water purifiers

Thanks Scott! I'll be ordering mine this week. I've read about it and from what I've heard, the only draw back is a chlorine taste, like drinking pool water. If it's clean and pure and going to help my family,4 of us, survive, than I don't really care if it tastes like pool water.

I really appreciate your feedback.

May I suggest taking a look at a Bio-Sand filter.  Basically a slow sand filter, by using a particular size sand, size, and low flow rate, your filter will develop a biologically active layer on top that has significant cleansing and purification properties, including anti-viral capabilities.  Its advantage is that it is incredibly low-tech (use some sort of barrel or concrete tub and you can sort the sand from a river or beach), can provide significant amounts of water from gravity feed, and simple to maintain.  I would want an alternative water pruification process for the time when you must disturb the biologically active layer for backwash or while it is initially starting.  Adding a little chlorine could be good if an illness is very active around you or dead bodies are in the river.  Some researchers in India found it even provided a significant reduction in nitrates, which is a problem in the well water around my area.

But very effective against e.coli, giardia, cryptosporidium, some dissolved metals and minerals, coliforms, and other bad stuff.   Make it as big as you like! Showers!  Yeah!

http://www.cawst.org/technology/watertreatment/filtration-bi osand.php

ok i posted elseware about seawater-

Ive done a little reading and although this doesnt state it i think this Reverse osmosis water filter system could be the answer for all. It removes everything above 1 micron. You could proberly p*ss in this and get fresh water out thoe other end.

R.O. is both power and water hungry, also doesn't do much for viruses in the water.  Add to all that being slow and low volume for big bucks and R. O. looks like a waste of time to me. 

The sand filters with a U.V. final stage are the most bang for the buck! 

While in the service I learned of a CHEAP way to filter water, but it does not purity it.

1. First cut off the bottom portion of a trouser or denim leg (pants) about 18 inches or so.
2. Then layer rocks and sand alternating the two with several layers.
3. Finally tie the one end off with rope and place another rope that can hang at the other end. Which can hang from a tree and filter the rain water, just place a bucket under to catch the filtered rain water. Even if it is tied off the filtered water will make its way down out of it.