad, but this year tried the Platypus Gravityworks 4 Litre, great bit of kit, no more pumping! I can fill the 'dirty' bag, hook it up in a tree or off the handlebars and walk away and do something else, 4-5 minutes later the 'clean' bag is full, wont be going back to pumping water anytime soon :)

Yeah, I'll second that. Did a whole trawl of reviews last year and the platypus looks like a no brainer, you just have to make sure you keep the clean bag clean.

Chlorine dioxide drops such as Aquamira are also a good one but obviously you may need to filter out suspended matter as it just sterilizes the water. Probably best for short lightweight hiking/camping.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpa...s-GravityWorks

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpa...reatment-Drops

Add another vote for the Steripen. Worked flawlessly for me. Yes, it's intended for clear water but how likely are you to be starting with turbid?

Hi I have travelled in Asia and Africa I have used some Katadyn kit to keep me safe.

I have the Hiker Pro for normal use and if I can only get sea or brackish water I use a Katadyn Survivor 06. (only used the Latter a couple if times!).

I have used the Aquamira Aqua Venture A+B 2 x 30 ml drops and that was fine too but you can taste the water treatment drops.

We used a Steripen for our South America trip, it worked fine, but we were always able to find a tap, the bottom line is that each of these products is OK for its intended environment, the Steripen would be useless for instance with turbid river or well water in Africa, but it is extremely handy to put it in a Nalgene bottle full of tap water in Bolivia.


The Lifesaver system does look to be the best out there currently.

Hi, i agree with Griff. My wife and i are using a Steripen Classic on a long trip and find it very good. We use Duracell batteries and they last us about a month. The only problem we have found is it won't work if the batteries are cold. Yes, we are using batteries but are saving loads of plastic bottles and also we don't carry many other gadgets!
Phil

Silly but millbank bag and army puritabs worked form me in the army

Sent from my GT-P5220 using Tapatalk

Using Copper for Water Purification
 

Copper has been used to purify water for centuries and if you really want a cheap, easy, and reliable water purification system then copper is the way to go.

Here is a link to a video which explains how to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl_U...c&pbjreload=10

If you don't believe me, do your own research, there is plenty of information out there on the internet.

Water-To -Go
 

I will be using the Water To Go system on my China trip in 2019 ; they claim to remove 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants in water.

https://www.watertogo.eu

(Quoting myself from several years back.) I'm still using the gravity system, having replaced the filter at some point just for the hell of it and added a charcoal canister--easy as could be. No matter what sort of lodging, there's always a place to hang a couple of bags, one above the other; a single use gives enough clean water for a full day, 3+ liters. For shorter-term use I decant into a plastic bottle or Camelback.

The system is easy, broadly applicable, and cheap, which means that not only am I not leaving an endless trail of plastic bottles everywhere but I'm saving quite a lot of money, even on short trips.

Still not worried about viruses in my water, but still paying attention to the lessons I learned early about giardia and dysentery.

Mark

Old post I know but;


Water from a tap in a southern Moroccan campsite we visited came from an open cistern, filled periodically from a borehole. Ok'd to drink by the owner, but plenty of wildlife made use of it too. Putting it through a coarse filter was illuminating :)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVH-3cCUngY