I am would like to get some feedback on the best water treatment device for backpacking. I need to get something durable and easy to use that won't break the bank. Thoughts? [color:"blue"] [/color]

Hey, Bill. Look under "THE LIGHTWEIGHT ZONE >> Lite Gear Talk - Water filter cross -over" on this forum. There's a tremendous amount of excellent advice being discussed on water treatment there.

I would suggest that you use Chlorine Dioxide first, then filter with the Katadyn Siphon filter:

http://products.katadyn.com/brands-and-products/produkte/Endurance_Series_23/Katadyn_Siphon_26.html

The Katadyne Siphon filter works on gravity feed and filters at 1.40 gallons per hour with no pumping. It uses a 0.2 micron medical grade ceramic filter, has no moving parts, and will filter between 5000 and 20,000 gallons of water depending on your raw water's particulates content. You can use the Siphon filter at home for emergency water supply too. Hope this helps, Brum

The most economical is almost certainly Polar Pur . It does not have the overbearing aftertaste of traditionaliodine tablets as it is concentrated pellets that release a set amount of iodine into the liquid. You then pour x-number of capfuls of the iodine-saturated water into your untreated water, based on temperature and current pellet concentration. (This is MUCH easier than it sounds. You look at a little heat-sensitive scale on the side of the bottle and it say "add x capfuls per liter".) I knew AT thru-hikers who used only 2 or three bottles for an entire 6-month thru-hike.

I prefer Aqua Mira, a chlorine treatment in which you mix 7 drops of treatments with 7 drops of activator (in the little bowl on the cap) for each liter you wish to treat. Then wait 5 minutes for it to activate. Then add the now-yellow solution to your water and wait 15 minutes. The taste is preferable to any amount of iodine and it is quicker than the 30 minutes for them.

Chorine Dioxide tablets have become popular as a back-up. The only real issue is the wait time. You are supposed to wait a full 4 hours before drinking with them, though I hear this is to kill the spore cryptosporidia only, while most other "cooties" like Giardia Lamblia die within half an hour or so. Still, the packaging is very clear that if you don't wait for the full four hours, you're taking your [legal] life into your own hands......

To remove silt and the like, you can simply use a bandana then treat with the listed chemical treatments. Or you could use one of these Steripen Prefilters which I have been very impressed with for coarse filtering.

If you're looking into filters, you're losing out on both weight and cost, but there ARE times when they may be worth it. For me, in very hot weather, I will carry so much extra water to drink while my new water is being treated that the filter was often worth it. But recently I have found I prefer the Steripen Adventurer, a UV water treatment tool. However, I won't go into details because the cost is definitely on the upper end of things.

i use a Steri-PEN for water purification in the backcountry. i like it due to no pumping or anything of that nature. All you do is filter it with the prefilter to get the chunks out (prefilter fits on top of Nalgene) then stir the water with the wand for a minute and a half. UV rays kill everything. The whole thing is super small and lightweight. The only bad thing about it is that it uses batteries, so make sure you have a spare set just in case.

It can be viewed here:

http://www.rei.com/product/761906

Later

Rob

Aquamira or Pristine <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Doesn't have a taste, Used right it kills everything, and while it weighs a bit more than tablets it doesn't weigh very much, and you don't need to wait nearly as long. I hate filters - always break 'em or clog em. Just last year alone on hikes I probably treated water for 4 different parties in campsites with my aquamira when their filter had clugged up and/or they broke it.

IMO everything else is just overcomplex technological junk to break. = Aquamira has no moving parts <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I believe that will work fine, until you hike near glaciers..

Run water from this beast through it:




That's the Brazeau river in Jasper NP, just the other side of nigel pass. while not unique
for mountain parks at all, I use this particular example, because there were three other
groups there with water filters. and me with my pristine (aquamira clone). I treated water
for everyone. Why? the lovely medical grade ceramic filters would clog solid with rock flour
(the really really fine stuff the glaciers grind off the rocks) after about a half litre, and no amount of scrubbing would clear them. So after three clogged filters, one of which was busted by the party involved in a desperate attempt to clean it, everyone just shuffled over to the fat guy in the hammock to get the stuff that works. (well, one used up a ton of fuel boiling it...)

