The Reason Why Most People Don't Water Filters Is Because They Do Not Know Much About Water

VOYAGEUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT OUTDOOR SKILLS #14

Demonstrate how to ensure safe drinking water.

The reason why most people don't water filters is because they do not know much about water purification techniques. One of the most effective techniques for ensuring safe drinking water is to use a camping water filters. There are many hikers and trekkers that believe that the mountain water of the great outdoors is pure. This is a massive misconception, it is very important that you remember that if you cannot guarantee the purity of the water you're drinking, do NOT take a sip.

Camping water filters are very light and can be easy stored in your backpack. You could choose from a number of sizes and designs. But it is important that you clean these regularly and inspect them thoroughly as the filter could get dirty and thus the purification could be quite ineffective. If you are not carrying one these then the best option you have is to boil your water. What tends to happen is that most people do not boil the water for long enough. Remember to boil the water for a minimum of ten minutes. You need to boil it for an additional minute for the rise of every 1000 meters of altitude. This would kill more or less any germs that are in the water.

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Camping safety means you always want to be as prepared as possible. Making sure you have enough water when camping is very important. However, to be safe the water needs to be drinkable. Here is how to make sure you always have enough drinkable water when camping.

Camping safety and drinkable water go hand in hand. If you are camping you want to make sure you never run out of water. Sure there are usually lakes and streams around when you camp, but that water is not the best for you to drink.

You do not want to drink lake or stream water, if you have to, and then get sick or pick up some parasite-related disease.

The solution is to use an appropriate camping water filter. These are especially designed for this purpose and will allow you drink from a variety of water source you may come across in the wild.

Packing a camping water filter can save you from a lot of things - from expenses down to your safety. You would definitely love to commune with nature but not ingest any harmful natural elements that can be detrimental to your health. Camping water filters offer a lot of benefits that can help you enjoy a worry-free camping trip.

The following are reasons why you should bring along a camping water filter before leaving for outdoor camping fun.

Convenience - You do not have to bring gallons of water with you. This will save you some space in the car for more important camping equipment and gadgets. Using camping water filters will be a hassle-free way to secure safe and potable drinking water. Most camping water filters are also made of light weight materials making them easy to carry around.

Safety - Camping water filters take out the contaminants found in stream and lake water. Even if the water looks pristine and clear, you can never be so sure if it is safe to drink. Most bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms are invisible to the naked eye. You cannot afford to be too confident in just scooping and drinking water from the pond or any bodies of water near the camping ground. The filter also removes lead from the water and ensures that you are not ingesting any harmful chemicals in your body.

Cost-efficient - Buying gallons of distilled water can cost you money. Even if we say it does not cost much, using water filters makes safe drinking water and it is free of charge. Buying camping water filters is just a one-time investment. You can use it in every camping trip without worries of whether the water that you are drinking is potable.

Better Taste - Camping water filters purify water making it taste and smell better. This is because the filters remove the contaminating elements and chlorine in the water. Unlike other purifying agents, you do not have to settle for a safe drinking water that you can barely take in because of its poignant smell.

Re-Hydration - Trekking is one of the camping activities you cannot afford to miss during a camping trip. This makes water important to ensure that you have enough energy to go and trek further. Camping water filters do not take out the minerals in the water. These minerals allow you to re-hydrate and replace the body fluids lost due to walking and other camping activities. The filters will only take out the contaminants but not the minerals that your body needs.

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There is a variety of camping water filters on the market. How they work as a water purifier varies but the outcome is essentially the same. Clean drinking water. The most popular types of camping filters are bottle based filters, pumps, gravity filters, and infrared sterilization tools. The most popular camping water filters are bottle based filters.

Camping water filters are essential tools in the backcountry. The majority of people who go camping either pack their water in our use the water at the actual camp ground. Depending on the area your camping at it is often recommended that you bring a water purifier or a camping water filter along just to be safe. Backcountry hikers don't leave home without them. Water purifiers are not practical in the backcountry where every pound of gear counts. Compact and light is the rule of thumb. Water filters essentially remove most bacteria and protozoa that can cause serious illness while camping. Wilderness diarrhea (WD) also known as wilderness-acquired diarrhea is one of the most common and serious issues that can arise if water is not treated during long camping trips in the backcountry where water is being ingested from water holes, ponds, and lakes. Packing a camping water filter in many cases is a life saver. The last thing you want to do is get sick three days from the nearest hospital. Making the investment in a good water filter is a must

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The difference between backpacking water filters and portable water purifiers:

When backpacking in a foreign country, or even in desolate areas of your own country, backpacking water filters are a must. Since you are not capable of carrying all of the weight of all of the water you would need for an extended trip, portable purification is a must. But what is the difference between a filter and a purifier? Simply put, a filter removes parasites, protozoan, and some bacteria, while a purifier removes all of those things plus 99.9 percent of all viruses as dictated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Iodine and chlorine tablets for convenient camping water purification:

The most convenient and lightweight water purification system available is to simply carry iodine or chlorine tablets to put in questionable water before consumption. However these tablets change the color and taste of water which most people are not happy with. Additionally it does not remove any dirt or sediment from the water which still seems unclean to many people. Therefore carrying compact water filters and purifiers is the way most backpackers get fresh drinking water everyday.

