Drinking water. Is a steripen overkill when taking Befree

[TactiCol]

I know the topic of drinking water has been done to death on here (I've just read loads of them) but, I just wanted to get some opinions on whether it is overkill or a sensible precaution to buy and take a Steripen when we already have the Katadyn Befrees?

If it was just me that was going I would take my chances as I am fairly confident that most water (if sourced at suitable locations) would be perfectly fine and even more so filtered with the Katadyn. I know we could just boil it but then that would mean burning and therefore carrying more fuel. Obviously if I am making dehydrated meals anyway I can just filter and boil a little longer before adding to the meal but, for drinking water, it will end up being a bit of a faff and resource intensive.

My real concern is that I am taking my son and nephew and obviously don't want to be responsible for them getting ill from any viruses that may be lurking in the water (particularly if we can't really obtain it from it's highest point). Am I being overly cautious here?

I don't know if it's me getting old or what because I used to just drink straight from the burn as a younger man without these responsibilities Now I feel like a health and safety inspector with all the risk assessment I am doing Am I going over the top here?

[WalkWithWallace]

I think it's a bit overkill, but it's up to you at the end of the day.

I usually drink direct from the streams higher up, but I've been using a Katadyn Befree filter as my standalone water treatment for over a year now, including 15 days on the Cape Wrath Trail and I've been fine. I was using the Sawyers Mini before I bought the Katadyn effort.

No need to filter and boil by the way, as a one minute rolling boil is enough for any fresh water source in Britain.

[Marty_JG]

Any one method (Steripen, filter, boil) should be fine for running fresh water.

What none of them help with is heavy metals, chemicals e.g. nitrates, so be observant about arable farmlands and anywhere with quarries.

BTW, just bringing the water to a rolling boil is more than enough. The extra minute is overkill. The temperature at which pathogens are killed or immobilised is actually 70°c, so by the time you hit a rolling boil you've certainly sterilised the water. Admittedly the boiling point lowers at altitude, but at the peak of Ben Nevis it's 98.6°c so you're fine with just hitting a full rolling boil and stopping. At the peak of Everest, should you ever happen to be that way and decide to stop for a local-water cuppa, the boiling point is 70°c so it might be worth giving it a full minute up there.

https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/survival-science-minimum-water-boiling-time/

[AspiringHiker]

from any viruses

The virus part is tricky. The Katadyn website claims bacteria, cysts and sediment, but not viruses and Sawyer makes the same claims for theirs. From what I see the pores on the filters in both cases are 0.1 micron, whereas viruses are almost always smaller. For example, noroviruses are about 40nm i.e. about 25 times smaller. That said, there is a big difference between water purification needs in Scottish wilderness and disaster zone - you are unlikely to have many people with viral diarrhoea upstream of where you take water.

[Marty_JG]

Indeed, Mountaineering Scotland lists the most common pathogens (common being relative, they are still very rare) namely of the bacteria E Coli, Shingella, Salmonella, Leptospirosis; the protozoan Giardia, and the amoebae for Amoebic Dysentery. No viruses.

https://www.mountaineering.scot/safety-and-skills/health-and-hygiene/drinking-water

There are papers on water-borne viruses but it is made clear this is due to faecal contamination.

Waterborne Viruses: A Barrier to Safe Drinking Water (PLOS Pathogens, 2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482390/

It's not for nothing there are various modern vulgar variations of the 13th century adage, "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest."

[TactiCol]

I've picked up some Lifesystems Chlorine Dioxide tablets for a "just in case I'm dubious" scenario. Will probably just use the Katadyn. Had enough of thinking about Viruses this last year

[WalkWithWallace]

BTW, just bringing the water to a rolling boil is more than enough. The extra minute is overkill. The temperature at which pathogens are killed or immobilised is actually 70°c, so by the time you hit a rolling boil you've certainly sterilised the water. Admittedly the boiling point lowers at altitude, but at the peak of Ben Nevis it's 98.6°c so you're fine with just hitting a full rolling boil and stopping. At the peak of Everest, should you ever happen to be that way and decide to stop for a local-water cuppa, the boiling point is 70°c so it might be worth giving it a full minute up there.

https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/survival-science-minimum-water-boiling-time/

Must admit I usually bring it to the the boil an pour, I got the one minute rolling boil advice from Paul Kirtley. Belts and braces.

[nathan79]

Indeed, Mountaineering Scotland lists the most common pathogens (common being relative, they are still very rare) namely of the bacteria E Coli, Shingella, Salmonella, Leptospirosis; the protozoan Giardia, and the amoebae for Amoebic Dysentery. No viruses.

https://www.mountaineering.scot/safety-and-skills/health-and-hygiene/drinking-water

There are papers on water-borne viruses but it is made clear this is due to faecal contamination.

Waterborne Viruses: A Barrier to Safe Drinking Water (PLOS Pathogens, 2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482390/

It's not for nothing there are various modern vulgar variations of the 13th century adage, "it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest."

Should be Shigella not Shingella, bit of blooper on part of the MCofS, not you. Interesting they consider the extremely rare Giardia but neglect the protozoa Cryptosporidium which is smaller, hardier and much more common on these shores (anywhere there are deer, sheep, cattle and often rabbits and geese there is a high chance of the presence of crypto).

[AspiringHiker]

One thing to consider is where you buy your filter/purification tablets. A certain large online retailer may not be the best place: have a look at "inventory commingling FBA".