Aquamira - Chlorine Dioxide Water Treatment Two Part Liquid (1 oz Droppers Bottles)

Used this on my first week long backpacking trip. Filtered my water first and then used drops to be safe. Works well, never got sick and did not notice any taste.

I've used these on there continents for almost a decade, and I can't see why anyone would prefer a filter.Taste: Awesome. Very slight chlorine taste if you're looking for it. In fact, it eliminated a weird, sulfurous smell that my friend's filtered water had.Ease of use: If you can operate an eye-dropper, you can use this product. Takes 15 minutes to begin working, but I usually just finish off my water before treating a new batch, and don't think to drink till it's ready anyway.Anecdote/Effectiveness: Used this to treat stagnant, turbid water in a South African desert and came away unscathed.+ Tastes good+ Elimiates odors and off flavors+ Stronger oxidant (sterilizer) than chlorine tablets or iodine+ Far smaller and lighter than a filter (yes, even your Sawyer)+ Faster than most filters for 2+ Liter batches+ Kills viruses that pass through filters+ Penetrates membranes and biofilms that chlorine and iodine cannot- Takes 15 minutes- Expires (couple year shelf life)

As far as I'm concerned, these drops are a must-pack for basically any trip into the outdoors. They're easy to use, and they've allowed me to safely drink water from a bunch of different streams without any kind of sickness or any other issues. They're also lightweight, easy to pack, and last a long time, as purifying one liter of water requires just 8 drops from each bottle.There are a few downsides, though. First, you have to wait about a half-hour for the water to be safe. Second, some people complain that the drops make the water have a slight chemical taste.. Third, you do have to be careful to dry off the rim of your water bottle—if you scoop water you'll likely get water on the outside of your bottle's rim that will be sealed off from the rest of the water when the bottle's closed. That means that it won't be treated and could still contain bacteria or viruses.However, none of these are serious problems in my opinion. Waiting a brief time to drink after refilling your water isn't a big problem (especially if you've planned well), and it's not hard to remember to wipe off the rim of your water bottle. As far as the taste goes, I suppose it's personal, but I find that at worst it just tastes like drinking town water in many towns. The quality of the water you scooped up has more of an effect on its taste than these drops do, in my experience.In short, these are great option for any kind of wilderness adventure. They can make practically any water safe from pathogens, they're lightweight and easy to use, and while there are a few downsides I think they're outweighed by the convenience of the lightweight/easy-to-pack form factor and the safety factor (not all filters will filter out everything that these can kill).

I got these along with the Aquamira "straw" filters (Aquamira Frontier Emergency Water Filter System) for a trip to Mexico. Since I didn't get sick and the water tasted good using the two in combination, I was perfectly happy with these.The way these work is the following: (1) mix 7 drops from each of the two bottles in the provided cap. (2) wait 5 minutes for activation (the solution turns from clear to yellow). (3) add the solution to 1L (32 oz) of water and shake or stir. (4) wait 15 more minutes to purify the water. (5) at that point you can drink it with chemical taste, or use the filter straws to remove the taste plus anything else that might be in the water.What I did was to get one of the 1L Platypus water bag-type water bottles and try to keep it always full with water treated from these drops. I decanted that water into glasses or other water bottles to hold it after treatment, and then used the Aquamira straw filters on that water to taste clean and fresh. This way I always had water available, and did not have to wait after the initial start-up time for the first bag.I also used this water to sanitize hotel glasses (just fill them up with the treated water) and my toothbrushes (soak them in the treated water). So those are nice bonuses. I liked it enough to but extras for our home emergency kit as well.Why not 5 stars? Well, for one thing it's hard to say that I "love" water treatment! For another, they do take a bit of time and have chemical odor that really necessitates the separate filters. On the other hand, it seems to work well and I'll happily get more when needed.As for whether you need water treatment in Mexico, I've heard that it depends where you go. I was in Mexico City and the guidebook recommended it. I also noticed at the airport that the immigration officers' desks all had advertisements for Samsung water purifying containers. Given that the government itself seemed to be advertising the need, I guess it's a good idea. Have a good trip!

I used these while backpacking for a couple of weeks in the Sierras and they're awesome! You have to wait five minutes before adding the mixed drops to the water and I actually liked that. It gave me a chance to just sit and enjoy the stream or lake where I was gathering water. Purifying water just became part of the rhythm of the day.The taste is barely perceptible, and adds just a hint of tartness to the water. I've used a Sawyer filter previously, but like the drops better in that I knew they'd always work and they have no issues with plugging up or the bag breaking (both of which have happened in the past with the Sawyer). Drinking water straight from a clean source will always be the most enjoyable but there aren't many sources on the main trails that are totally trustworthy so these drops are my go-to now.