Is it safe to use only iodine tablets while backpacking?

Question

not using a pump filter.

Answer 1

I personally use a water filter but iodine tablets are safe to use. Just take water from a place that doesn't have too much debris since you can't filter it out. The water will also have a strong iodine taste. There was a 70+ mi trip I went on that we wanted to elimate carrying filters and we used a water disenfectant called "Polar Pure". What it is, is a small bottle that contains iodine crystals. You fill the bottle with a certain amount of water (depending on how much water you are disenfecting and how many times you have used the Polar Pure bottle) and let it sit for awhile. You then pour the water in the Polar Pure bottle into the rest of your water, shake and let sit for a few minutes. The crystals stay in the Polar Pure bottle and can be reused many times. I really thought it worked well and best of all, in my opinion that water only had a minor change in taste and did not taste badly of iodine. Here's the link to the Polar Pure website: http://www.polarequipment.com/

Answer 2

as far as bacteria, protozoa, and viruses - yes if used correctly

in an ideal world I would filter and use a UV system but all that gets expensive

during winter, I usually boil

during summer, I like to use filter and then chemical treatment (Katadyn - not iodine - hate the taste)

would prefer to treat and then filter so my MSR filter could  get rid of some of the chemical taste (much better than iodine but I still don't like it)

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles...

Answer 3

i backpacked for a month using only iodine and aquamira (which I prefer) to purify water.  sure i drank some pretty gnarly water (with algae, mud, and misquitoes floating in it.  hey, during an intense lightning storm you can't really reach good water without becoming a walking lightning pole) but i stayed hydrated and not sick.  you can also use your boiled pasta water for drinking.  some hot chocolate or tea completely takes away the taste.

Answer 4

It will kill pathogens and bacteria just fine, but it won't remove bugs, dirt and the like from your water.

Answer 5

By safe I assume you're worried about the health consequences of ingesting iodine for long periods and from what I've read that's something to be concerned about. On short trips it shouldn't be a problem, but longer trips I would seriously consider using another method to purify your water.

If you hate water filters or can't afford one, Aqua Mira is a much better option than iodine. It uses Chlorine Dioxide to purify the water, is safe for long term use and is popular with lightweight backpackers. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/...

Answer 6

Iodine tablets will kill all of the 'little nasties' (bacteria & virus') in the water, but it does leave an after taste, and without a filter you will still have floaters (dirt & debris) in the water.

If you're deadset against a filter you can pour the water through a coffee filter or a cotton cloth to get some of the stuff out before adding the iodine. Those small flavor packets will help to cover the iodine taste as well.

I strongly suggest a filter, and then only use the iodine in areas that are known to have problems with contaminants.

Have a great time.

Answer 7

+PLAIN AND SIMPLE+ Iodine tablets will kill the things in the water that will harm you. BUT THEY SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS A LAST RESORT!! Iodine tablets ARENT MEANT FOR EXTENDED USE. They are designed to give you a drinkable supply of water, when all you have is questionable water. If you have a choice between boiling and Iodineing the water, choose boiling. Iodine is not good for you over an extended period of time.

Answer 8

For the most part but keep in mind there is stuff that iodine wont kill like crypto.