Quote:
Originally Posted by dlh62c
If your filtering just tap water which is clear and you suspect is tainted. Could you just use simple chlorine bleach, to kill the bugs, then use a DIY filter to improve the taste?
YouTube - Make it yourself water filter
daryl
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Yes, you could. The advantages of Steripen are: you have drinkable water in 90 seconds. Using chemical treatments you are often told to wait as much as 4 hours contact time before drinking.
I'm not a doctor so you should do your own research- mine tells me that chlorine may or may not be effective against some pathogens. Also there seems to be a general recommendation against ingesting water treatment chemicals over a long period.
For example, this: Ultralight Backpacking Water Treatment
Treating with bleach should be thought of as an emergency method. Although countless websites list this method of treatment, they do not show data for effectiveness against giardia, cryptosporidium, and other pathogens. And these sources do not list the effects of long-term use on the body.
Whether this is true or not, the Steripen does not seem to have these disadvantages.
My traveling partner solved the problem by buying all his water in bottles. I didn't want to be throwing away 4-5 plastic bottles everyday, or spending my travel money on water (though the price of the steripen probably makes that statement ridiculous.)
Anyway, no clearcut answers I think. I was happy using the steripen.
.........shu
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