Water filtration: UV vs. CHEMICALS vs. FILTER

[gcobb1990]

UV PEN: Steripen Adventurer:

Filters: 16 ounces in 48 seconds (good)- 2
Weight: 110 g/ 4 ounces(good)- 2
Volume of H2O/ battery: 58 liters (worst) -1
KILLS: EVERYTHING (best) - 3
Taste: does not affect taste of dirty or clean water (worst) -1
Retail cost/ 1000 Liters: ~$180 (worst) -1
Pack Space required: good -2
Use with: small bottles with wide mouths (not bags) (worst)-1
Simplicity: good - 2
Maintenance: Little (good) - 2
Pre-filter? murky water (good) - 2

PUMP FILTER: MSR Hyperflow

Filters: 3 liter/ minute (best)- 3
Weight: 209 g/ 7.4 ounces (worst)- 1
Volume of H2O/ filter: 1000 liters (best) - 3
KILLS: Bacteria and protozoa (everything on the AT) (good)-2
Taste: enhances taste of dirty water and does not harm taste of clean water (best) - 3
Retail cost/ 1000 Liters: $100.00 (best) - 3
Pack Space required: Worst - 1
Use with: wide mouth bottles or bags (or improvise) (good) -2
Simplicity: worst - 1
Maintenence: More (worst) - 1
Pre-filter? Not required (best)- 3

CHEMICAL: AQUAMIRA

Filters: Infinite Q of H2O in 30 minutes (worst) -1
Weight: ~85 grams/ 3 ounes (best) -3
Volume of H2O/ container of drops: 120 liters (good) -2
KILLS: Bacteria and protozoa (everything on the AT) (good)- 2
Taste: enhances taste of dirty water and does not harm taste of clean water (good) - 2
Retail cost/ 1000 Liters: $125.00 (good) - 2
Pack Space required: best - 3
Use with: Any water container (best) - 3
Simplicity: Best - 3
Maintenence: none (best) - 3
Pre-filter? murky water (good)- 2

Conclusion: If you are going to Mexico, take the steripen. If you are a weight-freak, take aquamira. If you are afraid of getting sunburn, don't take the steripen (just kidding...). If you are cheap, take the filter. If you can't ro don't want to resupply, take the filter.

If you are none of those things, by my rating system

RESULTS:

UV: 19
Filter: 23
Chemical: 26

[brooklynkayak]

You might want to consider taking two different items. Steripen electronics can fail, Aquamira can leak and filers can crack.

I use the Aquamira Frontier Pro in gravity feed configuration with Aquamira drops as backup or if the water quality is a bit scary, I use both.
The combination makes for a very reliable water purification system and weighs only a few ounces.

[Jonnycat]

PUMP FILTER: MSR Hyperflow
Weight: 209 g/ 7.4 ounces (worst)- 1

Hmmm, if that number is accurate, it is five ounces lighter than my Hiker. Hiker goes down to 0.3 micron, while the Hyperflow goes down to 0.2 micron.

I don't like the outlet though, my Hiker uses a hose which adapts to my platy bottles.

But hmmmm, cutting five ounces is a chunk of change, even though its a hundred bucks.

Hmmmm.....

[Strategic]

My gravity filter system is now down to just over 5oz with a Sawyer "Just Drink" filter element. It has all the advantages of a pump filter without some of the drawbacks (like weight.) The Sawyer element itself is a beautiful device; it was the first of the new hollow fiber elements and still has a pretty good lead on the competition. It filters down to 0.1 microns, which gives it a full 7 and 6 log rating by the EPA standards, sufficient for any bacteria or cyst. If I ever need to take it where viruses are a problem, they also have a full scale purifier element that filters down to 5.5 log, or 0.02 microns (and no, that's not a typo.) At that rating, you could damn near filter safely from a cesspool.

[Summit]

As with any analysis of data, you can make the data say what you want the outcome to be, and you set yourself up to be picked apart!

I'll do a little gentle picking:

Steripen Adventurer price is way off - http://www.rei.com/product/750366

Also, a Steripen can last up to 5,000 liters with only battery replacement costs, whereas if you add up that much chemical treatment or several ceramic filter replacements (almost the cost of a whole new one), the Steripen is BY FAR the cheapest total cost of ownership.

