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Questions tagged [water-purification]

Questions about making the water found outdoors safe for drinking.

14 votes
3 answers
1k views

is water filter log reduction multiplicative?

Two water filters each provide a 4 log (99.99%) reduction for some pathogen. If I pass the water through both filters (or one filter twice), have I now achieved an 8 log reduction? For example: MSR ...
jhnc's user avatar
  • 411
4 votes
2 answers
488 views

Water treatment for washing - are purification tablets best option, and how many are needed?

I'll be winter camping in a bare-bones cabin with 6 people for two nights and 4 people for a third night. By my estimate, we'll need a lot of water: 6gal 2nights + 4gal1night = 16gal. I plan to haul ...
cr0's user avatar
  • 4,003
1 vote
2 answers
194 views

Is my water filter defective?

I have been using water filter from very known brand for the last year. I didn't use it a lot perhaps for 50 - 60 liter of water. I changed 1 pouch. Water was clean most of time and after each hike I ...
Alex J.'s user avatar
  • 1,235
4 votes
1 answer
254 views

Would keeping a silver dollar inside a full Camelbak prevent mold/bacteria growth?

When you're out and about in the wilderness for some time (say, a week), it might be difficult to keep your Camelbak clean and free from bacteria/mold. Sure, I can regularly drop water purifying ...
Alexander's user avatar
  • 1,770
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Water in Tour du Mont Blanc

My friend and I intend to do part of the Tour de Mont Blanc this summer. While we are aware of the refuges and huts, we would prefer to stay in bivouacs for the night (at least one night, but probably ...
embedded_dev's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

UK blanket bog peatland water - safe to drink?

I was recently walking in the North Pennines on a hot day. 10 miles into a 16 mile walk, I stopped to check my 2.5l water bladder and saw that it was almost empty. This naturally caused me some ...
dev'd's user avatar
  • 155
3 votes
2 answers
118 views

How can I clean water filter's intake filter?

I have an MSR "trailshot" hand-pump water filter which works well for me on trips where I've felt the need for such a thing. Unfortunately, after some usage in what turned out to be a rather ...
timday's user avatar
  • 283
2 votes
1 answer
212 views

How much water filtering is necessary in the USA?

I'm gearing up to do my first solo backpacking trip and am looking to get a new water filter. From my research it sounds like most folks say that it is a good idea to filter bacteria and protozoa but ...
binarylegit's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
365 views

How can I obtain drinking water in a saline area such as the Northern Great Plains?

If the topographic map is to be believed, there are plenty of streams in Grasslands National Park, but apparently they are saline. Last and Ginn report that there is no other area in the world that ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 27.3k
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Iodine tablet correct use and efficiency

I've used these many times before, always followed the instructions (3 tablets/Liter, shake, wait 30 minutes minimum) and never had (or noticed) any issues. I've always been under the impression, ...
mreff555's user avatar
  • 603
1 vote
1 answer
277 views

Water sources: which are safe and which should be avoided? (UK)

I have been trying to find a list of water sources that should be avoided. I have checked online and looked at several water companies, e.g. Scottish Water. I haven't found any information on which ...
SweetJhoni's user avatar
16 votes
5 answers
3k views

Filtering fine silt/mud from water (not necessarily bacteria etc.)

We are heading for a trek in the Fann mountains and I've heard a lot of the water there is cloudy with very fine silt particles in it. I noticed most water filter manuals explicitly tell you not to ...
Martin Modrák's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
520 views

Water filters: is there always a tradeoff between longevity and safety

My research thus far has acquainted me with a kind of trade-off: one can try to minimize the amount of contamination (from bacteria/parasites) or one can try to minimize the amount of particulates ...
Arash Howaida's user avatar
40 votes
4 answers
16k views

Ways to desalinate water when "lost at sea"?

In recent news reports that all seem to be saying the same things: Jakarta Post Indonesian teenager survives 49 days adrift in Guam waters NPR: 19-Year-Old Survives 49 Days At Sea After Floating Hut ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 981
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

Usability difference between 0.1 micron 0.2 micron filter bottles?

We have been using older water filter bottles with charcoal filters. These are easy to drink from a combination of squeeze the bottle and suck will quickly fill your mouth with a swallow of water. We ...
James Jenkins's user avatar

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