Whether you are going for a short or long hike, it is always necessary to have some sort of water purification gear to help you if anything goes wrong.
We did a lot of digging to try to find the Best water purification tablets for hiking, since the job of a purification tablet is killing all microorganisms.
There are lots of water purification tablets to choose from on the market, We looked at Functionality, pricing and flavor to bring to you our top picks of today.
- Potable Aqua with PA+
- Katadyn Micropur MP1.
- Potable Aqua Water Purification Treatment.
- Aquatabs Tablets.
- Aquamira Tablets.
Potable Aqua with PA+
Utilized worldwide by campers, climbers, militaries, crisis associations, and any other person who needs to drink water of faulty quality.
The best thing about this tablets is they don’t affect the taste of water like other product as they leave a chemical aftertaste to it.
The reason we picked this over the katadyn is the time it takes to make the water ready is too long for a hiker, if you don’t mind waiting 4 hours for your water, get the katadyn tablets instead.
Features:
- Can Treats up to 25 Liters.
- Drinkable water after 35 min.
- Improve the taste and clarity of the drink.
- Used worldwide.
Katadyn Micropur MP1
Made with chlorine dioxide, these tablets don’t leave a chemical aftertaste as most iodine and chlorine-based tablets do.
Since these tablets are stronger than some, they may take longer than other tablets to purify water.
Also has a 5 year shelf life so no need to worry about it getting expired in time soon.
Features:
- Effective against all microorganisms.
- No unpleasant taste.
- Meets EPA microbiological water purifier test standards.
Potable Aqua Water Purification Treatment
These iodine-based tablets are enlisted by the Environmental Protection Agency and are utilized by militaries and crisis associations around the world.
Its effectiveness against Giardia, the Potable Aqua Iodine tablets are utilized by campers, hikers, compassionate associations, and the individuals who travel to places where water is sketchy.
Features:
- Only 35 minute ready time.
- Unaffected by cold.
- 4 year shelf-life.
- Not effective against Cryptosporidium.
Aquatabs Tablets
Aquatabs are bubbly tablets which eradicate small scale life forms in water. This 100 Pack treats up to 200 quarts of water and is suggested for sterilizing crude or pre-treated water.
The wellspring of water to be dealt with might be gathered downpour, streams, lakes, wells, storages or comparative sources.
These came as 10 columns of 5 tablets each in a tear-open bundling. Every Tablet decontaminates about 0.75 liters of water in 30 minutes.
I split these up between crisis packs so having them in littler divisions of lines was helpful.
Features:
- Trusted for more than 20 years for use in crisis circumstances.
- More than 3 billion gallons of water treated yearly.
- Quick acting. Water is prepared to drink 30 minutes in the wake of blending.
- No chemical aftertaste.
Katadyn Micropur
These tablets, which contain military-grade chlorine dioxide work to refine your water by delivering an incredible germicidal specialist that eliminates microbes, Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
Every tablet of Aquamira water decontamination tablet is exclusively bundled, so there is no requirement for you to conveytake the entire box when you go for your hike.
This brand takes 4 hours to completely work, contrasted with different brands that take lesser time; as low as 30 minutes.
Features:
- Reusable storage pouch.
- Ultralight and compact 30 pack.
- EPA Registered.
- Long shelf life.
What to look for when choosing a water purification tablet
1) Time to purify:
The last you want to happen to you when thirty and on a long hike is having to wait for another 4 hours for drinkable water. likewise, if you are someone who can schedule himself properly and won’t forget.
It is better for you to take more time consuming tablets as it helps clear cryptosporidium which is one of the most common parasite in north america.
weight and usage:
weight is crucial considering you will be carrying it for the whole trail, therefor it is a wise move to try and minimize as much as possible on things that are less effective in terms of size / the amount of water purified.
Usage is also equally important since you are in the wild, Having difficulties to to use your only resource of water purification even though it is rarely the case, can become a life or death situation.
Flavor and Smell:
You have to ask yourself how much of a chemical taste can you tolerate when drinking water.
If you are against the chemical taste than the portable aqua is a perfect match for you.
If on the other hand like the taste of it so that you can be sure everything in the water has been evaporated by the tablets than Aquamira Water Purifier Tablets is the choice you are looking for.
The power of the tablets against micro-organisms:
Every tablet in the list above can and will kill all viruses and bacterial live in your water, But not all of them can clean up the left over cryptosporidium.
Now the problem is all the ones that kill cryptosporidium will have a long duration time to purify the water, So that is is something you will have to think about while doing your shopping.
Conclusion: (Best water purification tablets for hiking)
For you to make a smart decision in buying the best water purification tablet for you, You have to analyse what is your needs and what is the purpose of it.
is it an emergency use when you have no more water and want some water right away.
Or maybe you are saving it for like a last night solution which in that case are not in a hurry to have it immediately.
As always, We hope you enjoyed our effort in bringing to you our best of knowledge in this topic about the best water purification tablets for hiking.
if you have anything you want to add or any question you want to pose make sure to post it down below.
