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Are Portable Water Filters And Portable Water Purifiers For Travel And Hiking Effective?

You are traveling to an undeveloped country or hiking in an unfamiliar area. You want to be safe and hydrated, so you decided to buy portable water filters and portable water purifiers for travel and hiking. But before you do so, you have some questions that you need answered.

What is the difference between a filter and a purifier? Simply put, filtration is a way of removing dirt and debris from water while killing deadly bacteria and virus either by boiling or with the use of chemicals. Purification, on the other hand, is the usage of carbon and reverse osmosis to remove harmful particles from water. In the event you are worried about powering your water purifier, there are currently choices such as the Steripen sidewinder UV water purifier that has a hand crank and do not require outside energy.

Can you elaborate more on filtration? The primary purpose of filtration is to kill bacteria and viruses while removing some dirt and sediment. Boiling for three minutes or more is the safest and most effective method of filtration. Unfortunately, boiling may not kill all harmful microorganisms and the water will still need to be run through a filtering cloth to remove dirt and debris.

Chemical filtration. Another way to filter water is by using chemicals such as iodine or chlorine. These methods are much quicker than boiling and can be used while hiking or when it is not feasible to boil the water. Both chemicals are very cheap and can be carried in small packages or bottles. The major drawback to chemicals is that they can be harmful if overused or improperly used.

Iodine kills most microorganisms, but it may take some time for larger quantities of water. It should not be used for long periods of time and can be hazardous to pregnant women or people with thyroid problems.

What about chlorine? Chlorine makes the water thinner, causing sediment and dirt to sink to the bottom. This results in the top water being clear and drinkable. Chlorine is very poisonous if overused. Mixing too much chlorine can cause severe illness, organ failure, and death.

Water purification is more expensive, but they are much safer. They use carbon and reverse osmosis to filter harmful particles out of the water. The carbon is used to remove pollutants, and chemicals from the water while making it taste and smell better. Reverse osmosis is used to filter out toxic metals, such as lead, and other impurities.

Ultraviolet purifiers. Most water purifiers recommend that you boil the water after it is purified to kill the remaining microorganisms. Sometimes, however, you are not able to do this. If you cannot, there are purifiers that have ultraviolet (UV) light mechanisms that disable the ability of bacteria and viruses to reproduce, making them less harmful.

Solar water disinfectors. A relatively new technology is solar water disinfectors (SODIS). These work by using the UV and heat from sunlight to kill unsafe microorganisms. They are most effective in sunny or tropical areas.

By using portable water filters and portable water purifiers for travel and hiking, you can make your trip or hike much more enjoyable and safe. You can remain hydrated without fear of getting sick or possibly dying. You will just have to choose the system that works best for you.

Gretchen Robertvine has intentions of using the SteriPEN Sidewinder Water Purifier while she is backpacking and camping outdoors in the Appalachian Mountains next summer. She is a independent writer who writes for firms including Survival Camping World and Better Health Innovations, two top internet retailers.

categories: camping,hiking,backpacking,travel,water

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