Water

If possible, bring the drinking water for your hiking, camping and outdoor needs with you. If you cannot, consider the following treatment suggestions for providing this necessary provision.

If you are unsure of the quality of the supply at your campsite and certainly if you plan to drink from rivers, lakes or streams, you may want to consider filtering or chemical treatments.

As mentioned, your first choice should always be to bring what you need to consume with you. An argument against this, is that you don’t have to carry as much if you filter what you need out on the trail. If you’re hiking, don’t forget to drink or hydrate before starting off. The next best thing is to boil what you plan to drink. At elevations below 2000 meters (6,562 feet), bring to a rolling boil for one minute. Above this elevation, boil for three minutes.

Many hikers will opt for filtering and/or chemical treatments. The smaller the pore size of the filter, the more effective it is at removing undesirable contaminants. It is suggested that you choose a filter that has an absolute less than or equal to 0.3 micron filter. Even the best quality filters should not be considered one hundred percent effective.

Chemical treatments include using either iodine, chlorine or chlorine dioxide. These are usually effective in killing viruses, but if you want better purification than either method alone, then use both. First filter, then chemically treat. And ALWAYS follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the best results.

Be safe and have fun out there.

For additional information and resources about water treatment, check out this website.