[philmont] Micro Pur Contact Time

Hi Jerry,

If you go to backpackinglight.com and look in the gear shop under
literature, they have a scholarly treatise on the efficacy of different
H2O treatment systems that talks about the different chemicals. These
tablets are not specifically discussed (IIRC), but ClO2 is discussed.

I think there may be some more discussion about these tabs in
particular on the site somewhere (can't recall). They've got forums
there (and the guy who founded the site is an Eagle and a PhD who was
one of the authors of the article I mentioned). That might be a good
place to get an answer.

Regards,

John

On Monday, January 29, 2007, at 10:30 PM, JC Lewis wrote:

> Okay, everyone.  What’s the real deal about contact time for the Micro
> Pur water purification tablets after they’ve done their Alka Seltzer
> imitation and dissolved?  The flyer in the package says 4 hours; and I
> know they didn’t write that to satisfy their legal staff (at least, I
> hope not).  However, that really seems to be way too long and totally
> impractical in the wilderness.
>
>  
>
> A few years ago, soon after MSR put the product into the non-military
> market, I was taught to use them by some very experienced adult hikers
> who said the usual 20-30 minutes was fine, depending on how cold the
> water was.  So, that’s what I did.  Our Ranger in 2006, said an hour
> is what they were taught in Ranger training, but also thought 30
> minutes was probably enough in a pinch.  I don’t know ANYONE, in
> Scouting or out, who holds to the 4 hours requested by the
> manufacturer.
>
>  
>
> Given the particular chemical being used, sodium chloride, I think, is
> there a chemist or water purification expert amongst us out there who
> knows if less than 4 hours for these things is okay, and, if so, why? 
> If the 4 hours is gospel, why?
>
>  
>
> (FYI for the lurkers and first-time Advisors:  Micro Pur by MSR is the
> only water treatment method Philmont issues.  They don’t use the
> iodine Polar Pure bottles any more.  You don’t have to use the Micro
> Pur so long as you know to treat the water somehow.  Some crews bring
> just filters, like the Katadyn Hiker, and don’t chemical-ize at all. 
> Many crews, however, do a combination of the two methods.)
>
>  
>
> Jerry Lewis
>
> 2007 611-I-2
>
> Troop 303, McKinney TX
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Mon Jan 29 23:53:53 2007