I was just able to budget for one of these water filters:
Katadyn Pocket Water Microfilter
-Silver impregnated ceramic filter element
-Filters down to .2 microns
-Lasts up to 13,000 gallons before needing a filter replacement
Price: over $300.00
Water is an essential part of life that we as humans constantly take for granted. I want to talk about some of the "not brought up enough" truths about water, and the filtration of water. Just because you have a "good" water filtration system doesn't mean that you have safe, clean water...
I purchased this filter because of proven reliability, and longevity of the filter element. Also, and most importantly, this filter removes almost all infectious "bugs", parasites, etc. One of the BIG problems with water filters is that usually the ones that last the longest, (in terms of gallons per filter change) have a much "looser" filtering media. In other words, the filter may last for up to 500 or 1,000 gallons, but only filters to .5 microns. Some of the worst parasites are in the size range of .3 to .5 microns. If you choose to have a water filter added to your camping/emergency gear, make sure you understand its capabilities properly. A filter that only purifies the water down to .3 microns will still need to be boiled, in my opinion.
This filter that I purchased (above) filters to .2 microns, but
there are certain strains of bacteria thin enough to slide through. Known as
Leptospira bacteria, (of which there are MANY different kinds) these can slip through a filtering media of .2 microns easily.
Leptospira is most commonly found in lakes and puddles or "still waters" where there is little to no natural water flow, where an animal may have urinated in the water. To combat this, Katadyn has impregnated silver into the filter element of the
Pocket Water Microfilter
to kill bacteria, should they slip through. If time is not an issue when I am out in the bush, I will still boil my water. If there is no time to light a fire and boil my water, I will choose a
flowing, scentless/non-stagnant water source to filter my water out of.
Now let's look at some real facts, and put a couple of myths to death:
There are many shops hinging off of doomsday myths, economic crisis, "zombie" uprisings, etc... With a lot of these themes that people dwell upon comes a big share of "gray area" that most buyers are unaware of. This "gray area" has many dangers, and I will talk more about this at a later time in context to other topics as well.
I have heard some online sellers claim: "...this filter will filter out 99.9% of all bio contaminants and radioactive particles..." That 99.9% usually is referring to
exactly what I just mentioned above. That .1% could result in
Leptospirosis! Know your equipment, be prepared to compensate for its inevitable short-comings.
The last part of that statement, made by these sellers, claims that the filters they sell can filter out radioactive particles. Hmm... While they may clean out sediments, debris, etc. that may be radioactively contaminated, what they are not telling you is that
if your water is contaminated by radioactivity it stays radioactive. If you have just filtered out radioactive particles from a stream, you have now contaminated your filter, water bottle, and exposed yourself to massive amounts of radiation by proximity and/or contact.
Here are a few facts you need to know:
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Iodine water purification tabs will not kill Cryptosporidium.
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Never give Iodine treated water to a woman who is pregnant.
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You can add regular unscented/no-additive bleach to purify water/keep it stored, but I would never do it. I will talk about this sometime.
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Boiling is the best method to rid your water of parasites, but remember that water has a lower boiling point at higher altitudes. That means that you must boil water longer to kill parasites because it will boil at a much lower temperature than normal. I boil my water for at least 10 minutes in most places.
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If you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated... REHYDRATE!
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Many people say you can drink your urine, but I would not do it. If I was THAT thirsty I would not want to re-ingest toxins already put out of my body.
