Water purification by boiling works fine. Just boil for a minute or two and you are usually okay. The problem is that it is just too much trouble for backpacking. Do you want to stop several times daily to set up your stove and boil enough water to fill your water bottles? Do you want to always need a good fire to do the same, or to carry the extra fuel for that stove?
For regular use, there are just two convenient ways to purify water when backpacking. They are water filters and chemical water treatments.
There are more water filters than I can keep track of out there. Some have ceramic filter cores, some use other materials. Some add a carbon filter to improve taste. Some combine chemical treatment with filtering. Pore size is another feature you'll see advertised, with some saying they will filter down to .3 microns. How do you choose?
- They weigh too much. Many weigh a pound or more, and even more after the first time you use them, because of the water trapped inside.
- They are complicated. Many require assembly
- They are expensive. I'm not just talking about the initial cost of the device
- They don't work as promised.
- They are a hassle.
- They can break.
Despite all these problems, you may need a good water filter for water purification.
- Light weight. Try for 12 ounces or less.
- Easy to use. Ask others about their water filters.
- Tough. Does the pump handle look or feel like it will break when you pump it?
- Easy to find replacement filters. Don't buy model closeouts that won't have filters available.
- Low cost per gallon of treated water. Divide the cost of a filter by the number of gallons it is good for. This may matter more than the initial cost of the device if you plan to use it much. I think that more than 60 cents per gallon of treated water is too much.More backing tips
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