Water Purification

[RockB]

New here. This is my first post.

Does anyone here have any experience with the "Katadyn Pocket" water filters? Looking at getting something to use to filter water in the event that it is needed.

Bill R

[SilverRun]

Nope, no experience with them, but welcome to the site.

[bored2bhere]

i have no experience with thim but you can always boil water in a pot

[Oz n Bolivia]

I like the others have no expirence with that product. I like to use iodine drops or tablets. Idione is needed by the body where Chlorine is not and Idione will kill a lot of virus that chlorine will not touch. Now if you are at a real high altitude, 13,000 feet ASL, then boiling may not be the answer. Water boiles at a lower temperature and evaporates rapidly.

6 drops of iodine in a liter of water (read as a full guart) is a good dose. Gives the water a bit of a taste, but let set for 20 to 30 minutes after stiring well makes most clear water safe. I normally mix it the night before let sit over night. The same mix is good for washing fruits and vegetables.

The other advantage is it can be used as a disinficent for wounds.

Oz

[Coeloptera]

Here's a question. Is there a recommended, portable water purification system that doesn't use iodine? My wife is allergic to iodine so we're looking for alternatives. Water's extra important since we live in a desert and she's getting into more hiking and rock-climbing lately.

- Coeloptera

[ruger22com]

dig a hole....build a tent over the hole of clear plastic...place pans at the bottom of the 4 plastic tent walls.

as the sun goes up, condensation will form on the plastic walls and roll down into the pans.

by mid afternoon, you won't have much, but you should have enough water (pure water) collected to help keep you alive.

[Oz n Bolivia]

Coeloptera we can get chlorine tablets in Bolivia. Generally one tablet per liter of water. Taste worse than pool water. Check with your drug store to see the availablity in your area. Now pool chlorine (granular) can be used but what ratio to water is something you need to work out. You need 1.0 to 1.5 parts per million chlorine.

I seem to remember using them, the pills, when I was in the either Navy or the Air Guard. So I'm sure they are available in the states, but that was over 25 years ago.

Oz

[Lokabrenna]

Hidey-ho... resident iodine allergy person here.

I've been doing a lot of research on this myself and have come across something nice: Katadyn Micropur MP1 purification tabs. These seem to be good because they not only kill the usual yuckies in water, but cysts as well.

Here is a link to one site that has these as well as some info.

I already have some of these tabs, but I want to test them in a more controlled environment before I have to rely on them in the wild. Anyone else have any experience with these tabs?

[CrazyIvan]

Tablets will only last you so long, then what do you do?

I have always wondered why people don't do the following:

This will work with Salt-Water or Fresh-Water.

Get a piece of vinyl tarp, about a 2'-0" to 3'-0" square.

Boil the water and affix the tarp above the pot/can or whatever... angle it to one side and bring it to a point. The vapor from the boiling water will condensate, fresh and clean, on the tarp and roll down to the point and drop into your cantene, cup, or mouth even. Water-borne bacteria can not affix themselves to water vapor, and neither can salt from salt-water. So, the water you get will be clean of any bacteria and free of salt or other contaminants. Also, the boil will kill most anything.

If you don't have a tarp, you can use pine branches with the needles on them or palm branches, or even by prying a sizeable piece of bark from a dead or living tree...depending on the climate you are in.

[Oz n Bolivia]

Crazy Ivan that sounds like a great way to get fresh water. And a small sheet of plastic could be kept clean and take up next to no room or add weight.

Oz

[CrazyIvan]

I guess my idea is focussed more on a 'survival' trick than if you just want to be able to purify water on a regular outting.

[ArkansasHunter]

You can also boil Pee the way CI described to get water.

[JoeLee]

This is what we used in Cub & Boy Scouts in caveman times.

Clorox Bleach for Emergency Water Purification

[CrazyIvan]

Originally Posted by ArkansasHunter

You can also boil Pee the way CI described to get water.

Actually, you can drink your own pee straight if you have the stomach for it...but yea, evaporative boiling is an option too.

[JoeLee]

AH,As a Yankee Black Man I ain't going for the boiled pee,unless it's from an exceptionally foxy woman.OK?

