Question:
PUR makes a variety of compact reverse osmosis water purifiers, frombackpack models, to emergency water supply units, to productionmodels used in sailboats (where I learned about them). Their systemproduces water that is above the world heath organization standardfor safe water.So due the PUR filters with the iodine filter leave you with bad tastingwater like the iodine pill form of water purification??Also what about other brands of backpacking filters do they leave you withbad tasting water ??

Answer: In a previous posting a PUR Scout user complained of too much iodine taste, eventhough he was using PUR's charcoal cartridge. I also thought my PUR Explorerpurifier with PUR's charcoal cartridge attached still pumped water with anunacceptable iodine taste. So I added an additional PUR StopTop charcoal filter tothe end of the filtered water line. It was better, but still unacceptable to me.

I called PUR and they acted surprised on the phone. According to them customers arethrilled by the charcoal cartridges and think they remove ALL the iodine taste. PURoffered to test mine, so I sent it in. It hasn't come back yet, but I'm sure it'sfine.

I asked a friend who used a SweetWater Guardian+ViralGuard in India for a month ifhis filtered water tasted of iodine. He said that there was a slight iodine taste,but at first he masked it with vitamin-C tablets, then got used to the iodine tasteand didn't mind it.

I think it must be a very personal thing. I have a fancy 5-stage under-sink waterfiltration system at home, and before that always drank bottled water. Now I canbarely choke down regular chlorinated city water.

Here in the U.S. backcountry, I just use standard filters without any iodinetreatment. Except for floods which cause the sewage treatment plants to overflow andcontaminate our water supplies, we don't have viral problems with our water.