Simplicity: Giving the chemical treatment the gold medal here is very biased - to the mere mechanics of treating. If I were to say waiting 30 minutes or more to take a drink when I'm extremely thirsty, and then having water that isn't as cold to enjoy on a hot day, vs. chugging away on good cold water within two minutes of dropping my pack with a Steripen . . . well, I'd have to rearrange your points again.

Taste: What if one prefers water to taste natural, not enhanced? Did you just decide for all of us what is "preferred?" I don't want the taste of good cold mountain stream water altered at all. Rearranging points again!

As you can see, I manipulated the data and assumptions to make my candidate the winner!

[Berserker]

Hmmm, if that number is accurate, it is five ounces lighter than my Hiker. Hiker goes down to 0.3 micron, while the Hyperflow goes down to 0.2 micron.

I don't like the outlet though, my Hiker uses a hose which adapts to my platy bottles.

But hmmmm, cutting five ounces is a chunk of change, even though its a hundred bucks.

Hmmmm.....

My Hyperflow packed up with everything in the sack it comes in minus the bottle adapter weighs 8.64 oz dry. As for pumping water into a platy, the end of the filter that the clean water comes out of press fits into the the platy bottle opening. It's actually quite convenient, and gets rid of the need for an outlet hose. There is a small fitting on the outlet that you could push a hose onto if you wanted to use one though.

I also have a Hiker, and the speed of the Hyperflow blows it away. If you get a Hyperflow keep the hiker though because you'll need it in cold weather (per the manufacturer the Hyperflow should not be frozen...so you need another filter when it's cold).

[Mags]

Chemicals are best for people who treat their water on occasion (or rarely).

If you regularly treat water, esp over the long haul, other methods may be better.

(Not looking to get in a debate about treatment....just stating why chemicals may be a better fit for certain hiking styles).

[gcobb1990]

As with any analysis of data, you can make the data say what you want the outcome to be, and you set yourself up to be picked apart!

I'll do a little gentle picking:

Steripen Adventurer price is way off - http://www.rei.com/product/750366

Also, a Steripen can last up to 5,000 liters with only battery replacement costs, whereas if you add up that much chemical treatment or several ceramic filter replacements (almost the cost of a whole new one), the Steripen is BY FAR the cheapest total cost of ownership.

Simplicity: Giving the chemical treatment the gold medal here is very biased - to the mere mechanics of treating. If I were to say waiting 30 minutes or more to take a drink when I'm extremely thirsty, and then having water that isn't as cold to enjoy on a hot day, vs. chugging away on good cold water within two minutes of dropping my pack with a Steripen . . . well, I'd have to rearrange your points again.

Taste: What if one prefers water to taste natural, not enhanced? Did you just decide for all of us what is "preferred?" I don't want the taste of good cold mountain stream water altered at all. Rearranging points again!

As you can see, I manipulated the data and assumptions to make my candidate the winner!

this is exactly what i hoped for actually! as for any biases, i can actually say that I am not. I knew nothing about any of these water treatment options before this research! haha I just pointed to what the data and numbers showed but you're right, taste is subjective. And as for the UV pen numbers: I did the cost with all the battery replacements. And I know that the actual object lasts a great amount of time- I was just in essence doing how long it would last until something needs to be replaced- i.e. battery, filter, or the whole thing in the case of the drops. And as for a candidate- I am looking for one, thats why I did the research and posted this so you guys could help me decide. Thanks for your help!

[gcobb1990]

Chemicals are best for people who treat their water on occasion (or rarely).

If you regularly treat water, esp over the long haul, other methods may be better.

(Not looking to get in a debate about treatment....just stating why chemicals may be a better fit for certain hiking styles).

Aw come on man! debating is how we realize who is truly right! You gotta help me get it right on the first time. I dont want to realize on the first few days of my thru hike that i'm carrying the wrong gear

[Mags]

Aw come on man! debating is how we realize who is truly right! You gotta help me get it right on the first time. I dont want to realize on the first few days of my thru hike that i'm carrying the wrong gear

The first lesson, and one to learn for all gear choices: There is no best gear.

