Katadyn Micropur Water Purification Tablets Review

/ Casey Handley

We've come to actually dearest Katadyn's Micropur H2o Tabs because they take upward nearly no pack space, they weigh adjacent to zilch, and they can't break or fail like a filter can. These tabs will purify your water, meaning they'll kill everything - fifty-fifty viruses. So they're even safer than a regular filter when you see questionable water. You'll have to wait a bit for the tabs to take effect and y'all'll need to get creative to filter out debris, just in that location's no lighter, easier, or more than reliable way to get safe water.

We occasionally utilize Micropur Tabs equally our main grade of water treatment, only more oft we carry them equally a backup treatment for really contaminated water or in case our filter fails.

Quick Specs

MSRP: $16

WEIGHT: one.2 oz. (30 tabs)

A Smartwater Bottle and a set of Katadyn Micropur Tablets laying on the ground

PROS

ULTRALIGHT - Ane tab (in its wrapper) barely registers on our scale at .04 oz., and they come up in sets of 30. Each tab is good for purifying one liter of water, so that'due south simply about 1.ii oz. for 30 liters of clean h2o.

A variety of backpacking water filters and purifiers laid out on a table for size comparison

Micropur Water Tabs (peak left rectangular bundle) are very pocket-sized & lightweight - particularly compared to other filters & purifiers

AFFORDABLE - This point comes with a bit of a caveat. Micropur tabs are affordable in the short term, but they'll stop upwards costing more than a filter or other purifiers in the long run. Yet, the toll for a ready of these is relatively small when compared to a purifier similar the Steripen Ultra or MSR Guardian.

KILLS VIRUSES - Water filters, like the popular Sawyer Clasp and Katadyn BeFree, volition but remove bacteria and protozoa (giardia, cryptosporidium, etc.). Micropur tabs are the lightest water purification method you tin get, and they become beyond what a regular filter can practice to remove viruses every bit well.

A Smartwater Bottle getting filled by a stream with some Katadyn Micropur Tablets and mini scissors next to it

INCREDIBLY EASY TO USE - All you have to practice is cutting the packet open, drop the tab in your h2o, and wait. Getting purified h2o couldn't be easier - no pumping or squeezing required.

A person dropping a Katadyn Micropur Tablet into some water

All you accept to do is open the packet & drop the tab in - information technology does all the piece of work for yous

HIGHLY PACKABLE - Micropur tabs come in sparse tear strips of 10 that will fit pretty much anywhere. You tin stash them in your pocket, hipbelt, wallet - anywhere! We like to hike with a fanny pack, and we proceed them tucked in there for convenient access on the go.

CONS

Take TO Wait A BIT FOR THEM TO WORK - The results aren't immediate with Micropur tabs. You'll have to wait up to four hours for clean h2o depending on the state of affairs and what yous're wanting to remove. Cryptosporidium will take the full four 60 minutes incubation fourth dimension before it's completely removed, only crypto isn't very common in most backcountry h2o you'll encounter.

Unless we're in an surface area where h2o has been tainted by livestock carrion, nosotros typically but expect virtually 15 minutes earlier considering our water safe to drinkable since that's the contact time required to eliminate the most common harmful stuff. Nosotros've never had any issues, but nosotros recommend you utilise your own all-time judgment to decide how long you want to wait equally it'due south a matter of wellness. Colder water requires more fourth dimension, and of course if you want to exist 100% certain that your h2o is completely pure - yous should wait the full four hours.

A group of cows standing next to a trail

On trails where cows & other livestock are nowadays, water is more likely to be heavily contaminated

DOESN'T REMOVE Debris - Because Micropur Tabs are a chemic treatment, they won't remove silt, leaves, or other floaties. But this is an easy fix with a little chip of creativity. We employ a bandana or Packtowl placed over the mouth of our bottle to pre-filter droppings.

NOT AS COST Effective OVER Time - We mentioned this a niggling earlier, just seeing as the tabs aren't reusable similar a dedicated filter or purifier, they'll end upward costing you more in the long run if you backpack a lot.

A hiker holding the Steripen Ultra near a stream

Y'all MAY Detect A VERY SLIGHT Gustatory modality - Micropur tabs exit a very slight chlorine taste in your water. It's not like drinking full-on pool h2o, but most folks will discover it. We carry flavored electrolyte pulverisation - Ultima and Cure are some of our favorites - with us to counteract the gustatory modality.

A smartwater bottle with an Ultima Hydration mix in it with mountains in the background

We use electrolyte mixes to counteract the chemical gustatory modality - here we're using i of our favorites, Ultima Watermelon

Lesser LINE

Katadyn Micropur Tabs are highly packable, ultralight, and they tin can be relied upon to give you lot condom, purified water. Dissimilar a regular water filter, they'll eliminate all of the harmful things in your h2o - only you'll have to give them some fourth dimension for them to be completely effective. Nosotros recommend Micropur Tabs for trips where saving every ounce matters or for use as a backup in areas where y'all're probable to encounter water with agronomical runoff or other harder to kill contaminants.

A Katadyn Micropur tab dissolving in a cup of water

Katadyn Micropur Tabs are easy to use, only it'll take some time for the tablet to dissolve & work its magic

About the Author - Casey

Casey Handley is an avid outdoor adventurer and self-described gear nerd. She'south hiked thousands of miles on trails across America, including the Appalachian Trail, John Muir Trail, and the Long Trail. Her favorite things include the crinkle of a new Dyneema tent, the smell of Doug fir trees, and shaving an ounce off her pack weight.

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