Selecting A Water Purifier For Camping

When you’re heading out into the wilderness, you might be tempted to take your water right from the streams you pass, getting yourself a little taste of nature. Unfortunately, doing so can make you ill, since that water, no matter how clear it looks, can contain small particulate matter and bacteria that can make you ill. In order to safely use the water you see, you will need to purify it first.

Sure, you could haul in your own water, but a gallon of water weighs about five pounds, so you’ll be weighing yourself down unnecessarily. If you are going where you won’t have access to a clean water source, such as taps at a campground, what you want is a water purifier for camping. There are several different water purifiers for camping, all with their own benefits and drawbacks.

A Pot And A Fire

One of the simplest camping water purifiers is a good pot to heat water in and a fire. By boiling water, you can kill any bacteria in the water that can harm you. This is a fairly simple solution to work with, and if you’re bringing along a pot to cook in anyways, it also saves bag space, since it requires no additional equipment. However, if you’re using this as your water purifier when camping, be aware that boiling the water removes the oxygen as well, which results in rather flat-tasting water, which won’t be much of a pleasure to drink. Also, you’d have to wait for the water to cool down, anyways.

Tablet Purification

At many stores that sell camping goods, you can by tablet water purifiers for camping, which make use of dissolved capsules to kill bacteria and make the water safe to drink. These solutions use iodine or chlorine in order to remove harmful organisms, and are quite portable, since they fit in a little container. However, the tablets will lose potency a few months after you first crack open the bottle and can leave a funny sort of taste to the water. You can get around this by dissolving vitamin C in the water after purification, or you can add flavorings, such as Tang, to hide that taste.

Purification And Filtration Bottles

Another solution for water purifiers when camping is to use specially made bottles that have purification systems built into them, similar to the water filtration systems some people get for their taps. By filling the bottle and then passing the water through a special filtration system, you can get rid of particles in the water and kill bacteria. Be sure to get a system that handles filtration and purification, though, or you risk exposing yourself to harmful organisms. Whichever solution you prefer, though, just make sure you use some sort of water purifier when camping and you’ll avoid nasty surprises from your water.