If you have watched the advancements in water purification systems over the last couple of years, you know that there have been some great new steps in portable filter technology! Ever since Vestergaard Frandsen introduced the LifeStraw in 2005, it seems that there have been leaps and bounds made in the field of portable water filters.
But can they be trusted? Are commercial camping and survival water purifiers safe for you and your family?
Short answer: They can be, but know what you are buying!
Most portable water purifiers that are available to consumers measure their filtering abilities by how many microns their devices filter to. So if a purifier says that it has a 2.0 micron filter, it means that the filter will stop anything larger than 2 microns across, but anything smaller will slip through the filter.
A micron is one millionth of a meter, or about one 25,400th of an inch. For an idea of how small a micron really is, the period at the end of this sentence is between 60 and 65 microns across. That’s pretty small!
Bacteria, however, is even smaller, ranging from as large as 10 microns to as small as 0.1 microns.
So when looking to purchase a portable water purifier, look for as small a micron filter as possible! Many cheaper models have filters rated for 2 and 3 microns, where some top of the line filters are have filters as tight as 0.2 microns.
When the health of you and your family is involved, be careful not to compromise on safety for the sake of price. Look for only trusted names in portable water filters, like Katadyn and MSR. Some models even have a 2 filter system, so that the largest particles are absorbed in the first filter, extending the life of the main filter.
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