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Why Should You Use A Backpacking Water Purifier?
An adventure in the wilderness can be a memorable experience, but it is wise to be prepared with all of the supplies you need to survive, including a backpacking water purifier. You can never know for sure if a mountain stream or spring is safe to drink from. Bacteria flourish in outdoor water supplies from decaying leaves or dead animals. You can never be sure what has come in contact with the water you are about to drink, which is why you need a backpacking water purifier. There are several ways to purify water when backpacking. Water purifier tablets are easy to carry and easy to use; simply dissolve them in an appropriate sized container of water. Keep in mind however that disinfecting the water removes dangerous bacteria but it does not remove chemicals and metals that may have found their way into the water from roadways, industry and agriculture. Water purification tablets are made from either iodine or chlorine, although chlorine is by far the most effective. Another option for water purification while backpacking is iodine in liquid or crystal form, which can be measured to disinfect even small amounts of water. Although iodine does not kill as wide a range of bacteria as chlorine will, it is usually sufficient for backpacking in most wilderness areas. When travelling in foreign countries, it is advisable to use a more aggressive form of backpacking water purifier that can protect you from cholera, dysentery and other water-borne illnesses . A revolutionary device called the Steripen uses ultraviolet light to disinfect water without leaving any chemical aftertaste. Ultraviolet light is the same method used by large water treatment plants to sterilize water before distributing it to a city’s water system. It makes an excellent backpacking water purifier because it has very little weight and takes up very little space, and it removes more than 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses from water. The Steripen is particularly useful when travelling in foreign countries where all water may be suspect. It can even be discreetly used in restaurants to make sure that beverages are safe to drink. One disadvantage of the Steripen is the possibility of the device failing due to damage or low battery, so it may be wise to carry water purification tablets as a backup form of water purification. Disinfecting water may make it safe to drink but it won’t remove large floating particles so it’s a good idea to carry a secondary method of backpacking water purifier to filter sediment out of cloudy water. A simple piece of cloth or a coffee filter will work, but even more convenient is a filtered water bottle. There are several bottles on the market with a charcoal filter at the top, which cleans the water as it is passed though the filter the same way a filtered water pitcher does. Combining a filtered water bottle with a disinfectant is the best way to ensure that you always have a supply of safe clear drinking water; a necessity of life no matter where you travel. If you would like to read more about making water safe, please follow these links:
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