Water Filters

Water filters are used to remove bacteria and parasites from water to make it safe to drink. Be sure to pick the filter that fits your needs. If you have a question about water filters, visit the hiking camping and wilderness survival forum.

Katadyn

MSR SweetWater

When considering what kind of filter to buy, there a couple of considerations to take a look at – do you need a regular filter, or a purifier? Part of your decision should be based on the country you live in. Areas where raw sewage is allowed to run into creaks and streams have a greater risk of having viruses in them. Examples of a water borne viruses are Polio and Hepatitis A.

Basic filters are unable to remove a virus because of the size of the virus – its so small it slips right through the filter.

Another consideration is will there be salt water mixed in with the water that will be filtered? Coastal regions have a type of water that is a “brackish” – meaning its a mix of fresh and salt water. Regular filters will not remove the salt from brackish water.

Filter – Removes most bacteria from water. This is a basic type of water filter and does not remove or kill viruses. For most purposes and for filtering water inside the USA, this type should do just fine. However, if your traveling to undeveloped nations, or where raw sewage is dumped straight into rivers or streams, a basic filter may not get the job done.

Purifier – Removes and or kills just about all bacteria and viruses. Most purifiers use a 2 phase system that uses a filter and some kind of chemical to kill anything that might slip through the filter. With some purifiers you have to let the water sit for a certain amount of time before its safe to drink. This ensures that the chemicals have killed any viruses that went through the filter.