Aqua-Mira

[tflaris]

Question for all of you who use Aqua-Mira on the trail. Instructions state to use 8 drops of A and B for 1 quart of water.

Can you double the number of drops (16 each in one cap or container) to treat 2 quarts In one sitting?

I looked for a contact number for Aqua-Mira's mobile site and could not find one on their mobile website.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

TF


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

[hikernutcasey]

Question for all of you who use Aqua-Mira on the trail. Instructions state to use 8 drops of A and B for 1 quart of water.

Can you double the number of drops (16 each in one cap or container) to treat 2 quarts In one sitting?

I'm not sure if this is official or not but I do that all the time and it has never failed me.

[Another Kevin]

I wouldn't scale the quantity downward to treat less than a litre, but doubling the quantity to treat a two-litre container should be just fine.

I don't try to divide one batch between multiple containers, because I have no easy way to portion it out. Very occasionally I'll mix up a second batch at the same time to do a second container. Generally, if I'm doing that, I'll do the 5-minute activation in a bottle cap or something. Most often, if I'm treating two litres, both litres are in my Camelbak.

[garlic08]

I do it all the time, too. I think I saw instructions long ago for mixing for larger quantities.

If you go through one set and buy another, keep the cap from the first set so it's convenient to treat two different sized bottles at one sitting.

[hikernutcasey]

I wouldn't scale the quantity downward to treat less than a litre, but doubling the quantity to treat a two-litre container should be just fine.

I have scaled the quantity down to treat a 20 ounce bottle but I error on the side of too much rather than not enough basically only cutting back a drop from what I put in a full liter. Have never gotten sick but who knows maybe the water was clean.

[colorado_rob]

I too, do it all the time. I also scale down to 5 drops for a 20 oz bottle, erring slightly too much.

One little trick for mixing two separate mixes for two 1-liter bottles is to simply save the mixer cap from an old Aqua Mira so you have two caps from then on forward.

Does anyone else run out of one of the two parts (A or B) consistently before the other? I do all the time, but I forget which one runs out sooner. I think the explanation is simply that the drops are slightly different sizes in the two ingredients, probably different surface tension properties.

[Another Kevin]

Yeah, A seems to run out first. The whole process is scaled to A (sodium chlorite), by the way. The mixing instructions result in an excess of B (phosphoric acid), which is fine, an excess of phosphoric acid is Mostly Harmless.

1azarus actually keeps an eyedropper bottle to use as a secondary Aqua Mira container so that he can go on hiking for the five minutes that it takes for the activator to work, and then use the dropper to dispense the activated mix into the bottles on his ladder straps. I wonder, what's the **** hurry. But I've only hiked with him a few times. He likes doing much bigger miles than I do. (Thanks, 1azarus, for slowing down for me!) Mostly, where I find water tends to be a pretty spot, and I don't mind sitting for a few minutes and enjoying having my pack off. Unless the bugs are horrible.

[pyroman53]

If you go through one set and buy another, keep the cap from the first set so it's convenient to treat two different sized bottles at one sitting.

I mix in the bottle cap of my water container.

[bigcranky]

I do it all the time, too, often with five or six liters in a big bag -- makes collecting and treating water a breeze. Or if I have the tablets I'll throw in one for each liter.

[MuddyWaters]

Google site:whiteblaze.net aqua mira and you can find lots of previous posts about it. This sites search is all but nonfunctional.

[couscous]

If you put "aqua mira" in the search box (with the quotes), you will get 1710 threads that mention it.

[ChrisJackson]

I too, do it all the time. I also scale down to 5 drops for a 20 oz bottle, erring slightly too much.

One little trick for mixing two separate mixes for two 1-liter bottles is to simply save the mixer cap from an old Aqua Mira so you have two caps from then on forward.

Does anyone else run out of one of the two parts (A or B) consistently before the other? I do all the time, but I forget which one runs out sooner. I think the explanation is simply that the drops are slightly different sizes in the two ingredients, probably different surface tension properties.

This reminded me of an observation which could be my imagination but my part B seems easier to disperse from the bottle. Maybe it's not as dense as part A. So I probably use a couple extra part B drops every now and then, causing the bottles to empty at different rates.

[Dogwood]

I regularly double or triple when treating more than 1 qt(1L) - 2 qt(2L), 3 qt(3L).

[Sarcasm the elf]

This reminded me of an observation which could be my imagination but my part B seems easier to disperse from the bottle. Maybe it's not as dense as part A. So I probably use a couple extra part B drops every now and then, causing the bottles to empty at different rates.

I don't understand why they use square bottles and really wish they would change to normal round bottles. I feel like each set of AM that I have bought "poured" slightly differently, some were easier to squeeze than others, the drops seemed to come out slightly different from bottle to bottle. I have even had a set or two where one bottle was nearly impossible to squeeze, one of these actually broke along one edge because of how hard I had to squeeze to get a drop to come out.

[Another Kevin]

This reminded me of an observation which could be my imagination but my part B seems easier to disperse from the bottle. Maybe it's not as dense as part A. So I probably use a couple extra part B drops every now and then, causing the bottles to empty at different rates.

I'm not positive, but I think that the two bottles are different. Part A (the sodium chlorite) is more corrosive than part B (phosphoric acid), and I suspect that they need a different plastic to hold it. They probably save a penny or two in production cost using a cheaper bottle for B.

[MuddyWaters]

I don't understand why they use square bottles and really wish they would change to normal round bottles. I feel like each set of AM that I have bought "poured" slightly differently, some were easier to squeeze than others, the drops seemed to come out slightly different from bottle to bottle. I have even had a set or two where one bottle was nearly impossible to squeeze, one of these actually broke along one edge because of how hard I had to squeeze to get a drop to come out.

The old bottles with squared off tips dispensed different amount than the current bottles. With exact same instructions.
A drop, is not a drop. It depends on density, surface tension, how fast you squeeze and the shape its clinging to, even the angle you tilt the bottle at.

Best to do your own math.

If dropper tip doesnt flow, a straightpin can open it up. Sometimes a bit of flashng from mold obstructs. If you think a pin is too big, get fine music wire from hobby shop.

[George]

I don't understand why they use square bottles and really wish they would change to normal round bottles. I feel like each set of AM that I have bought "poured" slightly differently, some were easier to squeeze than others, the drops seemed to come out slightly different from bottle to bottle. I have even had a set or two where one bottle was nearly impossible to squeeze, one of these actually broke along one edge because of how hard I had to squeeze to get a drop to come out.

2oz bottles are round - and about the same price as the 1oz

[George]

if mixing for 2 different 1qt bottles I always count the drops separately (I keep the extra mixing cup from an old set) - to hard to judge/pour half - and giardia once was enough

[Sarcasm the elf]

2oz bottles are round - and about the same price as the 1oz

Cool, I've never seen them in the store. I'll have to look for them online. The square bottles never struck me as a particularly functional design.

[tflaris]

Thanks for all the great information!


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead, Anthropologist