Water purification while hiking

[Mitsu3000gt]

Not really sure where the best place to post this is, but it seems appropriate.

I am going to Hawaii this summer and I am planning on doing a ton of hiking, some quite long (full day). I don't think it will be easy to carry with me the amount of water I will want to drink on a long hike in 30 degree sun, so I thought some sort of water purification device/bottle would be ideal so I could fill up along the way and drink as much as I want.

I've started Googling and looking at MEC but I am not really sure what is good and what isn't. Price seems to vary wildly as well.

I would like it to do 3 things, if possible:

1) Filter out absolutely everything bad, including viruses.

2) Not become easily clogged with whatever sediment/particles are in the water.

3) Not be ridiculously expensive or huge.

Not sure if its possible to get all 3 or not, but the one comment I heard from the only person I know who hikes regularly is that when he went to Hawaii, the filter he bought just got instantly clogged up with crap from the water and was useless from then on out.

Those dissolving tablets seem like they could be an OK solution, but I have more faith in a proper filter that would also remove any bad tastes/larger particles.

Anyone have a particular brand or type they would recommend? Or a good place to start looking? Or should I just bring 100lbs of bottled water with me? haha.

Thanks!

[Unknown303]

I have the MSR Miniworks EX Microfilter. Works really well and screws onto the large mouth nalgene bottles. Water tastes amazing out of it and it's super easy to clean when it does become clogged. But you'll be able to get a fair bit of water out of it before then, of course depending on what the water condition is that your trying to filter.

http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/water-treatment-and-hydration/expedition-water-treatment-and-hydration/miniworks-ex-microfilter/product

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks.

Seems like the best solution is to pre-filter the water with a coffee filter or something, then use a UV sterilizer. Or, use a UV sterilizer in combination with something like what you posted. Would that be best do you think?

[Unknown303]

Yeah a coffee filter or something along those lines is a nice disposable way to get rid of the major sediment instead of making the fine filter deal with it. I've had my filter in some pretty murky streams when back country camping and the water would come out crystal clear and taste very clean.

Although I must point out my filter just has a hose that hangs in the water. It's a little difficult to setup a pre filter on it.

[trevh]

If it's a moving stream and back country I use nothing. Not had the shits or anything yet.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by trevh
If it's a moving stream and back country I use nothing. Not had the shits or anything yet.

Solid advice. It only takes getting a stomach virus once in the back country for you to really change your stance on that.

[Godfuader]

Not sure about purification, but a coffee filter and water bottle with a built-in filter may work. I have this brand:

http://images.marketplaceadvisor.channeladvisor.com/hi/72/72196/050BOBRD-F.jpg

http://www.waterbobble.com/

[Mixalot27]

These are some of the few that kill viruses:

1. Steripen or similar UV devices. Steripen makes a prefilter as well that screws onto a Nalgene bottle and costs around $12.

2. Water treatment pills. Some have bad taste. Also you have to let it sit for 1/2 hr or more before drinking the water. You would also want to prefilter with something first, coffee filter, bandana, etc. You could even use the $12 Steripen prefilter.

3. There are a few filters that work on viruses. Probably the most well known/recommended would be the First Needs XL:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___81249

Sawyer and Seychelle also make filters that work on viruses:

http://www.sawyer.com/viral.htm
http://store.seychelle.com/Products-Std._Filtration_Bottles.html

4. MSR MIOX Purifier

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442491959&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302696751

Personally I would get the first needs filter if the size and weight doesn't bother you. If you want lighter and smaller then I would go with the Steripen with prefilter or the MSR MIOX. And regardless of which one, I would take some water treatment tablets as a backup.

I did a lot of research recently on water filters. At first I was thinking of getting one that filters out viruses. In the end I decided most of my use would be on clear, running, water from mountain streams. So I decided to go with the MSR Autoflow Gravity filter. And if I'm worried about viruses I will just add Water treatment pills also but mostly I don't think I will need to.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___88104

[msommers]

Honestly, don't bother with the pens or iodine tablets. Get a good quality water filter. I've used various types and always go back to the heavy duty versions. There are various types out now so you'll have to look at those but I would strongly suggest, as someone who has used them quite a bit, to get the push type water filters. They are slower, require some muscle and need to be maintained/cleaned but it doesn't taste like shit and it actually filters properly. The filters the pens come with aren't great and ends up being a pain in the ass when small debris gets through the provided filters. I never got sick using the pens however, so I suppose that speaks some volume I guess.

[e31]

Leptospirosis is no fun at all. Personally, I would boil my water.