Features of backpacking water filters:

Filter Size - The feature that will most affect your day to day interaction with a portable water purifier is the size and weight of the device. How much it weighs down your pack, as well as how much room it takes up will be very important to you when you are out in the country.
Filter Type - There are several types of camping filters, anything from a pumping mechanism, to a gravity powered drip system, to battery powered UV lights that kill bacteria and viruses. With the popular pump systems like the Katadyn Vario Dual there some made with ceramic filters, and some made with carbon filters. Ceramic filters are faster, but are heavier and can break easily, while carbon filters are lighter but more expensive to replace.

UV powered purifiers come in a variety of forms, some that are built into other pump style filters, others that can be as small as a pen. The advantages of UV purification are that is fast and most effective, the disadvantage is that it does not remove sediment or particles, and spare batteries must be carried as a backup.

When I first became aware of all the different types of water treatment products for outdoor use, I was somewhat overwhelmed. After many calls to the retailer, I finally gained a clear understanding. It was difficult to find a single source capable of providing me with the information I required. As a result, I decided to compile this information in hopes it will help people in their decision-making process.

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Water sustains life -- but is isnot just human life that requires water. It is the home to many forms of bacteria and numerous parasites.

Giardia and Cryptosporidium are two common parasites the cause illness in humans. Their most common form of transmission to humans is via unclean water. As they are microscopic there is no easy way of knowing if water is safe. Water from any unverified source should be considered unsafe for drinking.

Traditional portable water purification was achieved through the use of chemicals contained in tablets added to unclean or suspicious water sources. Cryptosporidium however is protected by an outer shell that makes it resistant to chemical disinfection. Modern hiking filters claim to successfully protect against these types of parasitic infection, but do they work?

The answer comes down to a single point -- one of size. For a filter to work by mechanical means, it has to have pores that are large enough to let water molecules through, but small enough to stop microscopic parasites.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are from the family known as Protozoa. Their size can range from 1 to around 15 microns. To be sure of filtering out these pathogens, the pores of any filter must be smaller than 1 micron. To be sure of removing bacteria as well, the size needs to be 0.2 microns.

Quality hiking filters use multi-stage filters utilizing ceramic or glassfiber technology (or both). Ceramic filters have a pore size of 0.2 microns while glassfiber filters have a large surface area the repetitively filters through 0.3 micron pores.

Any filter with these dimensions will not only filter protozoa but bacteria as well.

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Camping Filters

Pump Filters

These filters are typically portable, handheld units. Most of these models are designed for hiking, hunting, camping, and backpacking. Katadyn makes a filter (the Combi) that has an attachment available for connecting the filter to a sink faucet. Something like this would work in a home, RV, cabin, etc.

The type of filter media used in these filters is either ceramic or glass fiber. These materials have such small pores even microorganisms cannot pass through them. Almost all of these filters have the capability of incorporating carbon to the filtration process. The carbon is not necessary for providing potable water, but it will improve the taste and odor. The Katadyn Vario and MSR MiniWorks use a glass fiber/carbon filter media as well as a ceramic pre-filter disc for more cloudy water. This pre-filter can be bypassed when you're filtering clear water.

Gravity-Fed Filters

There are two different types of gravity-fed camping water filters:

The first is a stationary type (such as Katadyn Gravidyn or Ceradyn). There's no need to mount the filter, but it is much too cumbersome to pack up and take on an excursion. There are two main vessels: an upper and a lower ones. The upper vessel holds the three filter elements. The lower filter holds the filtered water and has a spigot to receive the water. The water simply drips through the filter elements to the lower vessel. This filter has an incredible capacity of 39,000 gallons. This filter requires 3 filter elements - all made of ceramic and carbon.

The second is a portable type (Katadyn Base Camp or Platypus CleanStream). This filter type has a nylon bag that can be filled and hung from a tree or whatever else will work, and the bottom of the bag houses the filter cartridge. The capacity is not nearly what the stationary type is, but it will still provide about 200 gallons of water and can also be broken down into a smaller form (so you can pack it up easily). The filter media used in the system is glass fiber and carbon.

Chlorine Dioxide

Purification Tablets

The water purification tablets (such as Katadyn Micropur) are a great item to keep on hand as a backup in case your camping water filter breaks or gets destroyed. These tablets are made of chlorine dioxide. Once the chlorine reacts with dioxide, the chlorine becomes chloride, which produces a safe, non-toxic byproduct.

Water Treatment Drops

Water treatment drops (such as Aquamira Water Treatment Drops) are also chlorine dioxide, only in liquid form. These drops come in two different bottles: The first bottle is chlorine dioxide. The second bottle is phosphoric acid, which is required to active the chlorine dioxide. These aren't quite as convenient for backpacking since they're liquid, but they cost much less.

All of these products are a great way to ensure you have clean drinking water when you're out in the field. With all the many choices, you'll be sure to find to best fit your needs.