Recently I was asked about methods to treat your water while in the backcountry and thought it would make a good blog post. Here is the quick and dirty:
- Filters — The main advantage is they will remove all dirt, containments, and organisms. How well the filter works will depend to the physical size of the pores in the filter medium. If you have a filter you should understand the level that you are filtering to. Filters are generally heavier of the options. Different filters will have different attributes such as filter rate, method (pump, gravity fed), etc. You should understand how to repair the filter in the field.
- Chemical systems – Generally lighter and can kill most micro-organisms given appropriate time. Chemical systems are affected by temperature. Chemical systems will not remove dirt/debris or any other containments. Each chemical system has limitations and advantages. It’s worthwhile to understand the pros/cons of each or at least your system.
- UV kills organisms by shooting UV light into water given appropriate exposure time. With the steri-pen, you are limited to 1 liter at a time. UV is similar to chemical systems in that they do not filter dirt/debris or containments. Its effectiveness can be impacted by the condition of the water (muddy may not be as effective). For that reason, Steri-pen recommends use in clear water. Over longer periods or further in the backcountry, it may be good to have a back-up in case your device fails.