[J-D]

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/

It's expensive but it will filter out almost everything. The creator did a demonstration (at TED - not an infomercial lol) where he put raw sewage in it as well as river/lake water, and drank it on stage.

[Mixalot27]

Actually I found an article saying that most filters don't work on Leptospirosis which is found in Hawaii. The suggested treatment methods are boiling, Iodine, or UV:

http://www.leptospirosis.org/topic.php?t=15

[Freeskier]

I used to work at MEC, but its been a couple years. If you wanna take care of viruses you need a chemical treatment. The pump style filters will filter out bacteria and protozoa, but viruses are much too small to be caught by a filter. Boiling and chemical treatments are the only way to deal with those.

I've always used a filter style and paid attention to the water source I choose when I'm camping. I usually don't bother filtering a high altitude mountain spring or something like that, but a river or slightly more questionable source I'll filter. I only pull water out of a ditch or pond if I have absolutely no choice.

A couple of times I've used a chemical to purify the water, and then pulled it through a filter to clear up the sediment and make it taste a bit better. All you need for that is a basic carbon filter if you wanna keep the cost down. A brita water bottle would do it no problem.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by J-D
http://www.lifesaversystems.com/

It's expensive but it will filter out almost everything. The creator did a demonstration (at TED - not an infomercial lol) where he put raw sewage in it as well as river/lake water, and drank it on stage.

You always find the best of the best on TED. That system sounds incredible.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys, looks like a filter + UV is the best unless I want to do filter + tablets, but the taste & chemicals don't seem like they would be as good.

I can't use a filter only because of viruses...as previously mentioned, leptospirosis in particular is apparently an issue in Kauai. Much of what I read even suggests avoiding swimming in fresh water altogether as a precaution because it can infect through any open cut/scrape or the mucus membranes. I guess it's the worst after rainfall.

The lifesaver bottle looks really good. I am going to do more reading on that. You can even drink you pee with it haha. Maybe Bear Grylls should get one of these. Seems to be the only filter that can take care of viruses as well.

A 100% fail safe seems like it would be lifesaver bottle + UV but that is probably overkill.

Or maybe I should just buy a huge Camelbak haha.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Can anyone explain to me two things. I can't seem to find answers to these questions:

1) Some filters (i.e. Katadyn My Bottle Purifier) claim to filter out everything including viruses, but the filter is only 0.3 microns. Other bottles with filters of 0.2 microns do not filter out viruses. So, how does the larger-holed filter take care of viruses but the smaller one can't? Is it the type of filter or something?

2) Some filters, (i.e. once again I'll use the Katadyn My Bottle Purifier as an example), claim to filter out everything including viruses, but do not filter out particulate. How is it possible that it filters viruses, but not particulates in the water? I would think particulate is WAY bigger than a virus.

I was looking at this as an alternative to the Lifesaver Bottle but it apparently doesn't filter out particulate (see question 2 above...I don't know how that is possible given what else it does):

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442632521&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302696689


I can't find these answers anywhere. Thanks.

[Unknown303]

The MEC one contains a iodine resin cartridge, which is the element that removed bacteria and virus'.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Unknown303
The MEC one contains a iodine resin cartridge, which is the element that removed bacteria and virus'.

Oh ok - I didn't catch that part. I was just looking at the filter hole size. That helps, but how does a 0.3 micron filter not remove particulate but a 0.2 micron ceramic filter does?

I would think 0.3 microns would filter out 99% of any particulates.

That lifesaver bottle just keeps looking better and better.

[Unknown303]

I'm not really sure on the particulates part. It really might come down to what each company is comfortable claiming their product is capable of. I've used the ceramic type back country and haven't had any issues yet....

But if looking to really invest in something man those lifesaver ones look incredible, I almost want to get one of those larger tanks for camping.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Unknown303
I'm not really sure on the particulates part. It really might come down to what each company is comfortable claiming their product is capable of. I've used the ceramic type back country and haven't had any issues yet....

But if looking to really invest in something man those lifesaver ones look incredible, I almost want to get one of those larger tanks for camping.

Yeah I'll probably only use it once or twice a year, and lots on this particular trip, but I might just get a Lifesaver bottle. Shelf life is 5 years on the filters so that's pretty good. As long as there is water at regular intervals, being able to just drink from literally whatever water source I want seems very attractive.

[msommers]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Oh ok - I didn't catch that part. I was just looking at the filter hole size. That helps, but how does a 0.3 micron filter not remove particulate but a 0.2 micron ceramic filter does?

I would think 0.3 microns would filter out 99% of any particulates.

That lifesaver bottle just keeps looking better and better.

The smallest clay particles can fall in between that range, depending on who you talk to.