>a) water purification equipment with supplies/filter changes good for 6+ months of continuous use
It's easy enough to make a particulate filter yourself out of sand and charcoal. Then just boil the water to kill any microbes
It's easy enough to make a particulate filter yourself out of sand and charcoal. Then just boil the water to kill any microbes
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergenc...
see https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/backcountry...
Water that has been disinfected with iodine is NOT recommended for pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, those with known hypersensitivity to iodine, or continuous use for more than a few weeks at a time.
Sawyer filters tend to be our favorite. Although if you only want to do a Nalgene amount of water and don’t mind some grit, then Steripens are a good option too.
I used a Sawyer Squeeze daily for 4 months and probably only backflushed it 2 or 3 times. It definitely slowed down, but nowhere close to the amount of time it takes to boil water and wait for it to cool down.
The Katadyn Befree is my favorite right now because it's lighter with a considerably faster flow than the Squeeze. Some reviews from thru-hikers say it clogs faster than the Squeeze but I haven't had any issues so far. (Haven't thru-hiked with it yet though...)