Anyone care to brief me on water purifiers?

**Rick** · 08-14-2008, 12:30 PM

I filled 8 quart containers at a time last week-end. I could never boil and cool that much water. And I don't like to use tablets unless I have to. I don't like the 4 hour wait for the water to purify. Sometimes being thirsty means drinking it now. Most commercial pumps on the market are more than adequate for hiking and backpacking. They cover the range of bacteria and viruses and are fairly inexpensive for the job they perform. I don't know of any of them that can withstand freezing so KX's warning should be headed for any of them.

**crashdive123** · 08-14-2008, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by bulrush

What do you people think of the Katadyn Base Camp gravity filter? It says it's a 0.3 micron (glass fiber?) filter. It also says cleanable in the field. Does that mean it clogs a lot?

Have never used one, can't help.

**Oudoceus** · 08-17-2008, 05:11 PM

My 2 cents,
The "Survival Straw" is advertised to be good for up to 5,000 gal. It's supposed to qualify to be called a "purifier". It costs more than some of the others. I have one but haven't tried it yet. Anyone have experience with one?

**Rick** · 08-17-2008, 05:46 PM

I assume you are talking about the AlloySafe Survival Straw. I have not used one but I am VERY hard pressed to believe a 5000 gallon claim. Most survival straws are in the 20 gallon range. Even the big guys like MSR and Katadyn are in the 200-300 gallons range before a filter has to be changed. The shipping weight of the straw is 2 lbs. making it pretty dog gone heavy for a straw. If you look at their web site:

http://www.alloysafe.com/products.ph...tid=13&catid=2

They seem to be into a bit of everything which also makes me shy away. When it comes to clean safe water I want someone that specializes in it. That's just quirky old me.

A back up straw is fine. You never know when you're filter will blow an O ring or get trampled by a rampaging moose. But I'll stick with the guys I know.

**Fargus** · 08-17-2008, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

You never know when you're filter will blow an O ring or get trampled by a rampaging moose.

You really shouldn't be threatening an enraged moose with a water purifier anyway. It just makes them think you aren't taking them seriously. Besides, moose are big enough to remove from potential drinking water without trying to pass them through a filtration device. No wonder they are rampaging.

**Rick** · 08-17-2008, 07:43 PM

You can remove them if it's bath time!

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**Omid** · 08-18-2008, 10:07 AM

well u can use those tablets, or u can boil them, or both.

**jeffnsa** · 08-29-2008, 07:21 AM

I know that some emergency response teams are carrying around chlorine pool tablets to clarify water. the tablets are more stable than bleach and a 1 inch tablet can purify a lot of water. all you have to do is scrape the tablet into some water and wait an hour or so, this is good for large quantities of water being stored. the tablets have a shelf life of ten years.

**Rick** · 08-29-2008, 07:23 AM

How do you know what the ratio of chlorine to water is? I don't like the idea of "scraping" any chemical into my drinking water. That's sort of like "pour some bleach" in it.

**jeffnsa** · 08-29-2008, 09:11 AM

you want just a slight smell of chlorine in the water after an hour. it may not be the best thing to use but it is an emergency situation and a couple of tablets could last a couple of years, it would sure beat nothing.

**chiggersngrits** · 08-29-2008, 12:40 PM

do the straws that have both filter and iodine have a shelf life? thinking about getting a couple and put them in the glove box of the truck. would being stored in hot truck effect their performance?

**chiggersngrits** · 09-03-2008, 10:36 PM

any ideas on filter straw shelf life?

**crashdive123** · 09-03-2008, 11:31 PM

I haven't used the filter straws. I know that there are several kinds on the market. On this site http://www.thebestwaterfilters.com/p...e_systems.html if you scroll down it talks about one called the Survival Straw that has no shelf life. Don't know if they all come that way.

**Rick** · 09-04-2008, 06:38 AM

Sorry chiggers, I just saw this post.

I can't speak for all straws. The one I'm familiar with is the Aquastraw. The shelf life is unlimited. I don't think I'd use one that was 20 years old but a few years old wouldn't bother me. They are pretty cheap so replacing it isn't a problem.

As for storing inside a vehicle, I wouldn't during the summer. They should be stored at 86F (30C) or below. I wouldn't store an MSR or Katadyn inside a vehicle either. Remember, they are made from plastic components that could warp under intense heat or sunlight. That might compromise their integrity internally.

Once a carbon filter gets wet, it should be stored for long periods of time in your freezer to retard any bacteria growth. So if you use a survival straw I wouldn't toss it back in a vehicle. The warm, wet environment would allow the nasties to party hearty.

Crash - I still have problems with the 5000 gallon claims by that manufacturer. Most straws are in the 12-15 gallon range (50L +/-). It might be valid but that's more that a standard hiking filter can process.

Katadyn is 200 gallons and MSR is 750 gallons (depending on model):

http://www.katadyn.us/brands-product...hiker-pro.html

http://www.msrgear.com/watertreatment/sweetwater.asp

**crashdive123** · 09-04-2008, 06:55 AM

Oh, I'm with you on the claims of 5000 gallons. Like I said - haven't used the straws, but found some info on shelf life on that site. Heck, with the hard water in Florida - some areas would be hard pressed to put that much water through a faucet without cleaning.

**chiggersngrits** · 09-04-2008, 10:54 AM

thanks for the info.

**Gray Wolf** · 09-05-2008, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by remy

I use the aquamira frontier pro.

Pretty good Remy, here's some info with this unit about concerns mentioned above;

We didn't forget Miraguard in the Frontier Pro. Since Miraguard suppresses the growth of bacteria, algae, fungus, mold and mildew in the filter media, you can use the Frontier Pro on multiple outings without worrying about nasty things growing in the filter between uses.