Why Should You Carry a Water Filter on Camping?
So, you are excited to go on your another camping trip with friends, under open blue skies, breathing in fresh, fragrant air, escaping from the busy city life and to play on the lap of nature! However, have you thought about your safety while drinking the outdoor water? Yes, while going through outdoor gear reviews, you should also read reviews of outdoor water filters.
“What?” you may say! “Do I even need to treat water while being in such a pure atmosphere?”
Well, the latest studies have shown that backcountry water sources at high altitudes are most probably cleaner than we imagined once. It may not be required to filter all water you come across. However, it’s not possible to tell if the water is pure or not, just by seeing it. As a rule, if you are at high altitudes, where there are no pack animals, cattle grazing and much of human traffic, you won’t need to filter water. However, while traveling along a trail with a heavy traffic, it is better to filter water than to take a risk.
What are the Risks?
Here are some water-borne microorganisms that can give you some serious stomach problems.
Viruses: The commonest examples of viruses are rotavirus and Hepatitis A. Viruses are not considered to be a major concern while traveling and hiking in the United States and Canada. However, in some other countries, they are a big threat. They are truly microscopic and so are not filtered out with many filters.
Bacteria: The most notorious diseases caused by this group are Dysentery, Campylobacteriosis, E. coli and many more. Fortunately, being much larger than viruses, they are the easiest organisms to filter out.
Protozoa: The group of protozoa is notorious to spread the commonest water-borne diseases, viz. Cryptosporidiosis (caused by Cryptosporidium) and Giardiasis (caused by Giardia). Protozoa are unicellular parasites that cause severe intestinal discomfort, the symptoms of which appear from two days to two weeks. These pathogens are capable of living in cold water for weeks and even months. Cryptosporidium is protected with a hard outer layer because of which it can escape several types of water treatment.
Considering these risks, you should better carry a lightweight water filter. A water filter filters out bacteria, cryptosporidium, particulate and many other impurities and improves the taste of water.
Visit GearAssistant.com where you can read comprehensive reviews of water filters and many other camping tools. Before buying any camping gear, don’t forget to visit this site.