How to Purify Water

How to Purify Water While Camping

Every outdoor adventure requires plenty of hydration. But before you scoop that crystal-clear backcountry water into your hands and thirstily pour it down your throat, keep in mind even the most tempting of waters can contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium. These can cause serious illness, including but not limited to vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, the last thing you want when camping is to run out of clean drinking water. Luckily, there are ways to purify water while camping.

So before you trust that spigot, lake, river, or spring, let’s discuss how to purify water while camping:

Boil Water

One of the easiest, most effective ways of purifying water is to boil it. When you boil water, you eliminate any harmful bacteria, viruses and protozoa that could be lurking in it. Make sure the water is on a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before taking it off the heat and drinking it.

Not everyone prefers this method though because of the time and fuel it takes to bring the water to a boil. Plus, if you’re camping in the summer, a hot cup of water won’t exactly cool you off. You will need to wait for the water to cool before drinking.

Filters

At first glance, purchasing a water filter may seem even simpler than boiling water. And in many cases, they are. Generally, they’re easy to find and easy to use. Filters remove contaminants, and you can purchase a compact one to save space in your backpack. There are even strawsthat act as filters so you can drink directly from the water! 

Although there are plenty of cheap water filters, we recommend spending a bit more on a quality filter, with a good flow rate and pore-size efficiency. Anything up to 1 micron will strain out protozoa, but to remove bacteria, the pore-size efficiency can be no greater than 0.4. 

Make sure to thoroughly follow your filter’s care instructions, to extend its lifecycle and avoid contaminating your water.

One of the drawbacks to filters that make them more complicated though is that the filter alone does not kill viruses. Some have their own iodine systems, whereas others require you to purchase your own chemical or iodine tablets.

Chemical Tablets

Chlorine or iodine purification tablets are an effective way to kill viruses. Make sure to buy your tablets from a reliable source and follow your tablets’ instructions properly. 

It’s best to use chemical tablets in combination with a filter because the chemicals on their own do not remove protozoa. You may also want to add ascorbic acid after filtering and letting the tablets sit for 30-60 minutes to improve the taste of the water (iodine gives water what many would consider an unpleasant flavor).

You may prefer other methods over using chemical tablets though if iodine poses a health risk to you (if you have an allergy to iodine, an immunodeficiency, thyroid disease, etc.). 

Purifying Your Water is Easy

No matter what method you use, purifying your water while camping is easier than ever. Do your research and find a brand that you can trust. Odds are, you’ll find one with the perfect water purifying system for you and your needs.

For more tips and tricks on all things camping, check out Campbase’s other blogs here.