type of contaminants that are likely to be present in water.

If you go on an adventure trip to distant lands, far away from any civilization, you must think about how to get enough drinking water. And probably ends up with a water filter. But do these bacteria, viruses, parasites and dirt really stop them? Was the question.

Anyone who clicks through outdoor travel forums on the Internet, will soon come across ceramic or membrane water filters,water bottle with filter for travel, which should prove themselves. They are handy, about the size of a coke can. Attached to it are a pump and a hose, ready. You keep the hose in the water, pump, and in a few minutes, you have clean drinking water in a container. 

The water filter works with very small pores. Pathogens are also small, but the pores are even smaller and so they are filtered out of the water.

The source of your drinking water will determine the type of contaminants that are likely to be present and consequently the ideal water filtration system you should consider. Bottle-fed babies and young children are particularly susceptible to the contaminants likely to be in their drinking water as they drink up to four times more water for their body weight than most adults. For a discussion on the various contaminants present in tap, tank, bore/well and bottled water, refer to my book:

There is insufficient evidence to validate the claim that drinking alkaline water leads to alkaline blood – indeed a narrow change in blood pH would result in death! Similarly drinking excessive amounts of alkaline water may affect stomach acidity and interfere with protein digestion among'st other issues.

Beware of viruses!

Pathogens are parasites, bacteria or even viruses. The ceramic water filters are ideal for bacteria and parasites. For viruses that also live in the water, it is different. Dangerous viruses, such as the hepatitis virus, must be killed by means of water treatment tablets. "Mostly, these tablets work with chlorine, and these are an effective antiviral agent," Wouter Pronk continues. So, in vulnerable areas necessarily after filtering even a tablet in the water.

Cooking is the best way

Basically, by the way, the decoction of water is still the most effective way to get drinking water. However, this is not possible on all trips, it lacks fuel or enough time, and so many adventurers resort to the water filter.

Incidentally, where industrial wastewater enters rivers, a water filter is not enough to make flawless drinking water, the water expert warns: "These are dissolved toxins, so you should not drink such water." With an activated carbon filter but could also be partially chemicals and pollutants from the water be filtered.

Who wants to get a good water filter for adventure travel, it must cost a lot: The models vary between a few hundred to over a thousand.