Discover How You Can Drink Water From a Stream Safely

Discover How You Can Drink Water From a Stream Safely
With a Camping Water Filter by Stephanie Patrick

parachute. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) contaminated drinking
water is responsible for 80% of the diseases that travelers get.

Water contains 3 groups of bad things.

1. Bacteria: like Salmonella, Cholera, and Ecoli.

2. Viruses: like Hepatitis, Norwalk, Rotovirus and Poliovirus.

3. Protozoans: like Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

You've probably heard of Salmonella, and Ecoli. The Norwalk virus is what many
people call the stomach flu. Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Giardiasis is an infection of
the small intestine caused by this little microsopic protozoan Giardia
lamblia.Cryptosporidiosis, we just call it crypto, is a disease caused by
Cryptosporidium, another protozoan that you get by drinking contaminated water,
among other sources. You acquire these by drinking water from lakes or streams
where animals like beavers or muscrats or any other animals happen to spend time
in the water and contaminate it. Even agricultural products such as DDT have been
found in mountain lakes.

Any water can be transformed into safe drinking water. And it also depends on if the
water is clear of if it is cloudy, muddy, dirty etc. There are 3 ways to reduce the risk
of drinking contaminated water. The best way is to boil your water. It will kill
everything. The down side is that it takes some time to boil, it takes fuel, it takes a
pot or container to boil the water in, and then it takes time again for the water to
cool. And the higher the elevation the longer you have to boil it. The other ways are
to use a camping water filter or a water purifier.

Purifiers use chemicals to treat the water and kill the bacteria and viruses. Those
could be chlorine, chlorine dioxide, iodine, silver or UV treatment. These should be
used in clear water. Chlorine is the most widely used. Iodine is similar to chlorine but
it tastes terrible and if you only use that while camping or hiking for an extended time
it can build up in your system and cause hyperthyroidism. You can use a filter of
activated charcoal to get rid of the iodine after it's done it's job. Silver works slowly
but is great for storing water as it prevents germ growth.

Filters will remove bacteria and protozoans. Protozoans are big, 1-15 microns but
bacteria can be much smaller. To be safe I would use a filter with a pore size of.2
microns. You could get by with a pore size of .3 or .4....but why take the chance.
With filters you will have to clean them out and replace the cartridges.

Whether you are going on a vacation, especially out of the country, camping or a
short hike, it only makes sense to make sure you are drinking safe water. The fact is
that drinking contaminated water can make you sick. Paradise can turn into a
nightmare.

About The Author

Stephanie Patrick

I love camping and hiking and you really need the right gear to protect yourself and
your family. I advise everybody that one of the most important pieces you need is a
. Learn more about the different types and brands at

Did you know that you can drink
water from a stream or river and not
get sick? It's true. You can also fall
20,000 ft from an airplane, without a
parachute, and live. Alan Magee did
just that when he was blown out of
his B-17 on a mission over France in
1943. What are the odds? They are
way too high for me to roll the dice
and take a chance. And I certainly
wouldn't tell anyone I care for to go
ahead and drink that water from the
stream or river without using some
type of camping water filter any more
than I would tell them to jump out of
a plane at 20,000 feet without a

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.