Tablets vs Filter

“For a weekend trip were you know there is flowing water - are tablets okay to use instead of a filter?

Do they taste bad? Any particular brand(s) been road tested & approved by you guys?

Thanks”

“Tablets are fine, and actually safer than filters.

Filters do remove unpleasant muck and particles.

Filters do make water available immediately.

Tablets you must wait about 1/2 hour, longer if the water is very cold.

2 types of tablet, chlorine and iodine. Clorine smells and tastes like swimming pool and is not quite as effective as iodine.
Some people are allergic to iodine, so test before you go.
Some do not like taste of iodine, but potable aqua has a second treatment that gets rid of taste, cannot say how effective as I am ok with iodine taste and have never bothered with 2nd treatment.

IMHO filters are well worth the 11oz (Katadin Hiker or Sweetwater Guardian)”

“I've used Potable Aqua Iodine and Taste-Neutralizer Tablets before. I usually carry my PUR Hiker. The tablets are lighter, but you have to wait to drink the water. I like the taste better from my water filter. I carry tablets as part of my 10 essentials on day trips and if something happens to my filter on a trip.”

“I can't remember where I heard this question asked. How long does the bottle of iodine pills last after they are opened. Should you replace them every six months, 1 yr. Anyone know”

“I only use Aqua Mira. About as cheap as iodine but actually removes colors and odors from the water. Also kills crypto - iodine doesn't.

The MIOX produces the same chemicals as Aqua Mira (chlorinates of various types), but it is much harder to master and much more expensive.”

“After a year, Ewker. Just threw away an old bottle myself, yesterday.”

“I'm working on my pack weight, so I only use tablets, but have no problem with a filter, especially if someone else is carrying it.

The taste has never bothered me and I've never been sick.

I beleive I usually use the Aqua Mira too.

The wait for the tablets to work is not a problem as long as you don't wait till you're dieing of thirst to get water.

Do a search for this, there have been many discussions here on this subject”

“I've used Potable Aqua and the vitamin C iodine-taste killer and it seems to work fine. I like Aqua Mira better though. I use that more often than my filter.”

“Didn't someone once post that regular use of the iodine tabs can be hard on one's liver or something?

I take Aqua mira as a back-up system. It's okay but filtered water is better imo.”

“You should be fine using just tablets. I've used iodine tablets and then neutralized them with vitamin C. Just remember to wait 30 minutes before adding the vitamin C; otherwise the iodine won't do what it is supposed to do.

Generally I carry a filter for a few reasons.
1) I hate waiting for my water.
2) I normally use a platypus, and they are very hard to fill shallow pools of water. I normally just take the bite valve off and hook the hose directly to the outlet on my filter. I don't even have to remove the platypus from my pack.”

“Thanks. Am going to check out the Aqua Mira.

Sass - it's not for extended use - just don't feel like taking a filter on an upcoming trip. Thanks for the liver fyi - yikes!”

“I use both. Tabs are great if the water is clean and you have enough water to quench your thirst. A pump is great for the quick fix.

I hiked pretty extensively with a guy that used a Katadyn Mini ceramic filter and it was pretty sweet. It was really nice because you could scrub the filter when the water was really mucky (vs. a paper filter/membrane where you are screwed if it clogs) and it weighs only 8 ozs.

I also use Katadyn's MicroPur tabs and they are great. Tasteless and odorless. I think the combo of the Mini and tabs would be the ideal lightweight combo for anywhere.”

“Yeah, the same people that complain that Pepsi stoves take too long also complain that iodine or Aqua Mira takes too long. The key (as Indiana John said), is to fill up on water before you are out. I always take 2 Platypus bladders, and fill the 2nd one before the 1st is empty. By the time the AM is done working (30 mins or so) my 1st bladder is empty and I move on to the second one.”

“It's a really good idea to try aqua mira or iodine - even if you end up preferring a filter. Also, on a backpacking trip - its good to have back-up for your filter.

Lastly, an iodine solution from iodine tabs can be helpful when you need to irrigate a wound.”

“Plus, with Aqua Mira, you get the fun of mixing the chemicals. Just like playing with a chemistry set.

Die, unseen parasites! DIE!!”

“Holy flying f#^%!!!

I can hear the converstion now:
- Hey Joe, I think you need to get to the hospital.
- Nah, I'm fine.

3 days later.

- Hey Joe, I really think you need to get to the hospital, your neck is bigger than your head.
- [ gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gasp ]”

“Isn't that condition caused by the lack of iodine? Isn't that why they iodize salt?

Or am I totally confused?”

“Might be a crapshoot:

"A severe iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, and even developmental brain disorders and severe goiter. Less severe iodine deficiency is linked to hypothyroidism, thyroid enlargement (goiter) and hyperthyroidism. At the other end of the spectrum, excessive iodine intake -- both severe and moderate -- is also associated with hypothyroidism and goiter."

;)”

“I won't need a scarf in the winter then”

“not why they iodize salt, but the iodized salt generally keeps our culture from having such a problem.”

“Iodized Salt
Salt producers are a key partner in combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) today throughout the world as agreed at a recent major IDD summit in Beijing ( 1 2 ).

David Marine (1880-1976) is the "father" of iodized salt in the United States; fortifying salt pioneered the approach of adding nutrients to foods. As the result of research on endemic goiter and iodine deficiency by Marine and co-workers research, the Michigan State Medical Society, in 1924, launched a goiter prevention program using iodized salt. Medical science since has identified a far more serious threat than the cosmetic problem of goiter -- mental retardation. The "hidden hunger" of iodine deficiency causes a 10-15% reduction in a population's IQ capability, mental retardation and cretinism.