It all depends on what works for you and your hiking style.

Light and minimalist? Rarely treat water? Then go with chemicals

Prefer not to trust electronics or batteries? Want an older technology that is proven? Want an easy way to deal with "floaties"? Go with a filter

Like high-tech? Want the overall fastest treatment method? Want even less futz than chemicals? Go with a steripen

Despite what others may tell you, there is no best of any gear. Certain people have found gear that works for their hiking style, budget and personal tastes. That does not mean that gear is the best by any stretch. So tell us more about your hiking style and preference.

I'm a minimalist who rarely treats water so chemicals work for me. (Search on the myriad debates about water treatment. Some people treat everything regardless of the sources. Some people treat nothing regardless of the source. Most people are somewhere in between the spectrum.)

[brooklynkayak]

Taste: What if one prefers water to taste natural, not enhanced? Did you just decide for all of us what is "preferred?" I don't want the taste of good cold mountain stream water altered at all. Rearranging points again!

I do carry a small light filter (Aquamira Frontier Pro) for those occasions when I wouldn't like the taste of the water. We don't always have clear mountain streams as our water source. Sometimes they are a still putrid pool, a stream running through a forest fire area, stagnant wells with iron or sulfur taste, ...

If you only filter when needed, you can get by on a frontier pro (2 oz.). If you have a clear stream as your source, just use the UV or chemicals.

[Summit]

this is exactly what i hoped for actually! as for any biases, i can actually say that I am not. I knew nothing about any of these water treatment options before this research! haha I just pointed to what the data and numbers showed but you're right, taste is subjective. And as for the UV pen numbers: I did the cost with all the battery replacements. And I know that the actual object lasts a great amount of time- I was just in essence doing how long it would last until something needs to be replaced- i.e. battery, filter, or the whole thing in the case of the drops. And as for a candidate- I am looking for one, thats why I did the research and posted this so you guys could help me decide. Thanks for your help!

That's cool. Here's another category that your "Simplicity" one touched at but didn't quite hit the mark (I think) of what's really important: CONVENIENCE

And like Mags said, the Steripen wins hands down in that department, which is a lot weightier than some of the others.

For instance, you can zap a 1/2 liter in 45 seconds. Assuming you have a cargo pants pocket for your Steripen and your water bottle reachable without having to remove your pack, you can scoop and zap a cold nice drink at any and every (if you want) stream you come to, while barely breaking stride/pace. Try that with a filter or wait 30 minutes each time with chemicals.

No freezing water issues with a Steripen like filter users have to contend with. I've heard that even if a frozen ceramic cartridge doesn't crack, it may become ineffective without the user even knowing it.

I think discussions like these are more valuable than numbers and rating systems, but I applaud your start to this thread and eagerness to learn.

[MikenSalem]

ya ya ya The sawyer bottle is instant, dip and drink. Thats is as cold and fast as it gets short of using nothing. The Steripen batteries can fail in cold weather as easily as the filter freeze up on any filter. It's also susceptible to being dropped by numb fingers and thats "lights out" for the pen. The same fix works on both for freezing in winter, keep them inside your coat. As far as any filter media cracking the Steripen's light that actually does the work - I think the human eye can't detect it something about the "ultra" word. Aquamira drops work fine, if you've pushed it so far you can't wait it's your own fault.
All that said the purpose of debate is not to be correct but to win, ask my kids :{D
Debate aside I with Mags and the rest of you. There's allot of freedom allowed by all the cool products to fit anybodies hiking style and personal preference. Used properly "Crapus explodus" should be limited to the results of eating cashews and pickled eggs..

[Summit]

Only objection, MikenSalem, is that lithium batteries work very well and keep their charge in very cold weather. My Steripen worked fine last April in 15* weather. Fragility is a risk with a Steripen. I wouldn't recommend one for someone who is hard on stuff, like my son. For him and others like him, I'd recommend Aquamira, protected from breaking in a heavy duty military ammo can!

