If you’re planning your list of things you need for your bug out bag, one thing you need to consider is accessibility to clean water. Water can be a serious threat to health and well-being, so it is important to have a reliable water purification process in place when you end up in a survival situation. As an aside, about 80% of travel-related illnesses are caused by contaminated water. And that’s in our functioning modern world.
So, let’s dig in further two methods that you can use with your water to be able to safely consume it and not having to deal with risks caused by contamination.
What is a Water Purification Straw?
Water purification straws clean the water you intend to drink from any water resources by filtering it through numerous membranes of microfilters that eliminate negative substances before the water gets to your mouth. They are easy enough for anybody to use without much technical knowledge, since they actually work like regular drinking straws.
Advantages of Water Purification Straw
- They are effective – they leave absolutely no residue or sediment.
- They filter out parasites, pollutants, sediments and bacterias.
- They greatly improve the taste of the filtered water.
- They can be purchased at affordable prices.
- They are designed to be small and lightweight.
Disadvantages of Water Purification Straw
They are not advisable for long term use – the contaminants will in general hamper their filtration materials after a long term use, along these lines, requiring a change.
They don’t eliminate disintegrated pollutants, including drugs, weighty metals, and chlorine, among others.
Also, they cannot eliminate some kinds of viruses (such as norovirus, rotavirus, etc.) that are generally too small.
What is a Water Purification Tablet?
Water purification tablets usually contain iodine, chlorine or chlorine dioxide. Considering the water consumption of an average adult, these tablets are not a health risk if used by individuals without serious medical conditions.
In any case, water purification tablets may not be appropriate for women who are pregnant or folks who have ailments like thyroid conditions or food hypersensitivities.
It is also important to take note that water purification tablets may likewise not be the best water filtration technique as it also isn’t completely potent at eliminating viruses.
Advantages of Water Purification Tablets
- Like straws, they are also designed small and lightweight, which make them handy.
- They have a long shelf-life
- They are far more viable against an extensive variety of disease-causing viruses than water purification straws.
Disadvantages of Water Purification Tablets
You need to consider the possible risk to your health from frequent use of these tablets. They are fine in emergency situations. But read the labels and consider the chemicals (chlorine/iodine/chlorine dioxide) you consume with the water when using water purification tablets.
They don’t eliminate odors or tastes from the water. They might even add a pretty bad, chemical-laden taste to the water.
We foresee that water purification tablets will ultimately vanish as filtration technology gets better.
They are also a bit expensive. One box of water purification tablets isn’t an issue. But in case you are planning on using these tablets for all of your drinking water, it simply isn’t practical.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, both straw and tablet water purification methods are effective decontaminants against living viruses in your water. Each method has its benefits, of course, depending on the situation. For most circumstances, water purification straws are superior to tablets since they are quicker and simpler to utilize, they don’t need any additional tool or equipment to begin with, and usually result in better-tasting water. Water purification tablets are advised to be used over straws only in circumstances where the water might contain any hazardous or harmful viruses that cannot be fully eliminated by the straws.
For your ease of mind, to guarantee the safest possible drinking water, you could merge these two processes of water purification—by using a water purification straw on the water that has effectively been treated with an iodine or chlorine tablet. This gives you an additional affirmation that the water is decontaminated and is now safe for consumption. Other folks like to boil their water before putting it through a purifier, since boiling can eliminate both viruses and bacteria.
So in the long term, a filtration device is a must for your bug out bag or INCH bag. But you may want to conduct your own research about how to purify water effectively, keeping your budget in mind. Once you have weighed your options, it should be clear which is ideal between water purification straws and tablets that would meet your specific needs.