(did I mention I have a hate on for filters? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> - they're heavy and unreliable <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks to everyone and their wonderful advice!

I finally switched to Aquamira - it works very well. I have an MSR miniworks filter that I used about twice before I got into the Chemicals. it is the second one that I have had and if you want to carry 14 ounces for the purpose of filtration it works very well. I think it cost me 79 or 89 (can't remember). The first MSR filter that I had lasted for three years and is still in great working condition - but instead of replacing the filter I just bought a new one - dooh! Then I read up on chemicals and started using them instead.
The thing I liked about the miniworks is that you can completely field maintain it -- very easily. And the filters last a looooong time. Having to replace filters can eat a hole in the old wallet.

Phat wrote:


Brumfield wrote: Well, aren't we quick to make generalized statements here... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The problematic issues with ceramic filters used by backpackers has been due to their trying too quickly to force too much water volume through way too small of a filter. This a good example of what happens when 6 ft, 225 pound guys decide they just can't carry a 16 ounce water filter, no matter what, nor can they wait 10 minutes to get 32 ounces of safe water with a larger ceramic inertia filter, versus waiting 3 or 4 minutes to hand pump (force) the water through their little 3oz super-micro handy dandy just how extreme can we be on weight saving water filter. I've seen the little UL ceramic filters clog up too and often. I also have seen people drop the filter's intake line on the bottom of muddy creeks, in sand, silt, clay, and in water they'd just walked out into to place the intake line down. I never suggest a small diameter ceramic filter, they just cause too many problems, unless you have major pre-filtering going on, such as string and charcoal. But, that's just too much work.

Ceramic filters are the most efficient water filtration being used today. Ceramic is used by many military; including the USA, Israel, Australia, and on and on. Ceramic is also used in most (yes, most) medical centers around the world, where as chemical treatment is last on the list of treatment choices due to reactions with medicines, drugs, and other chemicals given to the patients. Chemical treatments do not remove harmful heavy metals, chemicals, or wastes.

Katadyn makes an inertia filter called the Siphon Filter that is 16 ounces in weight and it will filter between 5000 and 20,000 gallons of water. I made one of these 16 years ago, long before Katadyn came out with theirs. It still works fine. I found Katadyn's inertia filter online while tracking down a ceramic filter to make one for my house as a backup water supply. The Katadyn filter with a protective case and a hose attached costs just about the same as the replacement filter cartridge alone, so that's pretty much a no brainer as to which one I bought. It's the same ceramic filter. I can filter enough water to handle all of my needs including washing dishes, faster than I can get my camp set up, cook and eat, and decide it's time to clean up. At 1.40 gallons per hour, with no pumping, it's well worth the 16oz carry weight. If 16 ounces feels just too heavy on my next trip, then I could always loose one pound off my belly before I leave on the hike. Or choose a different pair of boots. Or carry less food... NAW!

For me, the filter has needed a scrubbing about every 60 gallons when on the trail. Takes two minutes, and involves no tools to take it out of it's protective case. I use a paper coffee filter, tied around the end of the intake hose with a rubber band, as a pre-filter, then treat the water with chlorine dioxide before filtering if it looks questionable, and even UV treatment while on the trail. But then again I'm in the jungles of Mexico, what do I have to worry about? Brum.

LOL. Touche Monsieur...

I'm not sure how the "forcing it through" affects it. I know I have't seen a gravity filter
in use in rock flour laden glacial streams. I've seen plenty of pump filters - and in the
right conditions the ceramic plugs up so bad it basically can't be scrubbed clean.



