Click here to check out the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter

• Inactivates 99.99 percent of waterborne viruses
• Eliminates over 99.9999 percent of all waterborne bacteria
• Eliminates 99.9 percent of common protozoan parasites, such as giardia and cryptosporidia, as well as particulates
• Activated carbon core helps eliminate taste and odors for fresh-tasting water
• Inactivates viruses without bad-tasting iodine
• Easy-to-use lever-action pump handle has a 4-to-1 mechanical advantage and dual pump action for easy pumping
• Lightweight; entire system weighs just 14 ounces
• Compact handle folds flat when not in use for easy packing and storage
• Made in USA

Click here to check out the MSR Sweetwater Purifier

Revolutionary optical eye to sense the water

Size does matter…The AdventurerOpti is the smallest, lightest SteriPEN® made. It uses a new revolutionary optical eye to sense the water. The patent-pending technology ensures safe use and provides purification in even the coldest of waters. The new optical sensor doubles as a convenient LED flashlight that can be used as a great backup light when camping or taking a night-time walk to refill your water bottle. The Flashlight mode is activated by pressing and holding the single button down for 3 seconds. The clear lamp cover focuses the LED light.

• SteriPEN eliminates over 99.9 of bacteria, viruses and protozoa that cause water-borne illnesses
• Fast–Purifies 16 oz of water in 48 seconds or 32 oz in 90 seconds
• Optical water sensor doubles as handy LED flashlightLight
• The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti, 6.1 long, weighs only 3.6 oz. with 2 CR123 lithium batteries (included)

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What are the odds of that?

Well, to be honest I don’t have a clue. I know your odds of not getting sick from the water you drink are a whole lot better when you use a  camping water filter.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) ….”Contaminated drinking water is responsible for 80% of the diseases that travelers get”.

Water contains 3 groups of bad things.

1. Bacteria: like Salmonella, Cholera, and Ecoli.

2. Viruses: like Hepatitis, Norwalk, Rotovirus and Poliovirus.

3. Protozoans: like Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

You’ve probably heard of Salmonella, and Ecoli. The Norwalk virus is what many people call the stomach flu. Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Giardiasis is an infection of the small intestine caused by this little microsopic protozoan Giardia lamblia.Cryptosporidiosis, we just call it crypto, is a disease caused by Cryptosporidium, another protozoan that you get by drinking contaminated water, among other sources. You acquire these by drinking water from lakes or streams where animals like beavers or muscrats or any other animals happen to spend time in the water and contaminate it. Even agricultural products such as DDT have been found in mountain lakes.

Any water can be transformed into safe drinking water. And it also depends on if the water is clear of if it is cloudy, muddy, dirty etc. There are 3 ways to reduce the risk of drinking contaminated water. The best way is to boil your water. It will kill everything. The down side is that it takes some time to boil, it takes fuel, it takes a pot or container to boil the water in, and then it takes time again for the water to cool. And the higher the elevation the longer you have to boil it. The other ways are to use a camping water filter or a water purifier.

Portable Water Purifiers use chemicals to treat the water and kill the bacteria and viruses. Those could be chlorine, chlorine dioxide, iodine, silver or UV treatment. These should be used in clear water. Chlorine is the most widely used. Iodine is similar to chlorine but it tastes terrible and if you only use that while camping or hiking for an extended time it can build up in your system and cause hyperthyroidism. You can use a filter of activated charcoal to get rid of the iodine after it’s done it’s job. Silver works slowly but is great for storing water as it prevents germ growth.

Camping water filters will remove bacteria and protozoans. Protozoans are big, 1-15 microns but bacteria can be much smaller. To be safe I would use a filter with a pore size of.2 microns. You could get by with a pore size of .3 or .4….but why take the chance. With filters you will have to clean them out and replace the cartridges.

Whether you are going on a vacation, especially out of the country, camping or a short hike, it only makes sense to make sure you are drinking safe water. The fact is that drinking contaminated water can make you sick. Paradise can turn into a nightmare.

I love camping and hiking and you really need the right gear to protect yourself and your family. I advise everybody that one of the most important pieces of gear you need is a camping water filter.

You arrive at your camping area and choose the location of your base camp. Choose your base camp wisely. Preferably near a stream or river with good areas of shade. Your base camp should be divided into 4 main areas. Your sleeping area where you will pitch your new high tech tent.
Your kitchen area where you can prepare you food using a new range and of course a camping water filter. You’ll need an area for washing. You can even have hot showers with these water heaters. The 4th area is the toilet area.

Now that you have the essential areas of the base camp covered, there are the details to complete the non rugged camp setup. When packing for their trip people sometimes forget how hard the ground can be. How uncomfortable it is sitting on a fallen tree or sleeping on the ground. Inflatable mattresses are the way to go for your sleeping arrangement. For sitting around the campfire or just relaxing around camp don’t forget to bring along some comfortable camp chairs and a nice 2 person hammock.

Camping doesn’t have to be rugged anymore. With the gear that is available these days you can enjoy your camping trip with (almost) all the comforts of home and more comfort than some of the hotel rooms I’ve been in. Plus you get the views and smells of being outdoors. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The things you have to get rid of that might be in the water are protozoa, bacteria and viruses. There are 3 ways to clean your water.

• Boil your water: This method will kill everything. You are good to go. This method has obvious drawbacks for the hiker. You have to have a way to heat it, you have to have something to put it in while you boil it and then you have to let it cool before you can drink it.
• Water Filter: There are many water filters, portable water filters, base camp water filters that are available from $30 all the way up to a few hundred dollars. They work by filtering out bacteria and protozoa. These nasty things are really small, protozoa are .2 – .15 microns, bacteria are .2 – .5 microns and viruses can be as small as .02 microns. So you need a filter that has an absolute pore size of .2 microns. You can get by with a .3 or .4 but you can fall 20,000 feet….you know. Why take the chance. To get rid of viruses some water filters may use iodine also.
• Purifier: Purifiers use chemicals to eliminate the nasties. Iodine is one and there are also tablets made by a few companies that will kill the viruses and bacteria. One problem is that they can alter the taste of the water. The other problem is you have to wait. You can use a charcoal filter to get rid of some of the taste, but you have to let the chemicals work for a while before you can drink it.

And depending where you are hiking or camping has an effect on what kind you need. Viruses come from people so if you’re near a populated area, viruses can be a big concern. Filters clog, so you’ll need to have replacement parts. Tablets take time to work as does boiling the water. They all have advantages and disadvantages so the type of camping and hiking you do and the location will play a part in your decision.

For a man with an external frame load the lightest items on the outside and bottom of the pack. Load your middle weight items in the middle and the heaviest items against the frame close to the top. Your sleeping bag will go on the bottom. For the woman attach the sleeping bag to the top and adjust the weight lower.

For an internal frame pack load it from the sleeping bag up. Put the heavy items near the frame with the lighter things on the outside.

When you load your internal frame pack, make sure that it is loaded for safety and comfort. Build from the sleeping bag up. Keep heavy items close to the back of the pack and against the frame. Midweight items can go in the middle and light items should be on the outer edges and top of the pack.