[Closed] Water purification - survival stylee

Travel tap

This looks pretty impressive.

http://www.funkyleisure.co.uk/aquapure-traveller---portable-water-purifier-bottle-236-p.asp

In the UK? I wouldn't bother unless it's somewhere popular in the Lakes

Looking for something that can filter enough water for 3 adults. One that could be used repeatedly either with a change of change of filter or can do a hell of lot on one filter.

I'd like one that could be used anywhere in the world, if only for peace of mind.

I used one of these Katadyn ones kayaking in India to good effect. Just use like a normal water bottle. Even filters out bits of dead body from riverside funeral pyres... 🙂
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Edit- OK, for multiple users...

I have a bottle similar to the one in Drac's link.

It was a fair bit cheaper than that though, about £10 from what I remember.

One of those each and you are sorted.

The one I linked does 350L per cap, that's a good bit.

I use Iodine drops. Many moons ago I took an expensive purifier thing to Nepal, which jammed solid on it's second use and sat broken in my rucksack for three weeks. Was very glad I also had Iodine drops with me.

I boil water if in doubt.

We use one of these. http://www.survivalschool.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=survival_flypage.tpl&product_id=12&category_id=13&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=9 brilliant bit of kit. You can purify 1-2 litres in less than a minute. You can also bulk purify with gravity feed.

I'd like one that could be used anywhere in the world, if only for peace of mind.

Iodine. Granted the water will have a bit of a funny taste but it will be safe to drink.

Champion, lots of good suggestions there.

Thanks chaps.

Wife and I went climbing in the High Atlas this year and did a load of research on this.....

There are several levels (and accompanying levels of cost):
1. Basic ones that just filter out particulates
2. Filters that have specified pore sizes down to 0.1micron will also filter out Bacteria, protozoa etc. (BUT not viruses)
3. To kill viruses some filters have an activated ion part to the filter - BUT it's not 100% and they are very expensive.

We (and everyone else on the trip) went for option 2 and then used either purification tablets or drops - the drops are better as it's a two part system and the activator only works for a while then breaks down to be almost tasteless. The ones we used were called "Biox Aqua" and you can get them online from several outdoors shops

We have the Platypus inline filter system - comes with two large platypus reservoirs (marked "clean" and "dirty" just to be on the safe side) and it worked great - the reservoirs have press lock tops so you can get them fully open to clean or to scoop up water in a river or stream and you hang the dirty one up and let gravity pull it through the inline filter to the clean reservoir.

The biox drops were good although a bit fiddly - you have to count out a set number of drops from each of the two parts then let them mix for 10min before chucking them in the clean filtered water (I did wonder if a v. small syringe would be a better adaption but didn't get chance to try it). The purification tablets were faster and easier but tasted much much worse - and over two weeks hard walking and climbing in high temps the chlorine would do your stomach in I think.

We survived two weeks using this system purifying at least 5+ liters a day (its damn hot in Aug/Sept in Morocco) and we were fine.

Badger

Oh and the platypus filter is designed to cope with being back washed (revers the flow) if it gets blocked!

You can just use the drops / tablets but you need to double the concentration as the particulates are bits of dirt and inside them might be virus particles protected by the surrounding dirt - so filtering first is a good idea.

Badger

+1 for iodine