In the United States, salt producers cooperated with public health authorities and made both iodized and plain salt available to consumers at the same cost. Newspapers urged people to use iodized salt for the prevention of iodine deficiency. The Michigan program was highly successful and iodized salt use quickly spread throughout the country. Ultimately, household use of iodized salt eliminated iodine deficiency in the North America. In 1955, researchers reported that 75.8% of U.S. households used only iodized salt. The Salt Institute estimates that nearly 70% of the table salt sold in the United States is iodized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree. Continued public education is needed, however. Recently, the National Academy of Sciences increased the recommended intake level for iodine and nutrition surveys show a small but steady erosion in Americans' iodine intakes.

Around the world, however, iodine deficiency remains a major health problem ( 1 2 3 4 5 ). The World Health Organization maintains a Global Database on Iodine Deficiency Disorders. While natural sea salt has little iodine, fortifying salt is an effective means of increasing dietary iodine and is, in fact, the consensus solution ( 1 2 3 4 ). Resources have been mobilized over the past decade. The "virtual elimination" of IDD was identified as the highest health priority for children at the 1990 World Summit for Children (described by the World Health Organization and UNICEF) and is the top service project of Kiwanis International.

The technology for iodizing or iodating salt is well know, readily available, and inexpensive. One particular problem is that some countries lack high quality salt manufacturing and packaging technologies. Assistance for these salt manufacturers is available in an outstanding publication of the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (particularly note chapters 5, 6, 10 & 11). Some food manufacturers fear using iodized salt will interfere with the color or taste of their products and affect consumer acceptance; for the most part, such concerns are insignificant.

Both potassium iodide and potassium iodate are used to add iodine to salt. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves both potassium iodide and cuprous iodide for use in table salt. U.S. salt producers use potassium iodide at a level of 0.006% to 0.01% KI. Daily Iodine intakes of 1,000 - 1,100 micrograms are safe for adults and children over 4 years of age, according to the World Health Organization (1994) and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2004) respectively. Potassium iodate is preferred in some countries, particularly in tropical regions, because it is more stable than potassium iodide under hot, humid conditions. Loss of iodine from iodized salt produced and sold in the United States is not a concern because producers use moisture-proof packaging and add stabilizers; and storage conditions in the grocery distribution system are suitable. Table salt packaged and stored under proper conditions has an extended shelf life. Several countries, including France, Mexico and Switzerland, also add fluoride to table salt to prevent dental caries. Salt double-fortified with iodine and iron is used in several other countries.

Global progress for the decade-long campaign in the 1990's was reported at the 8th International Symposium on Salt held in 2000 in The Hague. That progress was recognized February 4, 2002, when UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged businessmen at the World Economic Forum to become "part of the solution" to world poverty and cited salt iodization as a prime example of public-private cooperation. Current progress in the global campaign for iodine nutrition is tracked on a World Health Organization database. With active cooperation by the Salt Institute (including a major effort by Salt Institute member Morton Salt*) and EuSalt, the Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency ( 1 2 ) has been formed combining and coordinating the IDD eradication efforts of UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the ICCIDD (don't miss ICCIDD's regional website for South Asia), the World Bank, Kiwanis International,* * the Program Against Micronutrient Malnutrition, and the Micronutrient Initiative (MI has useful information for salt producers in IDD-challenged countries 1 2 ). Efforts are underway to create an International Iodine Laboratory Network. The Network also intends to assess national salt iodization programs and verify hopeful claims of many nations that their campaigns to end IDD have achieved their objectives. There is great progress to report. Until the past decade, for example, China had the world's worst IDD problems; now it is a model for Asia and the world in its progress combatting iodine deficiency ( 1 2 3 ). Mexico and much of Latin America have been particularly successful; the involvement of the salt industry has been an important contributor to this success in Latin America. Brazil tracks salt iodization back to 1983. A few of the national IDD eradication campaigns have online summary reports, including Pakistan, Kenya and Nigeria. India ( 1 2 3 4 ), in particular, is challenged with current problems. So is Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. Hopefully, within the next several years, the virtual elimination of IDD g;lobally can finally be proclaimed and efforts focused on sustaining that great achievement. And sustaining iodine nutrition sufficiency cannot be assumed. Even Western Europe, long thought iodine sufficient and Australia ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ), longstanding in its proven achievement of iodine sufficiency, has disturbing evidence of recent problems.

Only a few companies produce the potassium iodide or potassium iodate used to iodize salt. They include three Chilean companies, Industrias Quimicas de Yodo S.A. (INQUIM), Franmar Empresas Ltda. and IODINEX Chile Ltda.

For further information, explore the Network members' websites (see above) or look at this bibliography.

* Want to see what Morton Salt has done to promote iodine nutrition?
** Want to see what Kiwanis International has achieved?


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“Polar Pure has worked well for me and a bottle lasts a loooong time - one bottle over a year for me including 125 days on the AT. I use a bandana as a sediment filter if I need one, but need it only rarely.

Ditch the filter - save alot of weight and pack space.”

“For me, water treatment depends on the water. If the water source is a spring, from snow melt, and is running clear I have typically used the Potable Aqua tablets. Last trip in the Sierra I tried the new Katadyne tablets (that produce chlorine dioxide) and thought them much better as far as taste.

If the water is muddy, or not clear I'll take my filter and use it.

Most of the time in AZ I am taking my filter. In the Sierra or Rockies I'll save the weight and use tabs.”

“I use either Sweet Tarts or Smarties as water treatment.”

“REI has the Hiker on sale for $45.99 and there is a $10.00 rebate coupon available.”

“that's about the price of a replacement filter”