View Full Version : aqua mira tablets
Crazy_Al
09-13-2007, 14:13
aqua mira tablets are worthless to me because I must wait 4 hours before I can drink the water.
Footslogger
09-13-2007, 14:19
aqua mira tablets are worthless to me because I must wait 4 hours before I can drink the water.
=========================================
Their best application (and the same goes for the Katahdin MicroPur tablets) is for overnight water treatment. You are totally correct. 4 hours is totally ridiculous for on-trail real-time water treatment.
I capture between 2 and 4 liters of water at night when I am backpacking (water sources being available, of course). I use a few cups to boil for dinner and then treat the rest overnight. In the morning I have an ample supply of potable water and my water container (at least the inside surfaces) have been treated as well.
'Slogger
Hikerhead
09-13-2007, 14:20
Why 4 hours??? My instructions say mix chemicals and wait 5 minutes and mix with water and wait 20 minutes....if I'm drinking out of a beaver pond I might add more drops than needed and wait 4 hrs, but I try to avoid that.
So why 4 hours???
taildragger
09-13-2007, 14:22
Why 4 hours??? My instructions say mix chemicals and wait 5 minutes and mix with water and wait 20 minutes....if I'm drinking out of a beaver pond I might add more drops than needed and wait 4 hrs, but I try to avoid that.
So why 4 hours???
Read what it states it kills in that time
Footslogger
09-13-2007, 14:22
Why 4 hours??? My instructions say mix chemicals and wait 5 minutes and mix with water and wait 20 minutes....if I'm drinking out of a beaver pond I might add more drops than needed and wait 4 hrs, but I try to avoid that.
So why 4 hours???
======================================
The 2 part liquid has a 20 minute wait. The tablets disolve over time and take longer to render the water totally safe to drink.
'Slogger
Hikerhead
09-13-2007, 14:22
Why 4 hours??? My instructions say mix chemicals and wait 5 minutes and mix with water and wait 20 minutes....if I'm drinking out of a beaver pond I might add more drops than needed and wait 4 hrs, but I try to avoid that.
So why 4 hours???
OH, you're talking about the tablets....well maybe so....in that case use the liguid or go with a filter.
gearfreak
09-13-2007, 14:28
This product overview of the Micropur tablets has an interesting table which posts a 30 minute and a 4 hour wait time depending on visible water conditions. I think a trip to the EPA website is warranted to clarify the table. :-?
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/kaytadyn_micropur_mp1_purifier_tablets.html
Yeah..go reason to go for a water filter. You pump and drink. Presto. When I am thirsty I want water now..not in half an hour or more later!
David
gearfreak
09-13-2007, 15:12
Some additional information I was able to dig up regarding treatment times indicates that chlorine dioxide destroys viruses and bacteria in 15 minutes, Giardia in 30 minutes and Cryptosporidia in four hours (Cryptosporidia are highly resistant to iodine and chlorine). :-?
I wonder if they will ever come out with flavored water treatment?
Lone Wolf
09-13-2007, 16:02
I wonder if they will ever come out with flavored water treatment?
they already do. crystal light and such
Mother's Finest
09-13-2007, 16:08
they already do. crystal light and such
crystal light tastes like crap. i like such much better.
peace
mf
Fiddleback
09-13-2007, 20:11
I use the chlorine dioxide treatment for large quantities of water in camp and for overnight. But on the trail, I use a filter bottle (mine's by Bota). It's a great convenience to simply 'dip and sip' along the trail. Of course, that requires a route with water along the way...if there isn't any, that's where the overnight treatment comes in.
Combined, the Bota filter bottle and the dioxide treatment saves several ounces over my MSR Sweetwater filter and a bunch of (pumping) time as well.
FB
According to McNett, Aqua Mira drops take 4 hours to kill giardia, but they refuse to label it that way (that is why it is still not sold in California).
Goes to show you that most people use the 'immune system just drink' whether they think they're treating thier water or not.
Check this out http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/wpd/CompareDevices.aspx
aqua mira tablets are worthless to me because I must wait 4 hours before I can drink the water.
i prefr the part a and part b liquid aqua mira:cool: neo
aqua mira tablets are worthless to me because I must wait 4 hours before I can drink the water.
30 minutes for MicroPur unless the water is at freezing. 4 hours is only for killing Crypto in freezing water. Stop, fill a quart, drop a tablet and be on your way. The trick is to be smart enough to fill your next quart at least 30 minutes before you need it. If you can handle that bit of nuclear-rocket-science, MicroPur tablets will save you weight, and fussing.
halftime
09-15-2007, 23:32
Check this out http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/wpd/CompareDevices.aspx
Great website with lots of good info. Thanks for posting.