Water Purifiers

[grasshopperglock]

I have two. Both are katadyn.


One is a Vario. It's got the ceramic filter and really takes the funk outta creek water.

the other is a Hiker. It only has a paper type filter.

The only pita about both. They have to be bone dried after using them. I usually run some hydrogen peroxide through it. Take them apart, wiped out, and air dried.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I have the Vario. It's good and portable.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Your link does not say how many gallons or liters of water those filters will treat.

Just like any other filter, be it air, oil or fuel, they WILL clog up over time. What then, if you don't have another filter at hand?

Some pathogens are so small they will pass through any filter.

The only way to render them harmless is to boil the water for 20 minutes.

I rely on filters to remove the grit and grime, but I will only drink or cook with water that has been boiled.

Louis Pasteur killed microbes by boiling or steaming.

Be well.

The berkey filters you can backwash. They will filter out even viruses.

But if I have the ability I would still boil and then filter.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

The berkey filters you can backwash. They will filter out even viruses.

But if I have the ability I would still boil and then filter.

Why, when you can disinfect with bleach or iodine? Then filter the water to remove the chemicals. Hot water is bad for the filters so you would have to let it cool first, and time consuming.

Berkey is one of the few water filters of its kind that can be sold as "purifiers". Berkey's also filter out pesticides, BPA, pharmaceuticals and other toxins. Heavy metals are a concern too, especially if you are in an area that has been visited by the EPA.

 

[Torchrider]

Berkey for me. We have used a Big Berkey going on three years now and never drink tap. Great tasting and clean water. The Katadyne Hiker is great for taking with you camping and the lifestraw works great in a backpack for emergencies.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Why, when you can disinfect with bleach or iodine? .

If you have them available vs boiling then yeah. That works too and probably a better choice. I'm just saying if you have the luxury you can kill everything first and then filter it in an emergency, but if I only had the berkey I would be comfortable drinking swamp water out of it.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

If you have them available vs boiling then yeah. That works too and probably a better choice. I'm just saying if you have the luxury you can kill everything first and then filter it in an emergency, but if I only had the berkey I would be comfortable drinking swamp water out of it.

I think either way would work. For boiling you would also need to have on you a pretty big pot.

If at a camp or place with a swampy water source, I would do a three stage process, prefilter all the crap out of the water with some mesh or paper system. Then I would treat with bleach. Then run through the Berkey. If I wanted to go light on the bleach or completely eliminate it, because it will wear out the Berkey filters faster, I would use the sawyer filter with the 5 gallon buckets, then Berkey it to remove any metals or pesticides.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Boiling takes a lot of fuel. Plus you need a pot.


I don't see boiling being an easy option. Am I off thinking of filtering the water, chemically treat it, filter it again?

 

[JohnnyLoco]

Boiling takes a lot of fuel. Plus you need a pot.


I don't see boiling being an easy option. Am I off thinking of filtering the water, chemically treat it, filter it again?

I think you're right, especially if you have the materials available. I might test this out at the hunting camp or the riverfront property. Usually just bring a bunch of water bottles, but that stuff is heavy and goes quick.

I liked that show Naked and Afraid and the XL one where they go 40 days in the wild. I think I remember most of the time when they have a pot to boil water in to drink they usually abandon it after a while if they find a drinking source that doesn't make them sick because you go through so much water while working it is almost impossible to boil and cool off enough to get properly hydrated.

 

[rplewis145]

I have a sweet water and use bleach where needed
If you only have 1 choice bleach will kill everything and is safe to drink. Granted you still might want to sift it though something to remove the big chunks

 

[grasshopperglock]

Here's a military training film from 1943 on water purification.

http://www.fromthetrenchesworldrepo...on-of-water-1943-us-army-training-film/144401

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

One way we learned was to make a tripod w 3 sticks and tie triangles of fabric across it at different heights, like triangular shelves.

Cut the multiple layers of fabric out of bdu if that's all you have. Add sand or charcoal if you have it. Then pour the water at the top and let it trickle trough the layers to a container at the bottom.

Then based on the situation you can iodine, chlorine, or boil (or just drink if you had to). You could use a Dakota fire hole if you're trying to maintain a low profile.

Then there's always a solar still. Cup/container, a piece of plastic like a cheap rain poncho, and some sort of moisture source are all you need. In the desert you can chop up a bunch of prickly pear as the moisture source.

Dig a hole. Distribute the chopped up cactus. Place cup in middle. Cover hole with plastic. Put small rock in middle so when there's condensation on the underside of the plastic it runs to the middle and drips into your cup.

Tons of other ways but these two are simple if you have time.