How to Safely Purify Water While Camping
When camping, you naturally want to be as self-reliant as possible. Being able to access a safe source of drinking water is a basic essential. Whether you collect water from streams or lakes during your camping trips, it’s essential that you purify the water before consuming it. On the bright side, purifying water is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. Here, we will outline the different techniques you can use to purify the water during your camping trips while ensuring you and your family remain healthy.
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Why You Should Purify Water During Camping Trips?
The water that you find in nature, like streams and lakes, contains a variety of microorganisms. This includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, which can make you sick if ingested. For this reason, you need to make sure that you purify the water before consuming it.
The presence of these substances makes it necessary to purify the water not only while camping, but also in any situation where you might find that the quality of the water source is uncertain.
Now that we’ve established why it’s important to purify your water during camping trips, let’s look at the different methods you can use to purify water.
Boiling Water
Boiling is one of the most common and efficient methods of purifying water during camping trips. This method works by killing both bacteria and viruses present in the water. To ensure that the water is properly purified, you must heat it for at least one minute while bringing it to a rolling boil. Boiling also eliminates most other harmful pathogens like protozoa and cysts.
Once you have boiled the water, allow it to cool and store it in a clean and covered container before consuming it. Be sure to keep the container away from sources of contamination, such as the ground or nearby animals.
Filtration
Water filtration is a popular method used by many campers who need to purify water without having to boil it. This process works by removing many of the microorganisms present in the water. Filters come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but lower-end models are usually capable of removing cysts, bacteria, and sediment. High-end filters can also remove viruses.
Do note, however, that filters require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Filters must be thoroughly washed and stored when wet to give them a longer lifespan. Using a filter is a great way to save time if you’re not keen on boiling water during your camping trips.
Chemicals
Using chemicals (such as chlorine, iodine, and bleach) are also popular methods for purifying water during camping trips. This is ideal for campers who don’t have access to a heat source or filter. Note, however, that not all chemicals are effective against all microorganisms. To ensure that your water is safe to consume, always refer to the chemical’s usage instructions before using it.
Typically, you’ll need to wait a certain amount of time after adding the chemical in order for it to remain effective against the microorganisms in the water. Using chemical tablets or solutions to purify water is an effective and inexpensive way to ensure that your water is safe to consume.
Conclusion
Having access to clean drinking water during a camping trip is absolutely essential for you and your family’s health. While there’s certainly no shortage of methods you can use to purify water, always use a combination of different techniques to make sure that the water is safe to consume. Boiling, filtering, and using chemicals are all great methods that are effective and easy to use.
In the end, when it comes to purifying water, the most important thing is to make sure that you do it well. As an experienced camper, father of three kids, and content writer, I can assure you that water purity is something that must be taken very seriously. Therefore, the next time you’re on a camping trip, be sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure that you have safe drinking water.