How to Purify Water

Nowhere in the American wilderness is it absolutely safe to drink unpurified lake or stream water. Your three options are boiling, chemical treatment or filtering.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Water Filters
• Iodine Tablets
• Pots
• Camping Stoves And Fuel
• Plastic Water Bottles

1. Understand that boiling kills all organisms that prey on human bodies, but this method requires a stove, uses a lot of fuel and involves much hassle.

2. Bring the water to a full, roiling boil if you choose to purify it this way.

3. Fill your water bottle with unpurified water to chemically treat it. Add one iodine tablet per quart of water, or two tablets per quart if the water is murky, cloudy or very cold.

4. Allow 30 minutes for the iodine to kill all microorganisms before drinking the water.

5. Consider using water filters for removing bacteria, cysts and parasites, but keep in mind that filters clog easily, require frequent cleaning and can freeze when it's cold.

6. Be sure you understand how to use the device and have practiced with it before you head into the wilderness.

7. Carry some iodine tablets as backup if you go the water filter route, because filters often break down.

Tips & Warnings

• Add powdered drink mix to treated water to mask the iodine flavor.

• If you buy a water filter, be sure it's easy to clean in the wilderness.

• If you experience intense bouts of vomiting or diarrhea within a few weeks of returning from the wilderness, go to a doctor and get checked for giardiasis or other waterborne diseases.