I often go hiking, camping, and dirt biking in remote wooded areas far, far away from civilization. I enjoy getting out there where I can't hear the constant hum of traffic from the city and where I can actually see the stars instead of having my view obscured by hazy smog. When I'm camping, I don't miss anything about urban life -- except perhaps the clean H2O. It can be a bit bothersome lugging huge gallon jugs of the stuff around with me to take care of my cooking, drinking, and washing needs while I'm on one of my retreats. That's why I need to buy a portable water purifier as soon as I can.
Portable water purifiers are devices that can quickly eliminate dangerous viruses and bacteria that might be found in outdoor rivers, streams, and other potential drinking sources. This leaves you free to drink from any natural supply you come across whlie camping, and is therefore an obviously beneficial, if not critical, tool to have at your disposal. I've wanted to buy a portable water purifier for a while now, but keep forgetting until I'm actually out in the field. It's about time that I get my act together though, before I run into a situation where having one of those devices could save my life.
There are numerous kinds of portable water purifiers on the market today, so the one I choose really comes down to what I need it for. I usually go camping by myself or with just one or two other friends, which means that an individual portable water purifier that can sanitize up to a liter at a time would be sufficient. These products are very simple to use. They look a bit like oversized thermometers, and all you do is stick one end into the glass or bottle containing the H2O that you want to purify. Then you push a button, wait less than a minute until the indicator light changes to the right color, and you can drink away.
There are also portable water purifiers that can handle bigger jobs. These would be appropriate for groups or even expeditions, and are often used at base camps or on ocean-going vessels. I don't need anything that sophisticated, but it's good to know portable water purifiers like that exist for those other situations.
Anyway, if you spend as much time in the great outdoors as I do, or if you frequently travel to countries where it's not safe to drink directly from the tap, then a portable water purifier would be a great investment. These devices cost about $100, which might seem steep at first glance, but when you consider how clean water could be the difference between life and death, then a hundred bucks is really just a small price to pay.
6:54 PM