Eliminate Harmful Substances – Benefits of Water Purifiers for Camping

Australia’s breathtaking coastlines and landscapes, native wildlife and lush rainforests make the country one of the world’s most desired camping destinations. And since the number of campers and hikers has significantly increased in the last few years, the camping industry has grown exponentially over the past few years. This means that nowadays, nature lovers have more freedom to explore the captivating Australian nature all while staying safe and comfortable during night time.

Exploring Australia’s beautiful backcountry will certainly leave you thirsty. While the water flowing in the streams and rivers may look pure and safe to drink, it can still be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites and other contaminants. So, when packing your camping gear, it’s important to consider your water needs. One very popular solution for on-the-go disinfection is water purifier camping systems, thanks to their simplicity and portability. These systems utilize a process that removes unwanted contaminants from water reducing the concentration of particles, parasites and bacteria.

Why We Need Water Purification?

Even though the water in some rivers may look crystal-clear, chances are, there are thousands of microbes in every drop. Many of these microbes are harmless, but several may cause serious health issues, such as infections involving E.coli, Giardia, fecal coliforms and Cryptosporidium. Ingesting some of these bacteria may result in everything from nausea and digestive issues to fever and serious viral infections, hence the importance of carefully disinfecting your water before drinking it.

How to Purify Water While Camping?

Nowadays, there’s no excuse for going camping without a water purification solution. Handheld water purifier camping devices are getting more compact, lighter, and easier to use, and they come at pretty affordable prices. The purpose of these products is to strain out microscopic contaminants, leaving your drinking water clean and somewhat pure, depending on the size of the filter’s pores. A filter with a rating of one micron or smaller will remove protozoa like giardia and cryptosporidium, as well as parasitic eggs and larvae. However, to remove bacteria, you need a filter of 0.4 microns or smaller.

Now let’s take a look at different water purification solutions that you can use while camping and get into more detail.

Filter Water Bottles

A lot of people wonder – do filter water bottles really work? Yes, they do. Using a water filter bottle can help remove up to 99.9% of the pathogens in your drinking water, thus safeguarding your health. Different filter water bottles use different systems, such as activated carbon filters and the latest nano-technology. These block microbial organisms from making their way into your body through the water you drink and help make the water smell and taste better.

Squeeze Water Filters

This type is similar to bottle filters except you should fill a small reservoir, then squeeze the water through the filtration system. With this water-purifying solution, treatment is easy and water is quickly drinkable. Another advantage of squeeze water filters is that the element of the cartridge is replaceable and some even double as a gravity filter of a straw-style filter. Their downside is that the water quantity is limited by reservoir, flask or bottle size and also field cleaning of the element is required.

Straw Style Water Filter

This is one of the smallest and lightest water disinfecting tools you can find on the market. These are used the same way as regular bottles with straw. This water purification system cleans the water simply and easily but that can only be done when you’re at a water source.

Filters

There are two main types of water filters used today – pump-action and drip/suction filters. Pump-action filters utilize a pump to force raw water through a filter cartridge. The drip/suction filter uses gravity drip action. When used on a hydration bladder, users need to suck the water through the filter whenever they want to drink it.

UV Light Devices

UV light is very damaging to small organisms. When used as a disinfection method, it’s surprisingly effective. Nowadays, you can find water purification devices that are hand-cranked and battery-free which can disrupt the DNA of illness-causing microbes in mere seconds. Although these devices are not 100% effective when used for water with large floating particles, they will do the trick for clear water with questionable particles.

Chemicals

Chemicals are effective against protozoa, bacteria and viruses. All you need to do is add them to gather water and wait. These products are typically iodine-or chlorine-based and available in pills, drops or gadgets that combine base ingredients. Although this water purification solution is easy to use and it is rather inexpensive, you should wait for about 30 minutes to 4 hours, or even longer for icy cold water.