Water Treatment Recommendations

[chromehead58]

I was just in sportsman warehouse..they had a filter that used lights...In the past i have used the pur hiker, but was looking at this, it is tiny light and the literature on it said it would treat like 4000 gallons before needing new lights..
has anyone seen these or know anything about them?

[gonzo]

I ended up going with MSR MiniWorks EX. I looked at, and seriously considered, the Katadyn Hiker, but decided I preferred the grip-style pump to the up-n-down style. I also liked that it screws directly onto my Nalgene bottles, so I'll never mix up the input and output hoses.

Hopefully I'll actually get a chance to use it this weekend!

[Jaxx]

I was just in sportsman warehouse..they had a filter that used lights...In the past i have used the pur hiker, but was looking at this, it is tiny light and the literature on it said it would treat like 4000 gallons before needing new lights..
has anyone seen these or know anything about them?

I haven't used one personally but I did look into these while researching filtration. The big problem I had with these is that they don't filter, they just purify. I have filtered some nasty water that I was glad to not be drinking the floaties, no matter how purified it was. That is the same problem I have with the MSR handheld little pen one that uses salt, no filtration.

[Scott Card]

[quote="Jaxx"]

I was just in sportsman warehouse..they had a filter that used lights...In the past i have used the pur hiker, but was looking at this, it is tiny light and the literature on it said it would treat like 4000 gallons before needing new lights..
has anyone seen these or know anything about them?

"delete" Opps, didn't read your post carefully enough. Never mind.

[ugly]

unless you are going where people or stock crap in the water you drink i wouldn't worry about water treatment. it has been a few years but i remember backpacker magazine doing a field test for little nasties in popular destination locations around the states. not one of them were even close to having ppm that would affect a human. for 5 years i have never used a filter/purifier and have not once got sick. i will amend that to say if my only option is a nasty pothole and i know this is likely the only option before i go, i will take a filter to remove particularte matter and some iodine tabs. just get living water, avoid stagnant pools, dunk as far under the surface as you can if at a lake, and enjoy !

more locally, i have hiked a good deal in the cottonwoods since moving here. almost all the popular trails to lake basins. i never have gotten sick from drinking from a living (flowing) water source.

[ugly]

Ok, I don't know what I am doing, so to reference the above attempt to quote goofballs previous comment.

What about activated charcoal? This was a wonder drug in my youth. We used it topically on anything and oraly for any flipflop of the stomach. I still use it but never on a hike. I don't know anything about parasites so I have never risked it. But all these filtration systems use charcoal as a filter agent so why wouldn't it be just as effective to cut out the middleman and just injest the charcoal direct. I understand this is retroactive not proactive, but if for goofball who feels the risk is minimal and the obvious advatages this would at least prevent a three day aftermath. Of course this is only valid if it is effective.

Anyone know for sure?

[Sombeech]

I thought the charcoal in the filters was just for the taste.

[Cirrus2000]

I ended up going with MSR MiniWorks EX. I looked at, and seriously considered, the Katadyn Hiker, but decided I preferred the grip-style pump to the up-n-down style. I also liked that it screws directly onto my Nalgene bottles, so I'll never mix up the input and output hoses.

Hopefully I'll actually get a chance to use it this weekend!

I love my MiniWorks. Love, love, love. Filtered some truly crappy, stinky, swampy water in Wrather Canyon this spring - came out sweet and delicous. Mmmmm.....

[Scott Card]

I ended up going with MSR MiniWorks EX. I looked at, and seriously considered, the Katadyn Hiker, but decided I preferred the grip-style pump to the up-n-down style. I also liked that it screws directly onto my Nalgene bottles, so I'll never mix up the input and output hoses.

Hopefully I'll actually get a chance to use it this weekend!

Good choice. How'd you like it? I too prefer the grip-style pump to the up and down. Less tiring to me.

[gonzo]

I didn't end up using it this weekend. I did a long hike up to Broads Fork Twin Peaks. I probably could have used an extra liter of water by the time I hit the beaver pond and stream in the meadow on the descent, but I was too tired to bother with it at the time.

I did filter a few liters from my sink (to clean the filter, as per the instructions), and it was incredibly easy to use once I got the umbrella gasket thing placed properly.

[packfish]

http://www.billingsgazette.net/artic...aqualimpia.txt