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Water Treatment

Pump & Bottle Filters

UV & Chemical Treatment

Pump Accessories

Should we treat our Water?
It is possible to drink straight from backcountry streams and never become ill. In our opinion, it is not a practice worth the accompanying risks.

Even stream water that looks fresh and clean may contain bacteria, giardia, cryptosporidium and other nasty microbes that could make you ill, or worse.

This is a brief overview to help clean up the confusion surrounding which type of water-treatment system is right for you.

1. Remember the difference between a filter and a purifier. While both remove bacteria from water particles using a mechanical process of pumping then forcing water through a filtering device, only purifiers can render viruses inactive using either an additional chemical or electrostatic process.

2. Waterborne viruses are believed to be less common in North American wilderness waters. But if you're traveling outside of the United States or Canada, you may want to opt for the more involved, and hence perhaps more expensive, purifying system.

3. When comparing filters and purifiers, look for an absolute—not nomimal—pore size of 0.2 microns. This industry wide benchmark indicates the system's smallest filtering capability. No bacteria larger than 0.2 microns can get through. Though a larger pore size of 0.3 or 0.4 may suffice in most situations, why take chances with your health?

4. Depending on its function, a water-treatment system can have numerous parts, some of which will need to be maintained or replaced on a regular basis. If your travel plans include many nights away from a reliable water source, you will not only have to pack the filter but the back-up and replacement parts that go with it.

5. And finally, to get the cleanest water possible be sure to clean and dry your filtering system regularly. When in the outdoors, try to collect still, clear water. Whenever possible, boil the water before treating it. Then, just as if you were seasoning a skillet, let the first few streams of water pass before you begin collecting your treated water.

Free-flowing mountain streams, for all their beauty and clarity, are not always the fountains of purity we imagine them to be. Backcountry water sources — crystal-clear rivers, lakes and streams — sometimes harbor microscopic pathogens (disease-causing agents) that are tough to pronounce, difficult to spell and, for many people, awful to ingest.

Giardia lamblia. Cryptosporidium. Campylobacter jejuni. Hepatitis A. All are members of an invisible fluvial zoo that may be present in pristine-looking backcountry water.

Water becomes tainted by animal or human feces. What impact could such microbes have? They can leave you with diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, weight loss and fatigue. These symptoms can last between 4 and 6 weeks or longer.

Pump Filters
All hand pump filters have the following characteristics in common:
(a) hand crank lever for pumping water,
(b) a water intake hose that draws water from the water source (such as a stream),
(c) a replaceable filtration element or cartridge through which the water is filtered,
(d) a water hose or adapter that outputs filtered water into a water bottle or reservoir.

Most pump filters work the same way:

The hand crank lever is used to pump water through the intake hose;
The water is pulled from the intake hose through a replaceable filtration element or cartridge;
The filtered or purified water then outputs through a hose or bottle adapter for collection into a reservoir or water bottle.

Chemical Tablets & Solutions
Iodine or chlorine dioxide can be added to suspect water to disinfect the water of biological pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses.

Pros: Extremely lightweight and compact. Most kill viruses, in addition to bacteria, cysts, giardia and cryptosporidium. Good for emergencies and for use in your hydration pack.

Cons: You must plan ahead, as it can take up to 4 hours to completely disinfect water. Requires a relatively clear water source (such as a running stream), as chemicals obviously do not get rid of sediment or mud.

Ultralight Violet Light Purification
UV light purifiers use ultraviolet light to quickly and safely destroy the DNA of microbes.

Pros: Proven technology. Lighter weight and more compact than hand pump filters. Destroys the DNA of virtually all microbes.

Cons: Requires an external power source -- i.e., batteries. Requires a water source that is relatively free of sediment and mud (unless a pre-filter is used). Process is relatively quick, but yield-per-minute is still about one-half that of a compact hand pump filter. More fragile than hand pump filters.