Chlorine Dioxide tablets

[jschwill]

Hello, I am interested in any information or personal experience hikers have had using Chlorine Dioxide tablets to purify water. Also, I have been searching for Chlorine Dioxide to purchase in local outdoor stores and they have all stopped carrying it. The two most popular brands, Portable Aqua and Katadyn Micropur, are difficult to purchase on-line and appear to be sold out in lots of online retail stores. Is there something wrong with this product? Are my google searches just sending me to the wrong distributors? Why is this so difficult to find?

Thanks,
Jschwill

[max patch]

Can't answer your questions, but I can tell you that you that both REI and Amazon show Potable Aqua as available to purchase on-line.

[alexandra]

Aquamira is the droplet form and can be purchased on amazon or from REI online only. Ive never tried aquamira but know it's a staple among many. As far as I know it's safe.

[bangorme]

Aquamira is the droplet form and can be purchased on amazon or from REI online only. Ive never tried aquamira but know it's a staple among many. As far as I know it's safe.

I've used both. I love Aquamira liguid. The only downside is that you have to let the two solutions sit together for 5 minutes to activate before putting it into the water. So, if you are doing 2 liters, then you are sitting there 10 minutes. Not a big thing, but there's no getting around it.

I've used the tablets and find that they do give the water a chlorine like taste. I don't mind it, but once I found Aquamira, I never went back. Don't forget that if you are boiling to water for cooking, you don't have to purify it first (like I do every once in awhile).

[jschwill]

Cool. I'll check out Aquamira. It's definitly more available. Thanks.

[Rocket Jones]

I've used both. I love Aquamira liguid. The only downside is that you have to let the two solutions sit together for 5 minutes to activate before putting it into the water. So, if you are doing 2 liters, then you are sitting there 10 minutes. Not a big thing, but there's no getting around it.


Unless you carry a second small cup to mix in, then you can do both liters at the same time. :) The top of a chapstick tube works well, or you can save that cap from your last set of AquaMira.

[alexandra]

I'm considering aquamira for my thruhike. I don't think i want to carry my gravity filter. And I'm guessing the taste is way better than iodine tabs?

[CarlZ993]

'Regular water' tasted weird after 5 mo of drinking water treated w/ AquaMira. :)

I always took extra caps to mix the two solutions in. One was a ultra-small Nalgene-type bottle. I'd premix the solution and carry it with me until I got to a water source. I'd chug the rest of my water, get more, & treat it. Repeat frequently.

[Catnip514]

The tablets seem to have been discontinued by all companies. I have noticed the same thing as you. I do wonder why though because they were all I used for years. The do make the water taste a little like a pool but I don't mind it. However I wonder if there were issues with them since they stopped making them. I recently purchased the liquid variety but have not used it yet because I have a backlog of the tablets left over.

[steve0423]

+1 for AquaMira...
I used it my entire thru except for a few days up north when I ran out and had to used iodine tablets I bummed from a friend. The tablets took longer and gave a funky taste. The AM drops had no discernible taste to me. I was impressed when I got some water from a garden hose in NH and the AM drops took that "rubber hose" taste right out of it

[bangorme]

+1 for AquaMira...
....The AM drops had no discernible taste to me. I was impressed when I got some water from a garden hose in NH and the AM drops took that "rubber hose" taste right out of it

I agree, I couldn't taste it, and the bottle does say something like it makes water taste better (for if you are purifying bog water).

[Snowleopard]

Apparently the German factory that produced all chlorine dioxide tablets had a fire and no more will be available till the new factory is up and running, possibly by Sept.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78573

[marshbirder]

Apparently the German factory that produced all chlorine dioxide tablets had a fire and no more will be available till the new factory is up and running, possibly by Sept.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78573


So any day now :)

[Drybones]

Apparently the German factory that produced all chlorine dioxide tablets had a fire and no more will be available till the new factory is up and running, possibly by Sept.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78573

There's always Clorox.

[Wise Old Owl]

not a fan of Clorox - last resort.

[Another Kevin]

not a fan of Clorox - last resort.

Me either. It needs a long contact time and won't kill protozoa.

