MSR Water Purification
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MSR Women's Lightning Ascent Snowshoes Raspberry 22"
Three tips before buying a water filter
A tablet or a certain amount of powder is intended for a certain number of litres of water, which makes it easy to treat just the amount you need.
The UK has among the best quality of tap water in the world, yet this will be a good alternative to have in your survival kit at home for emergencies, if your normal water supply is interrupted or contaminated.
One disadvantage of tablets is that you usually have to wait a certain time before you can drink the water. Nor do they eliminate any parasites from the water. On the other hand, tablets are ideal when you’re unable to carry as much water as you need, to clean the exact amount you use.
Filters are suitable if you’re hiking and need to top up your water supply as and when you can. The water is filtered either by pumping it through the filter or by letting gravity do the work for you. There are smaller bottles with built-in filters that make it easy if you prefer not to carry too much weight.
The advantage of water purification filters over tablets is that they also filter out parasites. Filters are also available in the form of straws that allow you to drink directly from the source.
UV pens emit strong ultraviolet light, which purifies the water of virtually all bacteria and microorganisms. The advantage of an UV pen is that not only does it not take up a lot of space, but it can also clean a certain number of litres on a single charge. Half a litre of water only takes a minute or two to clean, and is a good and easily accessible option – as long as you get the chance to recharge the pen from time to time.