Water Purification

Water purification can help keep you from swallowing harmful organisms and contracting a water-borne illness. We must all stay hydrated, just make sure that what you are drinking doesn't kill you (or make you wish it had). In days of yore, people drank wine because most of the water was unfit to drink. The alcohol in the wine or, grog, was the purifying agent. With today's knowledge of purification, we have a lot more choices.

Make sure your canteen and all other water containers are clean. Don't unthinkingly contaminate your potable water containers. Even a little contaminated water can ruin your entire drinkable supply.

Water purification methods include:

Boiling:

Boiling water (rolling boil) for 15 minutes will rid it of any harmful organisms and bacteria. After boiling, your water may taste flat. Aeration by pouring it back and forth between two containers will make it more palatable, or you could just try stirring it.

Swamp water (or any found water) can be sweetened and purified in one step by dropping a few fragments of charred hardwood from your campfire into the boiling water. After boiling for about fifteen minutes, either let the foreign matter settle, skim it off, or strain it through a clean cloth.
Note: At higher altitudes, water boils at a much cooler temperature, so you will actually need to boil it at least five minutes longer.
The only cost for this method of water purification is time and effort. If you don't have any commercial purifying equipment or chemicals, this may be your only recourse in a survival situation.

Distilling:

Distilling water is an extreme water purification method but may sometimes be necessary to obtain potable water.

Tablets	Katadyn Micropur Water purification tablets provide fresh drinking water anywhere you go. Effective against viruses and bacteria, including giardia and cryptosporidium, Will leave no unpleasant taste Easy to use. $13.95
Chlorine	Aquamira Chlorine Water Treatment Usually comes in 2 parts: "A and "B" which needs to be measured and mixed (can be done in the bottle cap) then added to your water. A one ounce kit is compact enough to fit in a shirt pocket and treats up to 30 gallons. ~~$16.99~~ $12.82

Iodine Drops	Polar Pure Destroys water-borne pathogens, including giardia and microorganisms Treats up to 2,000 quarts of water per bottle Indefinite shelf life if kept tightly sealed Dose is 5 drops (of a 2% iodine solution) per quart of water Bottle cap measures the dose $20.59
Electronic Purifier	SteriPen Handheld Purifier Destroys 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa, including giardia and will not alter taste, PH, or other properties of water. Takes only 48 seconds for a glass or water. By far, the fastest way to purify your water. ~~$99.85~~ $89.95

Filtering is another option. An Aquamira Frontier Emergency Water Filter will filter approximately 20 gallons of water and can be carried in a shirt pocket. With this filter, you can drink directly from a pond, puddle, or stream.

Most water purification treatments only require 30 minutes on average to work, however, some of them may require 3-4 hours. Very cold water (less than 40 degrees F) should be allowed to sit for at least two hours, or be treated with a double dose. Be sure to closely follow any instructions on the product you choose and remember that all chemical treatments only kill living organisms. Water purification is a serious issue.