Water treatment
Boiling times, filters versus purifiers, chemical disinfection, cloudy water and UV treatment, following CDC guidance with the limits stated plainly.
Every treatment addresses some germs and not others, and none of them makes chemically contaminated water usable. These guides follow CDC backcountry guidance on boiling, filtering, chemical disinfection, UV and cloudy water.
- 015 min read
How long to boil water: the 1-minute and 3-minute rule explained
How long to boil water to kill germs: 1 minute at a rolling boil, or 3 minutes above 6,500 ft (1,981 m), with altitude, cooling and the limits.
- 025 min read
Water filters and purifiers: what a pore size removes, and what it misses
Water filter vs purifier explained: which absolute pore sizes and NSF certifications remove parasites, bacteria and viruses, and what to check on a label.
- 035 min read
Chemical water treatment: what each disinfectant kills, and what it misses
Chemical water treatment compared: what bleach, iodine and chlorine dioxide kill, what they miss, EPA bleach figures and the iodine cautions.
- 045 min read
Cloudy water: let it settle or filter it before any treatment step
How to treat cloudy water when camping: settle or strain it through clean cloth, draw off the clear water, then boil or disinfect. Why cloudiness matters.
- 055 min read
UV water treatment: what a portable UV device can and cannot do
UV water purifier explained: what portable UV devices kill, why cloudy water and battery power matter, and what UV leaves in the water.