Well I am a little bit fumble-fingered sometimes. But those Katadyn tablets I buy are packaged in such a way that I can't tear them open. I have to cut them out.

But for all that packaging, they will go bad by themselves. I recently went to use some I bought 2 years ago and they had turned to dust inside their pockets. And I had some that apparently corroded through the packaging. I'm not sure if it was the moisture, or if altitude changes caused air infiltration or whether the little buggers are just unstable.

I do like them though. Funny, I haven't gotten sick yet, but then for all I know I may already be immune to Giardia and Crypto. Or I've never drank from a source infected. Could be like wearing a tinfoil hat to protect from asteroids - I haven't been hit so it must work <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />