Of the many methods available to purify water for drinking, each have their own attributes and effectiveness. One method – water purification tablets, has been used for many decades with good results for those who are ‘on the go’, on the trail while traveling light.
Here’s what’s inside those tiny tablets, and how to make it taste better…
They’re made of iodine. Each tablet contains 20 mg of Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide, which “liberates 8 mg of titratable iodine when released into water.”
Within 30 minutes, the iodine will have penetrated the cell walls of microorganisms and will kill many of the most common pathogens in natural fresh water sources.
Carrying iodine for water purification is an imperfect but lightweight solution for those in need of field purification of drinking water.
Kits are available that include an iodine pill and a second pill (vitamin C or ascorbic acid) that will help remove some of the iodine taste from the water after it has been disinfected.
If you do add vitamin C, in the form of a pill or in flavored drink powders, it should not be added until the iodine has had sufficient time to work (30 minutes).
One iodine tablet will treat 2 cups of water while two tablets will treat one quart.
Once the bottle of tablets is opened, the apparent shelf life is 3 months.
The tablets are not intended for long terms use.
Water purification tablets are great to have when camping and traveling if you have equipment problems or when you’re on the move and don’t always have the time to make a fire, boil water, then wait for it to cool before drinking.
However it is important to have a basic plan for water beyond the iodine tablets. If you’re backpacking and need to drink the local water, you should also consider taking a filtration system with you or boil the water.
Water purification tablets are a great backup to your overall water plan.
I also have a bottle of iodine in my BOB with the purification tablets, and Tang.
Is this safe for those allergic to shellfish?? Or IV dye contrast??
Iodine tabs are most likely not safe for those allergic to shellfish or contrast dye. Iodine allergies are very common, be careful!
Thanks for bringing that up… an important precaution.
In the event of TSHTF and a nuclear bomb is dropped you will need to take an Iodine pill to wart of the absorption of Iodine the bomb puts out. I have a bottle of ” KI03 Anti radiation tablets” each pill contains 170 mg of potassium iodine or KI. They say if a bomb is drooped you need to take one before the fallout reaches you. After that once a day as your body can only hold so much iodine. They also purify water and is actually better than bleach tho bleach is faster but doesn’t kill everything that iodine does. Your body needs a certain amount of iodine in your system, this is a necessary mineral. Just letting those that didn’t know about this effect that Iodine has on our system and how very important it is in the event of TSHTF and a bomb is dropped and we have to deal with the fall out. Iodine could save you in more than one way!
I actually prefer the life straw. Extremely light weight and will filter over 250 gallons per straw. Also no need to wait 1/2 an hour in order to drink. There is an expiration on the iodine tablets, but I don’t believe their is on the life straw. Plus I understand that some people can have a reaction to the iodine.
Same here. Gave one to all the family, keep a few on hand, and also have one in the B.O.B. 20.00, can’t beat’em.
I have used those life straws and they work OK but tend to clog up easily and hard to clean.I truly don’t trust them to much so I bought a “Image water Filter”. It is not as nice as the one Ken has but it cleans down to one (1) micron and that is comparable to Kens. It also features a “ceramic” filter that cleans easily and the one I have fits inside a eyeglass case so it is VERY small. I chose it because this unit is the one unit given to our troops and countries with bad water. I recommend it as it is very affordable, compact and can filter 500 gallons of water. granted it takes a minute to fill say a canteen but it is worth every penny of 35.00. As I said earlier Iodine is effective and if in the event of a nuclear bomb you will NEED iodine. The water filter is another story but for not much more than a life straw you can have a filter that is PROVEN itself in third world countries and if it is good enough for our troops it is good enough for me!
It’s a shame that the feds shut down Polar Pure. It was a nice little product that had a great shelf life. I was lucky to get a few bottles back before they stepped in. Just goes to show you that when things can be used for good or bad, our government jumps all over the bad side and instantly criminalizes it.
Common sense. . . with a few caveats.
Polar Pure is back on the market and available through Amazon.
Always thought that if the DEA was going to ban this product because it was being used by some who cooked meth, then the DEA should have banned 20 lb propane tanks too.