are those water filters really safe?

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It should work, as long as you are in fresh water. Try to find moving water that is sediment-free. There is a finite life span for these filters. Dirty water will clog them faster. Prefiltering water can help with filter longevity. I don't know quite how nasty a bayou is, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

MSR Waterworks filter
The filter above is the one I use. It is more suitable for camping . I like the MSR filters because you can clean the ceramic filter element in the field if it clogs. Katadyne also makes good filters.

The bottle filter you linked to will filter 32.5 gal. The MSR Waterworks will filter "up to 2,000 liters" according to the manufacturer.
 
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The XStream is suitable for limited use, and the suggestion to pre-filter is a good one. Even some cheesecloth or a bandana can be used for the pre-filtering. Also, it is best to use the cleanest water you can find and better to use running water.

All of the mechanical filters work to some degree, some filter smaller than others, and some, like the XStream, utilize iodine to kill virii that are smaller than the filter.

There are non-mechanical water purification units that use UV light to kill the nasties, but I have yet to try them out even though I have one on order. You will also want to pre-filter water for these since they depend upon the clarity of the water to work.
 
As long as you can stand the taste of it (a bit metallic, but never bothered me) Potable Aqua tablets are another alternative.

http://www.potableaqua.com/

One tablet in a one litre drinking water bottle, disolve it, wait 20 minutes, and you have safe drinking water. Used them for years backpacking. Available from just about every outfitter. Cheap and doesn't have anything to clog or wear out.
 
I've never tried one. I use the treatment tablets sold as "Potable Aqua" (same link above) and have used 'em for 20 years or so. They work. At least, I ain't gotten sick from the water and I doubt Texas water is any better than Louisiana water. :D

I have a canteen and carrier for the gun belt. The canteen pouch has a little pouch on it to hold a bottle of the tablets. I have a clean linen rag at the bottom under the canteen for filtering the trash out. Mud is another matter. I try to find clear water to use and usually don't have a big problem. The problem with the tablets is you have to wait 30 minutes (or is it 20, whatever) for it to work and sometimes I'm thirsty! :D They have one of those filter bottles I've been thinking about getting at Academy for 13 bucks, just not sure how well they work, either. One thing I've thought about, I could buy one and use a coffee filter material just to take out the mud and crud and treat it as always with the tablets for the germs. That would save me having to filter out the water with the cloth, which is somewhat of a pain.
 
Those potable aqua tablets work pretty good, and I usually bring a couple coffee filters to strain the gunk out. Fitting it over the canteen mouth with a rubber band before dunking it in a stream or pond works well.
 
Those potable aqua tablets work pretty good, and I usually bring a couple coffee filters to strain the gunk out. Fitting it over the canteen mouth with a rubber band before dunking it in a stream or pond works well.
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Pretty good idea I'm apparently too stupid to figure out on my own...:banghead: ROFL!

Going to the kitchen for coffee filters to put in the canteen pouch...:banghead:
 
Another Potable Aqua user from way back.

Nothing wrong with a filter. I just prefer the tablets for cost, weight, packspace, and simplicity.
 
water???????????? stay away from drinking water. Do you know what fish do in water?
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Boney fishes don't have renal glands, don't pee, and their poop sinks. :D Or is that, stinks, whatever. But, yeah, why drink water if you have beer? Don't make sense to me, either. :D If God had ment us to drink water, why would he have given us beer????

Hey, ALL the water around here has cows up stream. This is the land of cows, ya know.
 
Boiling water the is the best bet.

Treating with Chlorine or iodine and a membrane filter is the second choice.

And to answer your question, those filters are safe. I like the MSR ones.
 
But, yeah, why drink water if you have beer? Don't make sense to me, either. If God had ment us to drink water, why would he have given us beer????
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I agree................this should be in our rule book. God does want us to drink water but ONLY after it has been used in the beer making process.
 
As much as I love beer, here in the desert if you have too much of it without enough water, bad things can happen.

And Bud Light is still better than Lonestar :barf:
 
And Bud Light is still better than Lonestar
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Star ain't bad, but Shiner Bock's in my fridge.

Yeah, you don't wanna drink a LOT of beer in the heat. You don't wanna drink alcohol in the cold. I mean, all this about when I can drink a beer, I just have one when I WANT it, so long as I ain't drivin' or shootin' or something.:D Next thing you know, they're gonna tell me it causes cancer or something. It does cause temporary impotence, in large volume, but medical science has a cure for that, now, too!:D Well, uh, that's what a friend told me, anyway...:eek:
 
Shiner Bock's good stuff. I was raised on Budweiser, and though I like lots of other beers, whenever I'm camping, hunting, or fishing with Dear Old Dad, Bud Light is the standard fare. It aint so bad once you get past the first two ;)
and once the fire dies down you don't care too much.

I'm not saying beer is "bad" for you, though in large quantities it's not the best thing. In the heat you just gotta drink a comparable amount of water.
 
Most water filters do not strain small enough for viruses(most filters only go to 0.2 microns).
In the US its not a big problem, but anyplace you are worried about cholera or typhoid add iodine or chlorine as well as filtering.
 
If there is a chance of any chemical contamination, such as a pool or bayou near habitation, businesses, downstream from a mine operation etc, you would be prudent to use an activated charcoal filter such as the Katadyn of this type, or one with a charcoal and ceramic element.

Prefiltering can be done with coffee drip filters tied around your intake. Various sponge arrangements can be used as well. This will reduce filter cleaning and extend it's life.

-------------------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org
 
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