I think that's the crux of it - your water problems are entirely different from mine. You certainly don't have glacial rock flour to contend with, and when I'm up above treeline I don't even bother treating - something I'd probably never do where you are <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I have used a variety of water treatments, including a gravity filter (Seychelle), pump filters (Katadyn Hiker and Sweetwater Guardian), iodine, and Aqua Mira. Each of these methods do have their pluses and minuses, and they are all capable of producing "drinkable" water. For me though, I ended up setting all those methods aside and now I just use simple household bleach. All it takes is about 5 drops for every liter of water and about 30 minutes of waiting. So far I've yet to experience any ill effects, which is a step up for me (I got the runs once while using the Sweetwater filter, which ended up having a crack in the ceramic). Also, if you're really nervous about any particular water source, just boil it. The only time I ever feel truly comfortable drinking any water gathered from the outdoors is after boiling it. Another nice thing about bleach, other than simplicity and availability, is the small size and weight. A small eyedrop bottle holds more than enough bleach for most trips. Mine weighs 0.4oz (14g) full.

Here's what I use to store my bleach in:

Good luck to you,
Eric

Does that give you much chlorine taste? Yeah, I know that's very subjective <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> but a general idea would be helpful.

Eric,
I have done some drop-size calibration and learned that a "drop" is quite a variable thing. I can't find my notes on the subject just now but seem to recall that I found that there was a range of about 10 to 30 drops per milliliter from the various droppers I checked. Your dropper bottle looks like one of those from BPL and, if so, is one that produces smaller than average drops.

Cooney (1998) in his book "Purification of Wilderness Waters" gives a generally accepted effective dose of 0.2 ml/L for sodium hypochlorite laundry bleach in clear 70 degree water. If I recall, that was about fifteen drops from a bottle similar to the one you showed in your picture. He also recommended doubling the dose for cold or murky water.

You may want to check the amount of bleach you are actually adding. A milliliter is 0.203 teaspoon or close to 5 ml/tsp; good enough for calibration purposes. Also, according to Cooney, sodium hypochlorite is not particularly effective on either Giardia or Cryptosporidium but works reasonably well on bacteria and viruses. It is certainly cheap and readily available.

I used Klearwater for the first time last summer. Seemed to work ok, and it was much lighter than my Kataydin Guide filter.

http://www.klearwater.com/about.htm

Cliff

Not really. I would say it has no more bleach taste than what you experience drinking city water. On the other hand, it does definitely have the aroma of bleach. I also use the odor as in indicator. If the chlorine smell seems too light, I'll add a bit more bleach, then wait again. The chlorine smell should be present when drinking.

Eric

Thanks pika! I never though about drop size. The bottle I use isn't from BPL, It's just a bottle I salvagaged from some regular eyedrops. To determine my drop size, I had to do a little experiment since I don't have a measuring teaspoon. I figure bleach has to be pretty darn close to water in weight, so I used my digital scale to determine how many drops I should be using. It's not an exact science by any means, but I used the ratio of 1g = 1mL of bleach. After 35 drops, I reached 1 gram. I double checked it by adding 35 more drops, and sure enough, I reach 2 grams. So, if he recommends using about 0.2mL for every liter of water, I should be adding about 7 drops. It seems like my drop size may be a bit on the small side, but it wasn't too far off. I have used more than 5 drops a liter before, but now I'll know that I can add more if I think it's necessary. I use a 2-liter bottle, so I'll keep the range between 10 and 20 drops. As far as effectiveness goes, you're right. It is at least a step up from iodine, right? Even though they're supposed to be more effective, I have yet to try any chlorine dioxide tablets. The only real reason I've avoided them is because I figured they go bad just like Aquamira does - is this true? Also, does anyone know if there is any real difference between Micropur and Potable Aqua?

Thanks,
Eric

Eric PA is iodine, Micropure I believe is tablet cholrine dioxide.

Sorry, I meant the Potable Aqua chlorine dioxide tabs.

Eric

Your choice of water treatment should be based on what you are trying to remove/kill from the water supply.

For example: uV or chemical does not remove particulates such as heavy metals or salts. Filters do not kill or remove virii.

Different chemicals have differing abilities to kill microorganisms.

Household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is very effective at killing virii (eg: rhinovirus, hepatitis, influenza, herpes, rubella ,HIV) and bacterium (staph, strep, salmonella, dysentery, e-coli) but not effective against cysts such as giardia and crypto.

Chlorine Dioxide (not to be confused with bleach) is effective at killing cysts such as giardia and crypto but requires much longer time (tests of 1/2 hour contact were ineffective at killing crypto).

