Adventure touring: should you get a water filter?
By Ped Baker -
Touring & travel
16 October 2009 16:41
Water filters are ideal for jungle treks away from civilisation where you don¹t have the chance to buy bottled water but all motorcycles need roads or tracks to follow and tracks lead to people.The opportunity to buy bottled water from local sources is usually possible and this is your best bet.
Some locals may try and sell you bottled water that they¹ve fetched from the local river so check the plastic neck seal is intact. If you¹re unsure, sterilise the water by boiling it. It only needs to attain a rolling boil to kill the bugs.
If you have to resort to taking water from a river, only choose fast flowing water away from industry and agriculture. Also check upstream for any dead animals or rotting vegetation.
A Millbank bag is a British army issue filtration bag that will strain out the larger particles before boiling. It folds down to the size of a flannel and can be washed in a machine.
