Australian Hiker

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Katadyn Micropur Forte Water Purification Liquid 100ml Review

Carrying water on the trail is only half of the equation. In many places we hike, at least in western countries, we take for granted we will have access to good quality supplies of clean water right? While the answer is usually yes this is not a guarantee and what we see is not necessarily all that we get.

I travelled through India a few years ago and managed to pick up a case of Giardia that took me six weeks on a fairly strong course of antibiotics to get rid of; an experience that I never want to repeat. Don’t be fooled here, Giardia exists in Australia and there have even been outbreaks in town water sources. As a result of this I am extremely cautious when collecting water on the trail and no matter how clear the water may appear, I will always use some form of water treatment just to be on the safe side.

Using chemicals to treat water is by far the lightest option for the ultralight hiker but as always there are drawbacks. The Katadyn Micropur Forte Water liquid (along with the tablet version) is the most commonly available chemical water treatment for hikers in Australia. Brands like Aquamira also exist but most specialist outdoor stores seem to opt for the Katadyn products.

This liquid treatment works by chemically killing off any biological nasties in the water. I find that the liquid is just a bit more finicky to use that the tablets; but a slight squeeze to add just add one drop(1ml) per 10 litres of water is all that is needed. A wait of 30 minutes before drinking (for viruses and bacteria) or two hours for Giardia is then required to let the chemical do its job. So while this is a great water purification option if you only have one container then you had better hope that you are not very thirsty otherwise you may find yourself taking a risk.  For people like me, paranoid about Giardia, this means I would operate with at least two bladders and drink from one while the other is being treated. Once treated the water is good to use for up to six months. The 100ml bottle of chemical will treat 1000litres of water and for most people that’s going to last quite a while and at just on 5.5¢/litre it’s relatively cheap.

Apart from the length of time required to treat the water the other main issue is that it doesn’t get rid of any solids in the water which means that you may end up with gritty water or food. To solve this issue pre filter with either a sieve filter that you can buy from the outdoor stores or use a buff to pass the water through to pick up any chunky bits.

This liquid version does the same job as the tablets, but ends up treating a far greater amount of water at a much cheaper cost. For me this liquid would be a back up to my main filtration system which is currently the Katadyn BeFree.

Katadyn Micropur Liquid Water Purifier 100 ml bottle

We Like

• This water treatment option is lightweight and compact
• This is a relatively easy water treatment product to use so you are unlikely to make a mistake
• Kills viruses so if you have any doubt about water quality this is a good option
• Relatively inexpensive at 5.5¢ a litre

We Don't Like

• Doesn’t filter out the solids in the water
• At best you need to wait 30 minutes before you can drink. If you have any concerns about organisms such as Giardia then you should wait 2 hours
• More fiddly than the tablet version

Best Uses

This is a great option just in case your main filter goes down or for when you have a concern about viruses being present in the water

Buy One

You can purchase Katadyn Micropur Forte Water Purifier Liquid 100 ml online from Wildfire Sports

Disclosure: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

If you have used the Katadyn Micropur Forte Water Purifier Liquid or if you have questions, we’d like to hear from you. Post your comment or question below

Investment

AUD $54.99 RRP

Other Versions

Katadyn also produces the Micropcur Forte Purification Tablets

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

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