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Item 736898
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REVIEWS
Reviewed by 3 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-3
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Comments about Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets - 30 Pack:
Excellent product. Easy to use and effective against all types of water-borne pathogens, chlorine dioxide is used world-wide to treat public water supplies.
Advantages over iodine: (1) effective against Cryptosporidium; (2) tablets are individually vacuum-sealed (better shelf life); (3) lightweight (no glass bottle); (4) no iodine-related health risks.
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To clarify the waiting period:
* 30 minutes will kill most pathogens
* a full 4 hours are required to kill Cryptosporidium, a tough little protozoan on the rise in U.S. waters
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If the 4 hour wait time is too much for you, run the water through a filter that catches the Crypto (they are very large), then treat with chlorine dioxide. (The "MSR Sweetwater Purifier System" is an out-of-the-box setup, though I prefer solid tablets to the liquid drops which are included in this system.)
Tip: the mild chemical aftertaste largely subsides if water is left to sit overnight.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets - 30 Pack:
This product is confusing because it says to leave in for 4 hours but [...] staff said 30 min is fine for clear water (like tap water in foreign countries). Still, the taste is very strong, but better than iodine. The longer it sits, the taste starts to go away. Also, doesn't stain water bottles like iodine does. Good value.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets - 30 Pack:
I usually bring a water filtration pump on my trips, but since I was going in February and the temperature would be well below freezing, and not wanting to deal with a frozen pump, I thought tablets might be a better alternative to boiling. But the flavor was so horrible that this was somewhat difficult. Everybody agreed that it was somewhat along the lines of chemical toilet and boiling became a much better option.
As I figure it, the strength of each tablet is probally much higher than it needs to be to ensure that they work under any circumstances. I also assume that the companies producing these tablets don't want sick hikers and so the doseage is well above what is actually required.
So, what you have is terribly tasting water free of micro organisms. The tablets are easy to use, they weigh nothing and can be carried in your pocket. Personally, I think the pumps are preferred. The extra pound of weight and little amount of time required to use a pump filter is a small penalty for the fresher taste of the water it produces.
But these tablets do have a use. They don't hurt to bring along as an emergency backup should your filter break, and for winter backpacking when using a pump is impossible, they are handy. But I can't recommend relying on them to clean your water. After all, there is little else so pleasing on a sweaty hike than a drink of water, unless that water tastes like bleach.
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