[mos19k]

I have the Katadyn Vario I think its called. We've used it on all of our camping trips and never had a problem. Its filtered water from rivers, lakes, canals and even puddles. No mater what the water looked like going in, it was clear and fresh tasting coming out. On some of the dirtier water I have filtered it more than once. We also carry the drinking bottles that have the built in filters, these work well on clean river, stream and lake water. At home we're getting a "big berkey", still not sure if I'll buy it or just get the filters and build it.

One of my neighbors is a Bay of Pigs vet, he's told me how they had to drink their own pee while evading Fidel's troops in the swamps. I do what you have to do to survive.

[ikfsohk]

The differences between a purifier and a filter.

Filter - removes bacteria.
Purifier - removes bacteria and kills viruses.
Most of the time a filter will do just fine. But it depends on “where” you are going. If you are going to a third world country, then get a purifier. If you are hiking here in the USA or most of Europe, then a filter should do.
The water quality has a lot to do with the types of sewage systems in the area. Most modern nations use a closed sewage system, meaning that raw sewage is not dumped into the local water supply.
Filters are cheaper. You can get one for less then $100. Purifiers cost a little more, maybe 150+. Its been a long time since I have checked prices on purifiers.
Over the past 10 years I have seen a serious decline of purifiers on the market. Most of them today I would not buy. In the late 1990s, purifiers were the “in” thing, now they are hard to find.
If there is a chance your water is infected with viruses, use a filter to remove the heavy organic matter. Then use some iodine tablets to kill any viruses. This might be the most cost effective way. It beats spending the price difference between a filter and purifier.
Most water purifiers require you to wait about 30 minutes from treatment to drinking. this is to make sure the chemicals have time to kill the viruses. Most of these chemicals are iodine or chlorine based. There are some UV lights on the market that are supposed to kill bacteria and viruses. Use a filter to remove organic matter and then use the light to kill bacteria and viruses.
To kill viruses, add some iodine tablets to the container and wait 30 minutes, or use a UV light. Water filtration and purification should be 2 steps - filter and some kind of chemical (or UV light) to kill the remaining virus or bacteria.
One of the cheapest filters on the market is the Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter.
Just because these filters are inexpensive, does not mean they are of poor quality. Katadyn produces some of the best filters on the market and at prices that will not break the pocket book.
If the extra weight and cost of a water filter is a problem, then the hiker can use a bandana, clean sock or a clean shirt to remove heavy organic matter. Then, with the addition of some water purification tablets - wait about 30 minutes and the water should be safe to drink.
You may compare between Fliter and purifier at amazon.com via below link

Camping Water Purifier Shop - The place to buy best camping water purifier & camping water filter ! - Water purifier for Camping

[LiveToShoot]

This is the rugged and proven MSR water filter I use (we take along some tabs and chlorine to help purify water after it's filtered):
Amazon.com: MSR Waterworks EX Water Filter: Sports & Outdoors

Some reviews on the unit:
msr waterworks - water filters - backpacking gear - TheBackpacker.com

...and, here are some newer model offerings from MSR:
MSR Mountain Safety Research : Water Treatment : Fast &amp Light® Series

[bellx1]

Originally Posted by ruger22com

dig a hole....build a tent over the hole of clear plastic...place pans at the bottom of the 4 plastic tent walls.

as the sun goes up, condensation will form on the plastic walls and roll down into the pans.

by mid afternoon, you won't have much, but you should have enough water (pure water) collected to help keep you alive.

I've used this method before,(called Solar Still) it works really well. you will get more water if you cut vegetation and put in in the hole, around the pan/cup. Also the plastic doesn't have to be clear.
If you dont have enough plastic to make a tent out of, you can just lay the plastic over the hole, put rocks on the edges to keep it in place, the place a small rock in the center of the plastic, directly over the device being used to catch the water. It will create a low point the water will drip from the lowest point into the cup/pan.

FOR EXAMPLE:
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/get-water-4.gif

[Palladin8]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

Actually, you can drink your own pee straight if you have the stomach for it...but yea, evaporative boiling is an option too.

You can only drink your own urine three times before it becomes to toxic. That is if you were to drink only your urine. That is what I was taught in a survival course anyways.