water filter - advice needed!
 

We have been looking into water filters for our trip, but are not experts on this area and could use some advice. Perhaps someone has experience with a good model?

We will be travelling for approx. 6 months through parts of the Middle East, Crossing into Egypt and going the East route down towards South Africa. Since we will be going by car, space is less of an issue.

So far we have looked at these two models, recommended by Bradt guide
MSR® MiniWorks™ EX Microfilter.

http://www.baproducts.com/asccustomp...p?ProductID=52


Thanks!
Sofie

Filters
 

hello Sophie
there are many to choose from
On the bike I use a katadyn ceramic filter but that requires pumping through.
You may want to consider a gravity filter- a cylinder containing 2 ceramic filters in the top section that joins to a bottom 'receiver' of clean water and has a tap.
I took those to an orphanage in Mali and they were donated by Maxine, the boss of The Healthy House- you can find her site on the web.
You will need to ensure it is properly anchored though!!

Miox
 

I have a MSR "MIOX" filter. Great in concept but the test strips (included with purification system) rarely produce the result I need. Therefore, I treat the water several times, run out of supplies, and have terrible tasting water.
I'm gonna get something I can pump so as to get some kind of peace of mind from the work needed to get result.

MSR Filter
 

I've used an MSR Sweetwater filter I bought at REI nearly 4 years ago. Great little unit. Use the filter only if you've no suspicion of virses or add some drops of the "Purifier Solution" (read: household bleach).
It is a pump-type.

PS: Pumping is not a hassle if you sing the following traditional blues to keep time:
I'd rather drink muddy water, baby, sleep in a hollow log.
I'd rather drink muddy water, baby, sleep in a hollow log.
I'll be your lover-man, baby, aint gonna be your dog.

Katadyn do several types for many different uses if you look at their website, including a gravity filter using the same ceramic filter as their pocket filter. Some may say any gravity fed thing is a pain since you have to wait so long, but if you filter overnight enough for the next day then no worries and no pumping, although you can still sing the blues of course :)
There is a load of stuff previously posted here if you felt like searching?

Take a transparent plasticbottle (PET) and fill it with bad water and let it stay 6-7 hours in the sun, and you can drink it. Even bacteria goes away. It works, I will test it on my tour to Africa. Expedition SwedenAfrica 2010

Oh my. Got a source for this claim?

We are talking several varieties of pollution here: viruses, bacteria, cysts, parasites, worms, chemical toxins. There is some overlap in treatment for each (a filter which removes viruses will remove all others, for example), but I'd be extremely reluctant to trust sunlight to render polluted water safe (and I'm being very polite here).

Safe journeys!

Mark

read this site, maybe it can help you!
WHO | Managing water in the home: accelerated health gains from improved water supply

I read your link. The processes described are partially effective at best, and far more complicated in use than "fill a plastic bottle and let is sit in the sun for 6 hours, then drink it."

Good luck!

Mark

You are right, this is not a easy subject, but when we lived in Africa we heart about this the first time 2000, from a man doing research about water... and we had problem to believe him. Now we know that they are teaching this to people who has problem to get clean water.

Maybe this says little more about the easiest way to clean water, too use PET bottles:

SODIS: How does ist work?


Rent vatten med hjälp av solen | Swentec

For UV to be effective (as for a steripen) the water needs to be clear for the light to fully penetrate. So either the water will need to be good quality in most respects in the first place (described as household quality in the article linked to above), or you will need to filter it. So why not just filter it to a safe level in the first place?
Leaving it in the sun afterwards wouldn't hurt if you are closeish to the equator, and, from an aid agencies point of view it is cheap, simple and may help to a varying extent with an otherwise unsafe watersource in the absence of proper water treatment if there is no other option only. Even then some form of rudimentary filtration may be possible from local materials and might make a big difference to the effectiveness. In combination with other treatment methods it does have a place where appropriate.

It won't make it safe unless it is fully clear first!

But advising total reliance on sunlight with no further provisos is foolish, wrong and dangerous.

You are really right! and in the article they also say, clearly that the water cant be too dirty (unclear), if it is, you have to filter it to be sure. But this way of cleaning water is only when you are lack of good water! But its really a great thing and challenge to teach people in countries were there is little water instead of drinking bad water and get a lot of deseases, its a good way to help and save life!

We've got the Seagull IV X-2 filter from General Ecology.

We've spent the last 15 months driving down the west coast of Africa from England to South Africa (Nigeria, Congo, Angola, other areas with dodgy water) and then from SA back up the east coast to where we are now, Kenya. Not once have we had any issues with water. It removes 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and cysts etc. We just fill up from taps, wells etc whenever we find them. What's especially great about this filter is that it has a 7.5 l/min flow rate, so you just filter as you need. There's no need to wait for it to drip through the filter or to store filtered water.

I highly recommend it, we haven't been let down at all. Sold in the UK through these guys.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Steve

OverAfrica - overland, over Africa
Overland camper for sale

You can't go wrong with the Katadyn pocket filter. It's ceramic filter is good for 50 thousand liters or so. I have used mine in remote area's i North America and although water is generally good bacteria are bacteria no matter where in the world you are.
Good luck shopping for what works best for you!!

I have a Katadyn as well. Carried it on the motorcycle for a year, around the Annapurna twice. Would not dream of trying anyhting else. It's small, really well built, filters a liter a minute, no taste residue, 0.2 micron, lasts forever (ceramic filter can be cleaned with a simple spunge or old tooth brush). Not cheap at $300 or so, but one of the best pieces of kit I have.