First things first, where are you planning to travel? There are portable filters for practically any condition that you might come up against.
For example, if you are a hiker, drinking water straight from a spring or stream is unsafe. Ask any nurse working in an emergency room near the Appalachian Trail. Hikers come in all the time with a condition known as Giardiasis.
Hikers sometimes just call it giardia, the name of the single-celled parasite that causes the infection. So, if you expect to be in a situation where you will need to drink from a spring or stream, the best portable filters to carry with you will kill or remove giardia.
If you were traveling to Africa or other countries where the water source is particularly unreliable, the best portable water filters to choose will effectively eliminate water-borne diseases such as cholera. There are some excellent portable water filters on the market that are credited with reducing cases of potentially fatal diarrhea in Zimbabwe. Caused by drinking water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and cysts, the condition is a common problem in Africa.
Let's face it. Most of us are not planning to take a missionary position and vacationing in a third world country is not particularly popular. But, all of us have to go to work, school, on vacation or somewhere with unfiltered tap water. While drinking it probably won't make us deathly ill, it could endanger our future health and it just doesn't taste good.
So, the best portable filters for the majority of people usually fall under the heading of sport bottle filters or water filter bottles. Different companies rearrange the words, but they all work similarly.
Typically, you will find plastic bottles shaped like any other sports bottle, but with a specially designed lid or spout that holds a filter. Some of these portable filters block only odor and chlorine. Others can remove giardia.
A few of the best portable water filters block lead, which is particularly important if you work or live in some of the major cities around the country. Recent reports have determined that the tap water in a large number of city structures is contaminated with lead, because of deteriorating pipes that carry water into the buildings. In other words, don't drink from the water fountain.
Make no mistake about it, portable water filters are a good alternative to buying bottled water. Not only will it save you money, but the quality and taste of the water will likely be better, particularly if you choose the best portable water filters. Plus, you'll be doing your part to help protect the environment from those ever growing piles of plastic bottles.
The possible sources that may come to our minds while at traveling are the rainwater, snow, surface water in streams and lakes. But those sources also are not free from the risk of being contaminated with the germs, virus, and bacteria. That can cause infections to us, if we drink water taken there from without any purification, because we never know sometimes the contamination is such rapid that they can come out to be dangerous to our bodies, too.
So, you are resorting to any means that you think the best way of providing you fresh water. There can be of several ways by which you could easily have the healthy drops.
Boiling water
It is the first accessible option of purifying water. Boiling is obviously an effective way to disinfect water from bacteria. But this method too has certain loopholes. Boiling is costly and time consuming way of purification. And for those who are very concerned about the insipid characteristic of water, boiling can not prove to be effective.
Chlorine or Iodine tablets
Using chlorine or iodine tablets in the water is the cheap and convenient way of purification. Unlike iodine, chlorine cannot kill the viruses. Yet it can be useful in cases where there is no way out to purify water by any other method. You only need just one tablet for a liter of water. In case of the cold water you might have to wait long to drink it or else you can increase the quantity. After using the chlorine or the iodine tablets you can neutralize the aftertaste by a special tablet.
Chlorine or iodine is always termed to be useful to the travelers who treat water for short treks. But it is recommendable to avoid using iodine for a longer period of time as it could be venomous also.
Bottle Purification
Another efficient way of purification is through a bottle purifier that looks like drinking bottle. It is convenient for a long time. Its carbon element design removes the chemicals. But it can be expensive in comparison to the other water purification methods.
Micro filter
It seems just like the bottle purifier. The virus that can not be prevented through the bottle purifier can easily be averted by a micro filter. It is made of a breakable ceramic element which makes it heavier and bulkier than the bottle purifier.
Both Laurel Tevolitz & Jason Uvios are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Laurel Tevolitz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Water Filters, Health. Laurel Tevolitz is a dedicated researcher of critical issues that affect health and well-being. Visit her water purification blog now at