[MikenSalem]

I use the Aquamira more than anything. As long as you don't overdose the water it's pretty good. If you do you'll have the driest water on the planet. The weight is nothing and with the filter bottle I can drink while I wait. I'm with you though Summit, nothing matches a cold drink of water and I've eye'd the Steripen Adventurer. Lithium batteries

[Tinker]

First Need or boil, the second especially in the winter when most filters fail due to icing up.
As I've stated before, many lowland streams and ponds along the AT are polluted with agricultural runoff (pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers) along with other chemicals. The First Need removes many organic chemical compounds. Most filters don't. No chemical or uv treatment does.

[gcobb1990]

Huh! I'm definitely a minimalist. I did all my run training barefoot for six months I picked the osprey exos over the atmos. I chose a down bag.

And I've been known to break stuff...that's why i went with the decagon alcohol stove: SIMPLICITY+ DURABILITY! it looks to me like my original point scoring system has worked for me!

Now talk which chemical! Is aquamira the best? I can't find anything saying there is something wrong with it...

[Maddog]

i use the steripen for cold, fresh water while i'm hiking and chlorine dioxide tablets for over-night purification! always have a back-up!!!

[Summit]

I have dropped my Steripen three times. Luckily each time it hit dirt and not rock. So it's not as fragile as a light bulb with a filament that will likely break on any drop. From my experience the Steripen will take drops better than you might think, but there is a risk for sure, just like there's a risk a tree limb will fall and rip a hole in your tent.

[Snowleopard]

Huh! I'm definitely a minimalist.
...
Now talk which chemical! Is aquamira the best? I can't find anything saying there is something wrong with it...

From my reading:
For cryptosporidium, use filters or boiling.
Aquamira requires 4 hours for giardia.
Iodine takes much less time for giardia (depending on pH); acidic water can take a long time.
Both do well on bacteria and viruses in a reasonable time.
Filters do well on giardia and crypto, some filters do OK on bacteria, some filters don't work on bacteria (serious deficiency).
Boiling for 1 minute is reliable on giardia, crypto, bacteria and virus. Above 2000 meters (6,562 feet) boil for 3 minutes.

From the CDC:

Protozoa - Cryptosporidium

Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium;
Filtration has a high effectiveness in removing Cryptosporidium when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter);
Disinfection with iodine or chlorine is not effective in killing Cryptosporidium;
Disinfection with chlorine dioxide has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium;
Combination filtration and disinfection has a very high effectiveness in removing and killing Cryptosporidium when used with chlorine dioxide and an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter).

Protozoa - Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia)
...
Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing Giardia;
Filtration has a high effectiveness in removing Giardia when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter);
Disinfection with iodine or chlorine has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Giardia;
Disinfection with chlorine dioxide has a high effectiveness in killing Giardia;
Combination filtration and disinfection has a very high effectiveness in removing and killing Giardia when used with chlorine dioxide and an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter).

Viruses - (e.g., enterovirus, hepatitis A, norovirus, rotavirus)

Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute minimum) has a very high effectiveness in killing viruses;
Filtration is not effective in removing viruses;

Disinfection has a high effectiveness in killing viruses when used with iodine, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide.

Bacteria - (e.g., Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli)
...
Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing bacteria;
Filtration has a moderate effectiveness in removing bacteria when using an absolute less than or equal to 0.3 micron filter;
Disinfection with iodine or chlorine has a high effectiveness in killing bacteria;
Disinfection with chlorine dioxide has a high effectiveness in killing bacteria;
Combination filtration and disinfection has a very high effectiveness in removing and killing bacteria when used with iodine, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide and an absolute less than or equal to 0.3 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter).

Ultraviolet Light (UV Light) can be used as a pathogen reduction method against some microorganisms. The technology requires effective prefiltering due to its dependence on low water turbidity (cloudiness), the correct power delivery, and correct contact times to achieve maximum pathogen reduction. UV might be an effective method in pathogen reduction in backcountry water; there is a lack of independent testing data available on specific systems. Manufacturer’s instructions must be followed.
MIOX® systems use a salt solution to create mixed oxidants, primarily chlorine. Chlorine has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Giardia, and a high effectiveness in killing bacteria and viruses. Manufacturer’s instructions must be followed.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drin...treatment.html