Water Treatment in the Backcountry
The human body is about 60-70% water by weight. The amount of water a person needs per day varies depending on the temperature, humidity, altitude, and the amount of physical activity the person is engaged in. At rest, the Mayo Clinic estimates men need about 3 liters of water a day, and women need 2.2 liters. But if you are exercising in the mountains, that may increase by 50%, to over 4 liters for men, and more than 3 liters for women. At a weight of 2.2 lbs per liter, most of us don't want to carry enough water for a four-day backcountry trip in our packs (over 35 lbs for men, 26 lbs for women).
Fortunately, we can usually find the water we need in the backcountry from streams, lakes, snow run-off, or spring seeps. The problem is that backcountry water may not be safe to drink without treatment. Giardia, one of the more well known risks to backcountry water sources, is a protozoan parasite readily transmitted via the feces of deer, cattle, beavers,nike kobe elite, and other mammals. But, other contaminants, such as bacteria, cysts, and a particularly nasty protozoan called Cryptosporidium, are also risks in North American backcountry areas. And, internationally, virus contamination is not uncommon. The answer is to carry a backpacking water filter treatment device that can remove these contaminants, and simply cleanse water as you need it. Carrying a water treatment system is much lighter than bringing all the water you need. And with it, you need only carry enough water to get you from one source to the next.
Dan Sandberg uses the Katadyn Hiker Pro to filter water from a running stream, Rocky Mountains, Colorado.
Credit: Max Neale" alt="Dan Sandberg uses the Katadyn Hiker Pro to filter water from a running stream, Rocky Mountains, Colorado.
Credit: Max Neale">Dan Sandberg uses the Katadyn Hiker Pro to filter water from a running stream, Rocky Mountains, Colorado.Credit: Max Neale
Types of Water Treatment Systems
In this review, we examined 17 different backpacking water filter treatment systems to find the very best. Four different types of systems were represented:
Pump filters — These are very common, and what people usually think of first when they think of water treatment. These devices cleanse water by pumping it through a filter that has a pore size that is too small for bacteria and protozoa to move through it. Example: [url=/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/Katadyn-Hiker-Pro]Katadyn Hiker Pro[/url].
Gravity filters — These products cleanse water by using gravity to push it through a filter, eliminating time-consuming pumping. Example: [url=/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/MSR-AutoFlow-Gravity-Filter]MSR AutoFlow Gravity Filter[/url]
Filter Straws — These models treat water as you drink directly through a big straw, which doubles as a hollow fiber filter. Example: [url=/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/LifeStraw]LifeStraw[/url].
Chemical drops and tablets — Drops and tablets purify water by adding a chemical to it in order to kill all things living in the water. They have the advantage of killing viruses in addition to bacteria and protozoa. Example: [url=/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/Aquamira-Water-Treatment-Drops]Aquamira Water Treatment Drops[/url]
UV light — These mechanical devices purify water by zapping it with ultraviolet light. This also has the advantage of killing viruses. These products require batteries and/or chargers to work. Example: [url=/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/SteriPEN-Adventurer-Opti]SteriPEN Adventurer Opti[/url]
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