This week I am joined by Kevin Reiter from The Wilderness Safety Institute to talk about water safety and filtration for preppers. Kevin has been on a couple times in the past talking about trauma kits, gear and other medical information.

Water safety and filtration is something that can seem fairly complicated at first, but the truth is, it’s pretty simple. With so many different filters out there, all claiming to be “the best”, it’s hard to figure out which filter will fit your needs.

Our goal with this podcast is to clear away the clouds, and help you make a more informed decision about which water filter you need. As Kevin stated in this article, “All Water Filters are not Created Equal”. 

SPP239 Water Safety & Filtration for Preppers

In this weeks show notes I am going to list the bullet points of what Kevin and I discussed, But I also have a couple detailed articles I have written that I will link to. With this podcast, and those 2 articles, you will know everything you need to know about Water filtration, or at least a better understanding of the process.

Here is the list of topics we covered in the show, and below them are the 2 articles you can read for more detailed information.

The Basics: We went over the very basics of how water filtering works, and the process of building a field expedient water filter.

Boiling: Boiling water is the only sure way to kill harmful microorganisms and can be done in conjunction with filtering. Filtering should be done before boiling.

Water Filter Media: We discussed the different types of water filter media and how they work. Water filter media is what removes the harmful bacteria. Hollow fiber and carbon are filter media.

What is a Micron: In order to figure out what water filter you need, you need to know how they are measured. Microorganisms are so small they need to be measured in microns.

Protozoa and Bacteria: After we talked about what  micron is, we went over how big some of these microorganisms like Giardia and Cryptosporidium are.

Viruses and Chemicals: Some filters will not remove viruses and chemicals, and some will. It’s also important to note that some chemicals cannot be removed by boiling or filtering.

Water Purification Tablets: When it comes to using tablets or drops for water treatment, we need to make sure we are using the correct type. This chart shows the difference between Chlorine, Iodine and Chlorine Dioxide.

In the show Kevin mentioned that the Katadyn Micropur are the best option, followed by chlorine dioxide tablets.

Popular Water Filters

In the show we went over some pros and cons of some of the most popular water filters for preppers. Here are some of the specs from Amazon, but make sure and listen to get more detail about these.

Sawyer Mini

* 0.1 Micron absolute hollow fiber membrane filter

* Attaches to included drinking pouch, standard disposable water bottles, hydration packs, or use the straw to drink directly from your water source

* Removes 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera, and E.coli; removes 99.9999% of all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium

* Filter rated up to 100,000 gallons; includes 16-ounce reusable squeeze pouch, 7-inch drinking straw, and cleaning plunger

[Have a look on Amazon]

The LifeStraw

* Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria