The Happy Camper: The Best Ways to Treat Your Water in the Outdoors
Boiling
Boiling is probably the most common method to kill germs. Boiling water for one to three minutes will eliminate most of everything. Getting it to a full rolling boil for one full minute is sufficient to get rid of protozoa, bacteria and even viruses. The problem with boiling all the water you’ll need, however, is that it’s a waste of stove fuel. What usually happens is that the water boiled the night before runs out halfway through the next day. So rather than stopping to boil up some more, which would be an unenjoyable task on a hot day, the adventurer either doesn’t drink at all, making them severely dehydrated, or gets lazy and just drinks water directly from the river, stream or lake. Not good.
Chemical Treatment
Iodine tablets are another option for cleaning water. The chemical works well in killing most of what’s out there. It should be noted that it adds a strong smell, not to mention a bad taste, to the water. And there’s also a warning “use only for emergencies” placed in fine print on the bottom of the label.
For infrequent use, however, it can work well. To get rid of the bad taste, simply disguise it by adding flavour crystals.
There are also iodine-free water purification tablets available that can be used safely over the long term. Always follow the instructions on the packaging.
Filters
In my opinion, the best purification system for drinking water is a filter. You just pump and drink. And by making water collection so quick and easy, there’s less chance of becoming dehydrated.
There are a few disadvantages, though, starting with the high cost. The main body of the system itself is not that bad. But the price of the replacement filter is outrageous. If you only go on a one-week trip per year, the filter should last you a couple of years. But if you’re out all season, you’re going to use up at least one or two filters. The only way to save money is to always wash the filter out after each trip. It’s also a great idea to wrap a coffee filter around it to help extend the use.
Filters strain out microscopic contaminants like Giardia, but they don’t necessarily eliminate bacteria or viruses. The purity of the water greatly relies on the size of the filter’s pores. Any pore-size of two microns or smaller will get rid of nasty pathogens like Giardia and surface pollutants. However, it takes a pore size of less than 0.4 microns to remove bacteria and viruses.
Gravity filters are continuing to get a lot of hype, and for good reason. They are easier to use. Gravity filters and classic pump filters work via the same cleansing elements, except the gravity system does all the work. No pumping is required. That’s a big advantage. Having an easier process means campers will drink more water—and that’s always a good thing.
I started using gravity filters while guiding youth groups. I found the students were too lazy at times to squat down by the water’s edge and pump water; and without drinking enough water they became cranky, slothful and even sick. By hanging a gravity filter in a tree at camp, the students would gather around it like a watering hole. It made a huge difference.
The only real issue was gathering water en-route. Using a pump filter alongside your canoe or kayak still makes more sense than trying to hang up your gravity filter alongside your boat like a blood transfusion bag.
