Selecting A Water Portable Filter For Travel

Water treatment is an important aspect of your health both in and outdoors. Even the most pristine-looking source outdoors can make you sick.

Outdoor water sources are used by wildlife, livestock, and humans, and there’s a likelihood that the water carries contaminants in the fecal matter dropped in the water. The deeper you go outdoors, the higher the contamination levels in water sources.

To help you be safe, we’ve come up with guidance on selecting the best water-treatment methods you can use outdoors.

The Distinction Between Water Filters and Water Purifiers

The difference between a water filter and a purifier is the amount and the size of the microorganism in the filter and purifier. Water filters have been designed to strain out bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella and Campylobacter) and protozoan cysts (Giardia Lamblia and Cryptosporidium). The above types of bacteria and protozoan cysts are predominant in the United States and Canada. Water purifiers are designed to combat viruses. Viruses are too small for a majority of filters to catch them if you are traveling to a majority of third-world countries, it’s important to carry a product that will purify and filter the water protecting you from norovirus, hepatitis A, and rotavirus.

How Purifiers and Filters Work

All filters and a majority of purifiers are fitted with an internal cartridge (element) that has microscopic pores to entrap bacteria, debris, and protozoa.

After use for a few times, strained matter gums to the element’s pors requiring you (the user) to clean it several times before replacing the filter/purifier.

A majority of water purifiers rely on chemicals such as iodine to kill viruses that are too minute for a most water filter elements. Some purifiers use ultraviolet light to clean/treat pathogens.

Many water purifiers and filters have activated carbons in their elements. The carbon effectively removes unpleasant tastes from leaf tannins and others. The activated carbons also minimize the amount of industrial chemicals and pesticides in the water.

Bottle Filters and Purifiers

Bottle filters and purifiers have inbuilt filtration and purification elements. Some bottles work as a coffee press while others use suction after sipping from a bite valve. Then, some containers use ultraviolet light to clean the water.

The beauty about these bottles is; the water is treated quickly and easily, the cartridge/element is replaceable, the bottles are much cheaper than gravity filters and water pumps.

The only downside of using bottles is the amount of water is limited to the size of the bottle, and you need to clean the bottle frequently.

Squeeze Filters

They have the same quality as bottle filters. The only difference being they have a smaller reservoir, and you have to squeeze water via the filtration element.

The squeeze function makes water treatment easy and quickly drinkable, some squeeze filters work as straw-style filters and gravity filters.

Averagely, the filters are lighter, smaller and more affordable than gravity and pump filters. The only downside is the limited reservoir and the constant cleaning of the equipment.

Conclusion

Whether you will go for a water filter or a water purifier, best believe that regular cleaning of the equipment and replacing the filtration mechanism is the only way to keep drinking fresh water. Choose a filter/purifier that works best to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

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