Water purifiers

[Erwin]

I'm thinking of getting a purifier with my upcoming paycheck.

Just wondering what you guys use or think is good/bad etc.

I'm looking for something:

Not too expensive

Not a pain to maintain

Not too expensive to maintain

Iodine vs. not, what do you think

I want to be able to purifier mud if i need

Thanks for your help.

[hikerwa]

MSR mini-waterworks. replacable ceramic filter, I've used mine for 3 years, cleaned it after each trip, never had any problems.

love-it

[fredrogers]

I've had a Sweetwater from Cascade Designs, but just replaced it with a Mini-works from MSR (now, of course, owned by Casacde Designs).

Big thumbs down on the Sweetwater. Fragile, slow to pump and needs a lot of maintainence. Plus, I just found out that the iodine system was recalled because it wasn't safe. I guess now you use chlorine drops, another thing to lose or forget.

I looked at the PUR hiker too, since it was much lighter, faster and less bulky than the Mini-works, but wasn't convinced that it would purify as reliable over the life of the filter.

My only bitch about the Mini-works is that it's designed to screw onto the top of a wide-mouthed Nalgene, which makes it a little awkward to pump.

[hasbeen]

Another vote for the Mini-Works.

[Alex]

I got the miniworks a few years ago. I dont use it all that often, but no complaints.

[G_Man]

MSR Miniwerks is the bomb. Four years and still going strong with its original filter too! This past weekend we spent two hours filtering through a sweetwater, then proceeded to beat it with a large rock.

[Rodchester]

Here is the way to go...don't buy one. Thats right don't buy one.

They weigh too much, they take up too much space, they cost too much, they break/clog, and they say right on the package to carry iodine tablets in case it breaks/clogs.

Now think about it. Why not just carry iodine tabs. They don't taste bad now-a-days and many have the neutalizing tabs that kill the bad taste. They are lightweight, cheap, don't break, and don't take up space.

Filters are a scam. Especially in North America. You just don't need them. Over seas a really good purifier can come in handy...but I still use bottled water and just treat other water with iodine and have had no problem.

In all honesty I do not know one climber that carries one in the States/Canada.

If you want to waste your money go ahead. They all suck.

[Erwin]

Thanks a lot for the input. I think i'm going to take your advice and go for the mini-waterworks.

Rodchester, I highly appreciate your opinion and understand your point. But next time i'm backpacking and filtering some murky, pond water w/little critters swimming around, i will be glad to not have taken your advice and carried the extra weight.

[Beck]

Regarding water purification, the MSR mini or their larger filter work very well and very tough, but you all might want to buy a MIOX disenfectant pen when they come onto the market next year. Only as big as a magic marker, brews up the same mix used in municipal water treatment plants, refill with salt tabs and camera batteries.

It's being developed for use by US military, I'm positive climbers could figure out how to use it!

I tested it earlier this spring and this product ROCKS! totally Beckproof!

 

You can read a little blurb about it in last month's Outside magazine.

[verticalswamp]

I've had good luck withthe Pristine system, as has a un-named guide who did a two month stint in Borneo organizing an adventure race. He said nobody on his trip got sick using it. Best of all it's not Iodine based, it's buffered chlorine something or rather, f#*ked if I know what I'm a History grad. But it's cheap and lightweight. Only real downside is sitting around for the 5 minutes while it unbuffers itself. (See history note above)

CBE

[Rodchester]

DRU:

What did people do before water filters?

4) Used iodine tablets.

That is what I did before there were water filters.

[Dru]

What would Jesus do? Turn it into wine.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Hopefully Barley style wine. Man that Big Foot Ale is the shit!

[Dru]

Barley style like black painted bolt hangers in odd places and chipped nut placements in the middle of blank slabs? (That's a Squamish joke).

[dan_e]

Places like established climbing areas with water sources would be the exception, so no I would not drink unfiltered water from the Crooked River. I would always carry enough water for those occasions, which by the way is 100% filtered tap or trusted spring water.

I would be more concerned about drinking tap water that has chlorine and flouride, and other chemicals like pesticides, ect. Also, how good is ingesting iodine, especially long term effects? I've been drinking only filtered or quality spring water (Poland Spring mainly) since the early 90's, if I drink unfiltered, city water now it tastes like pool water!

Dan E.

[Dru]

Flouride good for you. strong bones and teeth!

[Cpt.Caveman]

I like the iodine taste Also used chlorine this past weekend on our trip. Tasted just like city water.

I think anything long term will kill you. Cancer Cancer Cancer! I bet if I ate burgers all day long I would die quicker too.

[Dru]

"I never drink water - fish fuck in it!"

This was mentioned in an earlier discussion of this topic. Think it was W C Fields that said it but it coulda been Rodney Dangerfield or Mahatma Gandhi.

[dan_e]

True, many things cause cancer and are bad for us. Water is so key to life, since we are mainly water, I think drinking water that is free of impurities is key to trying to live healthier. Of course this will only matter if I don't end up getting killed while climbing! One can only hope...

[Dru]

Drinking DDW (distilled de-ionized water), the purest form of water out there, chemically containing nothing but H2O, will eventually cause health problems.

Why?

Because it is so pure that it leaches out minerals from your bloodstream by reverse osmosis!

Fortunately given the effort required to produce water of this purity it is unlikely humans will ever supply enough of their drinking needs with this for it to become a health concern.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Wow superbabble! I was just kidding anyways DanE

[EddieE]

That's why I switched from drinking purified water to beer. I'm much happier now. As my old climbing buddy used to say, "You get water with beer, but you don't beer with water."

[Dru]

Chemically, spray is mostly water

[jon]

I think this guy has the solution http://www.irelanduncovered.com/monkeypiss.htm

Hey Drul, doesn't ddH20 have pH of like 4-5?

 

[Dru]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jon:

I think this guy has the solution

http://www.irelanduncovered.com/monkeypiss.htm

Hey Drul, doesn't ddH20 have pH of like 4-5?

---

Judging by my chem school knowledge its pH is *exactly* 7.0... ?