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From: ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.rec
Subject: Re: Water Purification
Message-ID: <220@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 08:56:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: ho95e.220
Posted: Wed Oct 16 08:56:26 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 17-Oct-85 23:38:19 EDT
References: <1168@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 41

>For hikers/backpackers/survivalists/outdoors people, what way(s) do
>you prefer purifying your water?
.
.
.
>Of other known methods:
>- filtering (e.g. Katadyn 2 micron filter)
>  Gets most microbes though does nothing about chemical pollutants.

>John Daleske

I use something called the "First Need" water purification device,
made by General Ecology.  From the blurb that came with it,
it has a 0.4 micron filter (small enough to stop giardia),
a matrix of + and - charges to capture charged particles,
and a pharmaceutical grade absorber for chemicals (herbicides, etc.).

The nice thing about using it is that you don't have to wait for
the sterilizing chemical to act.  So far I've had no trouble with
its use (never gotten sick), but then again, I don't know the
condition of the pre-treated water.

The thing has basically two pieces: the processing unit (filter+)
and a pump.  When the filter+ gets full (supposedly at 600-800 pints,
but I haven't gotten that far yet), you can buy a new one
(or backwash the old), but can keep reusing the pump.  The only
(slight) problem is that you seem to need 4 hands to use it,
2 to work the pump, 1 to hold the filter+, and one to hold the
water bottle.  It pumps about a pint a minute, which isn't real
fast (at least not while you're squatting down beside a stream),
but not too bad (and a lot better than some other filters that
use a gravity feed).

All in all, I like it a lot and would (and am doing so,
if you think about it) recommend it.

-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95b!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labs