| One of the hassles of backpacking, hiking, kayaking, | | | | ultra-violet light to purify a liter of water in about a |
| and other activities done in out-of-the-way places has | | | | minute. If you want to eliminate the contaminants |
| always been a lack of safe drinking water. It used to | | | | from unfamiliar water sources and avoid the diarrhea |
| be that it was relatively safe to drink from unfamiliar | | | | problems so many travelers suffer from due to |
| lakes and streams, but this is no longer the case. You | | | | drinking unsafe water, but you don't want to be |
| never know where the water is coming from and | | | | burdened with a larger system or have to be |
| what contaminants might be polluting it. Obviously | | | | constantly buying expensive bottled water, this |
| you aren't going to be able to carry 5 gallons of | | | | system might be exactly what you've been looking |
| bottled drinking water with you so that you have | | | | for. |
| enough to last for the days you're out there, and | | | | Portable water straw systems are also available, and |
| since you can't be confident about local water | | | | nothing could be simpler to use. All you have to do is |
| sources, you need some type of portable water | | | | pop the straw into water and drink. Although it's hard |
| purification system. | | | | to believe that something so simple could be |
| There are a lot of small water purifiers available, | | | | effective, these little devices meet or exceed all EPA |
| many of which are in the form of drink bottles that | | | | standards for eliminating protozoans and bacteria. |
| contain some type of a filter. Although they are small | | | | Although the straws are relatively inexpensive to |
| enough to be easily portable and quite inexpensive, | | | | purchase, some of the models you will find will only |
| these little filtering systems will remove a wide array | | | | purify 26 gallons of water before they need to be |
| of contaminants from any type of fresh water | | | | replaced. Therefore, they are recommended for only |
| source. Although these may look no different than | | | | the most critical use situations. |
| regular water bottles on the outside, you will find | | | | Modern technology has gone a long way in keeping |
| that the way they operate is efficient and | | | | us safe and well, and portable water purification |
| highly-desirable when you're in a situation where you | | | | systems are proving invaluable to outdoorsmen and |
| need safe drinking water. | | | | women, world travelers, and disaster victims. There's |
| Another option that is available for portable water | | | | no reason why everyone can't be prepared for no |
| purification is a Steri-Pen. This unique system is small | | | | matter what happens when it's so easy and |
| enough to carry in your pocket, and is capable of | | | | inexpensive to purchase a device that will assure you |
| eliminating 99.99% of all bacteria and viruses from | | | | of clean drinking water no matter what. |
| any freshwater source. The little device uses | | | | |