Steripen is a UV inactivation process. Good for virus, bacteria, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.The only downside is, the water has to be fairly clear. Murky water blocks the UV light. For muddy, sludgy water, I like the MSR flitration systems. The advantages? Much faster and no funny aftertaste.
Chlorine will absolutely kill giardia, you just have to let it sit longer.
Just grab some of this http://www.rei.com/product/695229/katadyn-micropur-purification-tablets-package-of-304 hours will clean the worst water, I know it's a long time to wait for a drink but it'll be clean at the end.
I've switched over to chlorine dioxide tablets for most of my gear though. If I only think I need a couple, like in my EDC/Get-home bag and my PSK, they last as long as the iodines in the bottle, but I only am exposing them to air one at a time.
Hi, Toolguy.That sounds like a good system for camp water, do you have any robust UV light that you would recommend? I owed one from a long long time ago, and frankly I don't even have any faith it will survive the mildest drop on the ground.As for the trichloromethane, I am not good with Chemistry, where and when will this be found? During chlorination of the water? Will any chloride dioxide tablets produce this during the purification of the water?