HOW TO PURIFY WATER WHILE HIKING - how to purify water in the field

Activated carbon is a good water purifier. Two tablets per one liter of water adsorb salts of heavy metals and chlorine, improve the taste and smell of water. However, there is one "BUT": coal does not cope with bacteria and parasites.

A tourist filter is more reliable than activated carbon, because it disinfects water by 99.9999% in the field:

it blocks the activity of bacteria in the reservoir,
prevents the formation of algae and musty odor,
improves the taste of water, keeping it fresh for up to 6 months,
protects against viruses.

Not all filters eliminate the virus threat. It is worth knowing about the type of filtration they are equipped with. Especially if you are traveling in areas with an outbreak of hepatitis or other epidemiological Achtunga - for example, in Africa or the Middle East.

Which water filter is better

Drinking water from a puddle and staying alive is a lottery for good luck. If you think that you will disinfect it by boiling, then you are mistaken. Yes! Boiling water for 15 minutes will eliminate most bacteria, viruses and parasites. But not all organisms die, some need more time. For example, staphylococcus bacteria are destroyed after three hours of boiling, botulism spores - after 4.5 hours.

See the table for the easiest way to disinfect water in the field using a filter.

Filter type	Features of the	Principle of operation	Cleaning
Ceramic	Eliminates bacteria and microorganisms. Cleans muddy and dirty water. Equipped with a porous structure with silver ions. The pore size is 0.2 microns (0.0002 mm).	Filters bacteria from 0.3 to 1.5 microns and parasites from 1-100 microns. Silver ions prevent the growth of bacteria and microorganisms inside the filter.	Remove plaque with a sponge or brush.
Fiberglass	Retains bacteria and protozoa up to 99.99%. But it is effective only in moderately polluted water. Settle the cloudy water before filtering.	Consists of two layers of the finest fiberglass. The pore size of 0.2 or 0.3 microns allows you to filter out parasites. Due to the folded structure, it increases the area of the absorbent surface. Lighter and cheaper than ceramic.	Cannot be cleaned.
Viral	Purifies water by electrokinetic adsorption.	The aluminum coating of the filter has a strong positive charge. And viruses and bacteria are negatively charged. Fields with different charges are attracted, and harmful particles are deposited on the surface of the filter.

Silver ions help the water stay fresher longer. Nanoparticles endow it with bactericidal properties, but do not get rid of impurities and suspensions.

Choosing a water filter: what's the difference?

Gravity filter

Fastened to the inside of the waterskin with an adapter. The container is filled with water and suspended on a support. The device filters, on average, two liters per minute. Mirror water, without turbidity and algae. It is easy to monitor the water level through the indicator window. The outgoing hose is easy to disconnect thanks to the connectors and the shut-off valve. Thus, do not allow the outgoing hose to come into contact with dirty water when filling the filter.

Photos from the site: xt.ht

Filter with pump

Filters just as much water as needed. Thanks to the adapter, you can attach bottles with a narrow or wide neck. However, the pump is a complex machine. It will break down, it will not work to disinfect the water.

Photos from the site: xt.ht

Drinking tube filters and filter bottles

Convenient solution. You can drink it straight from the source. Lower the end of the tube into the water, and draw in the already cleaned one. The filter element neutralizes bacteria and parasites.

Photos from the site: xt.ht

The wide neck of the bottle makes it easy to fill the container with water from a river, lake or mountain stream. Filtration takes place by squeezing the bottle with your hand. It is convenient to hang up and carry the bottle using the mount without taking up space in the backpack.