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Reviews > Water Treatment > Chemical Treatment > Katadyn MicroPur Tablets > Steve Nelson > Initial ReportInitial Report: Katadyn Micropur MP 1 Purification
Tablets Reviewer's Information Name: Steve Nelson Backpacking Background: As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks. Backpacking Style: In the last year I began educating myself about lightweight and ultralight backpacking, and have been applying more and more of this philosophy to my outdoor jaunts and gear upgrades. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions. Product information Manufacturer: Katadyn Overview The Katadyn Micropur MP 1 tablets are chlorine dioxide-producing sodium chlorite tablets marketed for camping and travel water purification. Katadyn describes them as "The Only EPA Registered Purification Tablets on the Market—effective against Cryptosporidium, Giardia, bacteria, and viruses." Used as directed, the tablets generate a 4 ppm solution of chlorine dioxide. The documentation accompanying the tablets claims that testing to EPA guidelines confirmed that, in both clear/tepid and dirty/cold water, this solution killed bacteria and viruses within 15 minutes. It was sufficient to kill cysts within 30 minutes in clear/tepid water, and within 4 hours in dirty/cold water. This is an advantage over iodine, which cannot reliably kill Cryptosporidium cysts, and over filters, most of which do not remove viruses. The active chemical is basically the same as that produced by other products that work by combining two liquids to form a reaction before adding to water, and as the primary chemical created by yet another product that produces its chemicals through an electrically-driven reaction in a flashlight-sized device. However, since the Micropur tablets are stored individually in heavily-sealed packaging, their shelf life is longer than the liquid chemicals, and one only need open as many as are needed for the amount of water being purified. Compared to the pen device, the tablets save time and worry because they don't rely on batteries and refills of salt. The downside? The tablets are more expensive in the long run than either of the other methods of generating chlorine dioxide (though it would take quite a while for the cost of the tablets to exceed the initial purchase price of the electric device.) Initial Impressions I received a single 30-tablet pack of Micropur tablets for this test, in the same packaging as used at retail. The pills are sold in a plastic/cardboard hanging pack containing three sheets of ten heavily enclosed tablets and an instruction card. The material covering the tablets appears to be a combination of aluminum foil and very hard-to-tear plastic. I've found that it's nearly impossible to extract the pills (or even separate a quantity of them from the sheet) with anything other than a knife or scissors, since there are no perforations or cuts to facilitate this. The packaging notes "Precautionary Statements" including that the tablets are "hazards to humans and domestic animals," "corrosive," "harmful if absorbed through skin," and so on. One's first reaction might be "we're supposed to drink this?!" but of course the chemical is quite diluted in solution, and the packaging makes it easy to avoid actually touching the pills. I snip them open with scissors and dump the pills directly into my hydration bladder or water bottle. The tablets themselves are small, white and about 1/4 in (6 mm) across. They are not marked in any way for being divided into smaller doses, and my experience is that they are best left whole. Each tablet treats one liter (or quart) of water. Usage Notes I've actually been a long-time user of chlorine dioxide tablets, having first found them overseas and quickly deciding that I prefer them to iodine, as well as to chlorine dioxide products that require mixing and waiting. The tablets are simpler, go to work instantly, and can be stored longer than the related liquid products. Until Katadyn started selling the Micropur MP 1 Tablets (which I currently use), I had a difficult time obtaining replacements for my survival kits and backpacking needs, so I was excited when they became available here in the United States. They are now available both online and in retail stores. I have carried Micropur MP 1 Purification Tablets on all of my trips since they were made avaialble last year. On trips where I carry a filter, the tablets are always there as a backup, and on many trips I've relied on them as my main water disinfection method. Since I've switched over the past year to a lighter and lighter backpacking style, the tablets have become even more appealing to me. I generally use the combination of a silnylon bucket and a prefilter (either a coffee filter or a bandana) to get as much debris out of my water before I treat it with the tablets. I grab water from a source using the bucket, then generally let it sit for a bit so silt can settle out. I then decant water into a bladder by pouring it from the bucket through the prefilter. Once the water's in the bladder, I add the recommended number of tablets (sometimes tossing in an extra one if the water was particularly cold and turgid), wait at least half an hour (more, again, for cold/turgid water), and voilá—I have a hydration bladder full of purified, clean drinking water. I've even done this occasionally on winter camping trips where I wanted to minimize the use of fuel but the snow didn't appear pristine. I heated snow until it just melted and was still cool, then prefiltered and added tablets to it. The tablets take a bit of time to dissolve—as much as half an hour when the water is very cold, less than half that if it's tepid. The purified water tastes to me (despite others' claims to the contrary) a bit like swimming pool water. The taste diminishes over time, generally becoming unnoticeable after three or four hours. Still, I definitely prefer even the initial taste of the Micropur tablet-infused water over water treated with iodine. It's very similar to municipally-treated water at home (and, in fact, is the same chemical used in many cities here), and I don't mind it at all. One other nice thing about the tablets compared to iodine: they don't stain bottles and bladders (though a concentrated solution from the tablets might bleach or damage fabric—something I'm tempted to test.) Test Plan This test, at its root, is pretty simple: will I stay healthy while drinking water purified with the Micropur MP 1 tablets? I will be sure to use them exactly as directed, and will test them in several locations and conditions. Since I drink anywhere from three to five quarts of water a day, I expect to blaze through this package of 30 tablets in about 7 full days of camping, possibly sooner. Since I'm already a happy user of these tablets, I plan also to look beyond the basics and expand my knowledge about how best to use them, including under conditions beyond the summer norm. In addition to field testing, I will do a temperature test at home, using chilled (40°F/4° C) and warm (68°F/20°C) water to compare time for the tablets to dissolve and the taste of the water over time at each of those two temperatures. I'm also interested to test, as best I can, the effect of pre-filtering on dissolve time and taste—if I can find suitably turgid water in the field, I will try the tablets on one liter/quart of unfiltered water, and one of filtered water, then compare the results. Finally, I'm curious to see how effective the tablets might be in disinfecting a water bladder. I'll wait until one of my hydration bladders has become unappetizing from use, then use a quart/liter of water and a Micropur tablet to attempt to sterilize it. For each use of the tablets I'll record location, water source, water quantity and quality (e.g., silty, tannic, odorous or clear), number of tablets used, ambient temperature, and dwell time. Wherever possible, I'll also record water temperature. Locations I live in California but have a business and family schedule that often brings me to the east coast. Trips I have planned during the next several months include:
Altitudes on these trips will range from sea level to well over 10,000 ft (3,050 m). Weather will range from hot and dry California summer conditions to afternoon Sierra thunderstorms to wet and soggy east coast hiking and paddling. Temperatures will likely range from below freezing to as high as 100° F (38° C). Water on these trips will taken from streams, creeks, ponds and lakes. It's possible that on Mt. Shasta I will be melting snow or using glacial melt. Summary I have been using Micropur tablets since they became available in the United States, and similar tablets when I was able to find them in Europe, and I like them. They're convenient to use, easy to store, and (so far, anyway) effective. Things I like so far:
Things I don't like:
Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Katadyn for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test. Read more reviews of Katadyn gear Read more gear reviews by S. Nelson Reviews > Water Treatment > Chemical Treatment > Katadyn MicroPur Tablets > Steve Nelson > Initial Report | |||