# Water Purification while hiking and camping



## Huck_It_Baby (May 10, 2013)

I am planning on doing some multi-day hikes/camps this year and I have never done this before. My big concern is having enough water and staying hydrated since I obviously can't carry enough to last the whole time.

I'm wondering what some of you experienced hikers do for water on extended trips? Are you using purification tablets? Or some sort of filtration system?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!


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## Puck it (May 10, 2013)

Purified urine.


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## o3jeff (May 10, 2013)

Check out http://sawyer.com they have some hydration pack inline filters that get good reviews.


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## Huck_It_Baby (May 10, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Check out http://sawyer.com they have some hydration pack inline filters that get good reviews.



Cool thank you. I'll take a look.


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## Savemeasammy (May 10, 2013)

Check out www.seychelle.com also.  We use their products to filter our tap water, and I believe they may have some options for hiking as well.


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## Gnarcissaro (May 10, 2013)

Aquamira drops. Lightweight and have never failed me.


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## Nick (May 11, 2013)

I used to use iodine drops but that was 15 years ago and I'm sure there is something much better


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## Angus (May 12, 2013)

http://www.katadyn.com/


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## Huck_It_Baby (May 13, 2013)

Thanks for the links and suggestions everyone. I'm going to do a little research on this stuff to see what works best for me. It seems like there are lots of options out there!


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## dmc (May 13, 2013)

Pump!!!! Keep the iodine as a backup...

Dont out the clean side in the dirty water...  Red cap over the dirty side...


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## DonnaWalken (May 19, 2013)

Aquamira drops is the one I've been using ever since but haven't tried multi-day hiking so not sure if it can last.


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## Huck_It_Baby (May 20, 2013)

Honestly I'm scared sh**less to drink from a natural water source. Even a relatively clean stream could have a rotting deer carcass upstream somewhere.

All of your suggestions are very helpful thanks!


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## Huck_It_Baby (Jun 5, 2013)

I picked up a Platypus:

http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/filtration/category

I camped last weekend on Mt. Washington but wasn't backcountry camping so I didn't need to use it. Might do Marcy this weekend so hopefully I'll put it to the test.


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## bigbog (Jun 5, 2013)

Gnarcissaro said:


> Aquamira drops. Lightweight and have never failed me.



+1    , but Sawyer and Platypus rigs look good too....


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## andyzee (Jun 5, 2013)

I've used the Katadyn pump. Works pretty good.


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## Quietman (Jun 5, 2013)

I've used the MSR MiniWorks for years and it's a great solid rig.  Paid $59 on sale at EMS.


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## madman (Jun 6, 2013)

Bleach; This is whats in your water if you get your water from a public source. 8 drops in a 1 L bottle. If you treat your water and can leave it open for a few Hrs you wont even taste it [Dissipates in air] However most people wont notice because this is what you drink at home. Cost about .02 cents and if you search the Gov web sites you can find a list of how much to use for different amounts of water. I will see if I can find the list later but no time now.


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## vdk03 (Jun 6, 2013)

madman said:


> Bleach; This is whats in your water if you get your water from a public source. 8 drops in a 1 L bottle. If you treat your water and can leave it open for a few Hrs you wont even taste it [Dissipates in air] However most people wont notice because this is what you drink at home. Cost about .02 cents and if you search the Gov web sites you can find a list of how much to use for different amounts of water. I will see if I can find the list later but no time now.



I have a miox water purifier that i bought it in 2004, and it basically makes a little bleach that you add to your water. 
You just put about a teaspoon of water in the top compartment which also has a little salt in it and hit the button to give it an electric charge, then just add it to your water.
Good little device, I've had it almost 10 years and it still works great.

Sent from my C771 using AlpineZone mobile app


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## o3jeff (Jun 6, 2013)

madman said:


> Bleach; This is whats in your water if you get your water from a public source. 8 drops in a 1 L bottle. If you treat your water and can leave it open for a few Hrs you wont even taste it [Dissipates in air] However most people wont notice because this is what you drink at home. Cost about .02 cents and if you search the Gov web sites you can find a list of how much to use for different amounts of water. I will see if I can find the list later but no time now.



I don't think bleach gets rid of all the parasites.


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## madman (Jun 7, 2013)

I talked to my lab director and he said Chlorine (Bleach)will kill any Parasites that may be in water in NE. If the water is not clear it may take more Chlorine to treat but in general he thinks Chlorine is a safe and cheap treatment.  I have been in the Water Industry for 23 Yrs and have  gone Backpacking with 2 others from work and we have all gone to treatment with Chlorine. If you Google Emergency preparedness water treatment you should find any info you need


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## o3jeff (Jun 7, 2013)

I'm no water expert but this is from the CDC web page.

"If you don’t have safe bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you  often can make water safer to drink by using a disinfectant such as  unscented household chlorine bleach or iodine. These can kill most  harmful organisms, such as viruses and bacteria, but are not as  effective in controlling more resistant organisms such as the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html


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## casualhiker (Aug 8, 2013)

There's a campaign on Indiegogo called WaterBean that might be a useful water filtration solution for you. The filters last up to six months and is portable, allowing you to take it from any bottle to bottle. www.indiegogo.com/projects/waterbean


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## bangarang (Nov 18, 2013)

I just use a water pump I picked up years ago.  It's easy enough to use and doesn't give you the odd taste the iodine tablets do.  With the bleach, I wouldn't feel safe hiking around with a bottle of bleach, I'd be scared of spilling it on my gear and ruining things.


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## o3jeff (Nov 22, 2013)

These look pretty good and for about $20.

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2


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## Huck_It_Baby (Nov 22, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> These look pretty good and for about $20.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2




I ended up getting a Platypus and combining it with purification tablets.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus/filtration/category


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