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KlearWater Water Treatment
Field Report - May 30, 2006
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Email address: chuck_kime AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: May 30, 2006
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. After 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and injuries have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and look closer at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it well under 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Backpacking Background applicable to this test
Absolutely none, other than a single BGT test. Otherwise, I have never used any kind of personal water treatment in the field, as I either had a source available (military/scout setting) or brought enough with me for the trip I was on. This should give me a unique perspective on this test.
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: KlearWater
Model: KlearWater
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.klearwater.com
Listed weight: 3.9 oz (111 g)
Measured weight: 3.9 oz (111 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Clear/Multi
MSRP: $12.95 US
Features/claims (from web site) [return to top]
- Ready-to-use Chlorine Dioxide
- KlearWater contains only pure, active Chlorine Dioxide suspended in de-ionized water. This active formula allows it to work quickly to eliminate bacteria and viruses. KlearWater does not require messy mixing of chemicals or waiting for tablets to dissolve as with other Chlorine Dioxide products. KlearWater is ready to use directly from the bottle, it’s convenient, fast acting and economical.
- Multi-Use
- KlearWater is multi-purpose. This feature extends the usefulness of KlearWater and provides the user with a highly versatile product. KlearWater is effective as a surface cleaner for a variety of purposes, including washing fruits and vegetables, utensils, even hands! The KlearWater formula has been proven by university studies as an effective oral rinse and can also be used as an emergency wound irrigant.
- Maintains Containers/HydrationPacks/Filters
- Regular use of KlearWater also helps extend the life of hydration packs and other water containers by preventing growth of mold, bacteria and biofilm. KlearWater can also help keep filters free of harmful pathogens. The multi-use features of KlearWater make it the ideal product to include in all hiking, camping, and travel gear KlearWater is packaged in a convenient 30 milliliter (1oz.) bottle, enough to treat 30 liters (30 quarts) of water. Because of its compact size and light weight, KlearWater is perfect for hikers, campers, travelers, hunters, and boaters.
- KlearWater is packaged in a leak-resistant, reusable plastic container. This container provides protection and can be used to mix small amounts of KlearWater.
- KlearWater makes dosing easy and accurate by including a 1 ml measuring spoon with each container. This spoon fits within the KlearWater container so that it’s always handy for use.
- KlearWater is formulated in Sweden and air freighted to our US distribution center to assure freshness and quality.
- KlearWater is fast acting, lightweight, multi-use, economical, and doesn’t add unpleasant taste or smell to water. We’ve now made it available for resale through retailers and E-commerce websites.
Description [return to top]
The KlearWater comes in a 1 oz (30 ml) brown glass bottle. The cap has a capacity of 2 ml, enough for 2 doses when used as a measuring cup. The bottle comes in a clear plastic flip-top container which may be used for mixing different solutions of the KlearWater. KlearWater has provided a long-handled 1 ml measuring cup that fits inside the plastic container with the bottle.
For a more detailed description, please see my Initial Report.
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Field Information [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 45 ºF (7 ºC) to highs around 85 ºF (29 ºC) during the remainder of the 4-month test period. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m). Our new Scoutmaster has added monthly hikes to our schedule as well. My wife and I, who between us have 3 First Class boy scouts (ages 14, 15 and 16), are also looking into additional camping without the scouts, and there are possibilities of some AT section hikes (two down – many to go!) in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with my son as he works towards the Hiking Merit Badge.
I use either a 2-liter or 3-liter hydration bladder, and also re-use empty soft drink bottles for additional capacity. I often use a 1-liter soft drink bottle as a collection bottle because of the wider mouth. During our recent Spring Camporee (end of April) I collected a liter (quart) of water in this bottle from the lake at camp (opened and closed the bottle beneath the surface). I filtered this water through a bandana into another (clean) bottle, then added a measuring-spoonful of KlearWater, shook it, and waited 30 minutes or so. Temperature at the time was about 60 °F (15 °C), and water temperature was noticeably cooler, though well above freezing. After waiting the requisite time, I opened the bottle. I noticed a very slight chlorine smell, similar to tap water, although I probably would not have noticed had I not been looking for it. The taste, like the smell, was like tap water. This is good.
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Things I am/will be looking for:
- Taste. Does the water taste “funny” or like chemicals?
- Smell. Are there any noticeable odors to the water?
- Usability. Is the product as easy to use as the website seems to indicate?
- Capacity. Do I actually get the number of treatments the manufacturer claims?
- Carrying. The bottle looks quite small. Does it fit well into my various pockets?
- Security/safety. Do I need to worry about leaking? Bottle breakage (glass bottle)? Will the product stain (or worse) anything if it happens to get spilled? *I will read all relevant safety information before considering this as an intentional test.*
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My findings so far:
- Taste. Tastes like tap water.
- Smell. Smells like tap water.
- Usability. Measure... Mix... Shake... Wait... I can do this.
- Carrying. I carry the KlearWater in the same outer pocket on my pack as my soap and sanitizer with no problem.
- Security/safety. The glass bottle is inside a plastic one that should both protect the glass bottle and contain any product or broken glass should there be an issue.
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Things I like [return to top]
- Light.
- Compact.
- Easy to use.
- Potentially multi-use.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- None yet.
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Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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