any that don't taste like crap???

Where exactly are you going and do you really need? A lot of people seem to use them for anything not from the tap which always struck me as a bit excessive

Personally I've only ever used Iodine which whilst not exactly making the water taste pleasant is the most effective chemical you can use. I'd head for your local outdoor shop to see what they have available and what will be effective for wherever it is you are going. There may well be different brands but a lot of them will use the same active ingredient.

You're not supposed to eat them. 😛

Potassium permanganate – but there again manganese is associated with parkinsons disease. Oh but its organic so it must be safe

Water filter? get one of those cool Swiss ones that look like drinking straws – oh but there again they use nano silver

The silver ion ones are supposed to be pretty taste taint free.

I just drink the water. I'd use them if I could only find a stagnant pond but really any other risk is fairly low, but I'd put up with the chlorine taste if I had to.

Saw a presentation on nano silver a while back: pillock said that they had no data on the toxicity, so what they needed was a computer aided decision support system. He seemed to have missed the fact that a company had supplied drinking straws containing nano silver in Africa, so they already had data on direct bloody exposure. Computer aided decision support system my rse

You don't say where you're going and what water you'll be drinking. Coffeeking's comments are daft, unless you're talking about slightly sub standard tap water. You can get all sorts of nasties from contaminated water.

Iodine is kind of OK for short periods if you don't mind the awful taste but a very bad idea in health terms if you drink much of it, and these days there's no need to use it.

I've used Aqua Mira in the past which has no taste, far fewer health implications than Iodine and is very effective. It's a two part liquid treatment though.

Puritabs are hassle and taste free but won't deal with anything really nasty.

These days I use a steripen if I can. No chemicals at all and it's very effective if the water isn't too cloudy.

when I had to use them I never drank water 'straight'….always added Tang orange powder to disguise the taste.

i'm off on a trip to skye and then onto harris for as week riding and the organisers recommend some puritabs but i think these are a "just in case" measure

I use MTFU.

Iodine tabs are due to be banned. Crypto is the one to be worried about which not many tabs are able to kill, a filter is a much better option

well done conor

having had giardia ill be investing in something to purify water next time i go on tour

if im in scotland i know the waters pretty safe but i was in new zealandand was told not to drink the water from the taps in the national parks … i didnt but what i did do was wash my pots and pans in it IDIOT !

if you want the water to be clean strain it through a sock then boil it