Water Treatment and Transport: Katadyn Water Filters, Water Purifiers, and Chemical Tablets

Obtaining clean, safe drinking water when camping, hunting, or backpacking outdoors is an important part of having a fun and enjoyable trip. However, while years ago, reaching into a cold stream and drinking a cup of cool water may have been completely safe, today this is not always the best choice. As populations spread and the world becomes more traveled, dangerous viruses and bacteria can find their way into seemingly clean streams. Therefore, since you never really know the source of outdoor water, the use of a water purification system when camping, hunting, or backpacking to obtain clean water is your best option.

Water Purification Methods

There are several methods commonly used to purify water when one is on extended outdoor trips. Common water treatment options include chemical tablets and additives and water filters or purifiers. At Hunting Fishing Camping Gear, we sell a variety of water treatment options from trusted manufactures. The following information will help you to determine which water treatment options you will need to buy when planning you big camping, backpacking, rafting, or hunting trip.

Water Filters vs. Water Purifiers

While the two terms are often used synonymously, water filters and water purifiers are not the same. It is important to understand the differences between these two terms before purchasing a water treatment system for an outdoor trip.

Water filters remove microorganisms, like the common Giardia, and other protozoa. In addition, several water filters include "microfilters", such as the Siphon Microfilter by Katadyn, which remove smaller bacteria from water. However, be aware, that no filter is small enough to remove viruses from water. Viruses are responsible for causing some of the most serious diseases contracted from contaminated water, so you should not trust a water filter alone to provide safe drinking water.

Water purifiers combine microfiltration with disinfection to devitalize bacteria and viruses. Therefore, water run through an EPA approved water purification system will be free of all particles and dangerous microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses. The Katadyn Ex Purifier Bottle and the Katadyn Ex XR Purifier Bottle are both ideal options for personal water purification systems.

Water Filter Care and Maintenance

In order to keep your water filter or purifier working properly, a certain amount of care and maintenance is required. First, avoid pumping water into your filter that is extremely polluted with dirt or sand. Filtering muddy water will shorten the lifespan of your filtration pump and cause your filter to become clogged more frequently. We sell a variety of water filter and purifier accessories to keep your water treatment system working in optimal condition, including Katadyn replacement filters, SteriPEN Pre-Filter Screens, and Carbon cartridges.

Chemical Water Treatment

Chemical water treatment is the process of adding purification tablets to water to kill microorganisms including dangerous bacteria and viruses. These tablets, when added to water usually kill Giardia within 30 minutes and Cryptosporidium in around 4 hours. Chemical water purification tablets add little to no chemical taste to drinking water.

A downside to chemical water purification is that this water treatment option will not remove physical particles like dirt and sand from the water. Therefore, it is recommended that a combination of the filtration and chemical water treatment methods be used for optimal results.

Water Transport

For day hikes or other short outdoor trips, it may be possible to carry sufficient amounts of clean drinking water with you. We sell a number of affordable water bottles, canteens, and large collapsible water carriers for these particular situations. In addition, water bottles and jugs work well for storing water that has been collected and purified when you are outdoors.

Chemicals and Treatment

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Filter and Purifier Accessories

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Water Filters and Water Purifiers

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Water Transport

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