[moytoy]

I know it's a little off topic but some have mentioned bad tasting water. In Florida we drink pond and swamp water when we have to. Sometimes it can taste pretty bad without the tablets and worse with them. I carry about 2 oz of apple cider vinegar and add a couple teaspoons to each 32 gator-aid bottle of water. 2 ozs will last 4-5 days.

[alexandra]

Honestly if I'm treating water I'll add a little mio or propel droplets to mask the taste. Works well for me, and if you don't add to much it can still be as refreshing as water .

[Don H]

I used Katadyn tablets and Aquamira.

The tablets were hard to find, it was mentioned in this thread http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?95932-Katadyn-Micropur-Tablets&p=1484726&highlight=#post1484726 that there was a fire in the plant that makes them. They are convenient.

You can mix Aquamira for 2 liters at one time in the same cap, you don't have to do it twice making the total wait time 10 minutes. I carry an extra cap, by mixing for 2 liters in both caps (14 drops of A & B) I can treat 4 liters at once.

[Wise Old Owl]

I know it's a little off topic but some have mentioned bad tasting water. In Florida we drink pond and swamp water when we have to. Sometimes it can taste pretty bad without the tablets and worse with them. I carry about 2 oz of apple cider vinegar and add a couple teaspoons to each 32 gator-aid bottle of water. 2 ozs will last 4-5 days.

Honest - You are kidding yourself. The science says otherwise. Yes it kills bacteria - no its not strong enough at dilution.

[moytoy]

Honest - You are kidding yourself. The science says otherwise. Yes it kills bacteria - no its not strong enough at dilution.
It never occurred to me that someone would think I use vinegar to sterilize the water. I simply add it to kill the sulfur and tannin taste. I have used chlorine but Aquamira is what I usually carry. Sorry about the confusion.

[pyroman53]

I've used both. I love Aquamira liguid. The only downside is that you have to let the two solutions sit together for 5 minutes to activate before putting it into the water. So, if you are doing 2 liters, then you are sitting there 10 minutes. Not a big thing, but there's no getting around it.

I've used the tablets and find that they do give the water a chlorine like taste. I don't mind it, but once I found Aquamira, I never went back. Don't forget that if you are boiling to water for cooking, you don't have to purify it first (like I do every once in awhile).

My process is to mix the two solutions in the cap of the water bottles I'm filling. Simply set in a safe location next to water source while I fill bottles. Then just dump into water, screw on cap and shake. Can do all bottles at same time.

[nastynate]

Yeah, I just use the bottle cap of each bottle I'm treating.

[Another Kevin]

Honestly if I'm treating water I'll add a little mio or propel droplets to mask the taste. Works well for me, and if you don't add to much it can still be as refreshing as water .

Make sure you do that AFTER the required contact time. Vitamin C will make the chlorine ineffective.

[bangorme]

Yeah, I just use the bottle cap of each bottle I'm treating.

That's a great idea! How could I have missed that option?????

[alexandra]

Make sure you do that AFTER the required contact time. Vitamin C will make the chlorine ineffective.

Oh yes, forgot to mention that! Thank you!

[Leanthree]

no love for iodine tablets? Tastes better than chlorine in my opinion and is cheaper.

[Catnip514]

no love for iodine tablets? Tastes better than chlorine in my opinion and is cheaper.

Nope. No love at all.

[Sarcasm the elf]

no love for iodine tablets? Tastes better than chlorine in my opinion and is cheaper.

I recall that a while back someone posted excerpts from studies that showed that iodine was ineffective against killing Giardia and cryptosporidium, Chlorine dioxide was moderately effective against these baddies.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Now that I think of it, does anyone have a working link to the military study that looked at e effectiveness of chlorine dioxide?

[Snowleopard]

Now that I think of it, does anyone have a working link to the military study that looked at e effectiveness of chlorine dioxide?
I remember that study, but can't find it now. Here's another specifically studying iodine:
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA453960
The conclusions:
iodine is marginally effective on giardia and not effective on crypto. It is effective on virus and bacteria.

Chlorine dioxide is effective for virus, bacteria, giardia and crypto, but requires long treatment time for giardia and cryptosporidium. You might need a higher concentration of chlorine dioxide for giardia and crypto (which the tablets provide), but those are temporarily hard to find.