Iodine does not kill crypto and may cause issues for those with thyroid problems. I do not remember if it is effective (or not) against giardia.

Iodine and chlorine are both halogens and use a similar process to attack the microorganisms. So it is no surprise that their limitations to cysts are so similar.

uV is often said to "not kill" microorganisms but instead render them sterile. If a cell is unable to reproduce it is considered dead. This is just semantics since the purpose of water treatment is to make water safe to drink. Whether one differentiates between dead and sterile is moot. uV limitations as mentioned earlier are the non removal of particulates. This can also be an issue if the water source in question is very turbid. The uV must be able to "hit" the cells. Dirty or cloudy water can inhibit the process.

In summary your water treatment decision should be based on what one is trying to kill/remove from the water and the source of the water. There are many who do not use any water treatment and instead are smart about their choices of source water. My guess is that even people who use water treatment will make efforts to get the cleanest water possible even before treatment and thus the "i have never gotten sick" is a result of safe water to begin with not a result of their chosen water treatment.

Now my disclaimer: I usually do not treat my water and instead rely on smart decisions on where/how to collect water. I carry a uV purifier when going into areas where I anticipate higher concentrations of human use (contamination IMHO is related most to human activity). In my emergency kit I carry a few tablets of chlorine dioxide, which if I use I allow treatment of hours to maximize safety.

With some on this thread recommending Polar Pure, it's time for my periodic account of "adventures with iodine."

About 5-6 weeks after I started using iodine to purify my water (only on weekends), I started to develop a rash. Not a surface rash--these were deep lesions (lichen planus) that itched horribly, took months to heal and left permanent scars. Since then I have not been able to eat seafood, anything with iodized salt (I have to avoid eating out and refuse invitations to peoples' homes) or multivitamin/mineral supplements (nearly all of which contain iodine). My latest outbreak was due to taking glucosamine/chondroitin (at my doctor's suggestion), which is derived from shellfish. Most of my food shopping time is spent reading labels--even the traces of iodine in sea salt are enough to cause an outbreak.

My dermatologist told me that allergies to iodine are not at all uncommon. And even for those not allergic, long-term use of iodine can cause thyroid problems. There's a reason the CDC says that iodine is for emergency use only. It is contraindicated for pregnant women and children, which should tell you something. And, as DTape says, it's not very effective against the primary nasties you're trying to eradicate. Especially in cold water (such as found in the Cascades and Rockies), it takes at least 4 hours to work. Several sites I've checked claim it's ineffective against protozoan spores (giardia and friends).

As a result of this experience, I refuse to use any chemicals in my water. I do take some Katadyn Micropur tabs along for emergencies, but I rely on my filter. My current one is the ULA Amigo Pro gravity filter, which takes a little longer but frees me from the back spasms I got while bent over the water source pumping. And it weighs less than most pump filters. I have my eye on the Steripen, though.

Even careful selection of sources doesn't mean you won't get sick. If people have been camping close to a spring, there are probably nasties in the wanter!

That's good that you stay away from chemicals, but unless you're using well water, what do you drink at home? Don't most municipalities still use some sort of chlorination process for drinking water?

Eric

Well, you've got some good stuff there, especially for those who don't know the differences (including effectiveness) between bleach, iodine, and chlorine dioxide. On the other hand, my concern wasn't really about the effectiveness of any of those mentioned, but whether or not the shelf life of chlorine dioxide varies between pill form and liquid form? Also, is there any significant difference exists between Potable Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets and Micropur chlorine dioxide tablets.

Cheers,
Eric
P.S. I Googled Micropurs' shelf life and came up with 10 years (assuming you don't repackage them). That's pretty good!

I'll jump in cause I am probably one of the more paranoid ones here when it comes to water. I typically hike in the SE, and I use a combo of a Katadyn Hiker pump filter and Aqua Mira. I figure the filter gets all the big stuff out, and the Aqua Mira kills any viruses that are present (even though viruses in the back country water supplies seem to be fairly rare in the US).

