I'm sitting at my parents house sorting through all the water purification tablets that we are taking with us. For some reason we've got 4 different types!
It's been quite hard to find a summary of how effective the different types of tablet are against the different types of nasties that inhabit the water sources that you are likely to want to drink from when out in the hills. First up, it's worth knowing what you are up against:
Here's a quick chart of how effective various methods of treatment are:
So, in conclusion, given that we don't want the weight/bulk of carrying a filter, the choice is Chlorine Dioxide tablets.
Hope they taste nice!
It's been quite hard to find a summary of how effective the different types of tablet are against the different types of nasties that inhabit the water sources that you are likely to want to drink from when out in the hills. First up, it's worth knowing what you are up against:
- Bacteria (we all know what these are)
- Viruses (ditto)
- Protozoans - micro organisms that are a bit bigger than bacteria but still single-celled. There are two types that will give you tummy trouble: Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
Here's a quick chart of how effective various methods of treatment are:
| Purification Type | Bacteria | Viruses | Protozoa: Giardia | Protozoa: Cryptosporidium |
| Chlorine/Iodine Tablets | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | LOW-MODERATE | NOT EFFECTIVE |
| Chlorine Dioxide Tablets | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | LOW-MODERATE |
| Filtration with filter < 0.3 micron size | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | NOT EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE |
| Boiling | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE | HIGHLY EFFECTIVE |
So, in conclusion, given that we don't want the weight/bulk of carrying a filter, the choice is Chlorine Dioxide tablets.
Hope they taste nice!
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