Gear and equipment forum

Portable water purifying pump, makes sense?

Mexicano31

motodop
Posts: 26

Im thinking about buying a water purifying pump so that I can fill up a bottle with tap water in SEA. I know I will be drinking a lot of water and it probably will be expensive to buy water bottles all the time (plus the plastic contamination this creates). So this purifying pump removes solid particules and even bacteria, it says it removes everything bigger than .3 micron... seems to be very good compared to other much more expensive pumps which remove the same, although its designed to be used with water from creeks and rivers.

For the guys who already have been travelling in SEA, does this seem to make sense? could it be practical?

The pump is 45dlls and weights 300grams, Im planning on using it for 7 months so its cost will probably be worth it.

whata you reckon?

#1 Posted: 6/7/2010 - 01:39

------------------------------
www.imagesofbaja.com
walkingtrees

tourist
Posts: 58

i'm only going to be is SEA for 5 weeks but i too am considering bringing the water filter i use on backpacking trips

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Hiker-PRO-Water-Microfilter/dp/B0007U012U

i mainly use this so as not to catch giardia, anyone know if this will help me out in thailand/laos? i'd like to be able to filter gueshouse tap water straight to my water bottles. i loathe paying for water in disposable plastic bottles....

thanks!

#2 Posted: 13/7/2010 - 01:43
rachelle23

backpacker
Posts: 20

Private message

I heard taking a water purifying pump can prevent serious sickness. How true is it?

#3 Posted: 13/7/2010 - 10:16
SBE

mahout
Posts: 1661
Located in:

Private message

I wouldn't bother buying one...too much kit to lug around!

Everyone drinks a lot of water because of the heat. There's cheap bottled water available everywhere, even in the smallest village. If you're way off the beaten track where there aren't taps (or shops) then boiled water will be available.

It's true that refilling water bottles to save plastic trash hasn't caught on much yet at most guesthouses but some places do do it. Shops sell large bottles of water though, so you could always refill bottles yourself if you want.

#4 Posted: 13/7/2010 - 14:09
somsai

som tam seller
Posts: 520
Located in:

Private message

I just buy a couple of bottles of water with swcrew tops and re use them out of the big bottle at guest houses. Every house and restaurant buys 20 liter bottles and many don't mind. I drink what they serve over ice at all the noodle stalls, sometimes you have to share the same cup he he.

I was reading one of these threads once and some resident expat NGOer said that when they did tests on 15 different bottling companies in Vientiane some water was very bad, some ok but not great, and that municipal tap was pretty good though absolutely no one drinks it.

Sure take your filter and stop back and say how it all worked out.

#5 Posted: 14/7/2010 - 07:39
JourneymanT-
raveller

motodop
Posts: 24

They're all so big and heavy!! The drinkSAFE-Systems Travel Tap, or even the Waterstraw, are the way to go if you really want to take a filter. They're both light, affordable and well regarded. I use an in-line filter, by the same company, with my platypus when hill and mountain walking - it's perfect.

As far as these causing illness - they're used widely throughout the hill and mountain walking world and I've not heard of anything like that.

#6 Posted: 31/7/2010 - 14:49

------------------------------
www.journeymantraveller.com
hjpot

newbie
Posts: 2

A pump doesn't need to be big or heavy. Still, I prefer a disinfectant. A very small bottle (30ml) is cheap (around $10 / €7.50) and is enough to purify 150L of water. Disadvantages are that it is not as effective against giardia as filters or boiling (still somewhat effective though) and that it adds a not-so-nice taste to the water. I usually add two ground Vitamine C pills to 1.5L of water to normalise the taste.

#7 Posted: 19/8/2010 - 21:05
hjpot

newbie
Posts: 2

I double-checked, and the disinfectant I use (Care Plus Hadex) is on a sodium hypochlorite basis, and is therefore also effective against giardia.

#8 Posted: 19/8/2010 - 21:24
neosho

adventurer
Posts: 265

Water is cheap here. Most bottles will be recycled. In the west we just throw them away, here it is a living to many people. While I don't go out of my way to drink the local water, I have at times with no after effect. If you get off the beaten path and want to interact with the locals, you will share glasses, double dip in the food and drink the water. Just drink some of the local whiskey with it. It will probably kill anything you might ingest.

#9 Posted: 20/8/2010 - 07:58
bedu

noodle lady
Posts: 43

In Thailand, there are many places where you can refill your water bottle. You just put your money in the machine and it fills up your bottle.

Alternatively, you could buy a puri-straw, you suck through it and it decontaminates the water you are drinking. It is only slightly thicker than a normal straw,

#10 Posted: 11/11/2010 - 22:12