First I run the water through the filter, then I put in the Aqua Mira. In my opinion the Aqua Mira has a very faint taste, nothing that bothers me. Definitely weaker than the chlorine taste in the city water where I live.

Good points being made by DTape, and OM here folks pay attention!

I second what they both said, and add; there are 2 'camps' in backpacking as far as water treating goes.

There are the chemical folks, and you know who you are <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />; and the water filter folks, and we know who they are <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Now, if you are trying to FILTER your water to remove everything possible in it that could cause you harm, then MECHANICALLY FILTERING is the only method that will get this done.

If you are attempting to make your water 'biologically safe for human consumption', if not filtering then you're pretty much choosing from the available chemicals or the Steripen.

Which begs the question, Why add more chemicals to water you are going to consume, instead of just mechanically filtering it clear and clean? The answer is weight, we as backpackers want the lightest, most practical alternative to drinking crud <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Ok, so from the available chemicals DTape made a pretty good assessment of them all, including the Steripen.

You choose your method based on the following: Region, water temps, turbidity or lack thereof, susceptability to local pathogens, your desire to rid your water of unknown chemicals. That's pretty much it in a nutshell IME. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Aquamira is a chlorine dioxide treatment; it is not a chlorine treatment (unless one believes that hydrogen is similar to water since it is one of its two elements). As such the waiting times are no better than other chlorine dioxide treatments such as Miox, which produces a fresh batch each time you use it (unlike the chemicals that degrade in Aqua Mira). AquamIra only makes representations as to killing off bacteria. As such, other baddies such as giardia are not addressed. So you are taking your [legal] life into your own hands each time you are using Aquamira and thinking it will kill everything in 15 minutes.

I wondered how stable AM was/is <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> shelf life? anyone?

Also, I did not think it killed viruses so if that is also not true then the poster who said it did should edit their post.

ndsol you apparently are paying attention <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

This is grossly simplified, but it may help to shed some light. I pulled this directly from the EPA's website, specifically referring to Cryptosporidium and Giardia: "...studies concluded that chlorine dioxide is an excellent disinfectant against cysts and that chlorine dioxide is better than or equal to chlorine in terms of inactivation..." There's a lot more information to go over, but that's the gist of it.

Does that help?
Eric

Eric, i am wondering what the shelf stable life is of AM, since it has an expiration date on the sides of the bottles? How far past the date is it good? Or do you now have two small bleach bottles in your hands <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well, I still think someone posted AM as killing viruses which I believe is inaccurate.

I Googled the shelf life of Aqua Mira: 4 years.

From the same report on the EPA's website, it also states: "Chlorine dioxide has been shown to be an effective viricide..."

Sorry, I just always think of cysts as being the more difficult nasty to get rid of; therefore, since it does a decent job on cysts, I presumed it would be even more effective inactivating viruses. I'm no Microbiologist by any means, so if I'm wrong here, then chime in!

Eric
P.S. I hope I don't get in trouble for reproducing all this information! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Not from me Eric, I appreciate your answers <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I was wrong that AM did'nt kill viruses <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I think AM would be glad you are correcting my misconceptions about their product.

4 years from expiration date? or 4 years from manufacture date Eric?

Aquamira is chlorine dioxide and, as such, should kill viruses, crypto and giardia. But Aquamira does not (and may not legally be able to) make representations other than as to bacteria. I would be happy to be shown where Aquamira says otherwise. However, Katadyn does for its Micro Pur MP1 Purification tablets and so does MSR for its Miox.

In any case, my initial point is that Aquamira is certainly no better than the Miox or the Micro Pur and, as such, wait times are not any shorter for Aquamira. The nice thing about Miox is that it comes with testing strips so that you have the option to see how effective the dosage is.

With AM, I know that you mix 7 drops of each one together, wait a few minutes, and then add to water. My question is: Can you mix A & B together before the trip, into one bottle and use it this way, or does it degrade too quickly to be of much use?

I know the answer to this is that it degrades too quickly. You have to mix the A & B solution on the spot as needed.

Hmm NDSOL? Now I'm getting confused <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Earthling, you have it right from what I know.

