PUR Voyager Water Purifier

I have been out of the backpacking scene for a while because of back problems and in my quest for reducing my pack weight, I have decided to use my old Pur Voyager Water purifier,which, by the way,hasn't seen much use.I was going over some reader reviews and someone had mentioned that their was a recall on the carbon filled stop top that comes with the unit,well,did come anyhow.I understand that Pur was bought out.To that reviewer's words,it appears that it affected the virus control issue and Pur had suggested to them,not to use the stop top.Can anyone enlighten me on this subject? I hike mostly Ohio and Pa. Do I have to be causious of virus in our waters? I believe that their are other,lighter water filtering systems out there to help reduce weight but they are all new to me and which is the best and most used ,I don't know.

I recently purchased a Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter that I like a lot.

Verrrrry light weight, compact and easy to dissasemble to clean filter and lube o-rings.

Comes with several attachments to fit various makes of water bottles.

You might want to consider the Steripen Adventurer. It is a battery-operated UV source that sterilizes by the effect of UV radiation on the DNA of disease organisms. It is quick and effective against protozoa (Giardia/Cryptosporidium), bacteria (typhoid) and virus (hepatitis). They have been thoroughly tested by several university labs and have been found to be as effective as the manufacturer claims them to be. The Adventurer I have weighs 3.8 oz with batteries. The only limitation is that they are much less effective in murky, silty water. I carry one of these, a set of backup batteries, a coffee filter and ten to twenty backup Micropur tablets for a total weight of about 5 oz. The Steripen will treat a liter of water in about 1 1/2 minutes. Costs about $120 but in my opinion it is worth it.

Pur was bought a couple years ago by Katadyn. Several of the Katadyn filters and other products are actually Pur with a new label.

Over the years, I have acquired various filters, plus various chemicals (iodine, chlorine in several forms), and a Miox. The Miox is basically an in-the-field chlorine generator. The limitation of the non-filter approaches is, as Pika notes, turbidity. Chemicals (iodine, chlorine) and the Steri-pen will not remove silt, sand, and other sources of turbidity. However, settling overnight and a coffee filter (which Pika includes in his list) will remove a lot. Actually, if you want the filter to last a while without clogging, settling overnight plus something like the coffee filter and an in-line pre-filter are vital. The chemical and UV approach (i.e., the Steri-pen) will kill the various organisms (protozoa, bacteria, viruses), as will heating the water to at least 155F. Filters will remove the silt and most other turbidity sources, along with protozoa and bacteria. Some filters will remove most viruses. Heating the water won't remove the silt (even boiling for 10 minutes as used to be prescribed before it was found that it is only necessary to heat the water to 155F to kill the organisms).

None of these will remove chemical contaminants, such as mine runoff, which you have in some of the coal-mining areas there in Pennzylvania. It's worse in some areas here in California with the abandoned mercury mines, in areas with metal mines (including the heap-leaching that uses cyanide to extract gold and silver from the ores), and in areas with a lot of agricultural runoff (pesticides and fertilizers). When I lived in Mississippi, we found that the drinking water in some of the major cities (notably Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and to some extent Jackson MS where we lived) had enough agricultural runoff that chlorination produced various highly carcinogenic compounds in the tap water.

No system is perfect, and some have side effects that are problematic. For example, some people get a reaction to use of iodine after a month or so of constant use, and most people dislike the taste of chemically treated water - iodine or chlorine. Chemical treatment and the Steri-pen require a certain amount of time to be effective (in some cases such as cold water up to an hour for chemicals). Pumping is faster, but a lot of work, and the pumps clog. Boiling takes fuel. So take your choice. I personally use pre-filtering and settling, followed by filters and sometimes chemicals. But sometimes I drink straight from the stream. And I even drink straight from the tap in foreign lands, with no "traveler's disease" (I also eat from the little stands in Mexico with no problems - titanium innards, I guess). But remember, I used to never react to poison oak, and now get massive reactions. So never say never, just "not yet"!

Thank you friends for takeing me to school on this subject.I have learned a lot and it is most interesting.I appriciate the time you spent answering to my questions.I will call an outfitter store where I plan to hike in Pa. here in the next month or so and see how they treat their water sources. Better safe then sorry.I got in big trouble a few times back in the early 60's from drinking untreated water while humping the boonies of Vietnam.The one time sent me straight to the hospital with hepititis and malaria.That was during my second tour of duty there and I was ready to head home anyhow.That's why I want to be sure about what I am doing cause that sure wasn't any fun.Two months in an Army hospital and couldn't even kiss any girls.
Thanks again. I really enjoy your site.Happy trails !