These filters are good and very popular with hikers, trekkers - and apparently with military and UN too. Also, the water tastes good. I mean, why make it harder than it is, eh?

Both companies ship from the UK.

Drink Safe Systems - Our Products

The Travel Tap

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I've a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Ive used the MIOX for several years, all over the world, on everything from city water to jungle streams. I used the test strips only to get acquainted with the unit, and not one since then. The cr123 batteries are readily available worldwide, but not cheap. Its light, compact and has been very reliable. I was weary about the electronic reliability, but in reality, I have had had pumps break, but not this unit.

It does however leave a 'cardboard' like taste to the water. I've found that by leaving the cap off a treated bottle overnight, it allows the excess chlorine to evaporate and the taste is basically gone. This may render the whole process useless, but once the chlorine had done its job, its no longer required, and I have not had a problem. You can't do this where there are ants or other insects unless you want some extra protein.

I have not shopped for a filter for a while, but unless there have been recent advances, pump/gravity/ceramic/carbon filters do not kill viruses, which renders them useless for travel IMO. Many liquids/tablets also don't kill everything.

If I were in the market, Id consider the miox again, or a uv pen after some research.

One more thing, the 'cocktail' it creates it potent; essentially liquid chlorine. Careful getting it on yourself and clothes. If youre bored, dumping some on even the biggest insect causes them to shrivel up in short order.

I used a Katadyn filter in the Himalaya and never had a problem. On a previous trip I relied on boiled water and ended up with Giardia an anerobic bug with what can only be described as catastrophic consequences and can take three months or more to shift ,believe me, not pleasant.


I know Katadyn filters are expensive but after having Giardia I know you pay either way... from experience I prefer the cash alternative, enough said!!

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'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars' Oscar Wilde

Can't you just buy or boil ???

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

My wife and I got amoebic dysentery in Senegal once. Would have loved to have something so I didn't have to go out. I've got a steripen now. Nice and small and not as easily damaged as ceramic filters. Plus very small. I've been taking the hiker for ages but it's always just sat there waiting to get used. Growing mould in the mean time. If I would be backpacking I'd take it over the pen, but on the bike you always have power to power it. Although it's more a mental thing, as hopefully it won't need any use. Still though, better safe than sorry.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

I though that if you properly boiled water, its IMPOSSIBLE to get giardia ???????

Did you thoroughly boil it ?? A proper rolling boil for 2 mins or more ??

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

At altitude water boils at a lower temperature. Extended cooking times in the oven and pressure cookers are common for folks who live at high altitudes (I live in the mountains of Colorado in the US). This might explain the boiling issues in the Himalaya. It's not so much the boil but the water temperature. Just a thought. Dave. PS, I just buy mine!

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The vast majority of pathogens are killed long before water reaches boiling temperature. By the time water reaches boiling temperature, all of the pathogens are dead. Even milk is pasteurized at only around 70 deg.C.

So except at extreme high altitudes, boiling water for one minute should be sufficient to kill all microorganisms.

From http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/water.shtml:

Growing up in Colorado, I hiked extensively at high altitudes and relied on my Katadyn filter. For some parts of the world, I'd probably filter first then boil the clear water to be paranoid-safe. Using iodine tables is also another option, but the tablets make the water taste funny.

I did boil the water properly but the bug got in there somewhere, it's worth pointing out that I was in a group on this trip and other people also prepared water for the group too. Since then I have never relied on anyone else to conduct the sterilisation proceedure for me and buying a filter which cost about £160 was not a light decision believe me!
katadyn does the job, it's a firm recommendation from me.

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'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars' Oscar Wilde

Don't jump to so quickly to blaming the drinking water: that's just the most obvious, but hardly the only, way to catch giardia. There's also food, wash water, shower water....not to mention the whole gamut of doorknobs, paper money, handshaking, telephones and people washing your eating utensils in the gutter (if applicable).

But yes, a quick boil is all it takes until you're at such high altitude you more or less lose interest in eating anyway. None of this ten-minute-rolling-boil stuff.

Mark

I bought a Katadyn for a trip to Mali in the mid 90's and used it a lot - not so much bottled water around then, but although it did work I found it slow and prone to clogging if your water source wasn't clean. Eventually I gave up on it and just used iodine tablets.

On my last trip down there five years ago I took it again, as well as a supply of tablets but there was so much bottled water available I didn't use either method much - just the odd occasion when I got water from a tap.