An analogy for the Aquamira would be those adhesives where there are two parts. You squirt equal parts of each, mix them together and then glue what you want. But you can't wait too long to use the mixed adhesive or else it will harden and be ineffective. Same with Aquamira as the mixing starts the chemical process.

Chlorine Dioxide does indeed kill cysts, but the issue is time. ClO2 has shown to NOT be effective against crypto with exposure of 1/2 hour. (I think the recommended time is 4 hours to kill crytpo with ClO2).

A company that uses ClO2 as the active ingredient is trying to market its product and since time is very important to consumers they reduce the wait time and exclude crypto from the list. Of course if one waits long enough the ClO2 will break through the cysts shell, but time is not something some people are willing to sacrifice.

How about boiling it? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I use a PUR hiker, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />but one time we camped where there were cows in the marsh along the lake and I don't think the PUR was comlpetely effective, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> whereas filtering and boiling would be. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> As for fuel weight - I got no problem carrying an extra bottle - <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />insures my coffee habit, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> and frankly 95% of the water I consume is hot coffee from boiled water and the rest is in instant oatmeal. {Every trip ain't an 80- pound gourmet trip.} <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Jim YMMV <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I am with you on boiling water if you want to be really sure about getting rid of the bad stuff. Some years ago I was privileged to participate in a caving expedition in China, far, far from commercially treated water. The custom then was to provide drinking water, which had been boiled, in large, Thermos-like containers. I was never sure what our water source was, but in one village, I suspect it was an open irrigation ditch. Alternatively, the source may have been a well which shared a common water table with said irrigation ditch.

I am sure the original water on this trip was as contaminated as anything any of us had ever experienced anywhere. But our drinking water came from the ubiquitous Thermos bottles. During a month of caving, the twelve of us Americans on the trip experienced exactly zero cases of Mao's revenge. As far as I am concerned, boiling is the technique if you really want to be pure (aside from the situation of arsenic and other metals contaminating your water) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

When I use a kelly kettle its pointless to treat the water because it achieves a full rolling boil. I also use aqua-mira, but where I hike I think I would do just fine if I didn't treat the water at all, perhaps even better. If I hiked some place where a kelly kettle or hobbo stove was impractical I would use a small alcohol stove and aqua-mira if the water was questionable. That said, though it is less important to protect ourselves from the environment, and more important to protect the environment from our activity; personal hygene and water treatment are important components towards that end. (pardon the pun <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

And pesticides, petroleum products, carcinogens (is that a dump upstream?), etc.. Charcoal filters may have some limited utility here, but there are only two ways to be fairly certain of the water purity - distillation or osmosis. Other than that and you're betting that the only contamination is biological in nature.

Or you just enjoy waving 'magic wands' and saying hocus pocus stuff while it's doing it's thing <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Here's a link to the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine web site. It lists a variety of purification products and rates the effectivness of each. You need to read the notes to understand why a product was rated like it was. Just another source to make an informed choice.

http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/WPD/CompareDevices.aspx

I agree that the best way is boiling and so does the EPA. That being said I use Medentech AQUATABS when traveling in South America and have always had good luck while others in my party got sick. I do bump up the wait time to 1 hour plus though. If I suspect an area has the dreaded cryptosporidium I'll take Katadyn Micropur or a mechanical filter

I believe this link was posted on the board some time ago but I'm old and banged my head on too many low branches

BTW: I have a 3 dozen packs of AQUATABS that expire in 2 years (too old for the kits I make and sell). If you want a couple of 10 tablet strips PM me with an address and I'll send them snail mail. First come first serve, free, no junk mail or anything else...really!!

Mike M

No, you shouldn't premix a trips-worth of Aqua Mira. But it's incredibly simple to mix in the field. Heck, if I can do it without spilling everywhere... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I carry AM and one of those little in-bottle filters (and one Nalgene to use it with). AM is primary treatment, the little filter's only if I run into a really yucky source I can't look at much less drink.

Thanks MadMoe, Roger Wilco on the tabs arrival <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Now do us all a favor and jump down to Off Topic and tell us about your kits! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />