For those using chemicals, do you all wait the prescribed 4 hours to kill crypto and giardia? If so, how do you manage your water in between stops? It seems that a 14 oz pump filter would eliminate the need to carry extra water weight due to the immediate drink time at water sources.

You only have to wait 20 minutes useing Aquamira liquid. Plus 5 minutes when you first add the two chemicals together. Are you talking about the tablets?

aqua mira liquid as well as the various chlorine dioxide tablets out there (which are around 3x the concentration of the aqua mira drops) do require 4 hours in the worst case: cold cloudy water with cysts. If you cysts aren't an issue the drops are effective in 15 minutes for everything else. Cysts are 30 minutes in moderate temp reasonable clean water.

My solutions is that my water supplies are typically not cloudy so I have 30 minutes to wait which doesn't effect how much water I am carrying except in dessert conditions when I plan to camel up (in which case I typically borrow a friends UV purfier). If I going someplace with really icky water I typically bring a filter to improve the taste and avoid 4 hour wait time.


--Mark

Edited by verber on 12/07/2009 17:46:42 MST.

If you use a backflushable gravity filter such as the Sawyer, you'll have to wait about 5 minutes per liter. With the dirty water reserviour, it will weigh about 7 oz. Backflushable means no replacement needed (also no ongoing purchase of Aquamira). Sawyer guarantees it's filters for life. See BPL reviews for more info.

Edited by herman666 on 12/07/2009 17:57:34 MST.

Tablets and liquids (eg Aquamira) both use the same ingredient: chlorine dioxide. HOWEVER, tablets are more potent than liquid.

For the tablets, as above, 30-minute treatment time is the minimum needed for treating protozoa -- but the colder the water, the longer the treatment time -- up to 4 hours.

As for the less potent liquids -- note that the directions on the bottle mentions only treatment for bacteria - NOT protozoa.

I'm glad I came across this thread. I was just thinking about this same thing yesterday. I currently have two water filters at my disposal. The Katadyn Mini for solo trips (8oz) and the Katadyn Hiker Pro for group outings. It would be great to drop this weight, and I'm willing to use chemicals... but waiting 4 hours is out of the question. I'm kinda anal about my water and if they say "up to 4 hours", you better believe I would wait the 4 hours to make sure it's safe.

An alternative would be nice. Any lighter options? Anyone tried the CleanStream Gravity Filter by Platypus? I'm sure it could be altered to weigh much less. Ideas?

Opinion, but I think the difference between what the liquid package claims to treat, and what the tablets claim to treat is a reflection of the simplicity of tablets, and what a lawyer is comfortable with.

Liquid requires the ability to read directions to mix two liquids, judge a color change, and transfer the mixture to a bottle.

Tablets require the ability to open a foil package and drop a pill into a jug.