Question:
we're all pretty clear about the different methods of purifyingwater. (my 2 cents: I bought a Katadyn, and have never reallyused it; it's too heavy for a trip of any length. Works great at homein the sink, though!)

But, what about all the different kinds of purifying pills and solutionsout there? Iodine is great, if you like that medicine-cabinet taste. Ithink Potable Aqua is Iodine based -- not sure about Halazone (chlorine,maybe -- like drinking from a swimming pool?)

I bought some Micropur pills in Europe . They're made by the Swiss folksfrom Katadyn, are based on Silver ions, work pretty quickly, kill everything(not sure about viruses) and are tasteless. I've used them in Asia andAfrica without any hitches. Has anyone seen them in the U.S.?

And now that we're on the topic, what kinds of pills do kill viruses? Does it have to be iodine? (which is cheaper is crystal/solution form).The bottom line is, if we want water to taste like water, and we're notgoing to boil or filter, what's the best

Answer: Never seen the Micropur pills. Iodine tasting water is awful. And I've nevertried Halazone. The problem with chemicals is:

1) Usually makes the water taste awful.

2) For some contaminations, it won't kill the bacteria/virus/protozoa. Forexample, cryptosporidium protozoa "crypto" is resistant to a lot of chemicals.I wouldn't want to take a chance with any of this crap.

If you don't filter your water, chances are, you won't get sick. But if youdo get sick, we're talking screwed here.