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Long Term Report: KlearWater
Water
Treatment
Date: July 24, 2006
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Finally pursuing a
long-time interest, I started backpacking 3 years
ago. I've progressed from day-hiking
and single overnights my first year, to weekend trips the second, and
finally
to a 7-night trip on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia this year.
I
hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West
Virginia,
and generally use a hammock sleeping system.
For a two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) including
consumables, and I’m still trying to lighten that a bit.
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Product
Information
Manufacturer: KlearWater.com
Year of manufacture: 2006
Date of Delivery: March 17, 2006
Listed weight: 3 oz (85 g)
Weight as delivered:
Water treatment/bottle only - 2.7 oz (77 g)
With storage container & measuring spoon - 3.1 oz (88 g)
Listed Dimensions: None given
Bottle dimensions as delivered: 3.25 in high x 1.25 in wide
(8.25 x 3.25 cm)
Bottle Color: Brown
Manufacturer Website: http://www.KlearWater.com
MSRP: Not given
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Ingredients:
0.15% Cl02 (Chlorine Dioxide)
99.85% De-ionized water
Content weight:
1 oz (30 ml) per specifications
Product Features:
1 ml (.03 fl oz) treats 1 L (1 Qt) of water
No mixing or waiting for a chemical reaction to activate
Effective in a wide range of temperatures and PH.
Last months after opening
Self-indicating (yellow) when active - clear when inactive
Multi-use - oral rinse, hand wash, surface cleaner, wound wash
10 years proven performance world-wide
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Product Description
 KlearWater
is a liquid water treatment that doesn't require pre-mixing to use, and
takes only 15-30 minutes to effectively treat water even in cold
temperatures.
KlearWater's website states it is the only "pre-measured, pre-mixed, active Chlorine Dioxide
water treatment available in the world today" and that many municipal
water treatment
facilities use Chlorine Dioxide (Cl02), the active ingredient in
KlearWater, to treat water for viruses and
bacteria such as E-Coli, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia. These
contaminants are of concern to backpackers since they are commonly
found in streams and other water sources.
KlearWater can also be used as an oral rinse, handwash, emergency wound
wash, or surface cleaner. It comes packaged in a brown glass
bottle stored inside a clear plastic storage container with a 1 ml (.03
fl oz) measuring spoon and an instruction sheet. The lid of the
bottle
holds 2 ml (.07 fl oz) and can also
be used for measuring (filling 1/2 full for 1 ml or .03 fl oz).
The plastic storage container can
be used to mix KlearWater for concentrated use for
cleansing/disinfecting purposes.
For a more detailed
description of KlearWater Water Treatment and instructions for use,
please see my Initial
Report.
Field Information
Since my Field
Report, I have used KlearWater on one additional 2-night/3-day
backpacking trip of approximately 26 mi (42 km) in the George
Washington National Forest in Virginia. Elevations ranged from
approximately 1000 to 4000 ft (300 to 1200 m). The
weather was warm and dry, with nights in the 60 F (16 C) range to
daytime highs over 90 F (32 C), and only a few light
breezes. Water sources were fairly plentiful, and consisted
of springs and mountain streams and rivers. My pack was heavier
than most of my past trips due to my packing along a good bit of fresh
food and several luxury items, weighing close to 40 lb (18 kg) at the
beginning of the trip with food and water, and around 30 lb (14 kg) at
the end of the trip.
Field Use
I used KlearWater to treat water from springs at the Seely Woodworth
and the Priest shelters, a couple of small streams, and the Tye
River. I used the recommended 1 ml (.03 oz) per liter for all but
the water from the Tye River. Since several people were wading or
swimming in the river, and it was close to a road, even though it was
clear I used 2 ml (.07 oz) per liter for that water. The taste
and odor were not signifactly changed by using more KlearWater.
Conclusions
I found it very easy to pull out the small bottle of KlearWater, fill
my platypus and add a dose of treatment, then wait 15 minutes to drink
- much more convenient than assembling and using a filter every time I
need water, especially when I'm on the move. For the most part,
I've
found it easy to measure the appropriate amount of KlearWater for the
size container I'm using, although once in a while I end up pouring out
too much, especially if I am trying to fill my half liter Platypus, or
if I am tired and impatient. One thing I find difficult when I
don't
have a level area to set everything down is juggling a full platypus of
water and trying to hold the plastic container holding the brown glass
bottle of water treatment, the glass bottle itself and the small
measuring spoon. Other than that, KlearWater is very convenient.
Although the concentrated solution in the bottle smells strongly of
chlorine, water treated with KlearWater has only a slight taste and
odor, similar to that of public water, which I most likely notice
because we drink well water at home.
KlearWater is easy to store and fits conveniently almost
anywhere. I usually store the container in either the top lid of
my pack or in a small stuff sack of miscellaneous items, although on my
last trip, I stored it inside my food bag part of the time. It
fits easily in a small corner of my day pack, and although I took it
along on a few day hikes, I never had the need to actually use it on on
of these trips, as my water supply always held out long enough to
finish the hike. I did misplace the bottle on my last backpacking
trip, when I accidentally got it mixed up with some dirty clothes as I
was packing. Since the bottle is fairly small, it is difficult to
find when it's mixed up in clothing or other cushioning items.
A full bottle seems to last about 6 nights/7 days in normal
temperatures. Even with hot temperatures on my last trip, I used
about a half bottle of KlearWater in 2 nights/3 days. It is not
practical to repackage KlearWater in a lighter, smaller plastic
bottle. Although I had hoped to do this for weekend trips for a
slight weight savings, during some test runs at home, I found
KlearWater turned from yellow to clear in less than 4 days, meaning it
was no longer effective. Since KlearWater is already much lighter
than a filter, risking having it turn ineffective before the end of a
trip isn't worth saving a few ounces. One thing I did like about
the plastic bottle was that it was very easy to measure a precise
amount from its dropper top, and I would recommend KlearWater research
the feasibility of packaging with a dropper of some sort. If it
could be incorporated into the bottle top that would be great, since it
would also make it more difficult to spill an entire bottle if it were
to be accidentally be knocked over, which was something I worried about
even though it never happened.
KlearWater seems to be highly effective. I noticed
no signs of possible adverse reactions during any of my trips - no
stomach
problems, no intestinal problems, no headaches, and no allergic
reactions.
I found
KlearWater is a lightweight solution that will help in my quest to
lighten my pack weight. Not only does it save weight over
carrying a filter, but when water sources are plentiful, I can carry
less water at a time, since it is easy to collect and treat with
KlearWater as needed, while I hesitate to pull out a filter to treat
only 1 liter. I plan to make KlearWater my primary water
treatment method in the future, although I will probably carry a few
back-up pills due to concern that the bottle could be spilled and leave
me without a safe treatment method.
| Likes
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Very convenient
Light weight
No objectionable taste
Leak-proof packaging
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Dislikes
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No 1/2 ml (.02 fl oz) marking on measuring spoon
No markings for 1/2 ml (.02 fl oz) or 1 ml on bottle cap (.03 fl oz)
Sometimes I waste treatment by overfilling the measuring spoon
Bottle could easily be spilled by accident, which would leave me with
no treatment.
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Thanks to KlearWater and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test KlearWater water treatment.
Read more reviews of KlearWater gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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