Yes it looks clean, but is it safe to drink ? Would you want to take that risk?

Types Of Water Purifiers For Hiking & Outdoor Sports

An average person requires about 2.2 to 3 liters of drinking water in a day but when you are exerting yourself in some physical activity such as hiking, mountain climbing or backpacking across the country then your water requirement increases by over 50% to enable you to stay hydrated. Water can be easily found in the backcountry from lakes, streams and spring seeps. Often, however, the water is unfit for drinking without some treatment or purification, since it is full of bacteria, especially Protozoan parasite which is transmitted through the faeces of animals and can cause diseases or viruses such as hepatitis A and Rotavirus to spread.

The answer to that is to carry one of various types of water purifiers which can remove these contaminants and cleanse the water to make it safe for drinking. Carrying a portable and simple type of water purifier is more convenient than carrying your drinking water for your entire trip. There are many different types of water purifiers available as mentioned below.

Potable Aqua Water Purification Treatment

These tablets cleanse the water and makes it safe for drinking simply within 30 minutes and is able to treat about 25 liters of water in one go. Moreover it protects against recontamination as it makes water suitable for drinking at source. Moreover, this type of water purifier has been proven to be effective against Giardia Lamblia and other bacteria and viruses. It is an EPA registered product with no expiration date.

Pros

These tablets are safe and reliable to use
Small sized and easy to carry
It is reliable as a back up and compliments water filters
Low price
It is very quick

Best for homes noways is Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filters

Lifestraw Personal Water filter

This can make about 264 gallons of water safe for drinking by removing 99.9% of protozoa including giardia lamblia (beaver fever), cryptosporidium parvum, entamoeba histolytica and is ideal to be used for camping and hiking. It can also be used during emergency situations to provide purified water straight from the stream and there is no need to carry water bottles. The best thing about this type of water purifier is that it purifies the water without using any iodine or chemicals.

Pros

It is compact and lightweight
It does not require any batteries or moving parts
Water can be stored indefinitely as there is no shelf life

Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System

This type of water purifier is so lightweight and small that it can fit in the palm of your hand, making it safe to carry for all outdoor activities. It can be attached to a drinking pouch or water bottles so you can drink water directly from the source. It effectively removes bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera, and E.coli by 99.9%, and all protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium and is able to purify 100,000 gallons of water in one go.

Pros

You can drink directly from the container with its straw
Weighs only 2 ounces
It can be screwed on to water containers or bottles

It’s easy to go out and think you’ve taken enough water with you, only to find the temperature is hotter than forecasted and you’re drinking more. Yes the cool stream looks clean and drinkable, but is it? Better safe than sorry is the watch word, invest a few bucks on something that may well save your life!