In Terms of Backcountry Water Treatment, When is Water Considered Safe to Drink?

Brown, silty streams, tea-colored rivulets, even clear, ice-cold lakes—any backcountry water source can serve up a cocktail of contaminants. But not everything that’s present in an undeveloped water source is necessarily harmful, and only some things pose an immediate threat to your health. In fact, it’s impractical and unnecessary to remove everything, all the time. So in terms of backcountry water treatment, when is water considered safe to drink? First, what’s commonly in backcountry water? The types of contaminants that make water “dirty” depend a lot on that source’s surrounding environment. But most contaminants can be placed into these categories: Microorganisms- Simply put: tiny bugs or germs. Microbes are the primary focus of treatment devices because of their immediate and potentially serious risk to your health. The pathogenic ones include…

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Behind the Guardian Purifier’s Technology & Design

MSR engineers designed the Guardian purifier to be the safest and easiest way to purify water virtually anywhere on earth. Achieving such a high degree of performance required advancements in technologies and a great deal of engineering ingenuity. After six years of R&D, with expertise provided by our in-house water research lab, the result became the world’s most advanced backcountry water treatment device. The Guardian purifier is able to transform even very challenging water sources into reliable, microbiologically safe drinking water. Here’s a look at the features and technologies built into this device. Ultimate Protection Made Simple As a water purifier, the Guardian offers greater protection than a microfilter, removing not just waterborne bacteria and protozoa, but the tiniest class of waterborne pathogens: viruses. Traditionally, eliminating the threat of viruses meant…

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Boiling Snow & Filtering Water in the Alpine

A successful adventure in the alpine requires many working parts. Number one is most certainly stoke! However, there are other aspects that are just as important. When planning a trip that takes you into a remote mountain environment and away from civilization, it is important to know how to take care of yourself in the event something does not go as planned. Familiarity with the 10 Essentials is critical, and of those 10, understanding how to find and prepare safe drinking water is of utmost importance. It’s not just about finding a water source (from ice or a stream)—knowing the steps to follow to prepare water efficiently and effectively is essential. There are important aspects to consider, such as your environment, specific equipment to use and the overall preparation for…

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MSR’s Complete Guide to the Basics of Water Treatment

What kind of water treatment do I need? It’s a simple question, but there is no easy answer. Water treatment is far from a black and white subject; differing threats, varying standards and lack of information can make it a challenge to determine which threats you will encounter. To compound the matter, the various water treatment systems available can be difficult to understand; microfilters, chemicals, UV light treatments and purifiers offer different advantages. We developed this series of articles to help you make an informed decision. Each overview links to a deeper story on the subject. The information presented here is founded in peer-reviewed science and communicated by the experts at the Mountain Safety Research water research lab. What does MSR know about water treatment? MSR first approached backcountry water…

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Water Treatment 101: Cryptosporidium

Research backcountry water treatment and you’re sure to be warned about cryptosporidium or “crypto.” And for good reason. This microscopic protozoan parasite is one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in humans in the United States. Like the parasite giardia, crypto is found in water sources worldwide, and affects individuals differently. Fortunately, the disease it causes is rarely life-threatening in healthy adults. In fact, some 80% of the U.S. population has had cryptosporidiosis at some time, according to the FDA. Still, its symptoms are nasty enough that you’ll want to take strides to avoid it on your next backpacking trip.

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