Dingman Falls, Poconos, Pa.
While backpacking is a wonderful way to appreciate nature and enjoy the outdoors, it does have its obstacles. The longer the hike, the more water you need to drink. Drinking contaminated water from rivers and streams can make you sick. Having to carry a sufficient amount of bottled water, or bulky filters, can be cumbersome. If you follow some water-purifying techniques, you can safely drink from a natural water source without having the burden of carrying heavy bottles of water.
Instructions
1. The easiest way to purify water while hiking is with iodine tablets. They are effective and easy to carry. You can add one for every quart of water.
2. Look for a running water source. Water that is still is more likely to have bacteria and debris. If there is visible debris in the water, you can filter it by using a piece of cloth.
3. After you have collected the water, filtered it and added the iodine tablets, you should wait about 30 minutes before drinking it.
4. The iodine tablets usually make the water taste very unappealing. In this case, you can add powdered drink mix to camouflage the taste.
5. Be sure to repeat this process each time you need to harvest your drinking water from an outside source.
Tags: iodine tablets, water from, water source