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You must be logged in to post a comment. Remote Travel Consultation. Giardia lamblia and campylobacter jejuni are among the most common harmful microorganisms encountered during wilderness activities. There are a number of water purification tablets on the market, each requiring specific usage to work effectively.
Typically, one or more tablets are dissolved in a container of water, and the container is closed and allowed to sit for 30 minutes or more. Some types of tablets leave behind an unpleasant taste. Iodine neutralizer tablets can be used to neutralize iodine's flavor. Chlorine flavor can be removed by allowing the treated water to sit uncovered so the chlorine can evaporate.
Water purification tablets are simple and portable. Properly stored, many types of tablets remain effective for months or years.
Unlike purification techniques involving boiling, filtration or ultraviolet radiation, water purification tablets require no special equipment, power or fuel. In the end, we found Katadyn Micropur MP1 to be the brand to choose.
We reviewed 7 of the biggest brands of water purification tablets for your multi day hiking or camping trip, read the article for details! Disclaimer: This article has some referral links, but only for products we recommend.
After hearing stories about fatal hit with dysentery from other hikers while on a multiday hike some years ago, I made a promise to myself: Always make sure to keep my water clean. This is why I take water purification tablets with me when I go backpacking. I was actually going to give this award to the Aquatabs, because of their taste and ease of use. But the best water treatment tablet should kill all microorganisms, including Cryptosporidium.
Functionality comes before taste. The Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets have the best taste of any crypto-fighting tablets and come in a durable package that is still relatively easy to open. The water purified with these tablets did not irritate my skin or throat at all, but I should know that I have been using the tablets for a few years now. Irritation and side effects are different for each person. Also, these tablets are quite inexpensive in comparison, which is also a plus for this option.
Consider the Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide tablets to be your average, safe water purification tablets. They are not too strong in smell or taste, and the packaging is quite durable. This brand is very similar to Katadyn, except for one small thing: the water purified with these tablets caused my throat to scratch. Granted, this was the first tablet I tried for an entire day.
It is possible that my body was just getting used to absorbing chlorine back into my diet. However, you should know that the result between these tablets and the Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets was so close that this one side effect was the deciding factor in my choosing these tablets for second place and not first. After a few days of chugging chemicals, I was curious to see what this two-part powerhouse was capable of.
I inserted the iodine tablet and let it do its work. Even before I put in the second tablet — whose sole purpose is to neutralize the iodine aftertaste and color in the water — I smelled and tasted the treated water.
Millions of Aquatabs tablets are used every year so they are definitely a major company in water purification worldwide. A chlorine compound is the active ingredient, meaning they are effective against viruses, bacteria, and giardia but not cryptosporidium.
A quick note on the apparently various brands of Aquatabs: there is actually only one brand of Aquatabs. Potable aqua makes two kinds of tablets: iodine and chlorine dioxide. The iodine tablets 2 on this list come with a second tablet that enhances taste but that only works with iodine. Also fortunate is the fact that chlorine dioxide kills cryptosporidium which iodine does not.
That means these tablets treat all three kinds of pathogens found in backcountry waters. Aquamira brags that they are registered with the EPA for water purification which is a good thing, I guess. Nevertheless, the tablets work wonders on nasty waters. Probably the strongest of all tablets on this list, and likely the most effective. And it is even more noticeable before they are done working. Otherwise, the chemical smell is pretty bad. Ef Chlor is similar to aquatabs in that they contain the same active ingredient, a chemical that contains chlorine and releases free chlorine for disinfection.
Their marketing, as with Aquatabs, is geared more towards emergency situations and developing countries than it is towards backcountry water treatment. But they are still useful in the backcountry…just not against crypto. They claim to be effective in slightly turbid cloudy water but the actual level of dissolved solids they claim to be effective against is pretty low: 5 ppm.
If you have no choice but to use these tablets in cloudy water, you can double the dose. Per tablet, Ef Chlor is cheap but you can only buy packs of These tablets are very similar to other chlorine dioxide tablets like Aquamira and Potable Aqua in that they use the same active ingredient and are thus effective against the same pathogens.
Chlorine dioxide is the most effective type of water purification tablet and thus we like this type of tablet over others. The advantage this tablet has over other chlorine dioxide tablets is the tough carrying case it comes in. Beyond just buying the right tablets, you need to know a little about the pathogens that make you sick, where these pathogens are found, and how to effectively use your tablets.
This info could keep you from getting a water-borne infection one day! Be sure to check out the infographic below for a quick and easy guide to safely and effectively using water purification tablets. Pathogens are any microorganism that can cause disease. There are three types of pathogens that make you sick when you drink contaminated water in the backcountry: viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.
Viruses are the least common pathogen encountered by hikers and backpackers but they are still important. The viruses that are found in some waters are pretty nasty, so they should definitely be on your radar. Viruses are most often transmitted from human to human so water near a lot of human traffic for example, downstream of a city or town is more likely to contain viruses than very remote waters. Water in developing countries is also much more likely to contain viruses.
Bacteria are single cell organisms that are present in all water, everywhere. Some are harmful, many are not. Harmful bacteria include Salmonella, E. Harmful bacteria are found in higher amounts where animals are present like cattle or pack animals. Beaver dams also create ponds that become a cesspool of decaying matter that spawn bacteria. Even the most remote waters contain harmful bacteria.
Protozoa are single-cell organisms that behave more like animals than bacteria. They can be parasites or not and can make you sick either way. They are definitely something you should be aware of in the backcountry. Protozoa, like viruses, can be spread from person to person and even from pets to people. If you are with someone that is sick, or you have a pet that is sick, be extra careful to practice good hygiene such as washing your hands often to protect yourself.
Protozoa most commonly spread through fecal matter.
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