Anybody ever regretted using Iodine tablets for water purification?

[Geewhiz]

I've always just used some type of actual filter but this time I am trying to ditch the weight and bulk of a filter and I am considering just bringing some iodine tablets. There is plenty of running water in the area so physically filtering debris out isn't a huge concern. The ones I was looking at says they are effective in neutralizing bacteria and giardia but they aren't effective in neutralizing cryptosporidium. Realistically, I'm not sure how much of an issue that is. It comes as a set of 2 small bottles, one with iodine tablets to purify, and the other containing tablets to neutralize the taste, color, and odor of the iodine.

0.2 oz sounds nice.


Anybody with experience using them as a primary purification strategy?

 

[TaperPin]

Anywhere there are cattle or sheep I’ve assumed crypto is in the water. Wild animals as well, but large domesticated herds drinking and crapping in small streams is a great way to spread it. Sheep seem to be everywhere in the summer where we hunt. National statistics only show a few hundred cases in each state each year, but many (most?) cases just run their course without being reported or tested for.

There are a lot of things I wouldn’t mind trying once, but crypto isn’t one of them. I was in Boise when public swimming pools had to be shut down, drained, refilled and put off limits for a few weeks to let everyone recover, because crypto was being shared in poop soup. Makes my tummy and butt hurt just recalling the story. Utah had a poop soup outbreak and there were 3,500 reported cases that year. I always thought it would be fun to test some of our water sources, but it’s probably better we don’t know.

I have a few friends that have had it from drinking raw stream water, and they said it wasn’t bad because they are tough, just crapping like a goose for a couple of weeks, and stomach cramps. No thanks. Lol

I don’t mind if other folks use the pills and I even keep them handy in case the water filter craps out, but I filter everything.

 

[Geewhiz]

Anywhere there are cattle or sheep I’ve assumed crypto is in the water. Wild animals as well, but large domesticated herds drinking and crapping in small streams is a great way to spread it. Sheep seem to be everywhere in the summer where we hunt. National statistics only show a few hundred cases in each state each year, but many (most?) cases just run their course without being reported or tested for.

There are a lot of things I wouldn’t mind trying once, but crypto isn’t one of them. I was in Boise when public swimming pools had to be shut down, drained, refilled and put off limits for a few weeks to let everyone recover, because crypto was being shared in poop soup. Makes my tummy and butt hurt just recalling the story. Utah had a poop soup outbreak and there were 3,500 reported cases that year. I always thought it would be fun to test some of our water sources, but it’s probably better we don’t know.

I have a few friends that have had it from drinking raw stream water, and they said it wasn’t bad because they are tough, just crapping like a goose for a couple of weeks, and stomach cramps. No thanks. Lol

I don’t mind if other folks use the pills and I even keep them handy in case the water filter craps out, but I filter everything.

Yucky.

This area in particular I am not concerned about domestic animals being upstream. I am actually going with a few other guys. They say they have filters to bring so I don't need to bring one of my own, but I know better than that with something as crucial as drinking water. Really this time I would just bring them as a back up last resort in case their filters poop the bed. But once I started thinking about it I don't know why more people don't use them as a primary means beings as they are virtually non detectible in your pack in weight and volume.

Maybe crypto is why more people don't?

 

[rideold]

Iodine can be a digestive tract irritant....depends on your tolerance. You can ingest too much of it.

 

[BBob]

Anybody with experience using them as a primary purification strategy?

No because it (iodine) doesn't kill crypto effectively. I keep the Aqua-Mira 2 part liquid and Katadyne tablets as backups and carry one or the other depending on what I'm doing and how I'm traveling. Both will kill cysts but there is a wait time before you can drink with them if you suspect cysts. If you suspect cysts the wait time is 4 hours. Aqua-Mira doesn't taste like anything.

Filters are looking pretty good eh???

 

[idelkslayer]

I wouldn't want to use the tablets as my sole source for water purification. I usually leave my filter in camp so I carry tablets in case I run out of water during the day and need to refill.

If you are carrying your camp with you while hunting you can look into all kinds of lightweight options including UV steri-pens.

 

[Geewhiz]

Supposedly they kill giardia, after 30 minutes, just not crypto. Like I said I'm just not sure how common crypto is or if it is common enough to be a legitimate concern.

 

[BBob]

Supposedly they kill giardia, after 30 minutes, just not crypto. Like I said I'm just not sure how common crypto is or if it is common enough to be a legitimate concern.

It used to be really rare but it seems not so much anymore. I wonder how many people are properly tested to confirm or if the docs just treat symptoms? The last time I had one or the other the doc just treated. PCR testing is more available now. The old centrifugation methods were not very reliable at all.

 

[Geewhiz]

It used to be really rare but it seems not so much anymore. I wonder how many people are properly tested to confirm or if the docs just treat symptoms? The last time I had one or the other the doc just treated. PCR testing is more available now. The old centrifugation methods were not very reliable at all.

Well lucky me I work in a lab and have the ability to pcr test for crypto so If I get the squirts I'll be sure to bottle some up and test it for you guys.

Its not something that I see often at all here but who knows.

 

[wyogoat]

I use the iodine a lot and have never had any issues. I filter and use iodine which I know is redundant but I don’t want to take any risks with getting sick when I’m way in the gnar. No side effects in probably 30 years of using iodine pretty regularly.
Idk about using them as a primary but you could always filter the big stuff with a coffee filter which I’ve had mixed results with trying…

 

[BBob]

Its not something that I see often at all here but who knows.

I have a vet diagnostic lab I'm in often that does PCR. I'll have to ask how much crypto they see and how it compares to giardia.

 

[Cannonball]

Why not aquamira?

 

[Geewhiz]

Why not aquamira?

Seams like they are no more effective than the iodine tablets. The description states that they are not effective against crypto either.

Edit: I was looking at a different brand. Aqua Mira is effective against giardia and crypto. Maybe that's the ticket.

 

[Cannonball]

Seams like they are no more effective than the iodine tablets. The description states that they are not effective against crypto either.

Tastes better tho

 

[BBob]

Seams like they are no more effective than the iodine tablets. The description states that they are not effective against crypto either.

Aqu-Mira is fine for crypto but it has the 4 hr wait, same for Katadyne tablets

 

[*zap*]

why not just boil the water?

 

[Geewhiz]

why not just boil the water?

Because that's a pain and then I would have to carry my stove/fuel/pot everywhere I go.