I’m going camping where there is Leptospirosis ( among other things) in the water. Is there a small light weight water purifier that will make the stream water safe?
This Sawyer filter is pretty nice, and is supposed to handle 99.9999% of all bacteria and protozoa. You can drink right out of it, or squeeze into a pouch. Plus it’s only 10 oz. (Manufacturer page.)
I bought and used a SteriPen for a backpacking trip this summer. Getting the UV bulb started took several tries most times I used it, but it was still faster and easier than any filter.
Make sure you read the instructions and use Lithium AA batteries.
I’ve used this one for years. It’s never failed me even in the worst conditions. It screws right to the top of a nalgene bottle.
I use a Sawyer Squeeze. Weighs 3 ounces and will screw onto the top of most any standard soda or water bottle so you can drink straight from the bottle. Filters about a liter per minute. Removes all the crud typically found in water in North America. Will filter a million gallons, so it’s pretty much a once in a lifetime buy.
A few drops of chlorine bleach in the water will be effective. Or Iodine drops.
Considering that site apparently lists leptospirosis in the viruses category, I see a problem already. (It’s caused by bacteria.)
It’s also out of date, claiming that 0.2 microns is the best of the best available. Sawyer’s PointONE is named as such because it uses a 0.1 micron filter.
Be sure to check out filters from Katydyn. Back in 80’s (and before) that was the gold standard, in terms of filtration and durability. It was really more of an expedition filter than a mere camping filter, so might be overpriced for your requirements.
I ended up getting something cheaper, lighter, and smaller, and which worked great for my application (6 month trip with occasional camping). It was particularly great sharing a house on an atoll with 4 other people; every morning and evening I would take a few minutes to filter a gallon or so for our daily supply and it kicked ass (and nobody got sick). But a year later, I’d dropped it and the filter block broke, so it was rendered junk. Fortunately I haven’t needed one since then, so as it turned out I got the right thing.
On the Appalachian trail the leaders are Aqua Mira (chlorine dioxide ) 2 part liquid and Sawyer Squeeze (and the mini version). The Steripen was the leading contender of UV purification and what I used, but a distant 3rd.
All 3 have advantages and disadvantages. There is no one correct answer, but comes down to where you are and preference. In short:
Aqua Mira: Pro’s - the stuff itself weighs very little and is very effective, Con’s You need to wait for it to activate and work (20-35 minutes), chemicals added to water, you may end up carrying more water then you need to (added weight).
Sawyer Squeeze systems - Pro’s: Light weight and removes ‘floaties’, can be used as a straw Con’s must protect from freezing and you can’t tell if freezing damage happens, can clog (you can carry a backwasher (included) to forestall this), simple concept, but is a bit awkward to use, does not filter out all viruses. Other: some people find filtered water taste better, some people find it ‘flattens’ the taste of the water.
Steripen - Pro’s light weight + encourages small quantity of water carrying (weight savings). Con’s difficulty in finding a right sized light weight container that does not leak (this could add weight), Generally the most expensive option, some models require CR 123 batteries, some Lithium AA’s, both hard to find at times, other models are rechargeable and lasted me (1 person) 5 days with still more to go, before needing a recharge (Freedom model). Does not remove floaties. Other, some like the natural taste of unflitered water, other’s don’t.
Other pump filters, main advantage is you can suck out of small water sources from a tube, main disadvantage is weight.