[AngryGerman]

I too remember that study and have been searching through my archives for it; I'll let you know when I find it. I carried the same AquaMira from Lincoln, NH to Springer Mt. and treated my water a total of eight times getting sick zero times. I carried a Katadyn filter to Monson then sending it home; from there if I felt the need to treat the water I just broke out the stove and boiled the water using a bandana to filter the floaties out. I used the filter twice in the 100 mile; the water was frequent, cold and tasty. This is an approach I took and have taken this approach for a majority of my hikes on the AT. I also take the same approach when on the Long Trail and in the Adirondacks. I have yet to hit the trails out west, but hear the water at times can be of the highest quality. I will be purchasing a Steri Pen shortly because I would like to get away from the carcinogens in chemicals and weights of filters.

[Wise Old Owl]

no love for iodine tablets? Tastes better than chlorine in my opinion and is cheaper.

kudos no love at all - Iodine makes me very sick...

[bangorme]

I too remember that study and have been searching through my archives for it; I'll let you know when I find it. I carried the same AquaMira from Lincoln, NH to Springer Mt. and treated my water a total of eight times getting sick zero times.

50 years ago when my boy scout troop hiked for two weeks in the White Mountains, we NEVER purified water. We filled our canteens right out of the streams and drink nothing else. No one got sick. I read something a few months ago that so experts think that most people that get sick in the woods don't get sick from the water, but from their own unsanitary hands after going to the bathroom. I think that's probably the case.

That being said, the trails are so crowded now, and I find so much human and dog excrement close to the trails, that I'm not confident that people/pets aren't defecating near the water supplies. So if I don't boil it, I treat it. I'm less worried about the beavers.

[keepinitsimple]

I grew up in SE PA. Our water is chlorinated. I love the micropur tabs, love them, love them, love them. I don't really mind the tint of chlorine-lets me know it's safe to drink. I am 43, still kick'in it after using many tabs ( of micropur)

[Wise Old Owl]

It never occurred to me that someone would think I use vinegar to sterilize the water. I simply add it to kill the sulfur and tannin taste. I have used chlorine but Aquamira is what I usually carry. Sorry about the confusion.

honest how does anyone reply to that,, You are clearly risking your life! how can we help you?

[Sarcasm the elf]

. I read something a few months ago that so experts think that most people that get sick in the woods don't get sick from the water, but from their own unsanitary hands after going to the bathroom. I think that's probably the case.

I think that most of us would wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Te best way to treat your water is to wash your hands.


That being said, the trails are so crowded now, and I find so much human and dog excrement close to the trails, that I'm not confident that people/pets aren't defecating near the water supplies. So if I don't boil it, I treat it. I'm less worried about the beavers.

I do agree with this as well. One of my favorite examples is a pristine looking stream I know of in the Berkshires that is a marked water source on the A.T. maps, it is one of the more beautiful sources i've seen and normally if I came across a source like it I wouldn't bother treating...unfortunately I am also aware that a few hundred yards upstream the A.T. Crossing the creek originates at a shallow lake owned by a summer camp, complete with a swim area, canoe, kayaks and ski boats. It's always a good idea to be cautious when dealing with water sources in an area that is a densely populated as much of the Appalachian trail.

[Theosus]

If you've never been to the beach you haven't had awful tasting water... I drank stream water treated with aqua mira and it wasnt bad at all.

[Hot Flash]

I've used both. I love Aquamira liguid. The only downside is that you have to let the two solutions sit together for 5 minutes to activate before putting it into the water. So, if you are doing 2 liters, then you are sitting there 10 minutes. Not a big thing, but there's no getting around it.



:confused::confused::confused::confused:

Uh, yeah there is an easy way around it. Just carry one of those little plastic covers that come on small disposable water bottles. They are flat bottomed, clear, and weigh almost nothing. If you don't want to do that, then just mix the solution in the lids of your liter bottles.

[Violent Green]

I have lots of experience with chlorine dioxide, specifically Micropur tablets. They take forever to work(as does AM) and the taste is only mediocre. It's not even that light when you think how long you are having to carry water before you can drink it. Sawyer Squeeze(and now the Mini) for me.

Ryan