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.

I use the Katadyn Pocket as well. Great bit of kit.

However make sure you pack it well. A hefty drop and a cracked filter (as its ceramic) will effectively mean its useless until you replace the filter. Thankfully the filters are cheap.

Alternatively just drink bottled beer - water is vastly overrated :-P

Sophie, we did an exhaustive review of water treatment systems in our Fall, 2009 issue, using clinically contaminated water and laboratory evaluation. It's worth the read as it covers all aspects of what a traveler needs to know regarding waterborne pathogens.

I like the Katadyn Pocket Filter a lot. It's slow, but reliable. The First Need XL and Sweetwater are also good choices. Watch out for the UV systems, whether the leave-it-in-the-sun variety or more sophisticated.

I have also been looking at this for a trans Africa trip (www.pictureafrica.org) and found this little Gem... Vending Machines - RO Water - Table Mountain Aquavend (P008 model)

There is very little information on the website. I did manage to get a PDF out of them and it compared on par with a few devices that are more than double the price.

I bought one for around GBP 200 and it is good for 4 000 liters without filter change....

Steripen
 

What about the STERIPEN, this is a bit off topic cos i am riding a bike and space is a bit of an issue.....i'm thinking of using the steripen when you go to a resturant in a little town in south america or when camping in the amazon....would it work as good as the miox pen???

pumps need to be washed with sterilyzed water otherwise you'll kill their porpouse, but they do give you clean water faster than thos pens, pens need batteries, pumps dont......the STERIPEN will work for about 5000 L if i'm correct....just add batteries.....the MIOX pen needs batteries and salt and those testers.....

many many option to choose from....

i'd say for a daily use i would use the stripen.....and for the big tank in your car a one of those nice pumps....perhaps use the pumps to clear that 99% and then hit the plus 1% with the pens! ;)!!



enjoyyyy! ;)!
Matteo!! :)!

The Katadyn can be washed with dirty water to get the filter clean. You're only removing buildup from the outside of the ceramic filter.

You would need to use some prefiltered clean water to clean any filter unless you can clean the dirty side without the clean side getting wet?

If you started out with a decent filter that included iodene resin then carbon, there won't be much left for the UV to work on. If you were storing it and you kept it in the dark with something like Micropur Forte in then it will be fine for 6 months. The only things that would be definitely left untouched are heavy metals, fertilizer chemicals etc and as far as I know the only thing to touch anything like that is a Brita filter, so you need to be sure your source doesn't have any to start with i.e. don't fill up from field runoffs etc.

The steripen seems like a good idea for insurance against dubious hotel tap water, or bottled water where you thought it maybe bottled a bit too locally for comfort (the back of the shop for instance!). If the bottle rim or cap underside was still contaminated however you'd be wasting your time unless you had a clean bottle too.

If you opted for just a mechanical filter then chemical treatment is cheaper and more reliable than something with batteries and a microcomputer!!

Or just boil it like everyone used to!

The other bit I'm not sure about is I'd heard the Steripen inactivates bacteria, rather than killing them. So left for long enough they'd repair themselves? One of the lab reports from their own site uses "inactivates" on one page, then quotes a "kill rate" on the next? :confused1:

With the Katadyn you can easily clean the filter without getting the "clean" side wet. There are two rubber stoppers provided for the in and out lines. As well, the Katadyn comes with a "clean bag" for your outflow hose so it doesn't sit in the pouch with the "dirty" line, rubbing together.

I was told about the Katadyn by a pro climber and bought one. I've seen the other options and I realize I bought the best one out there. $350 or so at the time, but if you're on the road for a year like I was, you don't want to skimp on clean water.

Hi...

I have this bottle and i think that is the best there is... The Lifesaver Bottle

lifesaver
 

i watched the video about the LIFESAVER BOTTLE...that is an amazing thing but not quite what you want on a long ride ....cos how many litres can it hold???

and also...does it needs cleaning after use???

it looks and work really well although!!! Thanks for sharing!! ;)!!

PS

how much does it weight too??

lifesaver
 

i really did not know how much it weights and I put it on a food scale.... 620Gr empty.... it holds 750ml...

but i use it with a 3 liters camelback it takes maybe 2 to 3 minutes to fill it up.... if I’m just walking around I’ll take just the bottle.....

when I’m on a trip i do not clean the bottle... i just make sure that it has some water in... it needs moisture....

when I return I follow the procedure to clean it... also sometimes if you use the bottle with some sandy water it needs a so called field clean..

is nothing much as finding some running water, fill it up agitate and discard....
on top it has a carbon filter and after the trip I’m discarding that… they are selling them for around $5.00
one other reason why i like this one is that if you are really stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere it can filter urine...

it's a little bit salty ( i made a test:eek3:) but better than nothing... :thumbup1:

Filter Urine wow:thumbup1:

Thanks for all the advice - glad to see the subject sparked up quite a debate! We ended up settling for a First need Deluxe water purifier, hopefully it will do a good job.

Sofie

Go For Aquaguard.. The best i have seen so far..

http://tinytwitt.com/content/23/smile.gif

Steri Pen
 

I will be using a "Steri-Pen". It is standard issue for military. A simple device with AA batteries (in which you can find anywhere recharge). It won't filter, but it uses UV light to kill everything in the water. Great for when you have questions about the beverages you are being served. Just stick it in the glass for a minute or so. You just might have to drink some dissolved or suspended solids. Extra flavor. Comes with simple prefilter screan and bottle with adapter. It comes with a prefilter that adapts to a bottle. If the military trusts it?

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? :cool4:

Both companies ship from the UK.

Drink Safe Systems - Our Products

The Travel Tap

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.:thumbup1:

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.
:blushing:

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!!

Can't you just buy or boil ???

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.

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 ??

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!

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.

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.