[philmont] Micro Pur Contact Time

There are so many sources of purified water now at Philmont that you
will rarely need the Micro Pur. I think our ranger told us to wait 30
minutes but as others have posted, there are websites with definitive
information depending upon water temperature. Leave the water filters
at home - they are way too heavy to justify using a couple of times in
a ten day trek.

Dan Preston
On Jan 29, 2007, at 11:30 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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Dan Preston
Preston Associates Architects
Received on Tue Jan 30 08:03:57 2007