Regardless of whether you are looking for a survival water purification system for the home or a camping water filter, you have many options to choose from. From chemical purifiers to straw style filters, you can find the ideal solution to suit your needs.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
Designed for disaster victims and humanitarian organizations, LifeStraw is a simple and effective water filter that purifies up to 1000 gallons. It is a compact, lightweight system that requires no batteries or electricity. It is perfect for home emergency preparedness and camping trips. It also works well in the backcountry.
LifeStraw has been widely distributed to several major international humanitarian disasters. It started out as a partnership with the Carter Center, and it has since expanded to aid in disaster response. As of this writing, LifeStraw has been distributing to nearly every major international disaster that has happened. It is one of the most popular water purification systems available today.
While LifeStraw is a decent product, it does have its flaws. It is not designed to filter everything that is dangerous. It does not remove viruses, nor does it remove chemicals. It is difficult to troubleshoot a LifeStraw filter.
In addition, there is no guarantee that the water filtered through a LifeStraw will be safe to drink. The company does not mention a warranty on its website.
Katadyn Hiker PRO
Whether you are preparing for a natural disaster or just have to deal with murky water, a high quality water purification system is essential. These systems can remove the taste and smell of bad water, and can also help to make dirty water taste better.
Depending on what you’re looking for, you can choose between a variety of water filters. A gravity style filter can be easy to use and will hold a large amount of water. You can also use a pump based filter to help clean the water quicker.
If you want a high quality, inexpensive filter, you might consider the Katadyn Hiker Pro. This filter is compact, lightweight, and can filter out up to 750 liters of water. You can also get a version that’s transparent, which makes it easy to see what’s going on in your water source.
If you need a filter that’s easier to use and lighter than the PRO, you might want to check out the Sawyer Mini. This filter is smaller and lighter than the PRO, but isn’t suitable for backpacking in a group.
MSR MiniWorks EX Filter
Whether you are going on an ultralight backpacking adventure or are looking for a more convenient alternative to a conventional water filter, the MSR MiniWorks EX Filter is a great choice. It is a three-stage system, including a charcoal filter, a ceramic filter, and a pre-filter. It is designed to last for a long time.
The MSR MiniWorks EX has a lifetime warranty and is easy to clean. It is also compatible with hydration bladders and wide-mouth bottles. Its four thousand liter capacity means that it is capable of processing a lot of water.
The filter is quite small, weighing only 11.5 ounces folded up. It comes with a carrying sack and can purify water at up to 1.75 liters per minute.
It is a pump-style backcountry water filter. It is ideal for turbid, dirty, and/or contaminated water sources. It has a three-stage filter, and a carbon core that helps to filter out chemicals and unpleasant odors.
The handle is very sturdy and has a large enough grip to handle a fair amount of pressure. The 0.2 micron hollow fiber filter can remove viruses and bacteria, and can filter out protozoa.
Platypus GravityWorks
Among the portable water filter systems, the Platypus GravityWorks is one of the best. It filters eight liters of water in just 2.5 minutes. It also meets EPA guidelines. It’s lightweight and easy to carry.
The Platypus GravityWorks water filter is a 0.2-micron hollow fiber filter. It removes bacteria, protozoa and viruses. It’s not as effective as the MSR TrailShot system, but it’s still a good choice for emergency prep. You can buy it as a standalone filter or add a carbon element to it. You can get a replacement cartridge for about 35 bucks.
Unlike most pump filters, the Platypus GravityWorks has a flow rate of 1.75 liters per minute. Whether you’re camping or hiking, the Gravity Works filter is faster and easier to use than most.
The GravityWorks filter holds up well for emergency prep, and you can replace it with a new one at any time. The filter has a lifespan of about 1,500 liters. It has a valve that closes automatically when you disconnect it from a reservoir. It’s sturdy, lightweight, and can be hung from a tree branch.
Sawyer
Choosing the right water treatment system for your needs is important. There are a few choices to consider. If you are looking for a durable system that will last a long time, you will want to look at options like Sawyer, which is designed for backpackers and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
The Sawyer Mini filter is one of the most popular water filters on the market. It is small and lightweight, but provides excellent filtration. It is also very affordable. It has a lifetime guarantee. It will filter up to 100,000 gallons of water, and has a solid rate of flow.
The Sawyer Mini filter is compatible with a variety of hydration packs. It can be attached to a hydration bladder, a standard soda bottle, and even a straw. Unlike pump style filters, the Sawyer Mini filter is very easy to use. Its rate of flow is almost a gallon per minute, and it is very simple to back flush. The Sawyer Mini filter also comes with a backwash system. This allows you to restore the 98.5% of your flow rate, if you have contaminated your system.
Chemical purifiers
Having a good chemical water purification system is crucial to your survival. These devices are small, lightweight and can make it easier to carry an adequate supply of clean, fresh drinking water.
Chemical purification systems come in several forms. The heaviest hitters include gravity systems, pump systems, and squeeze filters. The best option is a microfilter coupled with a purifying agent.
Chemical treatments take a while to show results. A normal sized water bottle can take up to an hour to neutralize hard to kill threats. However, it’s possible to boil water to kill living things, distill it to remove impurities, and then filter the resulting water. The resulting water is then safe to drink.
If you’re going to the trouble of using a chemical treatment, it’s best to do it correctly. You should treat your water with a pre-filter first. You should also look for a filter that is NSF certified. This is important to prevent cross contamination.
It’s not impossible to get a great taste out of dirty water. But it may not change the taste of the water itself.
Straw-style filters
Several straw style water purification systems are available for use in the backcountry. These devices can be a lot easier to use than chemical purifiers, which can take a long time to suck water through.
The LifeStraw is a simple straw-style water filter. The filter is designed to filter out bacteria, protozoa, and parasites. It is made out of a hollow membrane and comes with tethered caps to prevent cross-contamination. The filter is relatively inexpensive.
However, while the LifeStraw is a great backcountry item to have in your backpack, it does have some issues. It is not effective at removing viruses. If you are looking for virus removal, you should purchase a bottle or water purifier.
Another issue with LifeStraw is the fact that it does not filter out heavy metals. It also does not remove the virus Norovirus and fecal matter transmitted through the mouth.
This is an important concern because if you drink unfiltered water, you could contract illnesses. To avoid this, you should always check for viruses. You can use UV light or iodine tablets to get rid of them.
Reverse osmosis membrane
Using a reverse osmosis membrane is the smart thing to do for your survival water purification system. It can remove a lot of the common contaminants from your water and provide you with better tasting, odor free water.
The most efficient water filtration system uses a membrane to remove the regulated particles from your water, while incorporating additional filters on either side of the membrane to remove the less desirable ones. Many systems also use the reverse osmosis process to remove chloramines. The fanciest of these devices can also rely on distillation to purify the water to boiling point. While this can eliminate most of the common toxins, it leaves behind heavy metals and other contaminants that convert readily to gases.
A reverse osmosis membrane is an integral part of a full-scale water purification plant. For this study, a two-stage system was connected to four high-pressure (12 bar) flow cells to measure the microbial biofilms spawned by the membrane’s microscopically microscopic counterparts. The resulting process water was compared to the feed water of the same plant, which had undergone a similar treatment by sand filtration, coagulation and ultrafiltration.
