Micropur MP1 Purification Tablets 30-Pack, Chlorine Dioxide Drinking Water Treatment for Camping Backpacking and International Travel, Emergency Preparedness Tabs

This product is an excellent way of sidestepping the problems inherent in water filters, while still protecting your water. I've used different water filters over the years, and ALL had problems. A few years ago, I decided to try the non-iodine treatment. First, I used Aqua-Mira, but found it too much trouble. I had to mix two solutions, wait, then add the solution to water. It worked, but I wanted something easier. That's where Micropur came in. Just fill up a liter bottle with water, drop in one Micropur tablet, wait 30 minutes, and drink. That's it. I also use a mesh cap (from Gossamer Gear, I think) that I put on the liter bottle to filter out debris, but when the water source is good, I don't even use that. I think Micropur does leave a slight taste, but nothing like the taint of iodine. Tablets have limitations, of course. For example, if you want to drink immediately, you can't. You have to pace yourself. If you want to fill up a 1.5 liter container, you have to do some improvising. But if you just want to have a very light, dependable, non-cloggable solution to on-the-trail hydration, Micropur is great.

There are some great reviews on here, explaining the merits, shelf lives, and methods of water purification. I'm a big believer in having multiple methods of water purification in an emergency situation. I feel that having multiple "redundant" solutions for making fire and cleaning water are key and have made them the primary components of my survival kits for my car, hiking, and home. These tablets come in individually wrapped foil packs and are designed to combat bacteria found in your water. I'd still recommend a physical filtration system to work alongside this chemical purification method...but if I had to choose between a filter and these tablets, these tablets are a surefire method to remove bacteria...filters, well, they are better for filtering chemicals, not the super small bacteria.

There is no excuse for not having a pack of these in your home, car, backpack, bug-out bag, etc. None. In the wake of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, clean water becomes difficult to come by and most are left executing a half-baked strategy of filling up the bathtub and crossing their fingers. The cleanliness of that water is questionable after only a few moments. How often do you disinfect your bathtub? How many times have you pulled back the shower curtain and found a spider? Water being the one resource you absolutely must have regularly and abundantly, why would you take the chance? One pack of these tablets is enough for 30 liters, or about 8 gallons of water. Rationed wisely, that's enough for one person for about a week. Not bad for 15 bucks. Full disclosure, my recent purchase had 40 tablets in a sealed case labeled 30. Is this intentional or just a happy coincidence? Don't know, don't care. Tested one tablet for flavor and its slightly chemical but not unsavory. Better than most iodine-based purification tabs on the market or that I used in the Army. I only waited about 2 hours or so before I had a sip though, and everything I've read is that the flavor mellows with more time. Besides, its nothing that a pack of Crystal Light can't fix. Katadyn is the Cadillac of the water-purification market and their products are always top-notch. It may seem pricey to drop so much on purification tabs, but come crunch-time, you'll be glad you have them.

The reason I purchased these is to keep the water in my hydration packs from spoiling. I have several and they tend to spend a great deal of time just sitting around, waiting to be used. Sometimes in the car, sometimes on a shelf in my room, sometimes hanging in the basement or garage, high temps and low temps, high and low light conditions, everything. If I don't use some sort of preservation method, they all eventually accumulate a biofilm on the tubes and inner surface, discoloring it and making it slick to the touch. Cleaning them is a chore, but more importantly, the water becomes unsafe to drink. These are a very easy way to keep the hydration packs in good order. I like them better than the drops only because they are so lightweight that I can keep them in my pack and drop one in when I fill up, even if I am not at home. This ensures that I won't forget to treat the water later and that the water will be usable when I need it. The effect on flavor is minimal - in a 3L hydration pack, I can just barely taste the chlorine even if I have used three tabs. Easier to control the dose with these than drops. Unlike drops, though, It typically takes ~6h for them to dissolve completely before they are effective, which for me isn't a problem, but would likely be troublesome if you were in a spot. Recall that I use these for preservation, not purification; the water I am working with is typically tap water or something out of the spigot outside, so I can't comment on their ability to treat water from a completely natural source like a stream. I can say, however, that they work quite well for preservation. I treated a transparent 2L hydration pack which I habitually leave sitting on a shelf in the light for months at a time. Previously, the water would go bad within 4m or so, no matter how I cleaned the bladder. This time, it has been sitting several months - through three seasons almost - and the water is still completely clear. As such, I would recommend it for this purpose.

I can't comment on the effectiveness of this product in treating contaminated water because I haven't had to use it yet (and I pray I never will). After receiving a note from my local authorities that every family should be ready to live without services for 72 hours, I finally broke down and started building my 72 hour emergency kit. A little research on Google reinforced my thought that safe, drinkable water was a primary need in an extended emergency. I have several sources of good water in reserve already, so this is really for a worst case scenario where I'm forced to start using alternative water supplies like the rain water in my sump pump pit. If it gets that far, I'd like to have some confidence that I've killed as many germs as I can with one of these tablets. What I like about these water treatment tablets is as follows: - long shelf life means I'm only replacing these every 5 years - low cost means I can afford to replace them every 5 years - small size, 30 tablets takes almost no room in my 72 hour kit and they weigh almost nothing - individually wrapped tablets so the unused tablets aren't exposed to the environment when I use one - each tablet treats 1 quart of water which is a manageable size for me I plan on adding something like the "Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter" to my kit to provide additional options.

I always carry some of these when backpacking - you never know when you might need more water that you figured! These purify very well, and really don't taste that bad! (Yes, they do leave an obvious taste, but even my picky palate is okay drinking the result.) If you go camping or trekking in out-of-the-way locations these are a must-have. Preppers might want to keep a few around also. Definitely recommend.

I tested some MP1 tablets that had an expiration date of Nov 2006 yesterday, so they were more than 13 years past the expiration date. I know the CLO2 is the active ingredient and CL- is an ultimate by product. I tested the water in a 1 liter bottle for free CL- and the results were 2 ppm. For a log 3 effectiveness against Cryptosporidium at 59 deg F, a CT of 19 min-ppm is called for. I don't know what the half life of CLO2 is in water, but reports are that it is markedly decreased after 30 min. I think an immediate 2 ppm is more than adequate and after 13+ years is great.

I am saving these for the water I'm most reluctant to drink, so I have other ways to purify most water. However, this will ease my mind if the water really worries me. I am very glad to have these tablets. Make sure you read the instructions carefully, and remember that these take 4 hours to purify the water, so give them that time. Otherwise, treat them as a poison and definitely keep the tabs away from children, and do not touch them before you put them in the water. Slit the individual wrap and slip them into the water you are purifying, then wait 4 hours (more if the water is extremely cold), but do not touch the tablets. They are toxic until they have had the time to decontaminate the water, when they chemically stop being poisonous. They need the chemical reaction in the water to stop being harmful, and that is how they kill all the bad things in the water.

Nice

but takes so long.