I must admit I tend to be a sceptic with my SteriPEN so will always double treat the water just out of paranoia (did I mention that I never want Giardia ever again?). Most hikers who have been using these for a while will be familiar with battery operated models but there is now a rechargeable option as well.Įssentially you just dip the UV component of the pen into your water bottle (doesn’t work with bladders), wait until the warning light goes off, and hey presto, your water is treated. The SteriPEN, which is really the only supplier in this category for hiking purposes has been around for a number of years and produces a number of different models. They operate by ‘frying’ the viruses so they can’t reproduce. These purifiers excel at killing viruses along with other types of pathogens unlike most other choices on the market. So lets have a look at the choices and see how they stack up. You may even find that you use different kinds for different hikes. With so many different options available is one better than the other? Which one should you use?Įach type of water filtration method has its advantages and disadvantages, and as such there really is no one perfect option for water filtration. Straw Filters – These filters pass water through a filtration system that treats the water as you drink e.g.Katadyn Micorpur Forte Water Purification Tablets Chemical (liquid or tablets form) – Chemicals that kill living organisms in the water e.g.Pumps – These filters clean water by pumping it through a fine filter that will trap most, but not all microbes e.g. Gravity Filters – These filters use gravity to force water though a filter e.g.UV Light – These devices purify water through an ultraviolet light which kills pathogens, including viruses e.g. SteriPEN.The most common forms of water purification methods used for hiking fall into the following categories: When we talk about filtration we are talking about some mechanism to remove/disable impurities through the use of a fine physical barrier, a chemical or biological process with the aim of getting the water to a specified water quality. While the large solids don’t go into the water tank any bacteria or parasites end up in the water that you drink Types of Water Filters This image shows possum poo on the solids trap of a camp shelter. As a result of this I am extremely cautious when collecting water on the trail and no matter how clear the water may appear, I will always use some form of water treatment just to be on the safe side. Don’t be fooled here, Giardia exists in Australia and there have even been outbreaks in town water sources. I travelled through India a few years ago and managed to pick up a case of Giardia that took me six weeks on a fairly strong course of antibiotics to get rid of an experience that I never want to repeat. After a few days it was very, very obvious from the smell that something was seriously wrong with the water but for the first day or so this dead decaying possum was slowly dissolving into the water supply without us being aware, and with it all sorts of germs that I don’t want to think about! I can remember camping as a child and one of the water tanks we regularly used had a possum fall into it and drown. While the water we are just about to drink may appear clean and clear what do we know about the upstream feeder sources? Are there farms or heavy industry? Has the local sewerage treatment plant upstream had problems that have resulted in a release of untreated effluent? What else is going into the water catchment system of the tank you are about to drink from? In many places we hike, at least in western countries, we take for granted we will have access to good quality supplies of clean water right? While the answer is usually yes this is not a guarantee and what we see is not necessarily all that we get. We recently discussed carrying water on the trail in relation to how much water to carry and how to carry it, however this is only half of the equation. Water and Hiking: Filtration Hiking practice
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