Any one use Polar Pure

“been reading the ads for polar pure and would like to know how many quarts of water can you treat at one time. It sounds like you treat one quart of water then have to wait an hour for the iodine to recharge then do another quart. Another way of asking is how many capfuls of solution dose the polar pure bottle have in it at one time? If it takes 2 capfusl to treat a quart and the bottle holds 6 than you could treat 3 quarts. anyone know?”

“I have used it numerous times on a 100oz platapus and never had a problem with needing to let the Polar pure sit multiple times to purify what is basically three quarts.

I don't know exactly how many doses it holds, but it seems like it holds 3 ounces of water, and the doses are based on water temp.”

“Any after taste?”

“There is some taste, but not a lot, nothing like using iodine pills. I actually don't mind the taste of iodine at all, reminds me uf unsweetened ice tea.

I supposed someone could get rich if they made a water treatment that tasted like something people want - maybe crystal light fortified with iodine!”

“I have used Polar Pure. It works the same as iodine tablets.The active ingredient is
crystalline iodine.Set the bottle in the water for a minute or so and a temp guage on the bottle tells you how many caps full of solution you should add per quart of water.
Like I said, it work's, but I went back to using the tablets.The bottle of tablets weigh less and the amount of time you have to wait after dosing your water is the same.The Polar Pure bottle is a larger , heavier, glass bottle.I
would rather not take the chance of having my pack permanently stained if the bottle leaked or broke in my pack.”

“Has anyone tried AquaMira?”

“Well to the people that use that stuff YUCK!!!!!!I love my PUR guide filter and I use drops for the other bad stuff if I feel the need to add them.”

“Aquamira works well. Give it a try.”

“"I love my PUR guide filter"

Why don't ya marry it then! Neener neener!”

“I use it and have no trouble. If the taste bothers you add a piece of a vitamin C tablet. It neutralizes it immediately, good for you too. The most polar pure I've had to use in cold weather is 4 caps, maybe half the bottle, less”

“I use it and have not really noticed an aftertaste. I did learn last week that iodine will NOT kill Cryptosporidium(sp?). I have always been able to fill at least 2 quarts at a time. However, I'm in Alabama which isn't exactly cold. I think it took 3 capfuls in the Smokies in August and also 3 capfuls a month ago in Sipsey Wilderness on a near freezing day.”

“I use a PUR Guide also; that sucker pumps so fast compared to what I've used in the past that it makes me wonder if it is really doing anything--haven't gotten sick yet though.”

“Here is a fact sheet on polar pure. Apparently the water temperature you are treating matters less than the water you have in the polar pur bottle.

Polar Pure”

“I use a filter and the drops and I am just fine.


(1)Filter.
(2)5 drops per 32oz's of water.

Good to go.”

“The water temp in the polar pur bottle matters because that determines how much iodine goes into solution (warmer water = higher iodine concentration). The temp of the water to be treated determines how long the treatment takes to work (colder water = longer times).”

“I am sorry but no matter what they say I still taste the that stuff in water!!!!!!”

“FYI, Crash and Captain Hook, I think you have made a believer out of me. I’ll prolly use up the Aquamira I have left but I just got my Polar Pure and it looks like an outstanding solution. Thanks!”

“ive never used the aqua mira, but polar pures one step solution seems the simplest. they say youre not supposed to use iodine for extended periods, but i used it from virginia to maine on the AT last year with no ill effects”

“That explains some of C!B!'s posts. ;-)”

“aqua mira has no aftertaste and I have treated up to three gallons at a time with it. I have quit using filters since a recent (last spring) giardia episode. I think that the Aqua Mira is a better solution (pun).”

“You'll be fine crash. Just don't ever have kids.”

“i have not tried aqua mira. polar pure has not aftertaste that i notice. specifically, are there any advantages of aqua mira over polar pure. for example, does it kill more nasties, more reliable, etc?”

“Aquamira works well. It's part A and part B that you mix in equal amounts (7 drops of each/liter) in a little cup. Then you let it sit and activate for 5 minutes. Them pour into 1l of water and wait like 20 minutes and the water is treated. The shelf life is very long in the two seperate bottles. I have never had it go "bad" before I had used it all up. I can't taste it in the water and in fact I think it makes the water taste better. That could be because it releases oxygen into the water (this is what makes it clean the water) that might improve the flavor. I don't know. I have had some pretty bad tasting water in my time and anything would be an improvement. I have never been sick, however.”

“Oh, I know of no advantages of Aquamira over Polar Pure save the fact that Polar Pure doesn't have a premix wait time. Not a huge issue unless you are allergic to iodine (my wife is).
last edited: 12/19/05 5:46:49 PM”

“Follow up...

I packed my gear and went to swap out the Aquamira for the Polar Pure. Then I did a double-take. I repackage the Aquamira in dropper bottles so it is very light, less than 1 oz for the entire kit. The Polar Pure was 4 oz? Perhaps 5 oz. I guess that's another advantage to Aquamira.”

“I've used Polar Pure or a pump. I usuaaly use nothing now.”

“thats a decent advantage”

“Extra TP is lighter than all that filtration gear, eh?”

“Polar Pure is in a heavy glass bottle and has iodine in it which can cause problems used long term.

Aqua Mira has no iodine in it and is lighter .

I just bought some Micropur MP-1 tablets to try. They are lighter and more simple that the other two (just drop in a tablet) and are supposed to be the best at purification. This is what the advertisement says in the Campmor site:

"Micropur MP-1 is the only water purification tablet that is EPA registered as a Microbiological Water Purifier to inactivate all protozoa (like Cryptosporidium and Giardia), bacteria (like E Coli and Salmonella) as well as viruses (Hepatitis and Norwalk virus). Meets full EPA microbiological water purifier test standards.

Tablets form chlorine dioxide bubbles when exposed to water so they virtually leave no taste or odor.
Easy to use tablets are pre-measured to treat one liter of water- no mixing or measuring required.
Individually sealed for longer shelf life.
Works in all water conditions.
Perfect for use in any suspect water- backpacking, camping, hotels, emergencies, international travel, etc.
30 tablets."”

“Polar Pure is in a giant heavy glass bottle, which is why I don't use it.


I too use Aqua Mira, sometimes with the use of my filter also.”

“Polar Pure is in a heavy glass bottle and has iodine in it which can cause problems used long term.

I think that's rubbish. Iodine has been used to treat water for ages in community water supplies and there are not supposed to be any health risks below 20ppm (more than enough to be effective).

I agree that the bottle when full of water is heavy. My Aquamira, repackaged in dropper bottles, is the lightest purification setup I have used (and still use). I do NOT like the 5 minute wait time for the stuff to mix but that's the price you pay for stability.

Micropur MP-1 releases chlorine dioxide which is the exact same active ingredient in Aquamira. This produces highly reactive oxygen (the bubbles) that kill what's in the water. My point here is that Micropur MP-1 and Aquamira are basically the same thing and the fact that the EPA has stamped one and not the other means little to me. The active ingredients are identical.

It is for sure true that iodine isn't effective against cryptosporidium. Note that for clear 68 degree stream/lake running water it takes 30 minutes for Aquamira or Micropur MP1 to kill crypto but for dirty, still water it takes 4 hours of contact time to be effective.
last edited: 12/22/05 8:58:52 AM”