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-...hread_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-...hread_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-...hread_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/show...t=#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.