There are two major classes of water purifiers: In home use purifiers and portable purifiers.

When buying a home purifiers be sure to test your water. Many water supplies suffer from a few different contaminants or minerals that are in higher than normal concentrations. Once you know the faults of your water supply you can be sure to get a purifier that will cover those problem areas.

There are many types of water filters to choose from while backpacking or camping. Some sterilize the water by the use of UV light or chemical treatment. Many chemical treatments can get hard on your body with extended use so its a good idea to use an alternate method of water purification if you are going to be camping for more than several days. Both UV light and chemical treatments do not remove the debris or cloudiness from the water, they only kill waterborne pathogens. This may be unpleasant for some people. If you feel uncomfortable drinking water that is cloudy invest in a filter system.

Filter systems need more maintenance, requiring the filter to be changed every so often. Choose a filter with smaller than one micron mesh. This way you can be sure to get rid of all the dangerous pathogens.

• Brita
• Pur
• Culligan
• Aquasana
• Anna
• Doulton
• 3M
• GE
• Whirlpool
• Watts