Camping Water Purifier - Water is critical to human health. Water is needed both to flush out impurities from our body and to keep a normal body temperature.
Around the globe, thousands of people are getting sick and hospitalized due to bacterial contamination in their drinking water, and due to lack of a water purifier system.
Drinking water sources can be by point source discharges (such as combined sewer overflows, concentrated animal feeding operations, wastewater treatment plants, sanitary sewer overflows, and failed septic systems); non-point discharges (such as storm water runoffs and construction activities).
The importance of a camping water purifier to produce potable water has been known for a long time. A typical camping water purifier will have an inlet opening to draw untreated water and the outlet opening to discharge clean water.
At times, water may appear clean but may contain some dissolved impurities that may not be visible. It's only when a laboratory test is performed that contaminants are revealed.
People that are engaged in sports require water frequently during these activities. Hikers, bikers, and long distance runners need large amount of water.
Most often these athletes carry bottled water. Although these bottles are convenient, empty plastic bottles are not eco-friendly. Empty plastic bottles are not biodegradable and thus not earth-friendly.
There is also a limited amount of water that can be carried at one. A traveler that arrives at an unfamiliar territory where the water qualities of both the tap water and drinking water supply are unknown may be hesitant to drink the water if your are health-conscious.
Most importantly, clean and healthy water may not be available for those traveling to a foreign underdeveloped country or to a camping site.
A person who has not built up immunities to the local water may be exposed to a water-borne disease.
Often times, a waterbody may appear pristine but it may not be fit to drink.
To overcome the drinking water problem, a camper, hiker, or traveler may purchase a camping water purifier or a portable water filter.
A packet disinfectant like chlorine and iodine may not be enough to remove any unhealthy substances in the water. Some of these disinfection chemicals may leave toxic byproducts if not used properly.
A portable or camping water purifier comes as a hand-held device with a pore size filter to remove harmful chemicals from your drinking water.
A pitcher-mounted water filter can also be used as a portable water filter but may not be convenient for a backpacking traveler or a hiker.
Some camping water purifiers are designed with the combination of an ion exchanger and a reverse osmoses filter to remove suspended particles and micro-organisms respectively.
What to Consider When Choosing a Camping Water Filter:
You need research and compare the different types of filters available. Filter sizes range between 1.0 and 4.0 microns and micro filters between 0.2 to 1.0 microns.
Choosing the right filter or purifier will ensure that you are protected from total Coliform bacteria, giardia, and viruses.
It's also best to carry some replacement water cartridges during a long trip which is still much cheaper than carrying added load of bottled water.
In addition, when you buy a water purifier, you will enjoy healthy drinkable water at a lower cost than bottled water.
So when you are making a list your camping equipments or camping accessories, or travel arrangements, remember to carry along a portable water filter or a camping water purifier.
Other considerations:
• Prescreening - Is the filter equipped with a pre-screening device to remove large objects so the main filter medium is not clogged too soon?
• Is the filter assembly easily replaceable?
• What is the cost of the replacement filter compared with its efficiency?
• What contaminant is the filter designed to remove?
• Is the filter portable enough to fit into a backpack?
• The contact time between the filter and the contaminants. A longer time of
contact will improve filtering efficiency.
Do not leave home without a replacement filter cartridge :
It is also important that you carry a replacement cartridge filters. The right water cartridge replacement filter will ensure that you continue to drink filtered water and that you do not encounter a filtrate breakthrough.
Filtered water can become contaminated again if filters are not changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
How filtered water can be dangerous
Home filtered water is definitely better than buying bottled water. Beside the environmental hazard of bottled water, we are all aware that bottled water can not be reliable. It has been documented that bottled water is not purer than tap water.
Portable water purifiers or camping water purifier filters of different kinds are gaining increasing popularity.
Have you been away from home and find yourself unable to drink the local water? Flavored bottled water and other beverages are no substitute for natural water.
